The salary range of program managers is dependent on the industry that they are working in, as these jobs are not limited to just one sector. In this article, we have provided the salary ranges for various industries.
Program managers are senior-level executives who handle a set of related projects that make up a ‘program.’ They are not concerned with the output of a project, instead they focus on the overall profitability or outcome of an entire program, which could be to do with a particular product, or all projects for a particular client or geographical area. They manage utilization of resources across projects by exploiting economies of scale. Also, they are a sounding board for ideas to solve project issues and sharing of best practices. These professionals are hired in various industries, most prominent being the information technology (IT) industry.
Salary Range
The average salary for a software program manager is around USD 75,000 and increases after one gets some work experience in handling large programs. The pay scale in some other industries is listed below.
| Industry | Job Description | Salary Range (Annual) |
| Education | They are expected to monitor and establish educational projects, training programs, and courses. | USD 55,000 – USD 75,000 |
| Health Care | They are involved in the management of hospitals, treatment plans, and finding solutions to problems arising in the management of the facility. They can choose any medical field as their area of specialization. | USD 70,000 – USD 130,000 |
| Business | Coupled with strong communication skills and leadership qualities, they ensure that the tasks are completed within a time frame. | USD 60,000 – 120,000 |
| Marketing | Planning, developing, and executing the marketing campaigns form the core responsibility of these professionals. | USD 65,000 – USD 125,000 |
The remuneration depends on the type of industry, location, and the person’s work experience.
Job Description
Traditionally, the job responsibilities of program managers include handling a portfolio of projects so that the organization moves towards its common objectives and goals. They have to ensure that the necessary elements needed for project management are provided to the teams so that the targets can be met with ease. They need to have very effective communication skills so that they can influence and motivate the employees to perform to their fullest. Compliance to master plans and schedules is something that they need to keep track of so that profitability does not take a hit.
A bachelor’s degree in management coupled with 8 – 10 years of work experience in a related field can help you to get these jobs that offer good career opportunities in various sectors. A certificate in project management such as PMP is highly recommended. Professionals at this level generally grow into the executive management role in the future, where the span of control is usually an entire organization or a major vertical.