A Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is an independent professional certifications provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI), which is a worldwide organization dedicated to the development and certification of professional project managers all over the globe.

The PMP certification is a common certification for professionals in government, information technology, construction and large non-profit organizations.

PMI has local chapters in thousands of regions and more than a hundred countries globally.

PMP Certification Exam Overview

Certification Provider: Project Management Institute (PMI)
Number of Questions: 200
Question Style: Multiple Choice
Length of Test: Four Hours
Average Passing Rate: 61% (Last officially reported in 2006)
Estimated PMP Certification Holders: 600,000+
International Reach: 104+ Countries

Salary Range for PMP Professionals

PMI records and publishes annual salary data for PMP certified professionals. For 2015, the median salary for a PMP credential holder in the United States is $92,000. In the United Kingdom, the average PMP salary is $96,348 in 2015. In Canada, the average PMP salary is $98,517. And in Europe, the average PMP salary in 2015 is $122,805.

According to Robert Half Technology in 2015, the average PMP salary increased nearly 3% from 2014 to 2015, and obtaining a Project Mangement certification from PMI was “highly recommended” for Applications Developers, Projects Managers, and Systems Managers or Consultants.

Common IT careers associated with the PMP certification and their estimated 2015 salary ranges include:

Project Manager: $95,250 – $147,250
Applications Development Manager: $91,250 – $139,250
Systems Consultant: $98,750 – $144,250
Systems Project Manager: $98,750 – $144,250

Who Needs a PMP Certification?

PMP certifications are most sought after by managers or consultants who work with large, complex systems and projects for their respective organizations.

Certified Project Managers are commonly found within the industries of government or public works, information technology, IT/web development, nonprofit groups, international corporations and other large organizations with many projects and moving parts.

Common Job Titles for PMP Certified Professionals

Project Manager
Project Consultant
Senior Consultant
Systems Integration Manager
Systems Consultant
Applications Manager
Applications Development Manager
Applications Architect
Lead Applications Developer

Prerequisites and Additional Qualifications for the PMP Exam

The PMP exam covers five “Domains,” or subject areas, of project management. Unlike other certification exams, the PMP is a holistic exam meant to cover all aspects of a working project manager’s job duties with equal importance.

The five domains covered in the PMP are:

Initiating the Project (13% of the PMP exam)
Planning the Project (24% of the PMP exam)
Executing the Project (30% of the PMP exam)
Monitoring and Controlling the Project (25% of the PMP exam)
Closing the Project (8% of the PMP exam)

PMP candidates should have job experience in all five areas, as the PMP exam will reflect each domain.

PMP Exam Prerequisites

The PMI requires that candidates applying for a PMP credential must meet the following requirements before taking the PMP exam:

A secondary degree, such as a high school diploma or Associate’s Degree in the United States or their equivalent in global environments, AND:
At least five years of project management experience, including 7,500 hours leading or directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.

OR:

A four-year degree, such as a Bachelor’s Degree in the United States or its global equivalent, AND:
At least three years of Project Management experience, including 4,500 hours leading or directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.

What If You Do Not Meet the Requirements for a PMP?

The PMI offers an additional project management certification, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) for individuals who do not meet the above prerequisites for a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Maintaining a PMP Certification

A PMP credential does not “expire” as long as the credential holder meets certain requirements over a three-year period. To maintain a PMP credential beyond three years, a PMP certification holder must earn 60 continuous credential requirements (CCRs) during a three-year period.

CCRs can be obtained by participating in any or all of the following activities:

Continuous, documented Project Management work in a professional field
Performing project management-specific research tasks
Authoring published project management articles
Speaking on project management topics at conferences or meetings
Taking approved project management academic classes or training courses

Additional Details About the PMP

The United States Department of Education (US-DOE) has classified obtaining a PMP certification to be a Level 50 educational achievement in Volume Two of their “Mapping the World of Education: Comparable Database System.”

Each exam includes 25 ungraded questions placed randomly throughout the exam. While not graded, the subject’s answers to these questions are used to form a baseline “curve” upon which the subject’s final test score will be calculated. As such, only the subjects answers to the remaining 175 questions are graded.

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