What are the main factors that influence an IT Project Lead's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An IT Project Lead's salary?

An IT Project Lead's salary grows with experience: starting around $157,835 for beginners, reaching about $159,066 at mid-level, and approach $168,269 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an IT Project Lead?

IT Project Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for IT Project Lead roles are District of Columbia $179,857, California $179,175, Massachusetts $176,787. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of IT Project Lead roles make?

Salaries for IT Project Lead level roles vary by specialization: IT Project Engineer IV: $160,070; IT Project Manager V: $156,415; IT Project Manager IV: $140,493; It Project Specialist: $139,917; Project Manager - Senior - IT: $120,700.

How do different companies affect an IT Project Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for IT Project Lead roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

IT Project Lead Salary in the United States

How much does an IT Project Lead make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for an IT Project Lead in the United States is $162,444 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $78.

However, an IT Project Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $192,381
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $153,732 to $178,114
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $145,801

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IT Project Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$178,114	$14,843	$3,425	$86
Average	$162,444	$13,537	$3,124	$78
25th Percentile	$153,732	$12,811	$2,956	$74

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence IT Project Lead Salaries

An IT Project Lead's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects IT Project Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an IT Project Lead's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $157,835
Early Career (1-2 years): $158,450
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $159,066
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $161,282
Expert (over 8 years): $168,269

Levels	Salary
Entry Level IT Project Lead	$157,835
Intermediate Level IT Project Lead	$158,450
Senior Level IT Project Lead	$159,066
Specialist Level IT Project Lead	$161,282
Expert Level IT Project Lead	$168,269

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What Am I Worth?

How Do IT Project Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract IT Project Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $179,857.
California: $179,175.
Massachusetts: $176,787.

District of Columbia $179,857 California $179,175 Massachusetts $176,787 Washington $176,138 New Jersey $176,073 Alaska $175,845 Connecticut $173,603 New York $172,694

Hawaii $169,786 Rhode Island $168,421 Maryland $167,496 Minnesota $166,228 Colorado $165,741 Illinois $165,579 Oregon $164,961 Delaware $164,507

New Hampshire $164,221 Virginia $163,581 Pennsylvania $161,713 Nevada $160,770 North Dakota $160,462 Michigan $159,974 Wisconsin $159,796 Vermont $159,438

Texas $158,447 Maine $158,382 Arizona $158,285 Ohio $158,171 Georgia $156,677 Indiana $155,930 Wyoming $155,783 Utah $155,556

Iowa $155,458 Kansas $154,679 Louisiana $154,451 North Carolina $154,370 Missouri $154,338 Florida $153,704 Montana $153,363 Nebraska $153,038

Kentucky $152,859 South Carolina $152,210 Tennessee $151,803 Idaho $151,641 New Mexico $150,455 Oklahoma $150,195 Alabama $149,237 South Dakota $147,629

Arkansas $146,751 West Virginia $146,280 Mississippi $144,867

Top Paying Cities for IT Project Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $204,890
San Francisco: $202,876
Oakland: $198,376

San Jose, CA $204,890

San Francisco, CA $202,876

Oakland, CA $198,376

New York, NY $188,256

Queens Village, NY $187,037

Paramus, NJ $185,738

Passaic, NJ $185,576

Bergenfield, NJ $185,413

Stamford, CT $185,169

Huntington, NY $185,007

Newark, NJ $183,951

Bridgeport, CT $183,626

New Brunswick, NJ $183,090

Vallejo, CA $182,749

Middlesex, NJ $182,652

Somerset, NJ $182,505

Petaluma, CA $182,132

Santa Cruz, CA $181,498

Boston, MA $181,173

Monterey, CA $180,361

Fairbanks, AK $180,247

Los Angeles, CA $179,939

Washington, DC $179,857

Seattle, WA $179,565

Santa Rosa, CA $179,533

Juneau, AK $179,062

Orange, CA $178,525

Anchorage, AK $178,233

Anaheim, CA $178,119

Santa Ana, CA $177,876

Nassau, NY $177,778

Long Beach, CA $177,713

Danbury, CT $177,665

Santa Maria, CA $177,112

Everett, WA $177,080

Bremerton, WA $176,284

Trenton, NJ $175,975

Sacramento, CA $175,910

San Diego, CA $175,829

Brockton, MA $175,764

Tacoma, WA $175,699

Santa Barbara, CA $175,472

Lowell, MA $174,822

New Suffolk, NY $174,757

Nashua, NH $174,562

Lompoc, CA $174,302

Ventura, CA $174,139

Stockton, CA $174,091

New Haven, CT $173,766

Atlantic City, NJ $173,344

Hartford, CT $172,986

Modesto, CA $172,905

Poughkeepsie, NY $172,548

New Britain, CT $172,466

Kennewick, WA $172,239

Olympia, WA $172,239

New London, CT $172,206

Norwich, CT $172,158

Lawrence, MA $172,076

Bakersfield, CA $171,622

New Bedford, MA $171,394

Riverside, CA $171,394

Richland, WA $171,232

Portsmouth, NH $171,102

Vineland, NJ $171,069

San Bernardino, CA $170,939

Boulder, CO $170,484

Worcester, MA $170,355

Portland, OR $170,208

Saint Paul, MN $170,013

Minneapolis, MN $170,013

Philadelphia, PA $169,786

Honolulu, HI $168,925

Springfield, MA $168,356

Providence, RI $168,340

Chicago, IL $167,869

Bellingham, WA $167,674

Baltimore, MD $167,496

Chico, CA $167,089

Wilmington, DE $166,813

Pittsfield, MA $166,651

Manchester, NH $166,342

Spokane, WA $165,627

Denver, CO $165,611

Albany, NY $164,848

Troy, NY $164,783

Schenectady, NY $164,442

Burlington, VT $164,084

Portland, ME $163,516

Salem, OR $163,386

Yakima, WA $163,353

Ann Arbor, MI $163,304

Rochester, MN $162,850

Reno, NV $162,768

Fresno, CA $162,768

Milwaukee, WI $162,622

Detroit, MI $162,460

Allentown, PA $162,411

Carson City, NV $162,395

Houston, TX $162,151

Colorado Springs, CO $162,135

Syracuse, NY $162,054

Eugene, OR $161,745

Gary, IN $161,550

Bismarck, ND $161,550

Galveston, TX $161,550

Springfield, OR $161,420

Medford, OR $161,030

Fort Collins, CO $160,965

Austin, TX $160,835

Mesa, AZ $160,494

Phoenix, AZ $160,462

Dallas, TX $160,413

Reading, PA $160,316

Saint Cloud, MN $160,251

Concord, NH $160,104

Madison, WI $160,039

Utica, NY $159,601

Raleigh, NC $159,471

Las Vegas, NV $159,455

Rochester, NY $159,341

Des Moines, IA $159,325

Atlanta, GA $159,065

Battle Creek, MI $159,016

Salt Lake City, UT $158,967

Lancaster, PA $158,724

Champaign, IL $158,691

Harrisburg, PA $158,496

Durham, NC $158,350

Kansas City, MO $158,334

Kansas City, KS $158,301

Fort Worth, TX $158,285

Boca Raton, FL $158,220

Cleveland, OH $158,204

Columbus, OH $158,171

Pittsburgh, PA $158,155

Richmond, VA $158,090

Indianapolis, IN $158,058

Cincinnati, OH $157,846

Petersburg, VA $157,603

Lansing, MI $157,245

Billings, MT $157,245

Huntsville, AL $157,245

Lebanon, PA $157,229

Pueblo, CO $157,213

Dayton, OH $157,213

Appleton, WI $157,164

Buffalo, NY $157,099

Racine, WI $157,018

Charlotte, NC $157,002

Saint Louis, MO $156,953

Springfield, IL $156,888

York, PA $156,855

Elkhart, IN $156,855

Gastonia, NC $156,839

Benton Harbor, MI $156,839

Beaumont, TX $156,742

Lorain, OH $156,709

Toledo, OH $156,644

Binghamton, NY $156,563

Rock Hill, SC $156,547

Rockford, IL $156,466

Elyria, OH $156,384

Fargo, ND $156,384

Flagstaff, AZ $156,271

Fort Lauderdale, FL $156,173

Miami, FL $156,076

Duluth, MN $155,816

Bangor, ME $155,605

Cedar Rapids, IA $155,426

Louisville, KY $155,345

Grand Rapids, MI $155,312

Hialeah, FL $155,296

Casper, WY $155,069

Scranton, PA $154,874

New Orleans, LA $154,825

Virginia Beach, VA $154,809

Akron, OH $154,727

Peoria, IL $154,516

Sarasota, FL $154,484

Green Bay, WI $154,370

Baton Rouge, LA $154,289

Charleston, SC $154,256

Nashville, TN $154,208

Jamestown, NY $154,175

Davenport, IA $154,175

Tucson, AZ $154,094

Cheyenne, WY $154,045

Saint Petersburg, FL $153,996

Tampa, FL $153,964

Omaha, NE $153,932

Evansville, IN $153,867

Port Arthur, TX $153,867

Bradenton, FL $153,802

Santa Fe, NM $153,509

Orlando, FL $153,347

Clearwater, FL $153,168

La Crosse, WI $152,827

Canton, OH $152,827

Grand Forks, ND $152,778

Tulsa, OK $152,729

Albuquerque, NM $152,729

Newport News, VA $152,713

High Point, NC $152,664

Ogden, UT $152,599

Corpus Christi, TX $152,470

Laramie, WY $152,372

Norfolk, VA $152,372

Rock Island, IL $152,275

Saginaw, MI $152,242

Jacksonville, FL $152,226

Salisbury, NC $152,193

Memphis, TN $152,161

Moline, IL $152,080

Fort Myers, FL $152,031

Waterloo, IA $151,820

Spartanburg, SC $151,657

Lincoln, NE $151,576

Fort Wayne, IN $151,544

Birmingham, AL $151,365

Cedar Falls, IA $151,332

Provo, UT $151,316

Springfield, OH $151,300

San Antonio, TX $151,267

Greensboro, NC $151,202

South Bend, IN $151,186

Winston Salem, NC $151,170

Boise, ID $151,121

Savannah, GA $151,008

Muskegon, MI $150,715

Lima, OH $150,520

Lake Charles, LA $150,455

Anderson, IN $150,423

Lexington, KY $150,374

Augusta, GA $150,325

Greenville, SC $150,325

Wichita, KS $150,179

Tuscaloosa, AL $150,179

Columbia, SC $150,033

Bloomington, IN $149,627

Roanoke, VA $149,529

Asheville, NC $149,318

Knoxville, TN $149,042

Shreveport, LA $149,026

Wilmington, NC $148,815

Frankfort, KY $148,506

Oklahoma City, OK $148,392

Chillicothe, OH $148,327

Longview, TX $148,311

Topeka, KS $148,262

Mobile, AL $148,019

Terre Haute, IN $147,954

Erie, PA $147,937

Altoona, PA $147,856

Melbourne, FL $147,807

Amarillo, TX $147,742

Killeen, TX $147,694

Fayetteville, AR $147,564

Sioux Falls, SD $147,450

Chattanooga, TN $147,353

Idaho Falls, ID $147,336

Gainesville, FL $146,995

Portsmouth, OH $146,914

Little Rock, AR $146,881

Lynchburg, VA $146,881

Youngstown, OH $146,816

Lafayette, LA $146,816

Temple, TX $146,751

Daytona Beach, FL $146,719

Clarksville, TN $146,703

Pensacola, FL $146,687

Hopkinsville, KY $146,199

Charleston, WV $146,183

Florence, SC $146,102

Sioux City, IA $146,004

Macon, GA $145,533

Tallahassee, FL $145,517

Fayetteville, NC $145,484

Wichita Falls, TX $145,452

Waco, TX $145,452

Pine Bluff, AR $145,387

Vincennes, IN $145,078

Lubbock, TX $145,013

Great Falls, MT $144,916

Alamogordo, NM $144,900

Abilene, TX $144,770

Rapid City, SD $144,559

Monroe, LA $144,559

Albany, GA $144,461

Huntington, WV $144,445

Jackson, MS $144,429

Greenville, MS $144,412

Parkersburg, WV $144,250

Montgomery, AL $144,217

Johnstown, PA $144,185

Springfield, MO $144,055

Biloxi, MS $143,974

Sumter, SC $143,633

Columbus, GA $143,616

Twin Falls, ID $143,519

Pascagoula, MS $143,308

Kingsport, TN $142,885

Gulfport, MS $142,837

Alexandria, LA $142,301

Fort Smith, AR $141,894

El Paso, TX $141,456

Helena, MT $141,245

Las Cruces, NM $140,725

Harlingen, TX $140,270

Pocatello, ID $140,124

Florence, AL $140,075

Brownsville, TX $140,043

Dothan, AL $139,783

Mcallen, TX $139,701

Columbus, MS $138,499

Altus, OK $137,752

Lawton, OK $137,443

Pierre, SD $136,859

What Skills Can Increase an IT Project Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 5.95% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
IT Support (Mentioned in 1.86% Job Postings): Assisting with managing, maintaining, and repairing business technology to ensure all IT functions work seamlessly.
Business Strategy (Mentioned in 1.49% Job Postings): Developing and implementing plans to assess the actions and goals of a business.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	5.95%
IT Support	1.86%
Business Strategy	1.49%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an IT Project Lead's salary.

Agile: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Agile	$170,566	5%
Project Management	$167,317	3%
Coordination	$167,317	3%
SQL	$167,317	3%
Leadership	$165,692	2%
Initiative	$165,692	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an IT Project Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many IT Project Leads enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an IT Project Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $129,250 and $138,082).

IT Project Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for IT Project Lead

No Diploma 1.1%

High School 2.8%

Associates 2.8%

Bachelors 50.0%

Masters 39.9%

Doctorate 3.4%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.1%
High School	2.8%
Associates	2.8%
Bachelors	50.0%
Masters	39.9%
Doctorate	3.4%

view as graph

IT Project Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an IT Project Lead's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$153,732

Average $162,444/year

$178,114

$12,811

Average $13,537/month

$14,843

$2,956

Average $3,124/week

$3,425

$74

Average $78/hour

$86

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$178,114	$14,843	$3,425	$86
Average	$162,444	$13,537	$3,124	$78
25th Percentile	$153,732	$12,811	$2,956	$74

Salaries of jobs related to IT Project Lead

Salary Trends for IT Project Lead

Salaries for an IT Project Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $139,280 in 2023 to around $137,133 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of IT Project Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of IT Project Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$139,280

2024

$138,870

2025

$137,133

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$139,280
2024	$138,870
2025	$137,133
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for IT Project Lead

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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