If you have an online degree in business with a specialty in project management, what are your career options? Generally, they are the same as those opportunities available to people who obtained their degrees through brick-and-mortar institutions.
What is a Project Manager?
According to the website “Project Management Certification” project management is not a specific career, but an opportunity earned through knowledge, experience and skill in recruiting and working with teams of colleagues. Project managers create budgets, recruit capable team members and report progress to overseeing executives. “My Footpath.com” says project managers must be expert at managing time, resources and money. The job entails the ability to plan and break down each project into small components that can be organized and controlled. Project managers work in business marketing, urban and rural planning, healthcare and information technology.
Business Project Manager
These professionals gather data about investors and report financial information to the executives of corporations. They project the fiscal viability ( cost-effectiveness) of important resources like gold or natural gas. Administrative services managers oversee clerical needs of a corporation such as employee records and supply distribution. Compensation and benefits managers are responsible for developing and overseeing benefits packages as well as informing employees about the parameters of the benefits. The projected job growth for these managers is 15 percent, and the average salaries are $78,000 to $89,000 annually.
Healthcare Project Manager
Managers in healthcare work with hospital directors, medical staff and IT people to ensure that the hospital runs efficiently, safely and profitably. They manage the finances and personnel of physicians’ departments, medical wings or even entire hospitals. These professionals must create work schedules, organize staff records and keep abreast of regulations at both the federal and state level. Job growth is projected at 22 percent, and the average salary is $84,200.
IT Project Manager
These managers maintain computer networks that keep businesses connected with the constantly changing commercial world. They sometimes supervise teams of technicians, but may even install entire technology systems in corporations to ensure they are at the cutting edge of competition. Salaries of IT managers average $115,000 and the projected job growth is 15 percent.
Media Project Managers
Advertising, promotions and marketing departments utilize these managers. They create marketing campaigns, “tweak” branding of products or corporations and develop strategies that attract new customers. The job growth rate for media managers is 13 percent, and the average salary is $84,000 to $108,000.
Education Project managers
Training and development project managers prepare and deliver new educational material in corporate settings or in institutions of higher learning. They also manage the promotional and administrative needs of colleges and universities. In corporate settings, the managers assess the training needs of a business and create materials to respond to the need. Some education managers are college and university administrators. The projected job growth is 15 percent and average salary is $89,000.
People with business degrees and specialties in project management have many career options. Salaries are comparatively high and projected job growth is average to higher-than-average.
