What Is an IT Project Manager? And How to Become One

The IT department manages three main areas: technological systems governance, infrastructure maintenance, and overall systems functionality. An IT manager or, IT project manager is responsible for leading this department and planning and executing projects within it. In this article, we'll discuss the role, responsibilities, and skills of an IT project manager.

If you're interested in embarking on this career path, consider enrolling in the IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate, where you'll learn how to track and manage IT projects, including addressing difficult client situations and how activities shift throughout the project management lifecycle. In as little as four months, you'll earn a shareable certificate for your resume from an industry leader in technology.

What is an IT project manager?

An IT project manager is a specialized technical project manager who focuses on IT-related projects, such as introducing new software solutions, scaling IT processes, or switching an organization's cloud provider. Depending on their experience level, some IT managers may be tasked with leading software development.

IT project managers can work with the IT teams of many different types of organizations, including health care facilities, tech companies, and universities. Because the IT department has such diverse responsibilities, an IT manager must have a broad set of skills along with technological and managerial experience.

What does an IT project manager do?

As an IT manager, you’ll be responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing an organization’s computer and information systems. You'll also be responsible for developing project plans and supervising project execution.

Here are a few responsibilities you might have day-to-day in this role:

• Lead multiple IT projects from initiation to completion

• Develop and manage project budgets

• Communicate with stakeholders, including other IT managers, vendors, and executive leaders

• Lead risk management and mitigation efforts

• Gather, analyze, and report IT metrics

• Evaluating IT needs

• Strategizing and building the IT roadmap

• Leading, developing, and training the IT team

• Making upgrade recommendations based on organizational needs

• Reviewing bugs and bug fixes

• Working with technology vendors 

Read more: What Are Computer Information Systems? Definition, Degree, and Careers

What is IT service management?

IT Service Management (ITSM) is a structured approach to designing, delivering, and managing IT services that meet business needs. It focuses on service quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction using processes like incident, problem, and change management. IT project managers use ITSM to ensure project deliverables transition smoothly into ongoing operations, while IT managers rely on it to run and improve daily IT services. Frameworks like the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provide best practices for implementing ITSM effectively.

IT project manager jobs

IT management jobs generally fall into two general roles: operational and strategic. 

• Operational IT manager: You’ll be more of a supervisor or general manager, ensuring smooth daily operations of the IT department. 

• Strategic IT manager: You’ll act more as a project manager, helping move along IT objectives to help the business. 

Some IT manager roles are both strategic and operational.

How much do IT project managers make?

Thanks to their specialized technical knowledge combined with their project management experience, IT project managers make an average annual US salary of $124,026, according to Glassdoor [1]. You can learn more about potential salary ranges and the factors that may influence your pay in the article IT Manager Salary: Your 2025 Guide.

Is IT project management a good career?

Job growth for IT project managers is expected to be strong. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 17 percent growth rate for computer and information managers from 2023 to 2033 [2]. What's more, the Project Management Institute (PMI) also sees strong growth for project manager jobs internationally, estimating the sector to grow by 33 percent, or 22 million new jobs, by 2027 [3].

How to become an IT manager

IT project management will require project management skills and experience, along with some IT training. Let's review how to become an IT project manager.

1. Develop relevant skills.

A mix of project management skills and IT skills can bring you closer to landing a position as an IT project manager. The main skills you’ll need to learn can broadly be broken down into three categories:

• Project management methodologies: As a project manager, you should be familiar with various approaches to project management. Since IT can be a volatile field, knowing which methods and approaches are designed to accommodate frequent changes can be especially knowledge These might include:

  • Agile

  • Scrum

  • Kanban

  • Lean

• Project management processes: Completing a project successfully means taking the project through the five

  stages of the project lifecycle: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing. You’ll also need to know how to budget, assess risk, set schedules, assign tasks, run kick-off meetings, and more.

• Technical IT skills: Since you’ll be working to implement large-scale projects, a broad understanding of IT processes will be helpful. This can include security, systems, networks, cloud computing, or programming, and scaling various aspects of IT processes. The exact technical skills you’ll want to cultivate can vary depending on the industry and job. For example, a biotechnology firm might ask for some experience in biotechnology.

What degree do you need to be an IT project manager?

Many job descriptions ask for at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, business, or a related field. A degree can equip you with essential knowledge and expand your job opportunities. Keep in mind that it is still possible to become an IT project manager if you have enough relevant experience.

2. Gain experience.

On top of your IT manager education, you’ll also need specialized training and experience before taking on managerial responsibilities. You can gain technical experience in entry-level roles like computer systems analyst, help desk technician, or IT support specialist. After gaining a few years of experience, you can move into an entry-level IT manager role.

Keep in mind that technical knowledge is only one aspect of gaining the experience to become an IT manager. Another essential part is leadership experience. There are several ways to gain the skills you need to become an IT project manager.

• Gain experience in the field. IT project managers can get their start doing hands-on work in IT and working their way up to being project managers. If you’re in an IT position hoping to take this route, sharpen your leadership and management skills. It might help to approach your manager and state your interest in project management as well.

• Start in a project support role. If you don’t have a technical background, starting in a project support role for an IT team, like project coordinator or program associate, can help you break into the field.

3. Consider earning a certification

You can demonstrate your technical, managerial, and scrum master talents through various certifications; it’s also a great way to increase your earning potential. Some useful certifications for IT managers include the following: 

• PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) is widely recognized as a leading certification in project management. It demonstrates your ability to manage projects, people, and business priorities. 

• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification that focuses on information security management. It helps demonstrate your ability to manage, develop, and implement a company’s security network and policies. 

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is an entry-level project management certification designed to be a stepping stone for project management roles.

If you’re looking for an IT certification to boost your technical credentials, the CompTIA ITF+ can be useful—it covers all IT foundations and is designed for non-technical professionals. 

Read more: CAPM vs. PMP: Which Is Best for You?

4. Nail the job application process.

As you set about applying for IT project manager roles, it will be important to refine your resume and practice interview questions.

IT project manager resume

Your resume should lean heavily on your project management and IT experience. What were you tasked to do, and what impact did you have? What technical concepts are you familiar with, and what skills can you offer? 

You can improve your resume by aligning keywords from each job posting with the way you describe your previous work experiences and skill set.

IT project manager interview questions

If you land an interview, congratulate yourself. You can get started on preparing by practicing your responses to some common interview questions.

• How would you begin implementing a new cloud service in a large company?

• How would you make sure a new service was compatible with all others?

• Tell us about your experience with systems integrations.

• What’s your experience with Agile?

• Describe your experience in this industry.

Get started in IT management with Coursera

Explore a career as an IT project manager with the IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate. Over 11 courses, you'll learn the foundations of IT project management, including Agile concepts of adaptive planning, iterative development, and continuous improvement leading to early deliveries and high customer value.

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