Salary guide, May 2025
Project Engineer / 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 Project Management Specialists in the United States was $102,320 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $78,440 and $133,100.
Also searched as: Project Engineer, Capital Project Engineer, Engineering Project Manager. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 13-1082 Project Management Specialists
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $61,580 | $78,440 | $102,320 | $133,100 | $167,970 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $29.61 | $37.71 | $49.19 | $63.99 | $80.76 |
BLS estimated 1,066,670 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 13-1082 Project Management Specialists, 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 | $98,720 | $76,400 to $128,980 | 19,340 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $97,780 | $76,590 to $128,130 | 11,660 | 1.18 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $96,390 | $75,830 to $127,020 | 11,690 | 1.21 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $102,280 | $79,030 to $134,700 | 7,930 | 1.56 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $126,660 | $96,370 to $164,800 | 68,910 | 1.06 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $126,660 | $96,370 to $164,800 | 68,910 | 1.06 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $98,900 | $76,740 to $131,250 | 43,120 | 1.55 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $105,320 | $82,770 to $133,980 | 21,040 | 0.68 |
Rank every metro for Project Engineer / 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.
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$137,270
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$135,740
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$135,740
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$135,530
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$134,570
- Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing$132,810
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$131,290
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$130,690
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$129,760
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$127,710
- Fabric Mills$126,610
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$125,880
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing$125,680
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$124,970
- Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing$122,600
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 79,810 | $77,950 | $102,640 | $134,120 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 12,580 | $101,550 | $131,290 | $166,220 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 12,220 | $102,250 | $129,760 | $154,580 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 10,310 | $72,160 | $86,980 | $106,490 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 9,780 | $82,910 | $104,370 | $130,690 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 7,310 | $85,260 | $112,250 | $147,600 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 7,110 | $106,590 | $134,570 | $163,760 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 6,900 | $83,210 | $104,700 | $130,490 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 6,340 | $71,290 | $84,040 | $103,340 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 6,080 | $61,260 | $79,750 | $107,560 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 4,810 | $100,160 | $127,710 | $158,310 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,290 | $57,880 | $73,300 | $90,440 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 4,260 | $104,350 | $135,530 | $171,870 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,140 | $62,490 | $77,080 | $96,020 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,030 | $62,550 | $77,010 | $95,680 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 3,880 | $94,710 | $124,970 | $157,700 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 3,790 | $82,580 | $105,990 | $132,650 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,540 | $72,710 | $92,490 | $120,950 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 2,490 | $58,240 | $68,280 | $82,300 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 2,490 | $58,240 | $68,280 | $82,300 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,410 | $108,660 | $137,270 | $167,400 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 2,300 | $73,530 | $83,040 | $114,210 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 2,180 | $97,490 | $125,880 | $159,150 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 2,170 | $92,670 | $110,480 | $133,740 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 2,010 | $72,980 | $95,600 | $120,940 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 1,810 | $66,420 | $82,110 | $105,840 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 1,810 | $66,420 | $82,110 | $105,840 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 1,790 | $95,830 | $125,680 | $142,200 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 1,770 | $96,100 | $118,910 | $139,110 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,660 | $70,320 | $93,630 | $116,600 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 1,650 | $83,220 | $105,240 | $134,200 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,350 | $63,130 | $78,510 | $99,390 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 1,250 | $70,230 | $79,770 | $100,880 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,250 | $73,580 | $90,810 | $108,920 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 1,220 | $76,410 | $96,940 | $117,940 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 1,120 | $73,550 | $91,330 | $107,470 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,070 | $88,980 | $122,600 | $145,210 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,030 | $83,410 | $102,590 | $130,580 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,010 | $71,080 | $77,590 | $90,850 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 950 | $65,150 | $80,090 | $100,990 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 930 | $77,420 | $96,310 | $125,080 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 870 | $120,110 | $135,740 | $165,430 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 870 | $120,110 | $135,740 | $165,430 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 860 | $86,200 | $121,200 | $152,070 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 850 | $64,900 | $91,970 | $110,390 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 850 | $88,760 | $118,290 | $138,680 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 730 | $76,860 | $88,530 | $114,230 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 630 | $103,380 | $130,690 | $156,780 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 420 | $64,080 | $74,280 | $89,640 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 400 | $106,260 | $132,810 | $166,840 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 350 | $81,420 | $101,590 | $133,700 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 340 | $73,260 | $102,230 | $132,530 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 300 | $59,480 | $67,260 | $81,320 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 290 | $74,580 | $98,840 | $127,810 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 280 | $85,990 | $105,450 | $130,010 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 280 | $57,490 | $66,160 | $77,210 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 270 | $67,170 | $82,260 | $106,210 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 250 | $60,200 | $95,880 | $104,810 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 220 | $79,330 | $103,680 | $124,380 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 220 | $61,530 | $85,630 | $107,240 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 200 | $74,990 | $89,700 | $136,270 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 200 | $59,100 | $69,800 | $79,160 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 200 | $97,890 | $118,250 | $154,820 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 180 | $75,740 | $97,510 | $133,890 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 170 | $71,020 | $86,720 | $118,910 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 170 | $66,080 | $86,250 | $107,770 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 170 | $68,710 | $84,370 | $102,210 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 170 | $78,080 | $84,480 | $99,210 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 160 | $73,640 | $80,470 | $124,460 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 160 | $78,460 | $88,970 | $108,540 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 150 | $62,450 | $86,600 | $102,640 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 130 | $81,130 | $107,570 | $127,250 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 130 | $80,220 | $100,300 | $126,030 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 130 | $80,210 | $102,240 | $124,130 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 130 | $70,020 | $84,170 | $101,930 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 130 | $73,980 | $87,590 | $124,990 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 130 | $70,050 | $100,790 | $113,060 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 120 | $74,850 | $85,410 | $101,930 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 110 | $58,070 | $80,560 | $102,390 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 100 | $70,990 | $100,660 | $115,820 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 100 | $80,090 | $102,180 | $120,350 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 80 | $47,280 | $66,150 | $69,970 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 70 | $88,680 | $112,970 | $167,660 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 70 | $55,030 | $89,220 | $96,620 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 50 | $72,170 | $120,220 | $138,650 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 40 | $85,290 | $126,610 | $150,030 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 40 | $51,260 | $77,330 | $100,090 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 40 | $51,260 | $61,490 | $87,950 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Project Engineer / Capital Projects Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. 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 | $76,950 | $100,750 | $131,660 |
| May 2025 | $78,440 | $102,320 | $133,100 |
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 responsibilities behind the title?
We look for projects with budgets, timelines and outcomes the candidate directly owned. Fit depends on project scale and industry specifics.
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 Project Engineer / Capital Projects Manager?
The median annual wage for Project Management Specialists in the United States was $102,320 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $78,440 and $133,100. 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 $61,580. 90% earned less than $167,970.
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 Project Engineer / 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 1,066,670 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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What does this data mean for your opening?
Project Engineers and Capital Projects Managers occupy a vital space in manufacturing productivity. BLS records this work under the Project Management Specialists (SOC 13-1082) classification. The national median wage is $102,320 annually, which marks a median change of $1570 over the May 2024 median of $100,750. This indicates a consistent but measured growth in salary expectations.
The middle band width for this occupation is $54,660, based on a P25 of $78,440 and a P75 of $133,100. This wide band reflects the diverse nature of project management, spanning from junior project coordination to complex, multi-million dollar capital execution.
When looking at national manufacturing industry segments, Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing shows a median of $137,270. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing shows a median of $135,740. These industry-specific figures exceed the overall national median for the broader project management category. Hiring managers must remember that these industry-specific rows are broad averages. BLS does not account for critical components like project-based completion bonuses or long-term retention packages. These elements are standard in the construction and equipment installation phase of a facility's lifecycle. Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that these figures are best used as a baseline for base salary budget planning.
Regional data provides further insight into market variances. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro reports a median of $126,660, reflecting a median change of $4980. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, metro displays a median of $98,900 with a median change of $4370. The higher median in New York is common for project management roles that involve significant regional development or high-cost-of-living infrastructure projects. It is important to remember that location quotient reflects local job concentration and not the local pay premium or candidate availability. Hiring managers should tailor their total compensation offers to account for the gap between the national median and these specific, high-employment metro figures when evaluating candidates for onsite capital projects and facility expansion.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the primary driver of the wide middle band width?
The $54,660 middle band reflects the varied seniority and technical responsibility of project managers. Those managing large-scale capital installs often sit at the higher end of the spectrum.
How should I view the difference between national and industry-specific medians?
National industry medians are illustrative of sector-specific pay trends. They are not local salary benchmarks but highlight the premium industries willing to pay for project management expertise.
Does the median change indicate a tightening market?
A median change of $1570 is a relatively small shift year-over-year. It suggests a stable market rather than one defined by rapid or volatile compensation inflation.
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