Project Manager resume skills and keywords
In 3,006 Project Manager job postings from 1,345 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (79 %), Project Management (59 %), Leadership (57 %), Collaboration (31 %) and Program management (29 %). Of the top 40 skills, 24 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 16 are soft skills.
Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.
Top 40 skills in Project Manager job postings
| Skill | Share of postings | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 79 % | Soft skill |
| Project Management | 59 % | Hard skill |
| Leadership | 57 % | Soft skill |
| Collaboration | 31 % | Soft skill |
| Program management | 29 % | Hard skill |
| PMP | 26 % | Certification |
| Problem Solving | 25 % | Soft skill |
| Accountability | 23 % | Soft skill |
| Mentoring | 20 % | Soft skill |
| Attention to detail | 19 % | Soft skill |
| Jira | 18 % | Tool |
| Decision making | 16 % | Soft skill |
| Agile | 16 % | Hard skill |
| Procurement | 15 % | Hard skill |
| Continuous improvement | 15 % | Hard skill |
| Risk management | 15 % | Hard skill |
| MS Project | 14 % | Tool |
| Microsoft Excel | 14 % | Tool |
| Stakeholder management | 14 % | Soft skill |
| Construction management | 13 % | Hard skill |
| Microsoft Office | 13 % | Tool |
| Flexibility | 12 % | Soft skill |
| Change management | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Logistics | 10 % | Hard skill |
| Organizational skills | 9 % | Soft skill |
| Creativity | 9 % | Soft skill |
| Process improvement | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Project Documentation | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Business development | 9 % | Hard skill |
| AI Tools | 9 % | Tool |
| Confluence | 8 % | Tool |
| Negotiation | 8 % | Soft skill |
| Prioritization | 8 % | Soft skill |
| Interpersonal skills | 8 % | Soft skill |
| Commissioning | 8 % | Hard skill |
| Smartsheet | 8 % | Tool |
| Resource Allocation | 7 % | Hard skill |
| Time Management | 7 % | Soft skill |
| Security clearance | 7 % | Certification |
| Microsoft Word | 7 % | Tool |
Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications
Hard skills (14)
- Project Management 59 %
- Program management 29 %
- Agile 16 %
- Procurement 15 %
- Continuous improvement 15 %
- Risk management 15 %
- Construction management 13 %
- Change management 11 %
- Logistics 10 %
- Process improvement 9 %
- Project Documentation 9 %
- Business development 9 %
- Commissioning 8 %
- Resource Allocation 7 %
Soft skills (16)
- Communication 79 %
- Leadership 57 %
- Collaboration 31 %
- Problem Solving 25 %
- Accountability 23 %
- Mentoring 20 %
- Attention to detail 19 %
- Decision making 16 %
- Stakeholder management 14 %
- Flexibility 12 %
- Organizational skills 9 %
- Creativity 9 %
- Negotiation 8 %
- Prioritization 8 %
- Interpersonal skills 8 %
- Time Management 7 %
Tools and software (8)
- Jira 18 %
- MS Project 14 %
- Microsoft Excel 14 %
- Microsoft Office 13 %
- AI Tools 9 %
- Confluence 8 %
- Smartsheet 8 %
- Microsoft Word 7 %
Certifications and licenses (2)
- PMP 26 %
- Security clearance 7 %
Keyword phrases recruiters use
Multi-word phrases that recur across these project manager postings, with the share of postings that use each one.
How to use this on your resume
Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.
Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.
Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Project Manager resume example. Then prepare for the Project Manager interview questions that test them.
Build a project manager resume with these skills
Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.