Project Manager in Dallas, TX

The Salary Picture: Where Dallas Stands

As a local who’s watched the Dallas job market evolve from the pre-2008 boom to the post-pandemic tech surge, I can tell you the numbers don’t lie. Project Managers in Dallas are sitting in a sweet spot—above the national average but with a reasonable cost of living. The median salary here is $102,282/year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $49.17/hour. That’s a hair above the national average of $101,280/year, a small but meaningful buffer that tells you Dallas employers are competing for talent.

The raw job market is robust. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex currently has 2,605 open Project Manager positions listed across major job boards. That’s a healthy volume, suggesting steady demand. More importantly, the 10-year job growth projection is 6%. While not explosive, it’s stable and outpaces many other professional fields, indicating this isn’t a flash-in-the-pan trend. Dallas is a corporate hub, and as long as companies are building headquarters, launching products, and managing IT upgrades, Project Managers are essential.

Experience is the biggest salary lever, as it is everywhere. Here’s a realistic breakdown based on local hiring data and the provided median:

Experience Level	Typical Years in Field	Dallas Salary Range (Annual)	What to Expect in the Role
Entry-Level	0-2 years	$65,000 - $80,000	Coordinator roles, junior PM on small projects, heavy support from seniors.
Mid-Level	3-7 years	$90,000 - $115,000	Managing full project lifecycles, leading small to medium teams, PMP certification often expected.
Senior-Level	8-15 years	$120,000 - $150,000	Leading large, complex projects, portfolio oversight, strategic planning, managing other PMs.
Expert/Lead	15+ years	$150,000+	Director-level roles, enterprise-wide initiatives, high-stakes programs (e.g., mergers, major software rollouts).

Insider Tip: The bump from Mid to Senior is where you see the biggest leap in Dallas. Companies here will pay a premium for PMs with domain expertise in key local industries: healthcare IT, telecommunications, and energy. If you can speak the language of a Texas Health Resources system rollout or a Verizon network expansion, you’re worth more.

How does Dallas stack up against other Texas cities? It’s the top earner for Project Managers in the state, but not by a massive margin. Austin is a close second, driven by tech startups, but its cost of living has skyrocketed, often negating the salary advantage. Houston’s energy sector pays well, but the market is more cyclical. San Antonio and Fort Worth offer lower salaries but also a significantly lower cost of living. Dallas hits the best balance of high salary and manageable expenses for most professionals.

The Real Take-Home: After Taxes and Rent

Let’s get real about what that $102,282 median salary means for your bank account. We’ll run the numbers for a single filer with no dependents, using standard 2023 tax estimates.

• Gross Annual Salary: $102,282
• Federal Taxes (est.): ~$18,200 (approx. 21.5% effective rate)
• FICA (Social Security & Medicare): ~$7,824 (7.65%)
• Texas State Income Tax: $0 (The "no state income tax" benefit is real.)
• Annual Take-Home Pay: ~$76,258
• Monthly Take-Home Pay: ~$6,355

Now, factor in the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Dallas, which is $1,500/month. That leaves $4,855 for all other expenses—utilities, groceries, transportation, insurance, and savings.

Can you afford to buy a home? Let’s break it down. The median home price in the Dallas metro is currently around $415,000. With a 20% down payment ($83,000), you’d be financing $332,000. At today’s interest rates (hovering around 7%), your monthly mortgage payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) would be roughly $2,600 - $2,800, depending on your specific neighborhood and insurance rates.

This leaves you with about $3,500 - $3,700 per month for everything else. It’s tight but doable, especially if you have savings for the down payment and are willing to live a bit farther out. Many PMs in Dallas start by renting in the city core for a year to understand the commute patterns before buying in a suburb like Plano, Frisco, or McKinney, where your money goes further.

Where the Jobs Are: Dallas's Major Employers

You don’t have to look hard for work in Dallas. The city is a magnet for corporate headquarters and regional hubs. Here are the major players consistently hiring Project Managers:

1. Texas Instruments (TI): Headquartered in Dallas (Richardson), TI is a semiconductor giant. They hire PMs for manufacturing, IT infrastructure, and R&D projects. The vibe is stable, engineering-focused, and the benefits are top-tier. They’re a long-term employer for many locals.
2. AT&T: Also headquartered in Dallas, AT&T’s massive presence means constant projects in network deployment, IT systems, and corporate operations. It’s a fast-paced, matrixed environment. Insider Tip: Knowing agile/Scrum frameworks is almost a must here.
3. Bank of America (Dallas HQ): A major financial services hub. They hire PMs for everything from software development (for their mobile banking app) to real estate projects for their branch network. The work is compliance-heavy, so precision is key.
4. Texas Health Resources (THR): One of the largest non-profit health systems in North Texas. With a massive digital transformation underway, they’re aggressively hiring IT Project Managers to implement EPIC electronic health records system-wide. Healthcare IT is a huge, stable field in Dallas.
5. Lockheed Martin: With a large facility in Fort Worth (a straight shot down I-35E), this is a prime employer for PMs with experience in defense, aerospace, or complex manufacturing. Projects are long-term and require security clearances.
6. North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD): A critical public utility serving 2 million people. They hire PMs for capital improvement projects—building pipelines, water treatment plants, and reservoirs. It’s a unique niche with excellent job security.
7. Corporate Relocators: Companies like McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PwC, and Accenture have major consulting practices in Dallas. They hire PMs for client projects across all industries. The work is demanding but offers unparalleled exposure and resume-building.

Hiring Trends: There’s a noticeable shift from traditional waterfall to hybrid and agile methodologies, especially in tech and telecom. Certifications like PMP (Project Management Professional) and CSM (Certified ScrumMaster) are highly valued. For healthcare, experience with EPIC or Cerner is a golden ticket.

Getting Licensed in TX

Unlike states that require a state-specific license to practice project management, Texas does not have a mandatory license for the profession. This makes entry easier. However, professional certifications are the de facto standard, and employers heavily favor them.

1. PMP (Project Management Professional): The gold standard, offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It’s globally recognized.
   • Requirements: Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree), plus 36 months of project leadership experience within the past 8 years, and 35 hours of project management education.
   • Cost: Exam fee is $405 for PMI members, $555 for non-members. The study course (35 hours) can range from $500 to $2,000+.
   • Timeline: Preparing for the exam typically takes 3-6 months of dedicated study. Once you apply and are approved, you schedule the exam.
2. CSM (Certified ScrumMaster): Ideal for roles in agile environments (software, tech). Offered by Scrum Alliance.
   • Requirements: Complete a two-day, in-person or live online CSM course from a certified trainer.
   • Cost: Course fee is typically $1,000 - $1,400.
   • Timeline: You can complete this in a single weekend. The certification is awarded upon passing the exam at the end of the course.
3. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): Not applicable for general PMs. However, if your projects involve state-funded construction over a certain value, your firm may need a general contractor’s license, which is regulated by the TDLR. This is a firm-level requirement, not an individual one.

Insider Tip: In Dallas, the PMP is the baseline for corporate and healthcare roles. If you’re targeting a startup or a tech company, stack the PMP with a CSM or an Agile certification (like PMI-ACP). Don’t wait for a job to pay for it—invest in yourself. The ROI is clear: certified PMs in Dallas earn 10-15% more than their non-certified peers.

Best Neighborhoods for Project Managers

Where you live in Dallas defines your commute, lifestyle, and budget. The city is a sprawl, so choose wisely.

Neighborhood	Vibe & Commute	Avg. 1BR Rent	Ideal For...
Uptown	Urban, walkable, vibrant nightlife. 10-15 min drive to downtown core.	$2,000 - $2,500	Young, single PMs who want a social scene and short commute to corporate jobs.
Plano (West)	Family-friendly, excellent schools, corporate hub (Toyota, Liberty Mutual). 20-30 min commute to Dallas.	$1,600 - $1,800	PMs with families or those working in the "Dallas North Tollway" corporate corridor.
Oak Lawn	Central, diverse, mix of historic homes and apartments. 10-15 min commute to downtown.	$1,700 - $1,900	PMs seeking a central location with good access to all parts of the city.
Richardson	Suburban, tech-focused (home to TI, UT Dallas). 15-20 min commute to Dallas.	$1,400 - $1,600	Tech-focused PMs, great for those working at TI or in telecom.
Dallas Arts District (Downtown)	Modern, sleek, close to cultural venues. 5-10 min commute to any downtown office.	$2,200 - $2,800	PMs who work in the financial or consulting core and want a luxury, car-light lifestyle.

Insider Tip: The "commute" in Dallas is a real factor. A 10-mile drive on US-75 can take 45 minutes during rush hour. Many PMs I know prioritize living within 5 miles of their office or along the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Green or Orange lines for a predictable commute.

The Long Game: Career Growth

Dallas is not a place for stagnation. The 6% 10-year job growth is a floor, not a ceiling, for proactive professionals.

• Specialty Premiums: Project Managers with expertise in cybersecurity, cloud migration (AWS/Azure), and data analytics command salaries $15,000 - $25,000 above the median. The same holds true for PMs in healthcare compliance (HIPAA) and financial regulations (SOX).
• Advancement Paths: The typical path is from Project Manager to Senior PM, then to Program Manager (overseeing a portfolio of related projects) or Director of Project Management. In Dallas’s consulting and tech firms, the path to Product Manager is also common, blending technical and business strategy.
• 10-Year Outlook: Dallas is investing heavily in infrastructure (the new high-speed train to Houston, expansion of DFW Airport) and is a top destination for corporate relocations. This fuels long-term demand for PMs. The shift to remote work has also opened opportunities for Dallas-based PMs to work for national firms while enjoying the local cost-of-living advantage. The key to longevity will be continuous learning—staying ahead of tech trends and methodologies.

The Verdict: Is Dallas Right for You?

Pros	Cons
No state income tax boosts your take-home pay.	Summer heat is brutal (100°F+ for months).
Strong job market with 2,605+ open positions.	Heavy car dependency and traffic congestion.
Above-average salary ($102,282 median) with a reasonable cost of living.	Sprawling geography can make finding community harder.
Diverse industry base (tech, healthcare, finance, energy).	Public transit (DART) is limited; a car is a necessity.
Vibrant food and arts scene, major sports teams.	Rapid growth can lead to rising rents and housing costs.

Final Recommendation: Dallas is an excellent choice for Project Managers who are mid-career (3-15 years experience), value career growth, and are comfortable with a suburban, car-centric lifestyle. It’s less ideal for early-career PMs on a tight budget who crave a dense, walkable urban core, or for those who hate hot weather. If you’re PMP-certified and have experience in a high-demand specialty (IT, healthcare), Dallas offers a compelling package of high income, opportunity, and long-term stability.

FAQs

1. Do I need to be a PMP to get a Project Manager job in Dallas?
Not legally, but it’s a strong preference. For mid-level and senior roles at major employers like TI or Texas Health Resources, the PMP is often listed as a requirement. It’s worth the investment.

2. What’s the best way to network as a PM in Dallas?
Join the local PMI Dallas Chapter. They host monthly events, workshops, and a massive annual conference. Also, the Dallas Agile Community is huge for tech-focused PMs. LinkedIn is powerful here—many jobs are filled through referrals.

3. How competitive is the job market for newcomers?
It’s competitive but not closed. Your best bet is to target your search. If you have healthcare IT experience, apply to THR or Baylor Scott & White. If you have telecom experience, look at AT&T or Verizon. Tailor your resume to the local industry.

4. Is the cost of living really lower than other major cities?
Compared to New York or San Francisco, absolutely. Compared to Austin or Denver, it’s still favorable, especially considering the salary. The lack of state income tax is a major equalizer. The key is housing: you can find a 1BR for $1,500, but if you insist on a luxury Uptown apartment, you’ll pay $2,500+.

5. What’s the biggest mistake PMs make when moving to Dallas?
Underestimating the commute. Don’t take a job in Richardson and rent an apartment in Oak Cliff without a car. Always map your potential commute during rush hour (7-9 AM, 4-6 PM) before accepting a job or signing a lease. Use Google Maps "Depart at" feature to see real-time traffic patterns.