Project Management Hierarchy
The hierarchy from project manager continues with portfolio manager, director of project management and Chief Project Officer (CPO) or Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Salary and Career Growth
You can increase your project management salary by gaining experience, obtaining certifications, developing specialized skills and pursuing advanced education. Project manager salaries vary by location. Countries with high-paying salaries include Switzerland, followed by the United States and Australia.
Project Management Maturity Levels
The lowest level of project management maturity is ad hoc. It lacks consistent processes, tools and methodologies. Basic project management processes and tools can help move beyond an ad hoc approach.
Highest Position in a Project
The highest project management role is the chief project officer (CPO). The CPO oversees all projects, providing direction and alignment. Below the CPO are program manager, portfolio manager, and director.
A program manager oversees multiple related projects, analyzing data and deciding improvements. Project managers handle individual projects.
The project coordinator assists the project manager with scheduling, documentation, and tracking. The project scheduler creates and maintains schedules, working on milestones and resource allocation. The project analyst conducts research supporting decisions.
Switzerland has the top project manager salary. Information technology, pharmaceuticals, finance, and energy are top-paying fields.
One can increase salary by gaining experience, certifications, skills, and education.
Ad hoc project management lacks processes, tools and methodologies. Basic processes and tools can help move beyond an ad hoc approach.
Project managers are judged on technical and soft skills. Expectations around those skills change from junior to senior roles.