Research Shows Project Management Salaries Are Growing, Despite Recession

- Demand for skilled project managers shown in PMI(R) Project Management Salary Survey -- Sixth Edition -

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Apr 19, 2010, 08:00 ET

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid a global economic climate plagued by high unemployment and a continued lack of organizational resources, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has good news for job seekers and organizations alike. According to the PMI^® Project Management Salary Survey—Sixth Edition project managers, instead of suffering income losses like so many other professionals, are actually earning more than they were two years ago, before the worst of the recession hit.

How much more depends on location, experience, and certification level. Of the nearly 35,000 project manager practitioners who responded to the survey, 51 percent reported an increase in their total compensation, with the global median salary reaching $90,260 USD. Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential holders earn upwards of $10,000 USD more in certain countries than non-credential holders, with median salaries in the United States, Australia and Germany now exceeding $100,000 USD.

"Though the lessons learned from the downturn won't be quickly forgotten, these numbers indicate that organizations are starting to get back on track and return to their pre-recession plans," said Gregory Balestrero, president and CEO of PMI. "In addition, they show that organizations are still willing and able to pay for top project management talent. This is great news for project managers who are looking to extend their careers with new skills, individuals who may be interested in a career change and those who are coming out of school and considering what job would best suit their future goals."

Created and conducted by PMI's market research team, the PMI Project Management Salary Survey – Sixth Edition, provides a comprehensive look at compensation in the global project management field, measuring salaries across eight major position description levels in 19 countries. This latest edition of survey results, conducted in 2009, reflects a greatly increased sample size for more accurate data.

Surveyed countries include Australia, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, the UAE, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Singapore, South Korea, Mexico, India, Taiwan, and China.

Reports Available in Full or By Country

This latest research from the world's leading professional membership organization for project managers is available in its entirety or in individual country reports on the PMI Marketplace. The full report of the salary survey features:

The responses of nearly 35,000 practitioners in 19 countries
Cross-tabulations of salary data by 8 positions and 13 demographic variables
Reported salary increases over the past year
Expected salary increases for the next year
Information on benefit packages, work environments and available global project management career paths

The individual country reports feature:

Country-specific cross-tabulations of salary data by 8 positions and 13 demographic variables
Reported salary increases over the last year
Expected salary increases for the next year
Information on benefit packages and available global project management career paths.

PMI members can search for region-specific salary information via a query function on www.PMI.org.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)

The world's leading professional membership organization for project managers, PMI shares knowledge with more than one half million members and credential holders in over 180 countries. Since 1969, PMI has impacted more than one million practitioners, businesses, governments, students and training organizations. Today, PMI's products and services range from world-class standards for project, program and portfolio management to five professional credentials, including the gold standard Project Management Professional (PMP)^®. PMI's exclusive Global Corporate Council and European Corporate Networking Group engage large multinationals and government organizations in endorsing the value of project management. The only project management association with an established academic research program, PMI has invested more than US $14 million in support of dozens of research projects since 1997. Learn more at PMI.org.

SOURCE Project Management Institute