Project management jobs are quickly becoming a way for people with non-technical backgrounds to earn lucrative tech paychecks. Project managers have to be generalists with a knack for good communication, organization, critical thinking and being resourceful — skills that translate well across any number of industries.
A few seconds scrolling through project manager TikTok will give you the scoop>$65,000 in Jacksonville, Florida
Madison Das works as an associate project manager in Jacksonville, Florida.Illustration by Gene Kim
Name: Madison Das
Age: 21
Identifies as: Indian and Polish; she/they
Works for: a tech start-up
Training: associate's degree in biomedical sciences and an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree covering chemistry, sociology and English literature; a Google project management certification completed in six weeks
Time in the field: 3 months
You just started a new job and plan to be promoted in a few months — how did that happen? When I was interviewing, the department director and my direct supervisor, who are both women, told me: We don't want you to stay at this level for more than six months. Our intention is to have people grow.
That's been reaffirmed to me within my first month. Part of my developmental goals is to spend 10 hours a week getting trained in Salesforce. Companies worried about job-hopping really have to show their teams: We want to promote you and have you stay with us, and we'll tell you that>$100,000 in Charlotte, North Carolina
This 26-year-old changed careers from higher education to project management and nearly tripled her salary in the process.Illustration by Gene Kim
Name: Lisa
Age: 26
Identifies as: white, she/her
Works for: a manufacturing company
Training: bachelor's and master's degrees in social sciences and leadership, a week-long ScrumMaster course, a Google project management certification completed in three months
Time in the field: 2 years
How did you change careers? I worked in higher education for four years and never held a "project manager" title, even though that's a lot of what I did in my job. To switch industries, I had to translate my academic resume into corporate terminology.
I tailored the each section of my resume to match the bullet points in job descriptions and even changed the actual job titles I held. I reached out to my previous bosses, told them about my new career goals and asked for permission to change my former job titles to "project manager."
I think it helped my resume get past applicant tracking systems and showed hiring managers I have experience doing this exact type of work.
How did you research your salary? I did a week-long ScrumMaster course and met people who'd been in project management for years. I researched average project manager salaries in my area and asked them, "Here's what I'm expecting as a first-time project manager. Would you mind sharing the range of what you were making in your first project manager role?"
It helped to ask about a previous role as opposed to what they're making now. Some people went>$125,000 in San Diego, California
Alister Shirazi works as a project manager in San Diego, California.Illustration by Gene Kim
Name: Alister Shirazi
Age: 34
Identifies as: white and Middle Eastern, he/him
Works for: a tech company
Training: a bachelor's degree in economics, an MBA, Python certifications through online and community college courses
Time in the field: 4½ years
How did you learn to negotiate? Years ago, I was working for a startup doing business operations but learned to code and transitioned to doing more technical work. Even though I was working more efficiently, I didn't get a raise for two years. I talked to my coworkers about it, we compared salary numbers, and they encouraged me to advocate for a raise. I also went on interviews for tech jobs to get a sense of what the industry was paying.
I presented my case for a raise and went from earning $80,000 to $100,000, and then to $120,000 with a bonus before I left.
You weren't able to negotiate your current salary. Why did you accept it? After that job, I took a six-month contract position with a major tech company and earned $60 an hour. I learned these contract jobs don't have room to negotiate and have zero benefits like paid time off or stock options. But, you get the recognition of working for a big tech company. Now, recruiters are constantly in my inbox. For my current 12-month contract, I did an initial interview on a Tuesday and got the offer by Friday.
I'm happy to have the opportunity to bounce around because it gives me a diverse skillset, and I can add it to my personal brand equity. I'm OK to get my money, learn and get out.
How do you feel about how much money you make? I make enough for now. I think of it as using my salary to finance my dreams, which is to open other businesses. I work from home, so I also save on commuting and have a flexible schedule. If I had to go into an office every day, I don't know that this would be enough money.
When do you bring up pay in job interviews? I think it's important to discuss salary early in interviews. Why would you spend your time preparing for interviews if you don't know the company will pay what you want? If they're not willing to agree on your pay range, know when to walk away.
