Junior and senior project managers: salaries, responsibilities and career paths

As an aspiring project manager or someone just starting out in the field, you may be wondering what junior and senior project manager salaries might be. What is the extent of the responsibilities in the individual salary levels? How long does it take to become a senior project manager?

This article will answer all of these questions and... Career steps listed that a junior project manager must go through to become a senior project manager. Read on to learn more about the junior project manager and senior project manager careers.

What is a Project Manager?

A Project manager , also known as PM, is a person primarily responsible for the end-to-end management of projects. These specialists are responsible for project planning, acquisition, implementation and handover. You will act as a project coordinator and address the scope, resources and risks associated with the project lifecycle to ensure success.

Junior vs. Senior Project Manager: Areas of Responsibility
Junior and senior PMs have different areas of responsibility. Junior PMs are used to support the senior PM and make his work easier. Junior PMs are responsible for the oversight, administration and general management of projects. Senior PMs define problems, supervise their subordinates and plan the entire project. Here you will find a detailed overview of the functions of junior and senior PMs.

Job description for Junior Project Manager

• Manage people. Junior PMs don't manage people, they manage the people involved in the project. Junior PMs tell individuals how to do something. They focus on short-term goals and whether everyone is doing the right thing to ensure project goals and schedule are met.
• They create solutions. Junior PMs are more concerned with finding immediate solutions. They define every aspect of the project so that other team members know what needs to be done. You focus more on the “what” and “how” of the project tasks.
• Supporting senior managers. A junior PM helps with some of the tasks of a senior manager. They delegate tasks, allocate resources, keep track of work, and inform senior managers of progress. This way they learn and grow in their job.
• Monitor project. Juniors are involved in overseeing the project life cycle and key project tasks. You keep an eye on the development, implementation and evaluation of programs and projects. This also allows them to make suggestions for improving the process if there are blockages and bottlenecks.
• Manage releases. Completing the project on time and within budget is the overarching goal, and Junior PMs ensure that the team works toward this goal. In the final phase of the projects, they manage the releases, which includes testing and deployment of the project.

Senior Project Manager job description

Lead the project team. Senior Project Managers lead by motivating others and defining the shared vision for the long-term project goal. As experienced project managers, they focus on leadership to promote innovation and creativity, encouraging everyone on their team to use their interpersonal skills to deliver breakthrough projects.

Define the problem statement of the project. When you move past the "what" and "how" and focus on the "why," you try to define the problem the project is designed to solve. That’s the job of a senior PM. The better they can define the problem, the better they can create a plan of action.

Mentor for younger project managers. An important role of a senior manager is mentoring and training junior PMs and project management team leaders. Senior PMs coach team members to become better leaders and improve their skills in project management methodologies and best practices.

You communicate with key stakeholders. Senior PMs source, process, and analyze business data to make better decisions. However, in order to implement these decisions, they must obtain the consent of those involved in the project. That's why they communicate regularly with customers and partners to report project status and recommendations.

Ensure continuous delivery. If release management is to release the project on time, continuous delivery means automating processes within the project for seamless operations. This approach is most often used in agile project management, an initiative typically led by a senior PM.

Junior and senior project manager salaries

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a project manager earns a median salary of $84,290 per year. However, there are several levels of job title between Junior and Senior Project Manager. Junior project managers need time to learn and improve their skills and climb the career ladder. Due to the skills and experience required, average salaries for junior project managers differ from those for senior project managers, as shown below.

Junior Project Manager Salary

Junior Project Manager salaries range from $45,000 per year for low earners to $92,000 per year for top earners. According to ZipRecruiter, junior project managers in the United States earn an average salary of $62,061. This average salary and salary range takes into account that junior project managers have less hands-on experience and less responsibilities than senior project managers.

Senior Project Manager Salaries

According to ZipRecruiter, senior project managers earn $116,873 per year. Top earners can earn $160,000 annually, while low earners can earn $92,500 annually. Senior PMs have exceptional business knowledge, excellent communication, leadership and mentoring skills in addition to their project management skills. Because they know how to deal with customers, they are paid highly.

How long does it take to become a junior project manager?

Someone with zero to four years of experience is considered a junior project manager. PayScale divides the junior project management position into two categories: entry-level and entry-level. A career starter is someone who has less than one year of experience, while a project manager at the beginning of their career is someone with one to four years of experience.

How long does it take to become a senior project manager?

You need 10 years of project management experience to become a Senior Project Manager. PayScale divides the role of senior project manager into an experienced and a late-career project manager. An experienced PM is someone who has worked in project management for 10-19 years, while a late-career PM is someone who has worked in project management for more than 20 years.

Career path and advancement from junior to senior project manager

1. Keep the big picture and long-term goal in mind

The goal setting and execution of a project differ from the position of an entry-level project manager to the position of a senior PM. Junior PMs are more focused on completing a project on time and within budget. Senior PMs are more focused on aligning the project with the vision and goals within a six to 12 month time frame. So, to advance from junior to senior PM, you need to practice thinking from a long-term perspective.

2. Improve your communication skills

There are many project manager roles to go through. In order to move up and become senior, you need to be next to solid technical knowledge also have good communication skills. Soft skills such as communication are crucial as senior project managers are in constant contact with stakeholders, team members and upper management.

3. Develop management and organizational skills

PMs oversee the entire project, from setting time, budget, and scope to planning and execution. To handle all of these tasks, you need highly developed management skills. You must be good with people and know how to organize the entire process. Simply put, to become a senior PM you need to know how to put all the pieces together.

4. Develop leadership skills

In order to competently guide junior PMs, senior PMs need leadership skills. It's not just about passing on knowledge, because good PM leaders don't just give good advice. They also know how to inspire and motivate junior PMs to achieve more. So if you are an assistant project manager aspiring for a higher position, you need to develop good leadership skills.

5. Become highly adaptable

If you want to become a senior PM, you must learn to adapt to any situation. Senior project managers deal with complex projects because they have more experience and knowledge in dealing with complex issues. Managing multiple projects, researching new competing products, switching teams or projects at short notice - these are all part of the responsibilities of a senior PM, so you need to be flexible.

Should you become a senior project manager?

Yes, you should become a Senior Project Manager if you have the management and leadership potential required for this role. You need to have many years of experience in project management to have the exceptional skills of a Senior Project Manager like Communication and leadership. Some of them work on more than one project to become portfolio managers.

You also need extensive knowledge of project management tools and methodologies to advance from junior to senior PM. One way to further your education is to attend a boot camp and obtain a project manager certification. So if you're already working in project management, it's best to invest in your professional development and develop the skills needed to advance to senior manager status.