Whether you’re planning a new career or interested in comparing your salary to the national average, this salary guide will help you understand the average IT project manager salary range and how some factors can influence your pay.
As an information technology (IT) project manager, you plan and oversee IT-related projects, such as designing a network or creating a website. Fortunately, with greater responsibility, you can typically expect to earn a salary higher than the national median salary. According to Glassdoor UK, whilst working as an IT project manager, you can expect a median annual salary of £49,944 [1]. Although IT project management jobs tend to pay more, several factors will influence how much money you make.
Discover how experience, location, company, and skills affect average salaries for this career.
IT project managers plan, manage, oversee, and execute IT projects such as software development, network creation, and mobile app development. In this role, your responsibilities include developing a plan for completing the project, managing scope, measuring and monitoring progress, working with team members, tracking key performance indicators, and managing risk in every stage of the process. You act as the project's point person, advocating for the team and developing solutions for the client.
As previously stated, the median annual salary for an IT project manager is £49,985 [1]. Another method to understand your potential earning power as an IT project manager is to survey websites with aggregate salary information. According to five salary sources, as of December 2024, the salary range for an IT project manager is roughly between £35,000 and £60,000 per year.
Indeed: Average salary of £46,195 per year [2]
National Careers Service: Average salary of £35,000 to £60,000 per year [3]
Talent: Average salary of £47,500 per year [4]
Payscale: Average salary of £48,636 [5]
Salary Expert: Average salary of £76,902 [6]
The exact amount you will earn as an IT project manager depends on several factors, such as years of experience, geographic location, employer, and education credentials.
While experience is a significant factor that impacts how much salary you can earn as an IT project manager, other factors can also impact it. These can include where you’re applying for work, the company you’re applying to, and what education level and certifications you’ve earned.
The more experience you gain in IT project management, the more money you’re likely to earn. It may be due to more responsibilities or gaining expertise in essential skills. The skills required to become an IT project manager often overlap with other IT roles. You may be able to move from a position like a network manager into a project management position.
An IT project manager's salary can vary by geographic location. Payscale, for example, lists the average IT project manager salary in the UK as £48,636 [5]. However, that salary can increase or decrease based on your precise location because if you live in London, you may earn as much as 41 percent above the national average; however, if you reside in Edinburgh, your salary might be 24 percent less than the average for the UK [5].
Pay tends to vary from employer to employer. Below, you can learn about several estimated annual median salaries provided by Glassdoor for IT project managers at a variety of companies as of December 2024 [1]:
IBM: £50,000
Lloyds Banking Group: £61,000
Barclays: £57,000
Capita: £45,000
UBS: £80,000
HSBC: £60,000
NHS: £42,000
Tata Consultancy Services: £60,000
Developing your skills as an IT project manager may help you qualify for more specialised roles or make you a more attractive candidate for a high-paying company. According to Payscale, having specific skills, such as Agile Software Development or requirements analysis, can increase the average salary you can expect. Other valuable skills to consider include:
Project management
IT infrastructure
Scrum
Software development
Project scope
Risk management
Leadership skills
Excellent organisation
Managing yourself as well as the team
Java
Additionally, certain certifications can help you stand out from employers. Consider this list of top certifications for project management and the organisations that provide them:
Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM), Scrum Alliance
PRINCE2 certifications, PRINCE2
CompTIA Project+ certification, CompTIA
ITIL 4 Managing Professional (MP) certification path, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
The Association for Project Management (APM) commissioned a study in 2024, and the data shows that 50 percent of businesses in the UK expect to produce more projects during the next three years [7]. This rise in projects suggests positive growth in the job market for project managers.
Globally, the job outlook for IT project managers shines as well. According to PMI’s 2023 Talent Gap report, the number of project management positions likely to open by 2030 will require 2.3 million people to fill [8]. The demand is high, and the field is growing in the UK and beyond.
Online courses are an excellent and efficient means of entering into the field of IT project management.
If IT project management is a career that excites you, consider earning your IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate on Coursera. Get job-ready for an entry-level IT project management position by building skills in Agile project management, adaptive planning, iterative development, continuous improvement, and stakeholder management.
Upon completion, get access to resume review, interview prep, career support resources, and free access to IBM's People and Soft Skills for Professional and Personal Success Specialisation.
Glassdoor. “IT Project Manager Salaries in United Kingdom, https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/united-kingdom-it-project-manager-salary-SRCH_IL.0,14_IN2_KO15,33.htm.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Indeed. “How Much Do IT Project Managers Make? (With Qualifications), https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/how-much-do-it-project-managers-make.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
National Careers Service. “IT Project Manager, https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/it-project-manager.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Talent. “Project Manager Average Salary in United Kingdom, 2024, https://uk.talent.com/salary?job=project+manager.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Payscale. “Average Project Manager, Information Technology (IT) Salary in United Kingdom, https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Project_Manager%2C_Information_Technology_(IT)/Salary.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Salary Expert. “IT Project Manager, https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/it-project-manager/united-kingdom.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Association for Project Management. “The Golden Thread, https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/research/the-golden-thread/.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
Project Management Institute. “Global Project Management Job Trends 2023, https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/global-job-trends-2023.” Accessed 29 December 2024.
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