What is a project leader and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Project Leader?

It takes 5 years of professional experience to become a project leader. That is the time it takes to learn specific project leader skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 8 to 10 years years to become a project leader.

Q: Can anyone become a project manager?

Yes, anyone can become a project manager. Many project managers are team members that have been promoted into the position based on the project's subject matter. A project manager should be very organized, a good leader, and has great attention to detail. These skills are important at this position and require knowledge of all aspects of a given project.

Q: How hard is it to become a project manager?

It is quite difficult to become a project manager until you have sufficient experience in your field. Finding a position as a project manager largely depends on one's experience. Project managers are important positions tasked with overseeing all aspects of a project, from meeting deadlines to budgeting and personnel. Employers most often feel comfortable awarding these positions to candidates that have experience overseeing a project and managing a group of employees.

Q: Is a project leader a manager?

No, a project leader is not a manager. The roles of a project leader and manager are quite different in scope and responsibility. Project leaders develop plans while project managers carry out those plans.

Q: What are the skills of a project leader?

The skills of a project leader are closely related to finding new ways to inspire their team to reach company goals. The role of project leader involves foresight as well as creativity. A project leader can wear many hats, but ultimately they are the leaders of their teams. Their responsibility is to see that the plan they have devised is carried out. Leaders oversee the construction of the team's plan. This requires creativity and vision and a willingness to assume risk.

Q: What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?

The qualifications required to become a project manager depend on the industry you're working in. Because of the large scope of responsibilities, the project manager needs to have had a relevant education. Typically candidates have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in computer science or business.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.

A project leader is responsible for planning, executing, and closing a project. They ensure that the project meets quality standards within the specified budget and timeline. A project leader's primary role is to coordinate and motivate team members to achieve project goals. They are responsible for monitoring progress, identifying risks, and resolving issues that arise during the project's life cycle. A project leader must have excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills to manage complex projects successfully.

What general advice would you give to a Project Leader?

Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Franklin and Marshall College

Be flexible. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of uncertainty, but has created new opportunities in others. Staying flexible allows individuals to shift focus away from industries or occupations that may be in decline, and re-focus on employment opportunities that may be more aligned with our current moment.

ScoreProject LeaderUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,559

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.4

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 31.01%

male 68.99%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.7

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Project Leader?

Pros

High level of responsibility and decision-making authority
Chance to lead and motivate a team towards success
Exposure to diverse industries and projects
Potential for higher salary and compensation
Satisfaction from seeing a project through to completion

Cons

Difficulties in balancing competing priorities and demands
Potential for conflict within the team or with stakeholders
Responsibility for project failures or setbacks
Long hours and potential for work-life imbalance
Potential for burnout or exhaustion from constant problem-solving

Key steps to become a project leader

Explore project leader education requirements

Most common project leader degrees

Bachelor's

67.5 %

Master's

18.5 %

Associate

7.4 %

Start to develop specific project leader skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	17.26%
Work Ethic	6.87%
C++	4.05%
C #	4.05%
Project Plan	3.89%

Complete relevant project leader training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project leaders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project leader resumes.

Research project leader duties and responsibilities

Lead and manage the automation effort for the PeopleSoft financials modules ensuring the desired requirement (s) coverage.
Lead the installation of VSAM file extension software that facilitate files larger than native VSAM specs.
Lead sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review, sprint retrospective, scrum of scrum meetings.
Play a similar role for an ASP.NET web application (APA) which manages power plant availability information.

Get project leader experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a project leader. The most common roles before becoming a project leader include senior software engineer, software engineer team lead and programmer analyst.

Prepare your project leader resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project leader resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project leader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Project Leader Resume templates

Build a professional Project Leader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Project Leader resume.

Apply for project leader jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a project leader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do project leaders rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Project Leader reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Pros

I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project

Cons

Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager

Cons

not applicable because I dont work as a technical project manager

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

I enjoy problem-solving and identifying a path to completing a complex project. I like to ensure that moving parts come together smoothly and communicating successes and celebrating with the team.

Cons

Without the right support from project sponsors, a project manager is doomed to failure. There is an enormous amount of responsibility on a project manager to deliver a product on time and on budget, though without proper authority or backing, it's basically wheel spinning.

What is a project leader and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Project Leader?

What are the pros and cons of being a Project Leader?

Project Leader career paths

Key steps to become a project leader

Explore project leader education requirements

Most common project leader degrees

Start to develop specific project leader skills

Complete relevant project leader training and internships

Research project leader duties and responsibilities

Get project leader experience

Prepare your project leader resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Project Leader Resume templates

Apply for project leader jobs

How Did You Land Your First Project Leader Job

Average project leader salary

How do project leaders rate their job?

Project Leader reviews

Project Leader FAQs

How long does it take to become a Project Leader?

Can anyone become a project manager?

How hard is it to become a project manager?

Is a project leader a manager?

What are the skills of a project leader?

What qualifications do you need to be a project manager?

Search for project leader jobs

Project Leader jobs by state