As you may already know, having a PMP® certification is a huge step and advantage that’ll increase your annual income. If you have the right communication skills, managing will be a worthwhile career, especially if you could save yourself a spot in a well-established company.
If you’re already PMP® certified, the last thing you’d want is to waste all the effort you exerted by settling for a job that doesn’t pay well. Also, for those who’re still considering getting a PMP® certification, knowing more about the opportunities will help you decide if you should go down this road.
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Before we start:
Of course, salaries vary from one place to the other, the numbers mentioned in this article are only the average salaries according to a survey done by the Project Management Institute. This means that you can find working places that pay more or less than what’s mentioned here, but it won’t be far off.
What Jobs Can You Get With A PMP® Certification?
In the following part, we’ll walk you through five highly paid jobs that are financially and mentally rewarding. In addition to the job description, we’ll tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of each job so that you can make an informed decision.
1. Resources Management
Average Annual Salary in the U.S: $134,578
Every successful project requires good management. Sure, there are different branches to manage whenever you start a project, but we can’t deny that resources -human and nonhuman ones- come on top of it all.
Job-description
Being a resource manager entails being in charge of the supplies, tools, and equipment and finding the right methodology to provide these elements in enough quantities, with good quality, and a reasonable budget.
Resources managers put effective plans to avoid shortfalls as well as excesses. Your primary goal will be to keep your inventory flawless by continuously observing the stock levels. Also, you should constantly report to the stakeholders.
Advantages:
- Enhancing strategic thinking
- More opportunities to travel
Disadvantages:
- Requires having a background or studying of the given field
2. Consulting Project Management
Average Annual Salary in the U.S: $134,150
When we say a consulting project manager, we refer to someone who works for a consulting company. This has nothing to do with specialized consultants who reach this position after several years of being project managers.
Job-description
Consulting project managers work with different clients. There’s no way to point out a particular role for such a position as it depends on the company they’ll be working for at that time.
Regardless, the general idea is to have someone who can provide advanced knowledge about making the project successful.
Advantages:
- An excellent opportunity to expand your expertise in different fields
- Meeting a variety of people with different backgrounds
Disadvantages:
- Can be unsettling for people who prefer a fixed working environment
3. Pharmaceutical Project Management
Average Annual Salary in the U.S: $133,245
The pharmaceutical industry is now bigger than ever. According to the EvaluatePharma World Preview 2019 Outlook to 2024, prescription drug sales have increased by 6.9% from last year.
The preview states that as novel approaches in using genome sequencing and wearables to treat medical conditions, the pharmaceutical industry will move into a new era. Accordingly, there’s no wonder that being a pharmaceutical project manager is one of the highly-rated jobs.
Job-description
A pharmaceutical PM cooperates with doctors, health workers, and researchers to schedule different activities, plan the needed budgets, and ensure the projects stay on the right track. Moreover, they contribute to projects that study the effects of new medications.
Advantages:
- Successful projects will help improve the quality of life
Disadvantages:
- Requires a healthcare degree
- Pharmaceutical projects consume much time
4. Aerospace Project Management
Average Annual Salary in the U.S: $129,730
For those who are genuinely interested in engineering and mechanics, this job will be perfect for you.
Job-description
Aerospace PMs come up with plans so that manufacturers deliver the aircraft on time. They also make sure the company stays on the estimated budget and sticks to quality control measures.
Advantages:
- A great chance to stay updated with the most advanced engineering technologies
Disadvantages:
- An Unpredictable job as a lot can go wrong while testing newer aerospace systems.
5. Engineering Project Management
Average Annual Salary in the U.S: $124,435
We all know that engineers are not only highly-respected but highly-paid as well.
Job-description
Just like the previous job, your role will be to plan different projects, set up the needed time frame, and make sure to deliver on time.
Advantages:
- Projects mostly take a couple of months up to a maximum of a year or two
Disadvantages:
- You must have advanced engineering knowledge and experience
Final Thoughts
Getting a PMP®® certification pays off, not only because you’ll be more qualified for different managerial positions, but also because you’ll be paid more than those who reach these positions without getting the certification.