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System consultants and designers

How to become an IT Project Manager

Also called: Project manager (system development), Project manager (application software development), Project manager (information processing)

Leads project teams developing IT systems, drawing up project plans and managing budgets, staff and progress.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required for the job. People often join a software developer or computer maker after finishing their studies and get the job after experience building and running information systems as systems engineers or similar. In many companies that develop information systems, systems engineers who are promoted to section manager level are called project managers. Project managers go through the whole process of developing and installing systems many times, improving their system development skills and building up their areas of strength. With a track record, project managers may become company executives, or become experts in a particular field and take on roles like IT consultants. Project managers need knowledge of the industries and business work where information systems are used (business knowledge); knowledge and skills in technology such as computers, software, telecommunications networks and cloud services (technical skills); knowledge and skills in building and running information systems (methodology skills); knowledge and skills for managing system building and operation (management skills); and the listening, speaking, writing and understanding needed to work in a project team, along with the ability to build good relationships with people (communication skills). Among technical skills, knowledge of cloud and smartphones has become important recently. Ways to prove these abilities include the Project Manager Examination run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) and the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification run by the US non-profit PMI.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an IT Project Manager?

No particular education or qualification is required for the job. People often join a software developer or computer maker after finishing their studies and get the job after experience building and running information systems as systems engineers or similar. In many companies that develop information systems, systems engineers who are promoted to section manager level are called project managers. Project managers go through the whole process of developing and installing systems many times, improving their system development skills and building up their areas of strength. With a track record, project managers may become company executives, or become experts in a particular field and take on roles like IT consultants. Project managers need knowledge of the industries and business work where information systems are used (business knowledge); knowledge and skills in technology such as computers, software, telecommunications networks and cloud services (technical skills); knowledge and skills in building and running information systems (methodology skills); knowledge and skills for managing system building and operation (management skills); and the listening, speaking, writing and understanding needed to work in a project team, along with the ability to build good relationships with people (communication skills). Among technical skills, knowledge of cloud and smartphones has become important recently. Ways to prove these abilities include the Project Manager Examination run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) and the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification run by the US non-profit PMI.

How much does an IT Project Manager earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥8,890,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group System consultants and designers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an IT Project Manager?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 71% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an IT Project Manager?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026