Program Director
Impact: Strategic
Program Directors oversee and coordinate multiple projects within a program, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and strategic objectives. They manage resources, budgets, and timelines, and are responsible for the overall success and delivery of the program. This role requires strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, often involving interaction with various stakeholders, including senior management, project managers, and external partners.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- Very High
- Travel
- Moderate
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 45-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $130,000
- Entry-level
- $95,000
- Senior
- $180,000
- Growth by 2033
- Above Average
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Excellent
- Typical student debt
- $40,000 - $80,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Program Management Software
- Budget Management
- Risk Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Project Planning
Soft skills
- Leadership
- Communication
- Strategic Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Negotiation
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Master's degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 8
- Years to senior
- 15
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Project Manager
- Senior Project Manager
- Program Manager
- Program Director
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Moderate
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.5/10
- Prestige
- 8.5/10
- Social perception
- Very High