Project Manager Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Project managers earn the most in Washington ($124,160/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, Washington drops to #3, and Delaware pays the most real money ($122,425 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $122,190 | 100 | $122,425 | ▲ 2 | |
| Virginia | $120,840 | 101 | $119,520 | ▲ 4 | |
| Washington | $124,160 | 107 | $116,023 | ▼ 2 | |
| New Mexico | $106,970 | 92 | $116,004 | ▲ 5 | |
| Alabama | $100,820 | 89 | $113,507 | ▲ 14 | |
| New Jersey | $122,980 | 109 | $113,028 | ▼ 4 | |
| New York | $121,040 | 108 | $112,156 | ▼ 3 | |
| Kansas | $100,010 | 90 | $111,038 | ▲ 14 | |
| Iowa | $96,540 | 88 | $110,002 | ▲ 22 | |
| California | $120,910 | 111 | $109,203 | ▼ 5 | |
| North Dakota | $96,160 | 89 | $108,095 | ▲ 21 | |
| Massachusetts | $114,190 | 106 | $107,974 | ▼ 5 | |
| North Carolina | $100,820 | 94 | $106,885 | ▲ 7 | |
| Colorado | $110,050 | 103 | $106,791 | ▼ 6 | |
| Georgia | $102,140 | 96 | $106,072 | ▲ 1 | |
| Michigan | $100,970 | 96 | $104,940 | ▲ 2 | |
| Maine | $101,830 | 97 | $104,925 | — | |
| Missouri | $94,660 | 91 | $104,232 | ▲ 19 | |
| Wisconsin | $97,580 | 94 | $103,704 | ▲ 10 | |
| Illinois | $103,470 | 100 | $103,513 | ▼ 5 | |
| Ohio | $95,770 | 93 | $103,229 | ▲ 12 | |
| Pennsylvania | $100,150 | 98 | $102,642 | ▼ 1 | |
| West Virginia | $91,780 | 90 | $102,551 | ▲ 16 | |
| Rhode Island | $104,680 | 102 | $102,346 | ▼ 11 | |
| Oregon | $105,480 | 103 | $102,050 | ▼ 15 | |
| Indiana | $95,020 | 93 | $101,812 | ▲ 10 | |
| Connecticut | $105,240 | 104 | $101,573 | ▼ 16 | |
| Wyoming | $94,080 | 93 | $101,499 | ▲ 10 | |
| Texas | $98,440 | 97 | $101,425 | ▼ 3 | |
| South Carolina | $95,040 | 94 | $101,377 | ▲ 5 | |
| Idaho | $95,630 | 96 | $100,142 | ▲ 3 | |
| Nevada | $99,940 | 100 | $99,961 | ▼ 9 | |
| Minnesota | $97,860 | 99 | $99,228 | ▼ 5 | |
| Maryland | $104,040 | 105 | $99,124 | ▼ 20 | |
| Arizona | $99,050 | 101 | $98,384 | ▼ 10 | |
| Oklahoma | $86,240 | 88 | $98,175 | ▲ 6 | |
| Utah | $96,720 | 99 | $97,831 | ▼ 7 | |
| Alaska | $99,580 | 102 | $97,285 | ▼ 14 | |
| Louisiana | $84,850 | 88 | $96,194 | ▲ 5 | |
| District of Columbia | $104,900 | 110 | $95,450 | ▼ 28 | |
| Florida | $98,070 | 103 | $94,832 | ▼ 14 | |
| Tennessee | $85,890 | 92 | $93,491 | ▲ 1 | |
| Montana | $87,890 | 95 | $92,863 | ▼ 2 | |
| South Dakota | $82,250 | 89 | $92,848 | ▲ 1 | |
| Mississippi | $78,870 | 87 | $90,704 | ▲ 4 | |
| Kentucky | $81,700 | 90 | $90,618 | — | |
| Nebraska | $80,150 | 90 | $88,954 | ▲ 1 | |
| Arkansas | $77,170 | 87 | $88,765 | ▲ 3 | |
| New Hampshire | $90,890 | 104 | $87,256 | ▼ 9 | |
| Vermont | $80,800 | 98 | $82,484 | ▼ 3 | |
| Hawaii | $78,000 | 110 | $70,941 | ▼ 1 |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for project managers in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
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