Association for Project Management (APM) publish their report on the Project Management “Salary and Market Trends 2019” by APM research report.

About the survey

This is the fifth annual Salary and Market Trends Survey run by APM.

Since its launch in 2015 the research has received more than 23,300 responses from across the profession. This has allowed APM to paint a clear picture of the employment landscape, offering a comprehensive overview of salaries, working life and the trends that will have the biggest impact on project management.

The survey was undertaken by global research company YouGov between 14 November and 12 December 2018. It received 4,652 responses from project professionals across multiple sectors, including both APM members and non-members. Please note, whole numbers are used for the report, therefore some figures may not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding.

The survey findings will be of interest not only to project professionals, but also recruiters, employers and those considering a project management-related career. The report explores vital issues including the continued feeling towards the impact of Brexit, economic confidence and what can be done to increase the talent pipeline.

the average salary of the project managers professional was 47500 GBP

The average salary has remained the same as last year at £47,500, comparing favourably with the UK average full-time annual salary of £29,5741. Experience is rewarded within the profession as two-thirds of those who commanded a salary of at least £50,000 had more than 10 years’ project management experience. Developing project management skills and knowledge can lead to an increased salary. Forty-six per cent of those who held a project management qualification earned more than £50,000, compared to 32 per cent of those without. Becoming a contractor could prove lucrative, as 42 per cent earned more than £70,000, as opposed to 16 per cent in a permanent role. However, there appeared to be a trend of project professionals moving into contract work as they get older, with 56 per cent of those on a fixed-term contract aged over 45.

Job satisfaction in Project management Procession

Job satisfaction among the project profession remained high, with more than four out of five respondents claiming to be satisfied in their current roles. This has been a growing trend since 2015, when 77 per cent reported that they were satisfied with their job. There is a correlation with salaries and job fulfilment, with 88 per cent of those earning more than £70,000 per year claiming to be satisfied compared to 77 per cent of those earning under £35,000. When looking at working arrangements the highest level of job satisfaction was experienced by those who were self-employed, where 43 per cent said they were very satisfied in their role.

Pay and benefits package

Project professionals were more positive about their remuneration prospects than they were last year. Seven out of 10 were expecting their pay and benefits package to increase over the next 12 months compared to two-thirds who said the same in the previous survey. Men were more likely than women to expect an increase, with males aged between 25 and 34 years the most positive group at 80 per cent. Those who were operating as consultants were most likely to say they expected a decrease (eight per cent).

also, 46 of the Project Management Certification holders earned more than 50,000 GBP

49% reported that their organisation was growing and recruiting new staff

the report can be accessed through their website