In the latest Project Management Benchmark Report from Arras People, the independent annual report of the project management industry, of over 2000 practitioners polled, it was found that the average practitioner delivering +20% on top of their contracted hours. Working one extra day a week for no extra remuneration is a common occurrence yet wage levels in general still remain stagnant for the majority of project managers.
This is the tenth year of providing insights into the lives and careers of project managers and those who work in the project management profession. The report, starting back in 2005, was initially focused on salary levels for the industry before extending to its current form to include insights into the working life of a project professional.
This year’s salary levels include:
- Programme Managers – In the UK the average salary was £65,460 with an average day rate of £587. Practitioners paid in USD averaged $151,000 whilst those paid in Euros averaged €63,400.
- Project Managers -In the UK the average salary was £47,180 with an average day rate of £437. Practitioners paid in USD averaged $93,200 whilst those paid in Euros averaged €44,400.
- Consultants – In the UK the average salary was £79,917 with an average day rate of £550.
- Portfolio Managers – In the UK the average salary was £72,170 with an average day rate of £615.
- PMO Managers – In the UK the average salary was £59,053 with an average day rate of £494. Practitioners paid in USD averaged $111,500 whilst those paid in Euros averaged €65,600.
- Project Support -In the UK the average salary was £31,260 with an average day rate of £198.
Taking a wider look at project practitioners current work circumstances, development, remuneration and education, some highlights include:
- 24% of UK-based practitioners say they are using Agile concepts in their day-to-day activities, yet only 8% have a recognised Agile Project Management accreditation.
- 6% of UK-based practitioners say all programmes and projects undertaken in their organisation use Agile, yet only 50% believe their organisations have made the required philosophical shift to support its use.
- UK-based programme and project management practitioners continue to over deliver, with the average practitioner delivering +20% on top of their contracted hours.
- Despite only 37% of UK-based contractors seeing their day rates rise above inflation during 2014, 82% of them enter 2015 with a smile according to the Arras People positivity index.
- Amongst UK-based employees, 16% of Public sector workers saw their salary increase by more than inflation compared to 43% of their peers in the Private sector.
- PRINCE2 remains the top UK accreditation for project professionals at 66%. Yet 26% of respondents indicate they have no accreditations at all.
- 73% of UK project professionals have at least a bachelors degree education although that number increases to 85% when compared to global respondents.
Much has changed in the field of Programme and Project management over the 10 years in which Arras People have been creating the Project Management Benchmark Report. We have seen bodies such as the PMI, APM, APMG International and the IPMA play a major role in developing and encouraging the adoption of methods and associated training to implement command and control project management. In the UK we have seen PRINCE2 become Project Management for many people and organisations; though for many, command and control has been pushed at the expense of people management.
We now have a new kid on the Programme and Project management block, who takes the name Agile; and in the last twelve months we have seen a proliferation of marketing that positions it as the key to a golden future. Whilst much confusion exists about what Agile is, or should that be what agile is? If nothing else it feels like a reaction against the “do as you are told”, manage the process not the deliverable feeling that command and control can project when poorly executed.
Maybe we are witnessing the start of the perfect storm, as a new generation find their voice in the workforce and look to define the shape of programme and project management for the next 10 years?
Against this backdrop the Project Management Benchmark Report makes essential reading for anyone working in and around project management looking for the latest insights and independent statistics. To download the report, visit the Arras People website.