Are you a project manager or looking to get into project management? If you are, then it's important to know what sort of salary you will be getting as a project manager. There are several things to take into consideration when looking at a salary of any job and these include the location, your experience, your qualifications/skills, the industry you are in and your ability to secure the right job.
Below we will look at the salary of a project manager you can expect to receive throughout the various stages of your career. Please do keep in mind though that these are rough estimations and will vary for different industries and locations.
Salary of a junior level project manager
The average salary for a beginner/graduate level project manager in the UK is around £28,556. This will, as mentioned, depend on any experience and skills you have as well as any relevant qualifications. For example, you might have a business/IT related degree and have also acquired a relevant project manager qualification, which would put you in a better position to get a higher salary.
Find junior level project manager jobs here.
Salary of mid-level project manager
Once you have established yourself as a project manager and gained industry experience and skills, you can start looking at higher salaries and negotiating a better pay packet. The average salary of a project manager is around £57,000 in the UK across various locations and industries. In this stage of a project manager’s career, they can decide whether to gain experience in other industries for example from IT project management to construction or establish themselves as a senior/expert in their field.
Salary of a senior project manager
The national average of a senior project manager is around £62,500+. This figure does not include any additional income that a senior project manager might also receive. For example, at this stage of their career, senior project managers may also receive large bonuses. Some companies pay out thousands in bonuses. This sort of salary will come after years of experience, working on numerous projects from small to large scale.
Find senior-level project manager jobs here.
Salary of a freelance project manager
There is also the option of working as a freelancer project manager or contract project manager. This can give you the independence and flexibility that you would forego as an employee. It can also be beneficial when it comes to your income as the tax rules for the self-employed differ. A freelance project manager will either charge per project or per hour. For example, the national average hourly charge for a freelance project manager is £57 per hour.
Find contract project manager jobs here.
How to get the best salary for your project manager role
There are two parts of getting the salary/pay that you deserve. Firstly, you need your skills, experience and previous successes to back you up when asking for a higher salary. The second part is being able to effectively communicate and negotiate your salary. You will need to take both of these things into consideration in order to secure the best salary for your role.
More on becoming a project manager and project manager jobs.