They conduct projects, tax teams, plan and organize projects on behalf of the management. Project managers always have the schedules and the costs under control. They rely on further training and find their jobs mostly attractive – they are also paid very well for this. The salaries for project managers have increased by over 33 percent in Austria in the past five years.
These are the central results of the study “Salary and Career in Project Management 2024” by the German Society for Project Management EV (GPM). In cooperation with PMA – Project Management Austria and the Swiss Society for Project Management (SPM), around 1,600 project managers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland were interviewed. The study also underlines the increasing importance of work-life balance and career opportunities as well as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in project management.
Financial and IT industry pay top salaries
Project managers are in demand in many industries. The average annual salary is around 100,000 euros gross. Particularly high salaries can be found in the financial services industry as well as IT and telecommunications, followed by automotive and mechanical engineering. Logistics and transport are also among the well -endowed jobs. “”These numbers very well illustrate the high priority of the professional project manager and show that the companies are willing to pay top salaries for these specialists
“, Says PMA President Brigitte Schaden.
In addition to the attractive payment, project managers primarily appreciate the flexibility and personal responsibility in their profession. The possibility of making work and private life (work-life balance) well agreed by almost three quarters of the respondents.
Gender Pay Gap persists
Despite this development, the gender pay gap remains alarming: women in project management still earn an average of 24 percent less than men, especially variable salary components are significantly lower. “This difference in income is not only unfair, it is also economically inefficient,” emphasizes PMA President. “”It takes an increased culture of equality in the company. This is the only way to keep top talents in the long term!
“
Certification in project management – career boost and further education
The further training still remains a key topic – and it pays off: on average, project managers invest in their professional development for 22 weeks. The basics of project management (PM) as well as social and methodical PM skills are particularly in demand. Certificates such as one of the PMA/IPMA® on level D and C are considered door openers for careers and higher salaries. “”Companies are increasingly value certified specialists because they have demonstrably structured processes and professional standards bring them into their projects
“, Emphasizes damage.
Artificial intelligence: recognized potential
Artificial intelligence (AI) in project management is also becoming increasingly important: “The first applications are in use, but wide use is still in its infancy,” says Brigitte Schaden. AI tools such as Chatgpt, Jira, MS Copilot, own-developed tools and Trello are particularly used. They support in planning, risk assessment, creation of reports and decision -making. “”AI technology has enormous potential today. But only with creativity and human intelligence will we succeed in using AI sensibly and useful – not only in project management
“Said Brigitte Schaden.
Illustrations © GPM German Society for Project Management e. V.
About the study
The 2024 salary and career study was carried out by the GPM German Society for Project Management in cooperation with the EBS University of Economics and Law and supported by PMA – Project Management Austria and the SPM – Swiss Project Management Association. It is based on the information from 1,616 respondents, including 200 from Austria.
Project Management Austria (PMA) with around 1,300 members is the largest Austrian project management association. The aim of PMA is the quality assurance of project management and the recognition and further development of the job profile “Project Manager”. PMA is the official IPMA® certification body for project managers. As an active member of the worldwide international project management association (IPMA®), PMA is internationally networked. www.pma.at