10 PMI Certifications to Level Up Your Project Management Career in 2025

Key takeaways

• The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers numerous certifications for different experience levels.

• These certifications can be beneficial to your project management career, leading to higher salaries and more opportunities.

• You will need to meet certain eligibility requirements, which typically include obtaining project management education and a combination of academic education and professional experience, before taking any of PMI's certification exams.

Learn more about the kinds of PMI certifications you can earn if you're looking for a valued career credential. Afterward, work toward the 35-hour project management education requirement—and earn a separate credential for your resume—by enrolling in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

10 PMI certifications to consider

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an organization that offers project management certifications, like the popular PMP certification. These credentials range from entry-level to advanced, and can be taken in broad or specialized areas.

Learn more about the different PMI certifications you can explore if you're looking for a valued credential to add to your resume.

1. Project Management Professional (PMP)

With over a million certificate holders worldwide, the PMP is one of the most popular and well-recognized certificates in this field. Getting the certification includes a rigorous exam that tests your knowledge of managing people, conducting processes, and making business-minded decisions.

The exam consists of 180 scored questions related to such tasks as planning and managing a project's scope and engaging stakeholders.

• Good for: Professionals who already have some experience managing projects and want to level up their careers

• Who qualifies? To be eligible, you'll need 35 hours of project management education and a combination of academic education and professional experience, though PMI offers different sets to help more people qualify. Learn more about the PMP eligibility requirements.

• Cost: $675 for non-PMI members, $425 for PMI members

2. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

The CAPM is geared toward entry-level professionals with less than three years of experience looking to take on more responsibility or add project management skills to their resumes.

The exam covers such learning objectives as project communication management and project risk management.

• Good for: Those just getting started with project management who are looking to grow their experience and expertise in this field

• Who qualifies: Since the CAPM is for professionals just starting to gain their project management chops, no significant previous experience is required. You do need a secondary degree (high school diploma, associate degree, or equivalent), and are expected to complete 23 hours of project management education before you take the exam.

• Cost: $300 for non-PMI members, $225 for PMI members

Read more: CAPM vs. PMP: Which Is Best for You?

Lowering the cost of the CAPM

If you’re a full-time student in an accredited degree-granting program, you may also be eligible for the student bundle. You might also approach faculty members teaching project management courses at your school to see if they have bulk purchase agreements with PMI, which may save you further costs. If you're employed and think the CAPM can benefit your work, consider asking your manager if your organization will cover the exam and training costs.

3. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

The PMI-ACP certifies your competency in Agile project management, a style of project management that emphasizes short sprints and adaptability. The exam consists of 100 scored items in areas such as problem detection and resolution and adaptive planning.

• Good for: Project managers who have some Agile experience and intend to continue using Agile in their teams or organization

• Who qualifies: Prerequisites include 28 hours of Agile training, two years of Agile experience, and a high school diploma, GED, or global equivalent.

• Cost: $495 for non-PMI members, $435 for PMI members

4. Disciplined Agile

PMI offers four Disciplined Agile certifications: Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM), Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM), Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC), and Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant (DAVSC). The certifications require varying levels of experience and allow beginners to learn the basics of the methodology and more seasoned Agile users to deepen their skill set.

• Good for: Project managers who regularly work with Agile and Scrum

• Who qualifies: Candidates must have a minimum of three years of experience working in Agile in a leadership role. Each credential also requires completing a two- to three-day training program from a qualifying Disciplined Agile course provider.

• Cost: Varies depending on the training partner selected

5. Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)

Successful project management often means having a good understanding of how to manage business objectives. The PMI-PBA exam consists of 200 scored questions. It will test you in needs assessment, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and other criteria related to the business analysis aspects of project management.

• Good for: Professionals who want to build on their specialized knowledge of business analysis

• Who qualifies: To qualify, you’ll need to have at least 60 months of business analysis experience, a high school diploma or global equivalent, and 35 contact hours of coursework in business analysis. If you have a college degree, you don't need as much professional experience to qualify.

• Cost: $555 for non-PMI members, $405 for PMI members

6. Program Management Professional (PgMP)

The PgMP is designed for professionals who are advanced in their careers and can oversee multiple projects for the success of a program. PgMP holders are expected to be able to steer complex tasks across different organizations, geographic locations, and cultures. Obtaining the PgMP entails successfully passing a panel review and taking a certification exam. The exam consists of 170 scored questions covering such tasks as developing relationships with stakeholders and evaluating new or existing project risks.

• Good for: Program managers who have several years of experience and have managed complex projects

• Who qualifies: A relatively advanced certification, the PgMP is geared toward those with several years of program management experience (around 4-7 years). Minimum prerequisites include a high school diploma or global equivalent, 48 months of project management experience, and 84 months of program management experience. If you have a college degree, you don't need as much professional experience to qualify.

• Cost: $1,000 for non-PMI members, $800 for PMI members

7. Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)

If you’ve successfully managed one or multiple portfolios for an organization, the PfMP can be the stamp that shows your competency. The certification process involves a panel review and a multiple-choice exam. The exam consists of 170 scored questions covering maintaining a communication strategy and monitoring portfolio performance.

• Good for: Those who have taken their careers into portfolio management and have achieved an executive or senior level

• Who qualifies: To apply for the PfMP, you’ll need a minimum of 96 months of professional business experience within the last 15 years, and 84 months of portfolio management experience if you have a high school diploma or associate degree. That number drops to 48 months of portfolio management experience if you have a bachelor’s degree.

• Cost: $1,000 for non-PMI members, $800 for PMI members

8. PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)

The PMI-RMP is designed to verify the skills of advanced risk management professionals. PMI-RMPs will have the credentials to show that they are ready to assess and reduce risk for large or complex projects.

The exam consists of 180 scored questions covering such areas as analyzing risk process performance and educating stakeholders in risk principles and processes.

• Good for: Risk management professionals with several years of experience

• Who qualifies: If you have a high school diploma, associate degree, or an equivalent credential, you’ll need 36 months of experience managing project risk in the last five years, plus 40 hours of project risk management education. With a college degree, you’ll need 24 months of project risk management experience in the last five years, and 30 hours of project risk management education.

• Cost: $675 for non-PMI members, $425 for PMI members

9. PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)

Good scheduling can be crucial to a project's success. PMI-SPs will verify your capacity as a professional to create optimal schedules for global, virtual, and highly complex teams and projects in the twenty-first century.

The exam consists of 170 scored questions covering areas such as estimating activity durations and performing schedule risk analysis.

• Good for: Project managers who want to deepen and demonstrate their scheduling capacity

• Who qualifies: You’ll need some experience handling schedules before you apply to be a PMI-SP. If you have a high school diploma or associate degree, you’ll need to have spent 40 months in the last five years in project scheduling, with 40 hours of project scheduling coursework. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need 28 months of project scheduling experience within the last five years, and 30 hours of education in project scheduling. See the PMI-SP Handbook for additional eligibility information.

• Cost: $670 for non-PMI members, $520 for PMI members

10. PMI Project Management Ready

Designed for students, the PMI Project Management Ready certification is a unique credential that will introduce learners to basic project management concepts. The credential exposes young students to the project management community and enhances their lives with organizational and management skills.

• Good for: Students and anybody else who wants to gain exposure to the world of project management

• Who qualifies: Anybody who can read at a seventh-grade level, has basic computer skills, and can participate in training and taking exams can qualify for this credential.

• Cost: $123

Are PMI certifications worth it?

A certification from PMI can show employers and other industry insiders your competency in project management. That said, deciding if a PMI certification can give you the skills you need and bolster your career depends on your unique situation, industry, and career goals. Though some employers might prefer project managers with certification, many opportunities don’t require them.

There is evidence that correlates certain PMI certifications with monetary benefit. The PMP, for example, has been linked to higher incomes. A PMI survey found that PMP-certified members in the US reported a median salary of $120,000, compared to $95,000 for those without the PMP [1].

How do I get a PMI certification?

Follow the steps below to pursue PMI certification:

• Meet the requirements. Each PMI certification has a different set of requirements you’ll have to meet to test for the certification. Before applying, you’ll want to ensure you have a record of any applicable project management experience.

• Apply. Once you think you’re in good standing to qualify for an exam, you can make an account with PMI and apply for certification. If you’re approved, that’s when you’ll pay the exam fee and schedule an exam.

• Take the exam. Certification exams generally take three to four hours and combine multiple-choice, multiple-response, matching, hotspot, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Some advanced certifications may have a panel review as part of your certification process.

• Maintain your certification. Each PMI certification is valid for three years. In that time, you’ll need to earn a set amount of PDUs—professional development units—to maintain your certification. PDUs are hours you spend either learning, teaching, or volunteering in your project management certification area (so 30 PDUs will translate to 30 hours of your time). The number of PDUs necessary to keep your certification will depend on the certification.

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