Undertaking administration certifications are now not uncommon or a rarity. They’re, in reality, turning into a necessary a part of any profession plan and have a direct influence on mission supervisor salaries.
This text takes a quick take a look at the meaningfulness of mission administration certifications and what they’re anticipated to offer. We’ll then evaluate an important conventional certifications. Lastly, we’ll check out how these certifications have an effect on a mission supervisor’s wage.
Allow us to begin with an outline of the chapters.
Undertaking Administration Certifications – The Expectations
Employers and purchasers view mission administration certifications as an indication of professionalism. Job advertisements and requests for bids usually particularly require these certifications. The significance of the person certifications varies together with their worth and influence on salaries.
For a comparability, the best issue to measure is due to this fact: cash.
What varieties of certifications are anticipated for the assorted mission supervisor roles?
- Undertaking managers for inner initiatives: These PMs hope for a greater standing than these concerned in line features and count on initiatives to be dealt with extra successfully and effectively.
- Undertaking managers for initiatives by which substantial elements are outsourced: These PMs attempt to be seen as possessing better experience than the contractors and attainable subcontractors. In addition they hope to be handled as a VIP shopper because of this experience.
- Undertaking managers for shopper initiatives: These PMs hope that the certifications will pave the way in which to enticing initiatives at a decrease price. Typically, all that actually issues is fulfilling the shopper’s bid request requirement to have an authorized mission supervisor.
This third expectation is clearly concerning the hope of producing extra earnings from the mission enterprise. The primary two expectations are tougher to determine.
In all three situations, nevertheless, we are able to assume that the expectations and their achievement are mirrored within the mission supervisor salaries. In any case, there are prices related to attaining such a PM certification.
Earlier than we check out the problem of accelerating earnings by means of certifications within the mission setting, nevertheless, allow us to study an important ones of those.
A Comparability Necessary Undertaking Administration Certifications
The variety of mission administration certifications accessible is sort of overwhelming. Nonetheless, there are a couple of favorites with regard to call recognition and prevalence.
On this part, we’ll study probably the most well-known and necessary PM certificates. We’ll present suggestions for the price range wanted to arrange for, and take, the related examinations.
The price range is predicated on our data together with info given by every supplier and the experiences of our prospects. The price range quantities have been rounded as much as the closest hundred or thousand euros and don’t embrace journey bills. Word that this info is supplied with out assure.
Undertaking Administration Skilled (PMP®)
Certification as a Undertaking Administration Skilled® (PMP) is supplied by PMI®, the U.S.-based Undertaking Administration Institute.
There are actually over 1 million PMP-certified people worldwide.
To be admitted to the certification examination, you have to have:
- 36 months / 4,500 hours of mission administration expertise for candidates having a bachelor’s diploma -or-
- 60 months / 7,500 hours of mission administration expertise for candidates having solely the equal of a highschool diploma (in Germany, the requirement is a diploma from a college of utilized science).
Additionally required are 35 “Contact Hours of Undertaking Administration Training”. Most candidates collect these hours as a part of a 5-day PMP preparation seminar to assist candidates put together for the PMP examination.
Study concerning the PMBOK Information Seventh Version – the idea of the PMP examination.
The PMP examination course of: the examination is a computerized take a look at with primarily situational questions. The take a look at consists of 200 questions that have to be answered inside 4 hours.
A computerized take a look at has the benefit of getting a world focus. The examination is similar worldwide, and utilizing the identical terminology and having a shared understanding of the processes and strategies makes it simpler to work with colleagues abroad.
One other benefit is that you just don’t want an appointment with the examiners, however fairly can merely select probably the most handy date and take a look at heart.
In Germany, the PMP certification examination is obtainable at 4 take a look at facilities, that are positioned in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich.
German translations of the supply paperwork and the PMP certification examination itself can be found in order that even these and not using a excellent command of English can take the examination.
Funds: € 2,800*
Are you interested by the PMP certification? A PMP seminar that can assist you put together for the examination is on the market right here.
Licensed Affiliate in Undertaking Administration (CAPM®)
CAPM is an entry-level certification for mission administration that can be supplied by PMI.
As a prerequisite, it requires both 1,500 hours of mission administration expertise or 23 “Contact Hours of Undertaking Administration Training”, making it appropriate to mission administration learners as nicely.
Many CAPM candidates attend a PMP examination preparation seminar to arrange for this. This preparation is considerably too broad in scope however nonetheless relevant. It fulfills the “35 Contact Hours” requirement for later development to the PMP examination.
The CAPM examination can be a computerized take a look at. There are extra take a look at facilities for the CAPM examination than for PMP.
Funds: € 300 to € 2,500*
Involved in a CAPM certification? This seminar will enable you to with the preparation: CAPM Coaching for Examination Preparation
GPM-IPMA Certification, Ranges A – D
These certifications are issued by the German mission administration affiliation “Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement” (GPM).
GPM is a member of the trade affiliation IPMA (Worldwide Undertaking Administration Affiliation), and its certifications are aligned with certifications issued by the respective nationwide associations and mutually acknowledged by these.
The hottest GPM certification is the Degree D certification.
Efficiently passing the Degree D examination entitles a candidate to name themself a “Zertifizierte(r) Projektmanagement-Fachmann/-frau” (Licensed Undertaking Administration Affiliate).
The IPMA refers to this certification as “Licensed Undertaking Administration Affiliate”.
The examination consists of an oral and written examination that features an essay. It’s administered by GPM examiners in Nuremberg however may also be held at an organization web site if there are adequate candidates and the corporate helps this effort.
Funds: € 4,700*
PRINCE2 Foundations and Practitioner
These two certifications are issued by the corporate Axelos, by which the British authorities is a companion. The examination confirms data of a selected PRINCE2 methodology.
This experience is particularly helpful in organizations using this technique. The minimal necessities with regard to coaching and expertise together with the low price have made this a very fashionable possibility.
Funds: € 200*
Extra Undertaking Administration Certifications
There are further mission administration certifications particularly designed for specific points of mission administration similar to:
- Agile strategies (for instance: Skilled Scrum Grasp I or PMI-ACP)
- Danger administration
- Scheduling
Word: This text solutions the query “Why are agile certifications necessary?”
Six Sigma certifications are additionally mentioned right here. The main focus is on having a course of for making use of mission administration in high quality enchancment initiatives.
Or certification associated to the V-model or V-model XT. These fashions are mainly the German equal to PRINCE2 however haven’t gained the identical stage of recognition.
A Comparability of Undertaking Supervisor Salaries
Now allow us to get to the essential query: what impact do mission administration certifications have on a mission supervisor’s wage? Business associations repeatedly publish wage stories similar to these right here:
Please take into account that these salaries are additionally tremendously influenced by components apart from certification. Different necessary components:
- The individual’s stage of expertise
- The individual’s stage of schooling
- Kind of trade
- Gender (sadly!)
A certification meant for learners is due to this fact given much less weight in a wage survey though it may possibly even have a better influence on the wage.
PMI Wage Survey (2023)
The impact of “years of service” is clearly recognizable on this Wage Survey by the Undertaking Administration Institute (PMI). It lists solely figures for these possessing PMP certification (Undertaking Administration Skilled).
Because the graphic reveals, individuals who lately acquired their PMP certification (bar at left) have already got a better common mission supervisor wage than those that weren’t licensed. The longer these PMPs have been licensed the extra their salaries rise to considerably exceed these of non-PMPs.
Amongst these surveyed, folks with PMP certification reported a mean of 27% extra earnings than these missing this certification.
One might argue, after all, that it’s in PMI’s personal enterprise curiosity to shed the very best gentle attainable by itself certification. So, allow us to check out the information introduced by one other trade affiliation: the German mission administration affiliation “Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement” (GPM).
GPM Wage Survey (2017)
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement (GPM), a member of the worldwide trade affiliation IPMA, is a competitor of the PMI and has due to this fact no incentive to decorate these figures. So we are able to assume that the numbers are very dependable.
For a comparability of mission supervisor salaries with several types of certifications, their PM wage and profession survey (“Gehalt und Karriere im Projektmanagement”) from the 12 months 2017 is especially attention-grabbing. A determine on this doc (see beneath) compares the salaries of holders of the completely different certificates in addition to of non-certified mission managers:
Above, we introduced the PMI Wage Survey 2023, nevertheless it works higher to match the 2017 knowledge from the GPM with the PMI Wage Survey 2020 which we present within the German model of this text. That is the supply of the PMI numbers cited beneath.
A comparability of the numbers reveals:
- The added worth of a PMP certification was considerably increased than indicated in PMI’s personal survey. PMP-certified folks earned a mean of 33.9% greater than these with out this certification.
- Each surveys confirmed very comparable incomes for non-certified folks: € 78,700 within the GPM survey vs. € 77,443 within the PMI survey.
- Nonetheless, the 2 surveys tremendously diverged when it got here to the common salaries of those that are PMP-certified: € 105.400 within the GPM survey vs. € 88.826 within the PMI one.
Solely these possessing GPM/IPMA-Degree A certification earned on common greater than these with PMP certification. This certification is, nevertheless, tougher to acquire and in addition very costly. These components appear to have the impact of considerably enhancing the incomes of those that have this certification.
The GPM survey “Gehalt und Karriere im Projektmanagement” was performed once more in 2019. For example, it regarded on the wage distinction in mission administration for men and women in Germany and Austria, see beneath. In 2024, the GPM is surveying the subject as soon as extra. In response to the GPM web site, the survey outcomes are presently within the technique of analysis.
Conclusion – Undertaking Administration Certifications and Salaries
Undertaking administration certifications ship a sign to employers and purchasers that this individual has spent appreciable time working in mission administration and views this subject as an necessary a part of their skilled profession.
The GPM research and PMI’s worldwide survey present that mission administration certification typically will increase incomes by approx. 14-34%). The improved worth can be mirrored with employers and purchasers.
Nonetheless, mission managers will discover that certification isn’t any substitute for intensive skilled expertise coping with real-life conditions. This expertise is crucial. The 2 surveys talked about above affirm {that a} PM certification is no substitute for sensible expertise.
* All figures supplied are based mostly on analysis performed in 2024 and are supplied with none assure or legal responsibility.
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Creator: Oliver F. Lehmann, MSc, ACE, PMP
Oliver F. Lehmann is a coach for mission administration and mission enterprise administration. He’s famend as an writer of reference books and articles and as an analyst for vital initiatives. For over ten years, he was actively concerned in mission administration earlier than turning into a coach in 1995. At the moment he serves a worldwide viewers, specializing in the certification of people and enhancing the mission enterprise. He’s the proprietor of the Undertaking Enterprise Basis, a assume tank serving to prospects and suppliers within the mission enterprise. What’s extra, he’s a long-serving volunteer at PMI, the Undertaking Administration Institute. Amongst different issues, he was President of the PMI Southern Germany Chapter from 2013 to 2018 and acted because the mission supervisor for 24-hour worldwide charity conferences beneath the heading “Discuss Across the Clock.”
You’ll be able to learn extra about Oliver F. Lehmann on LinkedIn.