Project Manager vs. Project Coordinator: What’s the Difference?

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

Project management is a key function in organizations across virtually all industries. Project managers and project coordinators are two examples of job titles that fall under the project management umbrella. Though related, there are differences between project managers and coordinators in terms of their duties and responsibilities and where they fall in the project management hierarchy.

Estimate Your Tuition and Graduation Date
Estimate Your Tuition
Classes start March 4, 2026

What Is Project Management?

The Project Management Institute (PMI) definition of project management is "the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements."1 Utilizing project management principles and processes helps to ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget, and according to quality standards.

And what is a project? A project is a non-routine, temporary effort to achieve a desired end, whether that be a product, service, or other deliverable or result. PMI describes a project more specifically as "a series of structured tasks, activities and deliverables that are carefully executed to achieve a desired outcome."2

What Does a Project Manager Do?

Project managers analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing and budget of a product or service on a per-project basis. They lead and guide the work of technical staff and may be a client's or customer's main point of contact.3

According to the Project Management Institute, project managers use project management skills (e.g., leadership and adaptability, organization and time management, creative problem-solving, effective communication, and motivation and team management) to help their teams succeed throughout the project life cycle.4 The project life cycle comprises five basic focus areas, formerly known as process groups: (1) Initiating, (2) Planning, (3) Executing, (4) Controlling and Monitoring and (5) Closing.5

For years, PMI's PMBOK® Guide focused on ten project management knowledge areas:6

  1. Project integration
  2. Project scope
  3. Project time
  4. Project cost
  5. Project quality
  6. Project resources
  7. Project communications
  8. Project risk
  9. Project procurement
  10. Project stakeholders

However, the most recent eighth edition of the PMBOK® Guide has moved away from these ten knowledge areas and replaced them with seven performance domains, i.e., groups of related activities that are critical for the effective delivery of project outcomes:7

  1. Governance
  2. Scope
  3. Schedule
  4. Finance
  5. Stakeholders
  6. Resources
  7. Risks

Together, these performance domains provide a framework that project managers can use to better manage the various moving parts of any given project and ultimately improve project outcomes.

Explore Online Business Programs at American InterContinental University

Project Manager Duties and Responsibilities

Because the project manager is responsible for every step in the project life cycle, up to and including a project's ultimate outcome, they have numerous duties and responsibilities. These PM duties and responsibilities may include the following:

  • Communicating with clients and other stakeholders
  • Developing project plans and approving any modifications
  • Identifying and selecting third-party vendors or consultants
  • Assigning duties or responsibilities to project personnel
  • Identifying and resolving problems
  • Monitoring project costs, project milestones and deliverables
  • Propose, review and approve modifications to project plans8

Project Manager Qualifications

To become a project manager, a bachelor's degree in project management, business or a related field is typically required. However, employers in certain technical fields may prefer candidates who hold a degree in that field, such as information technology (IT) or engineering. Some project management positions may require relevant work experience.8

Project management certification may be optional or required, depending on the employer or role. Earning third-party certification is a way for PMs to signal to employers and others that they are competent and credible8 and have met certain defined project management standards. The PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certifications, offered through the Project Management Institute (PMI); Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)® certification, offered through the Scrum Alliance; and the Certified Project Manager (CPM) certification, offered through the International Association of Project Managers (IAPM), are but a few examples of the different types of project management certification out there.

Obtaining PM certification generally involves meeting educational/work experience prerequisites, studying/taking an exam-prep course, paying an exam fee and passing an exam. Maintaining certification by taking continuing education courses and paying a renewal fee is also typically necessary. Every PM certification has its own rules, and it is important become familiar with them.

What Does a Project Coordinator Do?

A project coordinator supports the project manager by gathering equipment, resources and information for upcoming projects; maintaining budgets; creating work schedules; and ensuring project deadline adherence.9

Project coordinators typically have some authority and are able to make some decisions; in large projects where they report directly to a project manager, project coordinators may help to monitor and control the project's progress.10 Essentially, the main difference between a project manager vs. coordinator is responsibility: project managers are typically more senior than project coordinators.

Important project coordinator skills and personal qualities include analytical, communication, critical-thinking, interpersonal, organizational, problem-solving and time-management skills.8

Project Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities

Project coordinators fall under the project management specialist umbrella, and so the role of a project coordinator is similar to that of a project manager in various ways. For example, project coordinators may produce, distribute and manage project documents and correspondence; monitor budgets; and confer with other staff to solve problems.9 They may also perform other project management duties and responsibilities as determined by the project manager. As noted above, the main difference between a project manager and a project coordinator is that project managers are usually higher in the organizational hierarchy than project coordinators are.

Pursue A Project Management Degree Program at AIU

Project managers are responsible for planning, coordinating and overseeing projects to completion; managing their teams; and managing expectations. Being an effective project manager requires not only knowledge of the industry you are in (or want to work in) but also knowledge of transferable project management principles and skills.

Pursuing an online Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA): Specialization in Project Management degree program at AIU provides an opportunity to study project planning, management, project execution, budgeting, risk management and team leadership principles—all according to your own schedule, and all without the hassle of a commute. Request information today, or apply now.

1 Project Management Institute (PMI), "What Is Project Management?," https://www.pmi.org/about/what-is-project-management (visited Jan. 20, 2026).

2 Project Management Institute (PMI), "What Is a Project?," https://www.pmi.org/about/what-is-a-project (visited Jan. 20, 2026).

3 National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET Online, "Project Management Specialists—13-1082.00," https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1082.00 (visited Jan. 20, 2026).

4 Project Management Institute (PMI), "What Is a Project Manager?," https://www.pmi.org/about/what-is-a-project-manager (visited Jan. 20, 2026).

5 Project Management Institute (PMI), Process Groups: A Practice Guide (2022), https://www.pmi.org/standards/process-groups.

6 Project Management Institute (PMI), A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (5th ed. 2013).

7 Project Management Institute (PMI), A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (8th ed. 2025).

8 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Project Management Specialists," https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/project-management-specialists.htm (visited Jan. 20, 2026).

9 Indeed Employer Content Team, "Project Coordinator Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications" (Nov. 6, 2025), https://www.indeed.com/hire/job-description/project-coordinator?co=US.

American InterContinental University cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2192421 2/2026

Related Articles

Request Info Apply Now