What Jobs Can I Get With A PRINCE2® Qualification?

What jobs can I get with a PRINCE2® Qualification?

I first wrote this post in September 2017, so here is the much-needed update.  Whilst a lot of the original content remains because it is still relevant, I have made alterations to both the Foundation and Practitioner salary table.  I have deleted the project management roles from the Practitioner table, but I have used one that I found on CWJobs specifically relating to project manager positions. 

As before, the answer to the question of what jobs you can get with a PRINCE2® qualification is very simple but also varied.  There are hundreds of positions currently available that ask for this qualification, ranging from administrator to programme manager.  It depends largely on where you are in your career and the experience you have already gained (or not yet gained as the case may be).  A PRINCE2® Practitioner qualification will allow you more choice and usually a higher salary than that of a PRINCE2® Foundation qualification.  

When I began my research for the original post, I assumed that it was not only a question of what jobs are to be had with a PRINCE2 qualification, but also what salaries.  I have not altered this approach because after all, financial reward is surely part of your career choice and progress. 

Changes to the tables

Originally, I created two tables; one for PRINCE2® Foundation and the other for Practitioner.  I showed industry sector, job title, and salaries accordingly.  In this updated post I have removed the industry sector simply because many of the positions I looked at were advertised by recruitment agencies and did not specify industry.  (I didn’t want to apply for the positions to find out!) I have, however added more job titles to the Foundation table and whilst I have removed project manager positions from the Practitioner table, I have found other job titles that require that level of PRINCE2®.

Job Boards

As in my original post, I have used the lowest to highest pay scales as illustrations, basing my research on roles currently being advertised across various UK locations (and some overseas).  My research was carried out on the most popular job boards such as Indeed, Totaljobs and Reed, but I also found useful information (as well as more vacancies) on Trovit, Linkedin, ITJobswatch, CWJobs and Technojobs.  Just to give a rough idea of how many positions are available that ask for PRINCE2; Indeed boasts 196 vacancies, Reed has 526 vacancies, but Totaljobs beats them all with an impressive 1,186 vacancies (04.09.2019).  It must be considered, however, that some are duplicate vacancies advertised on several job boards.  A large majority of vacancies that I looked at only asked for PRINCE2® but did not specify at which level.

Suffice to say, that the lower salary bracket reflects the more junior positions and the higher salaries reflect the more senior ones.  Whilst my guide is only very generalized, I think you’ll find it answers the question of what jobs you can get with a PRINCE2 qualification and as well as that, what salaries are attached to those jobs.

Job Descriptions

I have left the project manager job description after the Practitioner table and have then inserted the project manager vacancy table that I found on CW Jobs. The administrator and analyst roles, however, were covered in my post on ‘How To Gain Experience For A Career In Project Management’, so I have not explained them again.  In terms of project coordinator vacancies, the role requires you to work closely with the project manager.  You will be creating schedules that include both material and manpower estimates.  You will also assist by documenting project phases and creating summaries, as well as ensuring that everyone has the right tools to meet the project deadline.

Exceptions

As with my original research, whilst creating this updated post I found several exceptions that paid a much higher salary than I have reflected (and some that paid lower), but because they were very few and far between, I have not included them in either table.

Other forms of qualifications

Whilst I have concentrated solely on what jobs are available for PRINCE2 qualification candidates, many positions I looked at (especially the better paying ones) required other forms of qualifications such as Agile, Scrum, ITIL and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP).  As well as this, Microsoft Project was frequently required as a mandatory qualification, whilst PRINCE2 might only be desirable. I have included Junior Project Manager in the Foundation table as I came across several such vacancies that asked only for this level of PRINCE2, or merely stated that PRINCE2® was required and in some cases only desirable.  Again, however some of the qualifications I mentioned above were also asked for. 

PRINCE2® Foundation Certificate Jobs and Salaries 

Having seen what jobs are available with a PRINCE2 qualification at Foundation level, the table below shows those currently available to a PRINCE2 Practitioner (04.09.2019).  You will notice that I have placed Project Analyst in both tables.  This is because I found positions that only asked for Foundation, but also found some that asked for Practitioner.  There is also a slight difference in salary depending on which level of PRINCE2® was required, so I thought this job title was worth adding to both tables. 

PRINCE2® Practitioner Certificate Jobs and Salaries

Project Manager Role

For a project manager, the emphasis is more on organisational and leadership skills, rather than knowledge of a particular industry.  Although there are several levels of project management roles; entry level, junior level, manager and ultimately senior manager level, the basic job description is similar.  In a nutshell, a project manager would oversee the delivery of a project on time and within budget. You would be accountable for the success or failure of the project in terms of management co-ordination, budget and completion date. You would work closely with the client and other stakeholders to develop scopes and objectives, as well as create a detailed project plan to track progress and manage any necessary changes. You would also evaluate and manage project risk, develop contingency plans and monitor progress and the use of resources.

Skills and attributes needed to be a project manager include:

• Applying a PRINCE2 approach to the requirements of the project.
• Establish a good working relationship with client and stakeholders
• Manage and motivate the project team
• Develop and maintain an agreed project plan and detailed stage plans
• Understand and apply risk management processes
• Plan and manage deployment of resources to meet project milestones
• Build and sustain effective communications with project team members

As an entry level manager, you would be responsible for managing perhaps one team, whilst at the more senior management level, you might find yourself managing several teams.   Again, there are hundreds of project manager vacancies.  I found the below table on CW Jobs (03.09.2019) and I thought it worth adding to this post as it shows not only the lowest to highest paying salary, but also the average according to location.

Location	Average	Range
City of London	£77,500	£62,500​-​£87,500
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire	£72,500	£57,500​-​£80,746
Central London	£72,500	£67,500​-​£79,616
Birmingham	£62,500	£52,500​-​£67,500
Edinburgh	£62,500	£42,500​-​£67,500
Leeds, West Yorkshire	£57,500	£42,500​-​£60,000
Reading	£57,500	£47,500​-​£61,250
Manchester	£52,500	£42,500​-​£57,500
Bristol	£52,500	£42,500​-​£67,500
East London	£52,500	£52,500​-​£72,500
Sheffield, South Yorkshire	£52,500	£37,500​-​£91,182
Liverpool	£47,500	£37,500​-​£47,500

Information Source

Project Manager (Contract)

As a contractor, salaries are calculated on a daily basis and are somewhat higher, on average, than the more permanent positions.  If you wish to apply for a contractor position but want to know how it pays annually, then assuming you are going to take 20 days a year holiday, 8 Bank Holidays and not work weekends, your annual number of working days will be 233.  If you then multiply this number by the daily contractual rate, you will have your annual salary. 

Whilst these figures are exciting, it must be remembered that you will probably have times when you are in between contracts and as well as that, contracts can end prematurely.

Working Overseas

A project manager can expect to earn the below average salaries should you wish to consider a travel opportunity and work overseas.  The examples I have given include the average from entry level to senior level and I have based them on vacancies advertised on Totaljobs (09.09.2019).

Remember, with a Practitioner qualification, not only can you apply for all the above jobs, but with the right skills and experience you can now start moving into the programme managerial roles.  So, with all this in mind, happy job hunting!