What do project managers earn?

When people are thinking about a career change one of the biggest hurdles is not knowing what they are likely to get paid. What´s the going rate? is something I´m asked about project roles all the time. And the answer isn´t simple because it depends on a number of factors including location, level of responsibility and sector, as well as the type of employment. For example, contract roles usually pay more than permanent roles.

A project manager with 5 years experience in a permanent role in financial services in London, UK can probably expect to earn around £75k per annum. As a contractor perhaps £600 per day, and more if they specialise in IT project management.

However, many people who want to transition into project management from a different discipline would be looking at a lot less than that. A permanent project coordinator or project analyst role may offer around £24-30k per annum, especially outside a main city.

But how do you find out the going rate in your city or country? Outside of the public sector, many organisations are reluctant to publish their salary range, never mind stating the anticipated salary for a specific role. No one wants to waste their time applying for roles only to find out that they get offered an interview, or even the job, and then they discover that salary is well below their expectations.

However, if you´re smart, you can do your homework and find out the going rate for the job before accepting an interview or an offer.

How, Lesley, how is that possible, I hear you ask?

Because the good people at Glassdoor have made it so! If you haven´t come across their website before then you are in for a nice surprise. Or maybe even a shock, depending on how favourably your current salary compares with your co-workers.

The site is a one-stop shop for all things career-related but one of its most useful features is that it allows you to enter a company name, job role and location and find out who is getting paid what. Ok, so no names are mentioned but you will be able to see what information other people have provided about their salary, benefits and even what it´s really like to work there. And, as a bonus, you can often find a good selection of job vacancies as well as details of interview questions. What more could you ask for?

Interested in becoming a project manager? You can access the online Get That Project Job course though my PIVOT programme to learn the basics of project management and how to land your first project job. You will receive individual support from me in understanding the coure material as well as my help in updating your CV or resume, optimising your LinkedIn profile and showing you where to find relevant entry-level project jobs. 

You can find out more here about the PIVOT programme here. 

Can´t wait? Get a copy of my best-selling project management book for beginners "I Would Rather Eat a Cactus...than Run a Project".