How to Become an IT Project Manager
Plan, execute, and close technology projects on time and within budget while coordinating technical teams and stakeholders. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $116,580 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$116,580/yr
Middle half
$79,370 to $157,500
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
31,300
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Project Planning
- Risk Management
- Agile/Scrum
- Budgeting
- Stakeholder Communication
Helpful certifications
- PMP (Project Management Professional)
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- CAPM
- CompTIA Project+
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
72/100
Work-life balance
58/100
Stress level
50/100
Satisfaction
71/100
Related careers
- Product Manager$166,790 median
- DevOps Engineer$135,980 median
- Software Developer$135,980 median
- Cybersecurity Analyst$129,180 median
- Data Scientist$120,230 median
- Site Reliability Engineer$116,580 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an IT Project Manager make?
The median pay for an IT Project Manager is $116,580 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $79,370 and $157,500 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an IT Project Manager?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, and Management Information Systems.
Is IT Project Manager a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 31,300 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an IT Project Manager use most?
Common skills for this role are Project Planning, Risk Management, Agile/Scrum, Budgeting, and Stakeholder Communication.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).