How much do defense program managers make in 2026?
Defense program managers are counted in the BLS project management specialists series: OEWS May 2025 gives SOC 13-1082 a national median of $102,320 a year ($49.19 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $61,580 and the top 10% at $167,970 across 1,066,670 workers. That is a very large general code shared with several published records on this site, and defence programme managers typically sit above its median. What distinguishes the discipline is the contracting environment. Defence programmes run under specific contract types — firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee, cost plus incentive fee — each of which puts risk in a different place and changes how the programme must be managed. Managers work to earned value management systems with formal reporting, government programme offices with their own oversight, defence acquisition milestones, and requirements traceability that survives audit. Adjacent to that sits the compliance layer: export control, government property accounting, supplier flow-downs and cybersecurity requirements for defence contractors. Almost all of this work requires a security clearance, and holding an active one is a substantial advantage in the market because it removes months of delay for an employer. No published series separates cleared from uncleared pay, so the effect is described here rather than quantified. Employment is projected to grow 5.6% through 2034 with roughly 78,200 openings a year. → Full defense program manager career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $102,320 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Defense Program Managers earn a national median $102,320/yr ($49.19/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1082); the P10 to P90 range is $61,580 to $167,970.
- Contract type is the defining variable: firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee and cost plus incentive fee each place risk differently and change how the programme must be run.
- Earned value management, acquisition milestones, requirements traceability and a substantial compliance layer distinguish the discipline from commercial project management.
- Almost all defence programme work requires a security clearance, and an active one is a substantial market advantage because it removes months of delay for an employer.
US Defense Program Manager Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do defense program managers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 13-1082; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1082, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a defense program manager earn at each career stage?
Defence programme pay follows contract value, risk type and clearance level. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 13-1082.
By State
Which states pay defense program managers the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the pooled national project management median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Defence programme roles concentrate around contractor facilities and government programme offices, which follow procurement geography rather than general wage levels.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($117,670), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay defense program managers the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Metros near major defence installations and acquisition commands carry a disproportionate share of these positions.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a defense program manager’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does defense program manager pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Defense Program Managers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify defense program manager wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a defense program manager actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Defense Program Manager Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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