So you decided to pursue a program manager career path and are curious about what your career may look like in a few years?
Or, maybe, you're still deciding if a program manager career path is the right track for you.
Either way, we've got you covered! In this article, we'll be sharing:
- Program Manager Career Paths To Pursue
- The Program Manager Career Path: Roles, Skills, & Progression
- Program Manager Salaries (Entry‑Level, Mid‑Level, & Senior Level)
- Level‑Up Your Game: How To Step Into A New Program Manager Role
Program Manager Career Paths To Pursue
There are several different program management career paths you can explore. However, different industries might require more expertise in specific areas.
For example:
- A program manager role at a tech startup might focus heavily on agile frameworks, sprint planning, and cross‑functional alignment to accelerate product delivery.
- A program manager role at a healthcare company could emphasize regulatory compliance, stakeholder communication, and risk management to ensure programs meet patient‑centric standards.
- A program manager role at a finance firm could offer opportunities in portfolio management, process optimization, and governance reporting to drive strategic initiatives.
Not all companies will demand every specialty, but every specialty has a place within many different companies!
So, if you're thinking about which program manager career path you should pursue, it might be a good idea to first consider what kind of company you would like to work for.
Maybe you'd like to work for a company in big tech.
Maybe you're aiming for a recognized brand in healthcare.
Or, maybe, you'd like to join a startup.
You will find different program management opportunities with different scopes and setups. Having clarity about where you'd like to be within a certain time frame is key to deciding which path is right for you.
Most skills you need for a program management career are transferable across different roles, industries, and companies. The purpose of the exercise is so you can look at the opportunities on your horizon and decide where you'd like to be in the short term and eventually down the road!
💡 Pro Tip:
If you're struggling to find out where you'd like to be, check out the article “What Should I Do With My Life? A Step‑By‑Step Guide” and read it from top to bottom. If “program management” still feels like the right path, head back here and continue reading!
Once you've set your mind on your program manager career path, it's time to understand what roles might be a good fit for you.
The Program Manager Career Path: Roles, Skills, & Progression
We've selected the most common program manager roles for each level and their job descriptions. Take a look below!
Entry‑Level Program Manager Roles
Most people begin their program management careers in specialist roles, such as:
Program Coordinator
This role offers broad exposure to different program activities and doesn't usually require extensive experience.
📝 Program Coordinator Job Description: Responsible for tracking program schedules, updating status reports, and coordinating resources to ensure milestones are met.
✅ Skills Required: Strong organizational skills, proficiency in Excel or project‑tracking tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com), and effective communication.
⬆️ Possible progression: Program Coordinators can progress into an Associate Program Manager role.
Associate Program Manager
This role requires a foundational understanding of project/program management principles and supports end‑to‑end delivery of small programs.
📝 Associate Program Manager Job Description: Responsible for assisting with scope definition, timeline creation, and risk mitigation while collaborating with cross‑functional teams.
✅ Skills Required: Basic knowledge of project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile), schedule management, and stakeholder engagement.
⬆️ Possible progression: Associate Program Managers can progress into a Program Manager role.
Project Coordinator
This role generally requires proficiency in project management software and the ability to translate action items into deliverables but does not typically require extensive experience.
📝 Project Coordinator Job Description: Responsible for maintaining project documentation, scheduling meetings, and supporting project managers in status reporting.
✅ Skills Required: Proficiency in tools like Microsoft Project or Smartsheet, attention to detail, and time‑management skills.
⬆️ Possible progression: Project Coordinators can progress into a Project Manager or Program Manager role.
Mid‑Level Program Manager Roles
As you gain experience, mid‑level roles often involve more responsibility and the opportunity to lead programs or teams. Some common mid‑level program manager roles include:
Program Manager
At this level, professionals are responsible for overseeing complex programs, guiding junior coordinators, and communicating key updates to stakeholders.
📝 Program Manager Job Description: Responsible for defining program objectives, coordinating multiple projects, managing budgets, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
✅ Skills Required: Advanced planning and scheduling, risk management, budgeting, and stakeholder negotiation.
⬆️ Possible progression: Program Managers can advance to roles like Senior Program Manager.
Senior Program Manager
This role focuses on large‑scale programs, often spanning multiple business units and requiring deeper knowledge of portfolio management.
📝 Senior Program Manager Job Description: Responsible for developing program strategies, managing cross‑functional teams, and driving organizational change to achieve business outcomes.
✅ Skills Required: Portfolio management, strategic planning, strong leadership, and experience with enterprise program management tools.
⬆️ Possible progression: Senior Program Managers can move into positions such as Program Management Manager or Program Director.
PMO Manager
This role is more specialized than entry‑level roles and requires the ability to oversee the entire Project Management Office (PMO) process, from methodology development to reporting.
📝 PMO Manager Job Description: Responsible for managing PMO teams, establishing best practices, and ensuring that program management processes are optimized for efficiency.
✅ Skills Required: Leadership, process design, KPIs & metrics tracking, and strategic thinking.
⬆️ Possible progression: PMO Managers can progress to roles like Director of Program Management.
Senior‑Level Program Manager Roles
Senior‑level roles involve greater strategic oversight and leadership, often requiring professionals to guide larger teams and make high‑level decisions.
Program Management Manager
Program Management Managers are responsible for shaping the overall program strategy and ensuring that all program efforts align with the company's objectives.
📝 Program Management Manager Job Description: Responsible for leading program management teams, overseeing enterprise programs, managing executive expectations, and ensuring delivery of strategic initiatives.
✅ Skills Required: Leadership, portfolio management, strategic vision, and excellent communication skills.
⬆️ Possible progression: Program Management Managers can move up to roles such as Program Director.
Lead Program Manager
This role requires deep expertise in program management and is responsible for leading the development and implementation of high‑impact programs.
📝 Lead Program Manager Job Description: Responsible for guiding cross‑functional program teams, identifying process improvements, and providing high‑level insights to support executive decision‑making.
✅ Skills Required: Advanced program governance, change management, leadership, and strong analytical skills.
⬆️ Possible progression: Lead Program Managers can advance to roles like Director of Program Management.
Director of Program Management
This role oversees the entire program management strategy for an organization and manages a team of PMO professionals.
📝 Director of Program Management Job Description: Responsible for developing and executing the program management strategy, overseeing program portfolios, managing budgets, and ensuring alignment with business goals.
✅ Skills Required: Executive leadership, strategic planning, financial acumen, and organizational change management.
⬆️ Possible progression: Directors of Program Management can move up to executive roles such as Chief Program Officer (CPO).
Program Manager Salaries (Entry‑Level, Mid‑Level, & Senior Level)
Now that we’ve covered the most common program manager career paths, you might be asking yourself what the pay range is for each role.
To answer this question, let’s head over to one of our favorite tools for salary research: Glassdoor.
Glassdoor is one of the world’s top job and recruiting websites, where users can anonymously provide information about their companies – including their current salary. Glassdoor provides an average salary range for various roles based on the information sent by its users.
According to Glassdoor, the base salary for the most common program manager roles in 2025 are:
Program Management Roles:
- Program Coordinator (Entry‑Level): $43K – $65K / year base pay
- Program Manager (Mid‑Level): $68K – $115K / year base pay
- Program Management Manager (Senior‑Level): $98K – $146K / year base pay
Project Management Roles:
- Senior Project Manager (Mid‑Level): $90K – $142K / year base pay
- Program Director (Senior‑Level): $84K – $152K / year base pay
PMO Roles:
- Project Coordinator (Entry‑Level): $50K – $76K / year base pay
- PMO Manager (Mid‑Level): $100K – $157K / year base pay
- Director of Program Management (Senior‑Level): $117K – $179K / year base pay
Level‑Up Your Game: How To Step Into A New Program Manager Role
Whether you're looking for an entry‑level job in program management or aiming to advance in your program management career, it's important to know that you don't necessarily need a graduate degree or specialization to move up the program management career ladder. Your unique experience and skills can go a long way, as long as you learn how to sell them!
Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you land your next program manager role.
1. Run A Resume Scan To Find Out Skill Gaps In Your Target Role
Wondering if you are the right fit for that target role you've been eyeing?
We've got you covered.
Here's a simple, step‑by‑step guide to find out if you have the skills to land a job in program management:
- Copy the job description of the program manager role that sparked your interest
- Head over to ResyMatch.io (or use our shortcut below)
- Grab a copy of your most updated resume
- Upload your resume on the left side
- Paste the job description on the right side
- Hit “Start Resume Scan”
Boom! ResyMatch will compare and score your resume against the job's description and identify missing skill gaps, such as:
ResyMatch will also make sure your resume is ATS compatible (ATS is a software that recruiters often use to track candidates through the hiring process). And of course, ResyMatch will provide suggestions and outline best practices you can use to edit and improve your resume!
Use our shortcut below to get started:
Scanning...
2. Update Your Resume With Compelling Resume Bullets
After you've compared your resume against your target job description, you will likely find yourself in one of two scenarios:
You have some missing skills that you'll need to master before taking on a new role — if that's the case, you can take action and start building those skills through online courses and a portfolio strategy.
OR…
You have already mastered most of the skills — if that's the case, all you need to do is update your resume with compelling resume bullets, leveraging the keywords found in your resume and job description scan.
To get started, you'll want your resume bullets to have just the right amount of hard and soft skills, action words, measurable results, and common words.
This means a compelling resume bullet for someone applying for a program manager role might look something like this:
Reduced program delivery timelines by 20% through implementing agile project tracking, resulting in a 15% boost in team efficiency.
This bullet focuses on hard and soft skills specific to program management, while also showcasing measurable results!
To help you write the perfect resume bullet, we've created ResyBullet.io, a free resume bullet analyzer that helps you write your resume in a way that grabs attention and illustrates value. Simply copy and paste your resume bullet below to begin your analysis:
ResyBullet will analyze and score your resume bullet and give you actionable insights for improvement.
Here's how our resume bullet scored on ResyBullet:
If you're a visual learner, check out our video that walks you through the step‑by‑step of writing a crazy‑effective resume bullet:
3. Build A Visually Appealing, ATS‑Friendly Resume
Now that you've updated the content on your resume, it's time to transfer it over to an awesome layout that's also ATS‑friendly.
We recommend using a resume template so you can save the time you'd normally spend designing your resume and instead allocate it to your job search.
You can use ResyBuild.io, a free AI resume builder, to easily build and customize your resume in no time. Just pick one of the templates below and get started:
Free Job-Winning Resume Templates, Build Yours In No Time.
Choose a resume template below to get started:
Choose from 8 proven templates and easily create, edit, and customize your resume. ResyBuild's AI assistant also helps you craft personalized, job‑winning bullets in a single click. Simply add your experience, hit “Optimize,” and watch the magic happen.
4. Don't Apply Online — Do This Instead
The most common next step in the process is to start applying for program manager roles.
While applying online can absolutely be the next step in your job search, the truth is, it will only get you so far. In fact, only 2% of resumes submitted for the average open role end up reaching the interview stage.
Sure, optimizing your resume will boost your chances of being a part of that 2%.
But some estimates, like this one from the Wall Street Journal, show that 80% of hires come from referrals.
This means your best shot at landing the role you've been eyeing is through networking.
And no, we're not talking about attending conferences, events, and meetups. We're talking about a fresh approach that really builds relationships and gets your resume at the top of the resume pile at companies like Microsoft, Google, Uber, and more.
You can read all about it in our flagship guide for effective job searching:
Read More: How To Get A Job Anywhere Without Applying Online
Final Notes
Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance in your program manager career, getting clarity on the possibilities ahead of you can help you navigate your career with more ease.
Just don't forget: your career path isn't set in stone. Jobs and career goals will often evolve with life transitions. Always remember that your career should adapt to fit your life and not the other way around.
Land Your Next Program Manager Role
Sharon was unemployed and had just two months left to secure visa sponsorship until she joined our program and landed a Program Manager role at Intuit.
“Their system helped me land a program manager role at Intuit with a 30% raise and H1‑B sponsorship in the middle of the COVID‑19 pandemic.”
Ready to land a job you love without applying online? Our clients see an average raise of $44,000+ and land offers in about half the time of the average DIY job seeker.
