What is a program manager?

A program manager is an individual who runs an extensive program of change within a business. Their focus is ensuring their program aligns with the company’s overall business objectives. Usually, the program manager manages several teams with several projects running simultaneously, all under the umbrella of a goal to achieve the company’s mission. For this reason, a program manager tends to be a fairly senior position within a company. Program managers are strategic project-management professionals, often who have been promoted after working as a project manager for some time.

Project management certification

Some program managers choose to solidify their skillset by completing the Program Management Professional (PgMP) certificate. This certificate is available through PMI and is only offered to experienced program management professionals. To enroll in the PgMP program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a 4-year degree, 48 months of experience leading projects OR PMP and 48 months of project management experience in the last 15 years. Or,
• Have a high school diploma or associate degree, 48 months of experience leading projects OR PMP, and 84 months of project management experience in the last 15 years.

Primary focus of a program manager

A program manager is focused on strategy and aligning with company goals. They evaluate if their program adequately contributes to the organization’s overall success and plan what future projects their team should focus on. 

What is a project manager?

A project manager is a professional who helps launch a project for a company from start to finish. They oversee all the people and tasks involved, build-out timelines and budgets, ensure it advances and update its status to upper executives.

Project managers can often work in specific departments, such as a Marketing Project Manager or an IT Project Manager. For example, a Marketing Project Manager might be responsible for launching campaigns, while an IT Project Manager might help the company migrate to new software.

Projects can vary greatly, depending on the project manager’s experience level and the department they work with. Often, project managers are working on multiple projects at once.

Project management certification

Project managers typically hold a certification known as the Project Management Professional (PMP). The PMP is internationally recognized, but it is only available to some. To enroll in the PMP program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a 4-year degree, 36 months of experience leading projects within the last 8 years and 35 hours of project management education or a CAPM certification. Or,
• Have a high school diploma or associate degree, 60 months of experience leading projects within the last 8 years and 35 hours of project management education or a CAPM certification.

To obtain the PMP certificate, you must pass a 180-question examination.

The PMP is a widely respected credential in the field of project management. Project managers with a PMP certificate can earn more, receive better work opportunities and advance their careers faster. Employers often hire project managers with a PMP because they can feel confident in that candidate’s skillset.

Still, you don’t need to limit yourself to only hiring project managers who already have their PMP. One prerequisite of getting the PMP is to collect hours in project management experience. You can choose to hire a project manager that is starting in their career and is collecting the necessary hours to be eligible for their PMP certificate. The benefit of hiring a project manager who doesn’t have their PMP yet is that they can often be compensated less than their peers who have the PMP.

Other popular certifications in the field of project management are:

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• Google Project Management Professional Certificate
• Scrum certifications

Primary focus of a project manager

The fundamental goal of a program manager is to see their assigned project through from start to finish. They have a less strategic role, so they don’t need to decide which projects matter or what should come down the pipeline next. As project managers, they:

• Create a schedule for the project
• Check in with relevant employees to ensure deliverables are on time
• Update upper management on project status
• Complete projects and debrief management on the results

Program manager vs project manager: how are they different?

So, project vs program management, how is it different? Both titles fall under the project management professional category. But you can think of a program manager like the boss of project managers. A project manager is focused on their specific projects, while a program manager is more strategic and works on driving towards company objectives.

A good project manager will have experience in their field and may have a PMP certification. The project manager should be detail oriented, organized and experienced in using project management tools.

In comparison, a program manager may have a background in project management (although this is only sometimes the case) but is primarily a good leader. The program manager needs to be able to oversee teams and plan out a strategy to be effective in their role. Program managers tend to be further along in their careers, with years of experience and promotion to get them to this coveted title.

Remember: the project manager will focus on delivering on their assigned projects while the program manager will lead a team of employees working on several projects.

Salary differences

Another major distinguishing factor for project vs program managers is salary. The average salary in the United States for project and program managers is between $70,000 and $83,000. However, as program managers tend to be more experienced, they are usually compensated with a higher salary and better potential benefits and perks.

Project vs program manager: which should you hire?

Now that you understand the difference between a program and project manager, it’s time to determine which role you need to hire for. First, ask yourself if you need someone who is a “doer” and will complete projects assigned to them or if you need a “strategic thinker” who will plan and lead a team handling several connected projects.

You likely need a program manager if you have a team staffed with competent staff, including other project managers, but no one to lead them.

Conversely, if you have a leader but need someone to see projects through, you likely need a project manager.

Lastly, you may need both roles filled. You may need someone to tackle big-picture thinking while another handles the day-to-day execution. If you can’t afford to hire both a project and program manager but find you need both, consider hiring a project manager to start. This person can get several projects off the ground. As they gain experience within their company, you can promote them to a program manager role and backfill their old position.