California · 2026 pay · 829 people
How much does a project manager make in California?
$128,214typical pay for a project manager in 2026
$93,943 – $173,737what most people earned
Includes everyone paid during 2026, including part-year workers. Each employer counts with its latest published year (2025 or 2026). Typical pay rose 4.1% from the same employers' year before.
✓ Official data from 9 agencies · Matches each agency's latest release · Show sourcesHide sources
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- SF Controller's Office · sf.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- City of Richmond · ci.richmond.ca.us ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
- California State Controller's Office · sco.ca.gov ↗
Where project managers work
Typical pay at each employer, 2026 (everyone paid).
- San Francisco146 people$221,373
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District38 people$163,060
- Orange County36 people$125,735
- City of Oakland35 people$197,248
- San Diego County34 people$140,118
- City of Fresno33 people$118,385
- San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District26 people$198,598
- Solano County25 people$94,785
- City of Riverside16 people$126,216
- Monterey County16 people$133,281
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority12 people$103,743
- California Institute for Regenerative Medicine11 people$126,368
- Napa County11 people$128,279
- City of San Buenaventura11 people$21,660
- San Luis Obispo County11 people$97,356
- Yuba County10 people$111,399
- Santa Clara County9 people$162,337
- Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District9 people$30,716
- Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority9 people$85,450
- Placer County9 people$84,918
- Napa County Resource Conservation District9 people$106,321
- Imperial Irrigation District9 people$118,027
- City of Eureka8 people$88,937
- City of Redondo Beach8 people$31,590
- City of Palo Alto8 people$160,135
- California Fairs Financing Authority8 people$138,823
- City of Palm Springs7 people$143,906
- City of Pasadena7 people$149,491
- City of Santa Clarita6 people$138,499
- City of Escondido6 people$82,308
- City of Beverly Hills6 people$202,386
- City of Anaheim6 people$99,604
- City of Chico6 people$119,787
- Calaveras County Resource Conservation District5 people$39,100
- Sierra Resource Conservation District5 people$26,965
- Santa Cruz County5 people$141,197
- City of Palmdale5 people$137,473
- Mt. San Antonio Community College District5 people$65,713
- City of Goleta4 people$131,289
- City of Ontario4 people$141,435
- Palomar Health District4 people$107,644
- City of Laguna Beach4 people$134,958
- Alameda Health System4 people$138,957
- Yolo County Resource Conservation District4 people$69,417
- Resource Conservation District of Tehama County3 people$89,746
- City of Tulare3 people$114,176
- City of Palm Desert3 people$124,976
- San Diego County Regional Airport Authority3 people$141,700
- South Orange County Community College District3 people$188,696
- Western Shasta Resource Conservation District3 people$42,034
- City of Walnut Creek3 people$164,617
- City of Irvine3 people$127,144
- City of Glendale3 people$46,153
- First Public Hydrogen Authority3 people$44,768
- East Bay Regional Park District3 people$150,140
- San Mateo County Transit District3 people$153,130
- City of Santa Cruz3 people$24,165
- City of Corona3 people$54,359
- Richmond3 people$185,220
- Watershed Conservation Authority2 people$12,022
- City of Watsonville2 people$112,302
- Sonoma Resource Conservation District2 people$78,472
- City and County of San Francisco Redevelopment Financing Authority2 people$191,651
- City of Lathrop2 people$158,763
- Orange County Transportation Authority2 people$106,696
- San Benito Health Care District2 people$128,439
- Upper Salinas/Las Tablas Resource Conservation District2 people$73,011
- San Diego Metropolitan Transit System2 people$110,894
- Town of Woodside2 people$115,784
- West County Wastewater District (Contra Costa)2 people$153,637
- City of Mill Valley2 people$114,243
- Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District2 people$124,264
- City of West Sacramento2 people$118,600
- City of Compton2 people$95,086
- Kirkwood Meadows Public Utilities District2 people$102,031
- City of Campbell2 people$47,864
- City of Petaluma2 people$82,478
- Sierra View Local Health Care District2 people$97,539
- City of Healdsburg2 people$125,761
- Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District2 people$88,670
- City of San Juan Capistrano2 people$86,608
- City of Carmel-by-the-Sea2 people$86,198
- Valley Center Municipal Water District2 people$187,595
- Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District2 people$46,102
- Lake County Resource Conservation District2 people$40,393
- El Dorado County Resource Conservation District2 people$40,904
- City of Big Bear Lake1 person$125,443
- Southern California Library Cooperative1 person$122,728
- Mother Lode Job Training Agency1 person$67,339
- City of Willits1 person$41,759
- Menlo Park Fire Protection District1 person$191,008
- Chico Area Recreation and Park District1 person$98,667
- City of Lakewood1 person$119,560
- West Valley Water District1 person$24,216
- City of Albany1 person$145,244
- City of St. Helena1 person$150,016
- City of Arcadia1 person$102,010
- City of Los Altos1 person$55,983
- Imperial County Transportation Commission1 person$75,255
- Monterey Regional Waste Management District1 person$153,374
- San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority1 person$140,037
- San Gabriel County Water District1 person$133,829
- City of Pacifica1 person$151,507
- City of Bakersfield1 person$112,714
- City of Huntington Park1 person$69,731
- West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC)1 person$132,970
- Marina Coast Water District1 person$92,035
- Riverside Transit Agency1 person$114,305
- Alameda County First 51 person$173,612
- City of Menifee1 person$119,687
- Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA)1 person$40,153
- City of Avalon1 person$122,527
- Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority1 person$159,763
- Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District1 person$99,091
- Los Angeles County First 51 person$100,799
- California Community Power1 person$85,216
- City of Rancho Mirage1 person$117,088
- Central California Irrigation District1 person$100,373
- Reclamation District No. 1081 person$152,065
- Rowland Area County Water District1 person$202,410
- City of Benicia1 person$141,329
- City of Galt1 person$134,293
- Stanislaus County Superior Court1 person$69,480
- City of Sutter Creek1 person$47,207
- City of Seaside1 person$137,224
- City of Oakley1 person$63,229
- Jurupa Community Services District1 person$167,572
- Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare District1 person$192,208
- Plumas Eureka Community Services District1 person$180
- Rose Bowl Operating Company1 person$88,073
- San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District1 person$137,002
- Bear Valley Community Healthcare District1 person$71,154
- Sunline Transit Agency1 person$88,037
- Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District1 person$117,159
- Butte County Superior Court1 person$53,173
- City of Imperial1 person$93,445
- City of Visalia1 person$10,959
- Anderson Valley Community Services District1 person$47,090
- Town of Windsor1 person$121,575
- City of West Covina1 person$113,664
- City of San Mateo1 person$157,970
- Nevada Irrigation District1 person$52,156
- Mendocino County Resource Conservation District1 person$82,294
- Ojai Valley Sanitary District (Ventura)1 person$187,596
- City of Menlo Park1 person$130,465
- City of Gilroy1 person$127,401
- City of Santa Rosa1 person$15,395
- City of Fullerton1 person$91,008
- City of Scotts Valley1 person$115,036
- City of Auburn1 person$88,235
- City of Hesperia1 person$93,943
- City of Millbrae1 person$156,233
- Cooperative Agricultural Support Services Authority1 person$40,485
- City of Piedmont1 person$88,132
- Town of Paradise1 person$128,648
- Modoc Resource Conservation District1 person$42,726
- San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District1 person$173,737
- City of Porterville1 person$92,873
- City of Monrovia1 person$149,718
- City of Perris1 person$156,238
- San Francisco County Transportation Authority1 person$135,754
- City of Clayton1 person$54,673
- Central Coast Community Energy Authority1 person$107,994
- City of Pinole1 person$87,266
- Gateway Cities Council of Governments1 person$87,655
- Town of Ross1 person$22,685
No employers match.
Pay by level
Levels with 5 or more people.
- Project Manager I21 people$105,996
- Project Manager - II5 people$106,612
- Project Manager540 people$118,402
- Project Manager III34 people$142,593
- Project Manager II78 people$151,180
- Project Manager 158 people$200,143
- Project Manager 255 people$230,082
- Project Manager 331 people$286,278
Related jobs and the next step up
Same line of work at a different rank, by typical pay (full-year employees where we can tell).
- Project Assistant$30,600 (everyone)
- Senior Project Assistant$78,276 (everyone)
- Assistant Project Manager$88,630 (everyone)
- Project Manager (this page)$128,214 (everyone)
- Associate Project Manager$129,431 (everyone)
- Project Manager Senior$134,066 (everyone)
- Senior Project Manager$149,258 (everyone)
- Principal Project Manager$169,573 (everyone)
Highest-paid project managers, 2026
- 1Daniel HowardProject Manager 2 · San Francisco$353,324
- 2Julia KatzProject Manager 4 · San Francisco$335,550
- 3Benjamin LiuProject Manager 1 · San Francisco$331,057
- 4Bradford BensonProject Manager 4 · San Francisco$315,004
- 5Michelle WooProject Manager 3 · San Francisco$303,499
Common questions
How much does a project manager make in California?
The typical project manager was paid $128,214 in 2026; most earned between $93,943 and $173,737. This counts all 829 people paid, including part-year workers.
How much of the pay is overtime?
Overtime made up 0.3% of all pay for project managers in 2026.
Which job titles are included?
Everyone whose payroll title is Project Manager, at any level (for example "Project Manager I"). Part-time-schedule titles (such as "20 hours") are left out. Senior, supervising and trainee titles have their own pages.
Job titles are written out in full from the payroll's abbreviations (for example "SR CRRECTNL POLC OFCR" → "Senior Correctional Police Officer"). "Typical pay" is the median; "most earned" is the middle half. How we calculate this