Project Management

Does anyone have any information on a career in project management in the construction industry? I've heard that the salary for the top PM's beats anything that legal firms etc have to offer. Is this true? Also, what do you need in terms of qualifications and experience to become a PM?

Reply 1

marabara

1

Henke

Does anyone have any information on a career in project management in the construction industry? I've heard that the salary for the top PM's beats anything that legal firms etc have to offer. Is this true? Also, what do you need in terms of qualifications and experience to become a PM?

bog standard uni degree and v little experience - that's for the project managers I know

you just work your way to the top that's all, though it'll take a while to get there

not sure about salaries, but plenty of lawyers on £1m+ and I doubt project managers will earn anything like that as they're hardly management consultants

Reply 2

LH

15

marabara

bog standard uni degree and v little experience - that's for the project managers I know

you just work your way to the top that's all, though it'll take a while to get there

not sure about salaries, but plenty of lawyers on £1m+ and I doubt project managers will earn anything like that as they're hardly management consultants

Some project managers do earn loads and do act as consultants.

Reply 3

Henke

OP

The reason some PM make so much is due to the nature of their contracts. They work on a profit share system so if they are in charge of a site costing around 15M then you don't have to be einstein to realise that they will rake it in. They could also be in charge of several projects at once.

Yes some lawyers do earn over £1 million per year but most earn pretty average salaries and many firms struggle to earn a profit. I know because I have a law degree and I have read recent publications about careers in law in the UK. It came as a shock to me too as I was led to believe that all lawyers earn loads!

Reply 4

Howard

5

marabara

bog standard uni degree and v little experience - that's for the project managers I know

you just work your way to the top that's all, though it'll take a while to get there

not sure about salaries, but plenty of lawyers on £1m+ and I doubt project managers will earn anything like that as they're hardly management consultants

Very poor advise you've given here. I'm a construction project manager myself. Here are my qualifications;

BSc(Hons) Quantity Surveying
LLb(Hons) Law
MRICS (Chartered Surveyor)
MCIOB (Chartered Builder)
MCIArb (Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)

Current salary around $140,000.00 gross.

And BTW, there are not "plenty of lawyers" making $1million +. There are a few managing partners but that's about it.

Reply 5

Howard

5

Henke

The reason some PM make so much is due to the nature of their contracts. They work on a profit share system so if they are in charge of a site costing around 15M then you don't have to be einstein to realise that they will rake it in. They could also be in charge of several projects at once.

Yes some lawyers do earn over £1 million per year but most earn pretty average salaries and many firms struggle to earn a profit. I know because I have a law degree and I have read recent publications about careers in law in the UK. It came as a shock to me too as I was led to believe that all lawyers earn loads!

My advise to you, since you already have a degree would be to contact the College of Estate Management in Reading and find out about getting onto one of their distance learning degrees in Construction Management or Quantity Surveying. Normally takes 4 years but you'd probably get some credit excemption with a law degree.

In addition you really need to get Chartered either as a Builder or as a Surveyor as most employees encourage this. Contact the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

IMO you'd do well to start your career as a Quantity Surveyor. The majority of PM's come from a QS background, either as a CQS (contractors QS) or a PQS (professional QS)

Finally, be prepared for a very shitty salary for at least 5 years. After that it improves.

Reply 6

LH

15

Howard

Current salary around $140,000.00 gross.

*goes to an online currency converter*

hmm, that's a very good salery indeed (just under £80k for anyone who can't be bothered to do their own conversion), this line of work has interested me greatly for some time.

Reply 7

Howard

5

Lord Huntroyde

*goes to an online currency converter*

hmm, that's a very good salery indeed (just under £80k for anyone who can't be bothered to do their own conversion), this line of work has interested me greatly for some time.

Not a bad whack actually. I really think that construction is terribly overklooked from a career point of view.

Project Management

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