AI Program Manager
Impact: AI initiative success and organisational transformation through expert programme management
Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of large-scale AI initiatives across an organisation. Coordinate cross-functional teams of data scientists, engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders to ensure AI projects are delivered on time, on budget, and aligned with strategic objectives.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- 15 to 25% for stakeholder meetings and site visits
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 45 to 60 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $185,000
- Entry-level
- $110,000 - $145,000
- Senior
- $300,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 30% (much faster than average)
- Demand
- Growing Fast
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- High - 65 to 80% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- Low
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- 70
Soft skills
- 30
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3 to 5 years
- Years to senior
- 7 to 10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Project Manager > AI Program Manager > Senior AI Program Manager > Director of AI Programs > VP of AI
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% low risk as program management requires human judgment
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing Fast
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 7/10
- Meaning
- 7/10
- Work-life balance
- 6.5/10
- Prestige
- 7/10
- Social perception
- High