Project Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL
Project managers in the Chicago metro earn a median of about $105,320 a year, and the openings run from insurer and bank technology programs downtown to general contractors on the Northwest Side and pharma ad agencies. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to move into the role.
Current project manager Openings in Chicago, IL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Project Manager Work in Chicago
Chicago's project managers work in almost every industry, but three kinds of employer show up again and again. Insurers, banks and telecom companies run technology and operations programs from downtown offices, where the job is keeping software releases, system upgrades and claims or payments projects on schedule. General contractors such as Power Construction, which posts project manager roles at its W. Bryn Mawr Avenue office near O'Hare, need project managers who can estimate, bid and run buildings from preconstruction to closeout. And the city's advertising agencies hire project managers to keep client campaigns on time and on budget.
Most office-based roles are hybrid, typically three days a week on site, while construction project managers split time between the office and job sites across Chicagoland. Illinois requires employers with 15 or more workers to post a pay range, so nearly every Chicago project manager posting shows the salary band up front.
Top Chicago Employers Hiring Project Managers
These employers have posted project manager roles in Chicago on their own careers sites:
- Health Care Service Corporation - the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois parent hires senior project managers for claims and Medicaid programs on a hybrid schedule.
- Capital One - the bank hires project managers in Chicago for its payment network and product programs.
- Comcast - the telecom company hires technical program managers in Chicago to run agile delivery across engineering teams.
- Power Construction - the Chicago general contractor hires project managers for aviation, healthcare, data center and residential builds.
- AbelsonTaylor Group - the advertising agency hires project managers to run pharmaceutical campaigns, on site Tuesday through Thursday.
Project Manager Salaries in Chicago
- Entry level: about $67,000 to $83,000 a year for associate and junior project managers.
- Experienced: roughly $83,000 to $134,000 a year for project managers with several years of delivery experience.
- Senior: $134,000 to $166,000 or more for senior project, program and PMO managers.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Chicago metro and ranges in local postings. Recent examples include $65,000 to $90,000 for an agency project manager at AbelsonTaylor, $87,600 to $131,400 for a technical program manager at Comcast, $90,000 to $150,000 plus bonus for a construction project manager at Power Construction and $92,700 to $167,500 for a senior project manager at Health Care Service Corporation. A PMP certification, agile experience and larger budgets all push pay higher.
How to Become a Project Manager in Chicago
Most employers ask for a bachelor's degree plus a few years of experience coordinating projects, and many people move into the role from analyst, coordinator, engineering or field positions. Illinois does not license project managers. The common credential is the voluntary PMP from the Project Management Institute, which Health Care Service Corporation and Capital One both list as preferred; agile, Lean and Six Sigma certificates also help. In construction, Kennedy-King College in Englewood offers a City Colleges construction management sequence that includes construction scheduling, cost estimating and project management courses.
What the Job Involves
Project managers turn a goal into a plan and then keep it moving. They set scope, build schedules and budgets, assign work, run status meetings, track risks and issues, and report progress to sponsors and leadership. On technology projects that means working with developers in agile sprints; in construction it means estimates, subcontractor bids, change orders and closeout.
Skills Employers Look For
- Scheduling, budgeting and scope management
- Agile and waterfall delivery methods
- Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Project or similar tools
- Risk tracking and issue escalation
- Clear status reporting to leadership
- Negotiation with vendors, clients and teams
Career Path and Advancement
A typical Chicago path starts as a project coordinator, associate project manager or analyst, moves to project manager after two to four years, and then to senior project manager, program manager and PMO or portfolio leadership. In construction the ladder usually runs from project engineer or assistant project manager to project manager and then senior project manager or project executive at a general contractor.
Related Careers in Chicago
If project management interests you, these related Chicago roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do project managers make in Chicago?
The median for project management specialists in the Chicago metro is about $105,320 a year. Entry-level roles generally start between $67,000 and $83,000, and senior project and program managers often earn $134,000 or more.
Do you need a PMP to be a project manager in Chicago?
No. There is no Illinois license for project managers, and the PMP is voluntary. Many Chicago employers list it as preferred, so it helps you compete for senior roles.
Are project manager jobs in Chicago hybrid?
Most office-based roles are. Health Care Service Corporation asks for three days a week in the office and AbelsonTaylor asks for Tuesday through Thursday, while construction project managers are on job sites much of the week.
What industries hire the most project managers in Chicago?
Insurance, banking and telecom technology teams, general contractors and advertising agencies all post project manager roles regularly. Each values different experience, so tailor your resume to the industry.
How do I become a construction project manager in Chicago?
Most construction project managers have a construction-related degree or equivalent field experience and five or more years in the industry. Power Construction, for example, asks for 5 to 10 years across construction, design and management, and Kennedy-King College offers construction management courses to build the basics.
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