Project Management Specialists Salary
The median pay for a project management specialists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $135,120/year ($64.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $212K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $122,369 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 43.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $135K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About project management specialists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for project management specialists, local pay runs about 32% higher than the U.S. median of $102K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 44.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for project management specialists in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $108K | $95K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $135K | $117K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $117K | $105K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $124K | $117K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level project management specialists (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $135K. Top earners bring in $212K or more, a $129K spread from bottom to top.
Project Management Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Project Management Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $124K | +21% | 36,240 |
| New Jersey | $123K | +20% | 28,300 |
| Delaware | $122K | +19% | 1,770 |
| New York | $121K | +18% | 68,020 |
| California | $121K | +18% | 114,380 |
| Virginia | $121K | +18% | 43,860 |
| Massachusetts | $114K | +12% | 21,960 |
| Colorado | $110K | +8% | 32,390 |
| New Mexico | $107K | +5% | 4,330 |
| Oregon | $105K | +3% | 19,380 |
| Connecticut | $105K | +3% | 8,410 |
| District of Columbia | $105K | +3% | 5,170 |
| Rhode Island | $105K | +2% | 3,880 |
| Maryland | $104K | +2% | 30,530 |
| Illinois | $103K | +1% | 27,180 |
| Georgia | $102K | -0% | 28,900 |
| Maine | $102K | -0% | 2,620 |
| Michigan | $101K | -1% | 25,330 |
| Alabama | $101K | -1% | 3,190 |
| North Carolina | $101K | -1% | 36,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $100K | -2% | 36,150 |
| Kansas | $100K | -2% | 6,030 |
| Nevada | $100K | -2% | 8,290 |
| Alaska | $100K | -3% | 1,950 |
| Arizona | $99K | -3% | 22,920 |
| Texas | $98K | -4% | 138,960 |
| Florida | $98K | -4% | 76,370 |
| Minnesota | $98K | -4% | 18,850 |
| Wisconsin | $98K | -5% | 21,610 |
| Utah | $97K | -5% | 16,450 |
| Iowa | $97K | -6% | 6,720 |
| North Dakota | $96K | -6% | 2,020 |
| Ohio | $96K | -6% | 34,260 |
| Idaho | $96K | -7% | 5,750 |
| South Carolina | $95K | -7% | 17,040 |
| Indiana | $95K | -7% | 11,970 |
| Missouri | $95K | -7% | 21,460 |
| Wyoming | $94K | -8% | 1,180 |
| West Virginia | $92K | -10% | 2,520 |
| New Hampshire | $91K | -11% | 3,840 |
| Montana | $88K | -14% | 2,940 |
| Oklahoma | $86K | -16% | 11,220 |
| Tennessee | $86K | -16% | 20,780 |
| Louisiana | $85K | -17% | 8,050 |
| South Dakota | $82K | -20% | 1,310 |
| Kentucky | $82K | -20% | 10,250 |
| Vermont | $81K | -21% | 1,190 |
| Nebraska | $80K | -22% | 3,190 |
| Mississippi | $79K | -23% | 4,320 |
| Hawaii | $78K | -24% | 1,560 |
| Arkansas | $77K | -25% | 5,510 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track project management specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a project management specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $135K, rent takes 44.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for project management specialists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new project management specialists typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,975/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is project management specialist a high-paying job in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 32% above the national median — $135K here vs. $102K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for project management specialists?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $135K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s +32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $122K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do project management specialists make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $135,120 a year, that works out to about $65 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,920, and experienced project management specialists can clear $212,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $135K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,867/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 44.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a project management specialists salary go in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median project management specialists salary is worth about $122,369 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do project management specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.