What Is a PMO Analyst and How to Become One

A project management office (PMO) analyst assists the PMO, which is an essential unit in charge of standardizing an organization’s approach to projects, including implementing and maintaining standards and policies. The PMO analyst takes charge of all operations within the unit, including planning a project, executing it, overseeing operations, keeping track of its progress, and reviewing the project data to determine how to improve it. 

You may also ensure the project adheres to a timeline and a budget. Essentially, your goal as a PMO analyst is to supervise the project by analyzing the data surrounding it to make sure every phase of it follows the established plan. If you are a good communicator, an effective motivator, and have the ability to manage projects, you may discover that working as a PMO analyst is an excellent choice. 

Furthermore, this might be an excellent option for selecting an industry in which to work if you’re looking for one with growth potential. Fortune Business Insights estimates the global project portfolio management (PPM) market size to increase from $5.04 billion in 2024 to $9.32 billion by 2032 [1].

Explore the role of a PMO analyst, including the steps you can take to begin your career path, typical duties, job outlook, salary, education requirements, and more.

What is a PMO analyst?

As a PMO analyst, your job deals with conducting research and analysis to determine the most effective methods for optimizing your organization’s PMO operations. It’s a position with a significant level of responsibility and allows you to fill an essential role within the company’s project management framework. By conducting analysis, giving support, and preserving effective PMO operations, you make sure the projects and active proposals within your organization are accomplished successfully.

What does a PMO analyst do?

Typically, as a PMO analyst, you’ll work within two primary categories: supporting project managers and completing projects on your own. Discover these two categories in more detail:

• Supporting the project manager: For this aspect of your job, you might assist with maintaining schedules, monitoring the budget, contributing to decision-making, managing resources, supervising project dependencies, communicating with clients about progress, and tracking the project’s benefits.

• Completing their own projects: In this second category, you might develop training programs, establish new methods for delivery, and anything that contributes to the successful completion of the organization’s projects. Additionally, when your company wants to add a new project portfolio management (PPM) tool, you would identify, locate, implement, and supervise the tool’s continued use.

Other PMO analyst duties and responsibilities

PMO analyst is a versatile position, and a few additional PMO analyst duties include creating project management methodologies and processes, analyzing performance metrics to spot trends and risks, working with other teams on the project to maximize resource allocation, producing project status reports for review by supervisors, confirming that aspects of the project follow laws and regulations, and checking in with the client to make sure their needs are met.

Where does a PMO analyst sit in a PMO team?

Generally, a PMO analyst works to support the project manager, but it’s typically a mid-level role. When working in the PMO industry, you might begin as a PMO coordinator or administrator before transitioning into a PMO analyst position. The order of the PMO team from bottom to top typically looks similar to the following: 

PMO coordinator or administrator → PMO analyst → project manager or PMO director

Working on a PMO team may be a wise career choice. According to data from Wellingtone’s The State of Project Management Report 2025, 72 percent of respondents “believe the scope and responsibilities of their PMO will get larger in the future” [2].

PMO analyst skills

As a PMO analyst, you need a variety of workplace skills, including analytical thinking, communication, and problem solving, along with technical skills such as knowledge of project management tools, data analysis, and risk management. Discover a more complete list of the skill set necessary for this role:

Workplace skills

• Analytical thinking

• Communication

• Problem solving

• Time management

• Collaboration

• Innovation

• Detail oriented

• Proactive approach

Technical skills

• Project management tools

• Data analysis

• Risk management

• Metrics

• Continuous improvement

• Portfolio management

• Automatic delivery programs

• MS Office

• Project planning

Other key skills that tend to appear in resumes and job descriptions for PMO analysts: compliance, forecasting, invoicing, facilitation, and Microsoft SharePoint. Additionally, working in this position often requires solid relationship building and communication across various teams, executives, and clients.

Job outlook and salary for a PMO analyst

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the job outlook for project management specialists to increase by 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than average [3]. In terms of PMO analyst salary, you can expect to earn an average annual income of $85,143 [4], which is much higher than the median salary of $49,500 across all occupations [5].

Some additional job titles you may encounter within the PMO, and their average base salaries, include:

• PMO coordinator: $65,039 [6]

• PMO administrator: $80,880 [7]

• PMO manager: $124,375 [8]

• PMO director: $153,376 [9]

PMO analyst career path

To enter the PMO analyst career path, you might begin by gaining experience managing projects in your current job. Taking part in leadership positions is another method for building your management skills. Also, it’s helpful to create a portfolio of the projects you have successfully completed. 

Business experience can also help you enter this field, so you may want to work as a business administrator, personal assistant, or for a company in which you manage a team. You can also begin your career in the PMO by applying for entry-level positions such as a PMO coordinator or a PMO administrator.

After gaining as a PMO analyst, you have options for promotion because you can transition into higher-level positions, beginning with project manager, PMO manager, or PMO director. You can then move up further into roles such as operations manager, business project manager, and even director of project management.

Education and training

To begin your career as a PMO analyst, you will likely need to earn a bachelor’s degree in project management, information technology, or business. You might consider earning a master’s degree because certain employers may prefer it. Data from Zippia reveals that the majority of PMO analysts have a bachelor’s degree or higher [10]:

• Bachelor’s degree: 64.5 percent

• Master’s degree: 22.6 percent

• Associate degree: 7.7 percent

To further your training for this job, consider learning about standard PMO software tools such as Scoro, ProofHub, and Basecamp. All three offer free trials.

Certifications

You might also think about earning a PMO certification, such as the Certified Associate in PMO (CA-PMO) credential from the PMO Global Institute, which illustrates your knowledge regarding PMO practices, tools, and techniques. Typically, you need a bachelor’s degree and eight hours of training with their organization prior to taking the exam.

If you already have experience in PMO, a more advanced option from the PMO Global Institute is the Certified Baseline PMO Consultant (CB-PMO) credential. This credential is for professionals working in the PMO field who have advanced knowledge regarding PMO practices. You need at least five years of experience in project management, a bachelor’s degree with at least 7,500 hours of leading and directing projects, and 21 hours of training from the PMO Global Institute.

Which industries have PMOs?

An assortment of industries utilize PMOs to serve their needs, and a few of these are the pharmaceutical, aeronautical, and bioengineering industries. These sectors can deal with complex projects that require excellent organizational methods to be successful. For example, a bioengineering firm needs to adhere to strict design and construction guidelines, while an aeronautical company must follow regulations to obtain government approval. Other industries that added PMOs as part of their operations include the automotive, beverage, hospitality, IT, and consulting sectors. For example, Coca-Cola, Rivian Automotive, and Convene, a hospitality company, all use PMOs in their organizations.

Continue learning about project management on Coursera

A PMO analyst designs project management plans, ensures the project remains within budget, monitors its progress, and analyzes its data to determine how to improve it. Entering the field requires strong proficiency in project management, which you can begin gaining foundational knowledge of with the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate. This six-course series offers a chance to explore topics such as communication planning, project documentation, the project management lifecycle, and more. If you’re focused more on the IT field, you might consider the IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate, where you can learn about computer programming, Agile concepts, how to track and manage projects, and other related topics such as dealing with challenging situations regarding your clients.