Salary guide, May 2025
Capital Projects Manager pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $120,810 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 | $262,760 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $58.08 | $67.00 | $82.34 | $102.16 | $126.33 |
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $167,160 | $132,350 to $203,900 | 1,610 | 0.4 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $169,310 | $137,270 to $205,740 | 1,480 | 0.72 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $177,990 | $158,600 to $213,580 | 1,780 | 0.89 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $169,780 | $139,040 to $208,590 | 1,850 | 1.76 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $183,890 | $157,290 to $222,800 | 7,580 | 0.56 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $172,160 | $141,460 to $219,080 | 5,970 | 1.04 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $163,430 | $133,100 to $200,400 | 6,670 | 1.04 |
Rank every metro for Capital Projects Manager
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$179,720
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$178,170
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$176,340
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$169,200
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$168,900
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$167,160
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$163,680
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$162,240
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$162,200
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$160,140
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$154,710
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$145,920
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$145,770
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$143,560
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$140,590
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 77,280 | $137,220 | $169,690 | $210,340 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 19,820 | $158,830 | $179,720 | $219,310 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 18,950 | $149,140 | $176,340 | $215,580 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 11,930 | $130,970 | $162,200 | $196,430 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 11,760 | $169,310 | $192,800 | $220,610 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 9,080 | $158,840 | $177,090 | $216,340 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 8,580 | $130,920 | $160,430 | $192,970 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 7,670 | $161,720 | $183,950 | $225,030 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 5,310 | $137,290 | $168,900 | $199,930 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 5,270 | $122,050 | $140,510 | $169,040 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,190 | $137,590 | $169,200 | $206,810 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 4,150 | $132,920 | $160,140 | $192,140 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 4,120 | $129,410 | $157,330 | $174,550 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,240 | $144,010 | $171,190 | $210,000 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,810 | $124,820 | $147,400 | $169,630 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 2,670 | $137,780 | $169,340 | $202,830 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 2,350 | $127,350 | $145,770 | $171,520 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 2,180 | $138,760 | $166,850 | $196,740 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,870 | $127,920 | $147,700 | $173,290 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,790 | $137,730 | $165,520 | $210,850 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,760 | $130,100 | $157,280 | $180,560 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,690 | $159,680 | $178,010 | $219,080 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 1,470 | $142,060 | $170,820 | $209,450 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 1,430 | $117,930 | $136,900 | $167,490 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,290 | $128,190 | $145,920 | $177,000 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,200 | $164,040 | $179,100 | $215,860 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,190 | $131,880 | $168,240 | $203,010 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,140 | $137,090 | $179,270 | $224,400 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 970 | $124,270 | $134,350 | $165,050 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 940 | $126,670 | $153,170 | $186,260 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 910 | $116,610 | $137,490 | $165,720 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 900 | $140,840 | $162,240 | $195,440 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 750 | $161,880 | $178,170 | $222,270 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 660 | $137,450 | $167,160 | $188,490 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 610 | $133,420 | $168,410 | $208,000 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 570 | $112,120 | $135,840 | $165,410 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 550 | $107,720 | $133,440 | $160,790 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 540 | $129,060 | $154,710 | $184,360 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 510 | $106,410 | $131,150 | $158,650 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 480 | $126,070 | $141,240 | $168,240 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 460 | $133,900 | $155,390 | $176,300 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 460 | $118,280 | $137,580 | $166,450 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 360 | $135,630 | $163,540 | $186,960 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 360 | $125,410 | $134,640 | $161,410 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 340 | $123,470 | $139,830 | $166,660 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 310 | $129,920 | $155,070 | $197,180 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 310 | $128,100 | $151,980 | $184,410 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 300 | $141,720 | $169,750 | $193,370 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 290 | $130,900 | $160,810 | $167,440 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 270 | $139,150 | $162,560 | $183,950 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 260 | $154,180 | $167,850 | $199,610 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 260 | $124,460 | $143,830 | $170,290 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 200 | $147,420 | $166,120 | $193,680 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 190 | $120,290 | $140,260 | $168,600 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $152,310 | $172,680 | $210,320 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 170 | $139,100 | $156,650 | $187,200 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 170 | $108,760 | $135,450 | $160,810 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 160 | $147,830 | $163,680 | $179,880 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 150 | $128,080 | $144,020 | $195,010 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 140 | $145,610 | $163,250 | $176,890 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 130 | $139,700 | $165,720 | $177,000 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 130 | $111,790 | $137,330 | $160,440 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 130 | $123,280 | $133,960 | $169,990 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 110 | $132,620 | $156,340 | $202,510 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 100 | $121,700 | $140,590 | $165,250 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 90 | $149,330 | $167,020 | $208,470 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 90 | $155,460 | $178,790 | $211,910 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $131,110 | $143,560 | $165,320 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 80 | $132,120 | $160,800 | $209,530 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 80 | $108,130 | $125,000 | $161,220 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 60 | $124,350 | $142,990 | $168,260 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 60 | $104,010 | $119,660 | $162,260 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 50 | $143,870 | $167,760 | $192,510 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 40 | $122,640 | $149,750 | $169,220 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 40 | $137,270 | $165,820 | $178,300 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Capital Projects Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $134,930 | $167,740 | $207,210 |
| May 2025 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around capital budgets and coordinated equipment-installation work. A practical discussion of a change-order decision with an explicit commissioning consequence can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish project commercial responsibility rather than only technical design; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Capital Projects Manager?
The median annual wage for Architectural and Engineering Managers in the United States was $171,270 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $139,360 and $212,500. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $120,810. 90% earned less than $262,760.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Capital Projects Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 220,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates capital projects managers within the Architectural and Engineering Managers group. For Capital Projects Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $171,270; the May 2024 median is $167,740. Their arithmetic difference is $3,530. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
The middle band width is $73,140, ranging from a P25 of $139,360 to a P75 of $212,500. These metrics represent the entire management occupation and do not reflect the specialized project commercial responsibilities of a capital manager.
Industry data shows significant variance. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing records a median of $192,800. Semiconductor manufacturing reports $183,950, while the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing sector sits at $179,720. For Capital Projects Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Regional analysis reveals a $190,900 median in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and $168,550 in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn. Detroit has a location quotient of 3.43 for these roles compared to 1.08 in Los Angeles. These quotients underline the concentration of these managers in those hubs, yet they remain tethered to the broad Architectural and Engineering Managers SOC definition.
Effective screening for capital projects managers requires assessing their commercial acumen. For Capital Projects Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. This is distinct from candidates who focus only on technical design; we require individuals who take true commercial responsibility for project outcomes from start to finish.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
It acts as a ceiling for the broader category. For Capital Projects Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $139,360 to $212,500 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity.
How does project commercial responsibility affect pay?
Managers with true commercial responsibility are accountable for project ROI and budget outcomes. This complexity is generally not reflected in the broad Architectural and Engineering Managers SOC.
Why is the $171,270 national median potentially misleading?
It is an aggregate figure that includes all management roles under this SOC, many of which involve lower financial risks or smaller capital budgets than those of dedicated capital project managers.
What is the best way to interpret the P75 figure of $212,500?
It acts as a ceiling for the broader category. For Capital Projects Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $139,360 to $212,500 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
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