What we know about project manager salaries in global development

The project manager position stands out as one of the most sought-after roles on the Devex job board. As organizations increasingly recognize the pivotal role that effective project management plays in achieving success, the demand for skilled professionals in this field continues to rise. Amid this heightened demand, negotiating a fair salary becomes a crucial aspect for both employers and prospective project managers. To foster a salary-transparent culture in global development, we offer recruiters several options to share salary ranges of their job postings and analyze trends for both job and talent seekers. The number of job postings with salary data has increased by nearly 14 percentage points on the Devex job board in the last five years — from 10.8% in 2020 to 34% in 2023. As part of our ongoing effort to spotlight salary trends across the development sector, here is a snapshot of the compensation landscape for the project manager role based on salary information we’ve obtained from organizations and working professionals since 2019. This analysis encompasses nearly 1,044 positions from 213 organizations. Here's what we uncovered regarding which organizations have been the most salary-transparent, which ones have hired the most, and what development professionals can anticipate earning based on region and experience level. Who are the most salary-transparent hiring organizations? On the whole, we discovered that the average minimum project manager salary shared by organizations is $53,074, while the maximum can go up to $58,409. These figures represent the salary range — a candidate's expected minimum and maximum salary — disclosed in many job postings. Nongovernmental organizations lead the charge as the most transparent employers, making up 48% of the total jobs with posted salaries on our job board. Notable examples include the Medecins du Monde, Premiere Urgence Internationale, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Danish Refugee Council. Following closely behind are funding agencies, comprising 24% of the total jobs with disclosed salaries. Examples include the National Research Agency, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the World Health Organization. Governmental entities and institutes contribute 7%, with organizations such as Natural Resources Wales, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and renowned institutions such as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, International Centre for Migration Policy Development, and World Resources Institute. Top sectors and areas of expertise The majority — 56% — of project manager positions promoting salary transparency were on the lookout for midlevel professionals, closely followed by entry-level candidates at nearly 30%, senior-level experts at 14%, and a dash of executive-level candidates at 0.8%. Venturing into sectors, out of the salary data shared by organizations, 353 out of 1,044 job positions fell under the umbrella of project management. This implies that these roles were, to some extent, centered around project management capabilities. The average minimum and maximum salaries for these positions ranged from $51,315 to $54,239. Intriguingly, the sectors of infrastructure and careers and education emerged as the top sectors with the highest average salaries at $88,433 and $88,661, respectively. Where can you find the most salary-transparent jobs? The positions and salaries shared with us by organizations span 117 countries, ranging from as low as $7,865 for a project manager role based in India to as high as $210,400 for a posting in the United States with Amazon. In terms of total project manager postings by organizations, the top region is Western Europe at 43%, followed by North America at 18% — whose top nine organizations, which are all based in the U.S., had the highest average salary of any region at $181,279. In terms of regions offering the highest average salaries, North America tops the list with $94,517 as the average, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at $65,203. On the other side of the spectrum, salaries based in South Asia were generally among the lowest, with the maximum average salary for these positions being $28,540. Who were the top-paying organizations? Of the project manager job postings advertised on Devex with salaries shared by the hiring organizations, the following positions offered the highest maximum salary. Organizations that shared this salary information privately with us are not identified. 1. Amazon Maximum salary: $210,400 Location: U.S. In October 2023, the e-commerce giant was seeking a professional to manage the waste reduction strategy across Amazon’s internal operations. Qualifications for the role included a degree in business, environmental science, or engineering and at least 10 years of additional field-specific work experience in waste reduction and circularity. 2. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Maximum salary: $188,700 Location: U.S. This senior project manager would plan and execute the foundation’s global health division’s DEI strategic framework and DEI action plan. This role required over seven years of experience in management consulting, organizational change, and project management. 3. Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. Maximum salary: $180,765 Location: U.S. Cerberus has a dedicated environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, team that is responsible for overseeing and implementing the firm’s ESG policies and procedures. This project manager would manage projects and initiatives for the ESG team. This role required at least five years of project management experience in a fast-paced environment. 4. UNI Global Union Maximum salary: $177,850 Location: Switzerland UNI Global Union was seeking a project manager who would be responsible for the administration and operational aspects of a USAID-funded multi-country project. The candidate needed to have at least eight to 10 years in project management and high proficiency with USAID regulations and procedures. 5. National Institutes of Health - United States Maximum salary: $176,300 Location: United States NIH was seeking a senior project manager with expertise in pediatric clinical research and family-based cohort design, clinical trial experience, and supervisory experience. Current project manager openings with salary information 1. World Bank Group Salary range: $118,400 - $219,800 Location: Ethiopia Closing date: March 27 2. NIRAS International Consulting Salary range: £52,000 - £65,000 Location: United Kingdom Closing date: April 4 3. Management Systems International Salary range: $85,000 - $108,000 Location: United States (Remote) Closing date: March 31 Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.