Information Technology Project Managers
Plan, initiate, and manage information technology (IT) projects. Lead and guide the work of technical staff. Serve as liaison between business and technical aspects of projects. Plan project stages and assess business implications for each stage. Monitor progress to assure deadlines, standards, and cost targets are met.
Also called: Application Development Director, Application Manager, Cloud Product Director, Computer Project Manager, Cyber IT Knowledge Manager, Cybersecurity Project Manager
Median pay
$116,580
Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Occupations, All Other”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$55,940 – $188,470
People employed
435,370
Whole BLS group
Holland code
ECI
Enterprising · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 3.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 4.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Information Technology Project Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Computer Occupations, All Other”.
Information Technology Project Managers salary in every state →
What information technology project managers do
- 01Manage project execution to ensure adherence to budget, schedule, and scope.
- 02Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.
- 03Monitor or track project milestones and deliverables.
- 04Submit project deliverables, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- 05Assess current or future customer needs and priorities by communicating directly with customers, conducting surveys, or other methods.
- 06Initiate, review, or approve modifications to project plans.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
Work styles that stand out
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
- Stress Tolerance
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from information technology project managers
- Project Management Specialists96% · —
- Computer and Information Systems Managers93% · —
- Management Analysts90% · —
- General and Operations Managers89% · —
- Business Continuity Planners86% · group pay
Change into information technology project managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Project Management Specialists96% · $102,320
- Business Continuity Planners92% · $83,050
- Management Analysts90% · $101,860
- General and Operations Managers89% · $105,770
- Media Programming Directors87% · $90,360
Majors that lead here
- Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician
- Information Science/Studies
- Computer Science
- Information Technology Project Management
- Bioinformatics
- Computational Biology
- Mathematics and Computer Science
- Accounting and Computer Science
- Computational Science
- Human Computer Interaction
- Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.