The difference between a project coordinator and a project manager will help you understand what to expect if you consider a career in project management. Understanding their differences is important so you can decide which one best fits your skills, interests, and career objectives. 

Understanding the project coordinators vs project managers debate is crucial. The combination of information based on these professions can also prepare you to answer interview questions well. This article explains the project managers vs project coordinators debate and sheds light on how these professions differ.

Understanding Project Coordinator vs Project Manager Debate

It is not uncommon for project coordinators to work under the direction of project managers. Later in their careers, project coordinators often become project managers. Companies rely on these two positions to complete quality work on time and within budget. Most project coordinators make their own decisions, but project managers may assign tasks to them. In addition to consulting their supervisors when necessary, they still consult the project manager.

What is a Project Coordinator? 

Coordination of specific projects allows a company to achieve its goals by helping with administrative tasks and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Typical tasks of a project coordinator include:

• Material and supply orders 
• Maintaining a budget 
• Reducing expenses in new and innovative ways 
• Working on each project from start to finish 
• Tracking changes in long- and short-term goals 
• Project calendar management 
• Meeting employees’ deadlines and ensuring they attend relevant meetings 
• Co-worker communication 
• Staff training 
• Assigning tasks to individuals or teams 
• Making dress codes and company policies available in written form in collaboration with HR 
• Maintaining regular filings 
• Information, activities, and equipment coordination 

Coordinating these tasks gives project managers more time to focus on the bigger picture.

What is a Project Manager? 

The role of a project manager in an organization is to provide leadership to project coordinators and team members. In addition to ensuring the project’s success and satisfaction, they also ensure that superiors such as CEOs are satisfied. Their responsibilities often overlap with those of project coordinators, but they also carry out the following tasks:

• Communicating with clients and management about goals 
• Planning projects in detail 
• Identifying the necessary supplies and materials 
• For individual projects, you may need to hire temporary or contract employees 
• Setting deadlines for additional hours to be worked by employees 
• Collaborating with other coworkers and project coordinators 
• Task delegation 
• Ensure that subordinates’ work is accurate and of high quality 
• Cost estimation for projects 
• Regularly updating supervisors 
• Establishing a timeframe for each project 
• Assessing each new project’s risks with risk management experts

Many industries require good project managers. The project manager for each new product a toy manufacturer introduces could be different. Each project manager might assign various project coordinators to handle the new toy’s marketing, manufacturing, and distribution.

project coordinators vs project managers: Differences

Despite many similarities, project coordinators and project managers also have a number of differences. Keeping a project on track involves many daily tasks. In order to keep the team on track, they coordinate the actions of other team members. 

Ultimately, the project manager is responsible for directing other employees, but the project coordinator directs them. Supervisors must be advised of actions by project managers. An example would be a project manager for a clothing store telling their superiors to increase production of items in high demand. 

It is estimated that project coordinators make $47169 per year on average, although some make as much as $100,000 per year. On average, project managers earn $81,313 per year, with salaries ranging from $22,000 to $178,000 per year. 

A bachelor’s degree and one to four years of experience are typical for project coordinators. A project coordinator for a hospital could have experience in a junior or entry-level position and a degree in public health. Comparatively, project managers typically have a degree in management, business or a related field. A project manager usually needs two to four years of experience and a master’s degree from a professional organization.

Improve Your Profession With CEO-ME

The project coordinators vs project managers debate can be confusing at first. However, the whole project life cycle is covered by both managerial jobs. Even though their scopes of work are different, both oversee critical elements of any project. All industries and sectors need project coordinators and project managers due to the importance of project management. 

This field has many job opportunities, and the job growth is steady. Any interested individual can choose either position as a promising career option in the next decade, because the job market will grow in most areas. Since each operates at a different level, it can be difficult to choose between them. 

No matter which side you decide on in the project coordinators vs project managers debate, you can always improve your workflow with business development software. CEO-ME offers a cutting-edge, accessible project management software for professionals that want to optimize their business. You can try it out for free!