What are the main factors that influence a Projects Director's salary?

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

How does experience change A Projects Director's salary?

A Projects Director's salary grows with experience: a Project Manager IV (7+ years)earns $131,463, a Project Manager V (7-10 years)earns $155,034, a Project Management Supervisor (10+ years)earns $110,605, a Project Management Manager (10+ years)earns $147,837, a Projects Director (10+ years)earns $172,278,

What are the highest paying states for a Projects Director?

Projects Director salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Projects Director roles are District of Columbia $189,743, California $189,023, Massachusetts $186,504. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Projects Director roles make?

Salaries for Projects Director level roles vary by specialization: Director Of Capital Projects: $202,636; Director Of Projects: $188,154; Director of Special Projects: $173,824; Project Director, Capital Projects: $173,824; Head Of Projects: $171,372.

How do different companies affect a Projects Director's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Projects Director 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.

Projects Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Projects Director make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Projects Director in the United States is $171,372 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $82.

However, a Projects Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $203,915
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $157,589 to $188,406
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $145,040

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Projects Director Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$188,406	$15,700	$3,623	$91
Average	$171,372	$14,281	$3,296	$82
25th Percentile	$157,589	$13,132	$3,031	$76

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Key Factors That Influence Projects Director Salaries

A Projects Director'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 Projects Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Projects Director'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): $131,463
Early Career (1-2 years): $155,034
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $110,605
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $147,837
Expert (over 8 years): $172,278

Levels	Salary
Project M... Level Projects Director	$131,463
Project M... Level Projects Director	$155,034
Project M... Level Projects Director	$110,605
Project M... Level Projects Director	$147,837
Projects ... Level Projects Director	$172,278

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Projects Director 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 Projects Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $189,743.
California: $189,023.
Massachusetts: $186,504.

District of Columbia $189,743 California $189,023 Massachusetts $186,504 Washington $185,818 New Jersey $185,750 Alaska $185,510 Connecticut $183,145 New York $182,185

Hawaii $179,118 Rhode Island $177,678 Maryland $176,701 Minnesota $175,365 Colorado $174,851 Illinois $174,679 Oregon $174,028 Delaware $173,548

New Hampshire $173,247 Virginia $172,571 Pennsylvania $170,601 Nevada $169,607 North Dakota $169,281 Michigan $168,767 Wisconsin $168,578 Vermont $168,201

Texas $167,156 Maine $167,087 Arizona $166,985 Ohio $166,865 Georgia $165,288 Indiana $164,500 Wyoming $164,346 Utah $164,106

Iowa $164,003 Kansas $163,180 Louisiana $162,940 North Carolina $162,855 Missouri $162,820 Florida $162,152 Montana $161,792 Nebraska $161,449

Kentucky $161,261 South Carolina $160,575 Tennessee $160,147 Idaho $159,976 New Mexico $158,725 Oklahoma $158,450 Alabama $157,439 South Dakota $155,743

Arkansas $154,817 West Virginia $154,320 Mississippi $152,829

Top Paying Cities for Projects Directors

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: $216,151
San Francisco: $214,026
Oakland: $209,279

San Jose, CA $216,151

San Francisco, CA $214,026

Oakland, CA $209,279

New York, NY $198,603

Queens Village, NY $197,317

Paramus, NJ $195,946

Passaic, NJ $195,775

Bergenfield, NJ $195,604

Stamford, CT $195,347

Huntington, NY $195,175

Newark, NJ $194,061

Bridgeport, CT $193,719

New Brunswick, NJ $193,153

Vallejo, CA $192,793

Middlesex, NJ $192,690

Somerset, NJ $192,536

Petaluma, CA $192,142

Santa Cruz, CA $191,474

Boston, MA $191,131

Monterey, CA $190,274

Fairbanks, AK $190,154

Los Angeles, CA $189,829

Washington, DC $189,743

Seattle, WA $189,434

Santa Rosa, CA $189,400

Juneau, AK $188,903

Orange, CA $188,338

Anchorage, AK $188,029

Anaheim, CA $187,909

Santa Ana, CA $187,652

Nassau, NY $187,549

Long Beach, CA $187,481

Danbury, CT $187,429

Santa Maria, CA $186,847

Everett, WA $186,812

Bremerton, WA $185,973

Trenton, NJ $185,647

Sacramento, CA $185,578

San Diego, CA $185,493

Brockton, MA $185,424

Tacoma, WA $185,356

Santa Barbara, CA $185,116

Lowell, MA $184,430

New Suffolk, NY $184,362

Nashua, NH $184,156

Lompoc, CA $183,882

Ventura, CA $183,711

Stockton, CA $183,659

New Haven, CT $183,316

Atlantic City, NJ $182,871

Hartford, CT $182,494

Modesto, CA $182,408

Poughkeepsie, NY $182,031

New Britain, CT $181,945

Kennewick, WA $181,705

Olympia, WA $181,705

New London, CT $181,671

Norwich, CT $181,620

Lawrence, MA $181,534

Bakersfield, CA $181,054

New Bedford, MA $180,814

Riverside, CA $180,814

Richland, WA $180,643

Portsmouth, NH $180,506

Vineland, NJ $180,472

San Bernardino, CA $180,335

Boulder, CO $179,855

Worcester, MA $179,718

Portland, OR $179,563

Saint Paul, MN $179,358

Minneapolis, MN $179,358

Philadelphia, PA $179,118

Honolulu, HI $178,210

Springfield, MA $177,610

Providence, RI $177,593

Chicago, IL $177,096

Bellingham, WA $176,890

Baltimore, MD $176,701

Chico, CA $176,273

Wilmington, DE $175,982

Pittsfield, MA $175,810

Manchester, NH $175,485

Spokane, WA $174,731

Denver, CO $174,714

Albany, NY $173,908

Troy, NY $173,840

Schenectady, NY $173,480

Burlington, VT $173,103

Portland, ME $172,503

Salem, OR $172,366

Yakima, WA $172,331

Ann Arbor, MI $172,280

Rochester, MN $171,800

Reno, NV $171,715

Fresno, CA $171,715

Milwaukee, WI $171,560

Detroit, MI $171,389

Allentown, PA $171,337

Carson City, NV $171,320

Houston, TX $171,063

Colorado Springs, CO $171,046

Syracuse, NY $170,960

Eugene, OR $170,635

Gary, IN $170,429

Bismarck, ND $170,429

Galveston, TX $170,429

Springfield, OR $170,292

Medford, OR $169,881

Fort Collins, CO $169,812

Austin, TX $169,675

Mesa, AZ $169,315

Phoenix, AZ $169,281

Dallas, TX $169,230

Reading, PA $169,127

Saint Cloud, MN $169,058

Concord, NH $168,904

Madison, WI $168,835

Utica, NY $168,373

Raleigh, NC $168,236

Las Vegas, NV $168,219

Rochester, NY $168,099

Des Moines, IA $168,081

Atlanta, GA $167,807

Battle Creek, MI $167,756

Salt Lake City, UT $167,704

Lancaster, PA $167,447

Champaign, IL $167,413

Harrisburg, PA $167,207

Durham, NC $167,053

Kansas City, MO $167,036

Kansas City, KS $167,002

Fort Worth, TX $166,985

Boca Raton, FL $166,916

Cleveland, OH $166,899

Columbus, OH $166,865

Pittsburgh, PA $166,848

Richmond, VA $166,779

Indianapolis, IN $166,745

Cincinnati, OH $166,522

Petersburg, VA $166,265

Lansing, MI $165,888

Billings, MT $165,888

Huntsville, AL $165,888

Lebanon, PA $165,871

Pueblo, CO $165,854

Dayton, OH $165,854

Appleton, WI $165,802

Buffalo, NY $165,734

Racine, WI $165,648

Charlotte, NC $165,631

Saint Louis, MO $165,579

Springfield, IL $165,511

York, PA $165,477

Elkhart, IN $165,477

Gastonia, NC $165,459

Benton Harbor, MI $165,459

Beaumont, TX $165,357

Lorain, OH $165,322

Toledo, OH $165,254

Binghamton, NY $165,168

Rock Hill, SC $165,151

Rockford, IL $165,065

Elyria, OH $164,980

Fargo, ND $164,980

Flagstaff, AZ $164,860

Fort Lauderdale, FL $164,757

Miami, FL $164,654

Duluth, MN $164,380

Bangor, ME $164,157

Cedar Rapids, IA $163,969

Louisville, KY $163,883

Grand Rapids, MI $163,849

Hialeah, FL $163,831

Casper, WY $163,591

Scranton, PA $163,386

New Orleans, LA $163,334

Virginia Beach, VA $163,317

Akron, OH $163,232

Peoria, IL $163,009

Sarasota, FL $162,975

Green Bay, WI $162,855

Baton Rouge, LA $162,769

Charleston, SC $162,735

Nashville, TN $162,683

Jamestown, NY $162,649

Davenport, IA $162,649

Tucson, AZ $162,563

Cheyenne, WY $162,512

Saint Petersburg, FL $162,460

Tampa, FL $162,426

Omaha, NE $162,392

Evansville, IN $162,323

Port Arthur, TX $162,323

Bradenton, FL $162,255

Santa Fe, NM $161,946

Orlando, FL $161,775

Clearwater, FL $161,586

La Crosse, WI $161,227

Canton, OH $161,227

Grand Forks, ND $161,175

Tulsa, OK $161,124

Albuquerque, NM $161,124

Newport News, VA $161,107

High Point, NC $161,055

Ogden, UT $160,987

Corpus Christi, TX $160,850

Laramie, WY $160,747

Norfolk, VA $160,747

Rock Island, IL $160,644

Saginaw, MI $160,610

Jacksonville, FL $160,592

Salisbury, NC $160,558

Memphis, TN $160,524

Moline, IL $160,438

Fort Myers, FL $160,387

Waterloo, IA $160,164

Spartanburg, SC $159,993

Lincoln, NE $159,907

Fort Wayne, IN $159,873

Birmingham, AL $159,684

Cedar Falls, IA $159,650

Provo, UT $159,633

Springfield, OH $159,616

San Antonio, TX $159,581

Greensboro, NC $159,513

South Bend, IN $159,496

Winston Salem, NC $159,479

Boise, ID $159,427

Savannah, GA $159,307

Muskegon, MI $158,999

Lima, OH $158,793

Lake Charles, LA $158,725

Anderson, IN $158,690

Lexington, KY $158,639

Augusta, GA $158,587

Greenville, SC $158,587

Wichita, KS $158,433

Tuscaloosa, AL $158,433

Columbia, SC $158,279

Bloomington, IN $157,851

Roanoke, VA $157,748

Asheville, NC $157,525

Knoxville, TN $157,234

Shreveport, LA $157,216

Wilmington, NC $156,994

Frankfort, KY $156,668

Oklahoma City, OK $156,548

Chillicothe, OH $156,480

Longview, TX $156,462

Topeka, KS $156,411

Mobile, AL $156,154

Terre Haute, IN $156,085

Erie, PA $156,068

Altoona, PA $155,983

Melbourne, FL $155,931

Amarillo, TX $155,863

Killeen, TX $155,811

Fayetteville, AR $155,674

Sioux Falls, SD $155,554

Chattanooga, TN $155,451

Idaho Falls, ID $155,434

Gainesville, FL $155,074

Portsmouth, OH $154,989

Little Rock, AR $154,954

Lynchburg, VA $154,954

Youngstown, OH $154,886

Lafayette, LA $154,886

Temple, TX $154,817

Daytona Beach, FL $154,783

Clarksville, TN $154,766

Pensacola, FL $154,749

Hopkinsville, KY $154,235

Charleston, WV $154,217

Florence, SC $154,132

Sioux City, IA $154,029

Macon, GA $153,532

Tallahassee, FL $153,515

Fayetteville, NC $153,481

Wichita Falls, TX $153,446

Waco, TX $153,446

Pine Bluff, AR $153,378

Vincennes, IN $153,052

Lubbock, TX $152,984

Great Falls, MT $152,881

Alamogordo, NM $152,864

Abilene, TX $152,727

Rapid City, SD $152,504

Monroe, LA $152,504

Albany, GA $152,401

Huntington, WV $152,384

Jackson, MS $152,367

Greenville, MS $152,350

Parkersburg, WV $152,178

Montgomery, AL $152,144

Johnstown, PA $152,110

Springfield, MO $151,972

Biloxi, MS $151,887

Sumter, SC $151,527

Columbus, GA $151,510

Twin Falls, ID $151,407

Pascagoula, MS $151,184

Kingsport, TN $150,739

Gulfport, MS $150,687

Alexandria, LA $150,122

Fort Smith, AR $149,693

El Paso, TX $149,231

Helena, MT $149,008

Las Cruces, NM $148,459

Harlingen, TX $147,980

Pocatello, ID $147,825

Florence, AL $147,774

Brownsville, TX $147,740

Dothan, AL $147,465

Mcallen, TX $147,380

Columbus, MS $146,112

Altus, OK $145,323

Lawton, OK $144,998

Pierre, SD $144,381

What Skills Can Increase a Projects Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Project Management (Mentioned in 21.53% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
SOP (Mentioned in 1.61% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
Risk Mitigation (Mentioned in 1.31% Job Postings): Assessing, monitoring, and controlling risk and its probabilities using automation controls to minimize the potential financial risks and improve the organization's processes.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Project Management	21.53%
SOP	1.61%
Risk Mitigation	1.31%

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 a Projects Director's salary.

Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Project Delivery: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Procurement: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Innovation	$178,227	4%
Project Delivery	$178,227	4%
Procurement	$178,227	4%
Business Development	$176,513	3%
Consulting	$176,513	3%
Risk Management	$176,513	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Projects Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Projects Directors enter the field with a Associate'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 a Projects Director with a Associate's Degree is between $168,639 and $178,650).

Projects Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Projects Director

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 4.2%

Associates 3.9%

Bachelors 37.6%

Masters 48.2%

Doctorate 5.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	4.2%
Associates	3.9%
Bachelors	37.6%
Masters	48.2%
Doctorate	5.3%

view as graph

Projects Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Projects Director'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

$157,589

Average $171,372/year

$188,406

$13,132

Average $14,281/month

$15,700

$3,031

Average $3,296/week

$3,623

$76

Average $82/hour

$91

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$188,406	$15,700	$3,623	$91
Average	$171,372	$14,281	$3,296	$82
25th Percentile	$157,589	$13,132	$3,031	$76

Salaries of jobs related to Projects Director

Salary Trends for Projects Director

Salaries for a Projects Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $178,819 in 2023 to around $173,863 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Projects Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Projects Director Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$178,819

2024

$177,325

2025

$173,863

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$178,819
2024	$177,325
2025	$173,863
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Projects Director

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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