certification
Project Management Professional
Project Management Institute
$555
exam fee · checked 2026-08
200 hrs
200 hours — about 20 weeks at 10 hrs/wk
3 yr
renewal cycle — this is a recurring cost
Project Management Institute — official page →
Where it is actually asked for
- Project Management Specialist (national)10%29 of 279 postings
- Project Management Specialist in Fresno8%4 of 51 postings
- Project Management Specialist in Los Angeles8%4 of 51 postings
- Project Management Specialist in Sacramento8%4 of 51 postings
- Project Management Specialist in San Jose8%4 of 51 postings
- Project Management Specialist in San Diego8%4 of 53 postings
- Project Management Specialist in New York6%3 of 48 postings
- Project Management Specialist in San Francisco5%6 of 116 postings
Where it barely came up
It appeared in these samples, but rarely. If one of these is the job you want, this credential is probably not the thing standing between you and it.
- Compliance Officer (national)4%2 of 49 postings
- Project Management Specialist in Albany3%1 of 31 postings
- Project Management Specialist in Buffalo3%1 of 31 postings
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing in Albany3%1 of 38 postings
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing in Buffalo3%1 of 38 postings
- Sales Manager in New York2%1 of 41 postings
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator in San Francisco1%1 of 79 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in Fresno1%1 of 82 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in Los Angeles1%1 of 82 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in Sacramento1%1 of 82 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in San Diego1%1 of 82 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in San Jose1%1 of 82 postings
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing in New York1%1 of 89 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager (national)1%3 of 342 postings
- Sales Manager (national)1%2 of 260 postings
- Computer and Information Systems Manager in San Francisco1%1 of 168 postings
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator (national)1%1 of 181 postings
- General and Operations Manager (national)0%1 of 258 postings
These percentages describe the samples we read, listed above with their sizes and dates. They are not a statement about the whole labour market, and absence from this page means we have no evidence either way — not that the credential is worthless. How we know →