Let’s be honest. Even if we love project management, we still want to get paid. Not only that, but we want to be paid what we’re worth. While many of us manage projects – even difficult, challenging ones – our salary does not always line up with our skill level. Some of us grind away at our job for years on end while feeling like we should be getting more. Despite growing immensely in skill and experience, we simply don’t ever seem to get that big raise or jump up the ladder like we think we deserve. It can be frustrating to work at an organization for while, having far surpassed the skill-level we had when hired, only to find out a new-hire for a similar position is making a heck of a lot more money right off the bat. What gives? If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking to get a raise, then stick around. In this article, I’ll be talking about how I got a 43% increase in pay over a 24 month period and what I did to get there!
This guide will be a no-frills, in-depth look into how I did this. Some items will be predictable, while others are outside-the-box.
For Some Time, I Was An Underpaid Project Manager Too…
Before I negotiated a raise (well, two different raises), the following comments sum up my first several years in project management. Do you relate to any of these?
I was working in entry-level or ‘assistant manager’ positions in construction title-wise for quite some time – long enough to no longer feel entry-level.
I was doing grunt work and boring tasks that few people wanted to do. Despite taking on bigger tasks over time, these time-sucking, tedious tasks were still “mine”. I was an assistant after all! Note: we all need to put in the years doing this stuff to a certain extent.
I consistently worked long hours and ran around like crazy, largely at the whim of my bosses’ needs. Again, I was an ‘assistant’. I was still expected to get my own work done, though.
My mantra at work was: “put my head down, don’t complain and do the work“. Surely I will be compensated in turn, right? Sort of…
During my early years in construction, I was relatively shy, nervous around clients, didn’t know how to speak with upper managers and not comfortable being a leader. To my bosses, I didn’t ‘look’ like a Project Manager yet.
I could put out a large volume of work, but not lead a team or make big decisions. In short, I was a workhorse.
I didn’t have much face time with upper-level management. In fact, top-level managers probably didn’t even know who I was except as a name on paper.
Despite taking on more responsibility and gaining skill, I always had the ‘beginner’ reputation following me.
It was implied that I needed to further improve my skills or prove myself in some way – no matter what I accomplished or demonstrated – before a promotion could be truly considered. Of course, some of this was justified.
I desperately wanted to become a full-fledged P.M. and was chasing it hard. Most of my ‘assistant’ peers were comfortable in their role and didn’t try so desperately to escape it. While they weren’t advancing quite as much in terms of skill, they had more regular hours and lighter workloads. I ask for no sympathy – I elected to take on more.
“More Than An Assistant Project Manager, But Not Quite A Project Manager”
Last but not least – by the time I asked for my first big raise, I was essentially a Project Manager by workload and responsibility, but an Assistant Project Manager by title and salary for a few years. This isn’t a fun place to be, but it’s necessary (more on that below).
If these situations sound relatable, then definitely keep reading! You’re certainly on the right track for a raise, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
What Kind Of Raises Did I Get, Exactly?
Now that we’ve covered a brief history of my career and early experiences, let’s talk about how I got a 43% raise in a 24 month period!
I got my first big raise of 15.8% (raise #1) with 7 years of experience. This involved getting promoted from Assistant P.M. to Project Manager. Again, I was already working in a Project Manager capacity by then.
I got my second big raise of 21% (raise #2) with 9 total years of experience.
Some additional information:
- Both raises took place at the same organization.
- Raises I got prior to year 7 were essentially cost-of-living increases with an occasional small bonus.
- Leverage via offers from other companies did play a role in raise #2.
- The first raise came after taking on additional responsibilities
- The second raise hinged on taking on an additional project and not taking another job.
- I was legitimately underpaid for my role prior to the first raise, so a portion of this raise was simply a correction.
- Performance, effort and growth played a huge part for both!
“An Overnight Success, Seven Years In The Making…”
I did get a 43% raise in a 24-month period, BUT I was working very hard at it for a couple of years without any big rewards before getting my first big promotion. Keep this in mind!
Disclaimer: These are my anecdotal experiences. Everyone’s circumstances will vary to some degree and I can’t offer any guarantee that you’ll have the same experiences or raises as I did. Maybe you’ll get more. I do feel that everyone can benefit from at least a few of these tips in terms of negotiating a better salary.
It’s to be expected that getting a big raise or a promotion comes after proving one’s self!
How I Went From Underpaid Project Manager To A Well-Compensated One In Only 24 Months…
Enough fluff. Here’s exactly what I did to get these two raises, in approximate chronological order. Many of these points aren’t secrets or short-cuts, but they worked:
- Volunteered For A Tough Project (With 5 Years Of Experience)
- Drastically Improved Organization & Planning Skills
- Worked At Least 1-2 Extra Hours Per Day
- Put In Hours On The Weekends To Reorganize & Strategize
- Learned About Profitability, Cash Flow, Budgets & Billing
- Took Training Opportunities When They Were Presented
- Learned How To Work With Clients
- Practiced Leadership Skills – Meetings, Delegation & Initiative
- Wrote My Boss A Proposal For A Raise (6.5 Years Of Experience)
- Got Told ‘No’, But Made A Plan To Get A Raise (Got Raise #1 In Year 7)
- Learned About The Whole Business, Not Just My Role
- Developed Relationships With Everyone – Coworkers, Associates, Etc.
- Started Saying ‘No’ – Breaking Out Of The Yes-Man Mentality
- Took On Work Unrelated To My Role
- Started Making Tough Decisions & Having Difficult Conversations
- Fought Through “The Suck” On A Bad Project
- Stood Up To My Bully Boss – Had Self-Respect & Knew My Worth
- Went On Interviews & Got Better Offers (Got Raise #2 In Year 9)
This list basically tells the tale of how I went from being an underpaid Project Manager to making a pretty decent salary, but I’ll elaborate on each point a little more below.
1.) Volunteer To Take On A Tough Project
We all want opportunities to challenge ourselves or prove our worth. Are you looking for an opportunity like this? Try asking for one.
That’s what I did. The company I worked for decided to bid on a difficult, challenging, multi-year project. I knew I wanted a promotion and I saw the chance to prove myself.
I literally told my boss this and expressed my desire to take it on.
I spearheaded the bidding, budgeting and estimating portions of the project. When we won it, I ‘claimed’ it as my own. Even though I wasn’t a Project Manager yet by title, I specifically asked my boss to let me be the P.M. on that project. I got my wish.
The Lesson: Volunteer to take on a tough project, even if it’s outside of your pay-grade or title. Yes, you’re volunteering to be an underpaid Project Manager for a little while, but you get to prove yourself in exchange. If you get told ‘no’, then volunteer for the next one.
Read Next: 10 Common Issues Project Managers Face & How To Solve Them
2.) Drastically Improve Organization & Planning Skills
Being a Project Manager means that we usher the project from beginning to end – on time and on budget.
Doing this involves thinking about the big picture – not only thinking about the work we need to do today, but what needs to be done tomorrow, next week and even next month. Doing so avoid delays, surprises and trouble.
Managing a project successfully also involves being extremely organized. To-do lists, paperwork, schedules, calendars, emails, phone calls, meetings and so many other processes need to be completely on point. This ensures that work gets done efficiently and correctly in a timely manner.
Think about this: If we are managing an employee who doesn’t plan for the future, is inefficient, not punctual and disorganized…do we want to promote them or give them a raise? No way!
The Lesson: Learn how to plan out your days, weeks and months. Spend time on organization, communication and working efficiently.
Recommended Book On Organization
Read Next: Project Management Efficiency Tricks & Hacks: 10 Go-To Techniques
3.) Work At Least One Extra Hour Per Day
According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, it takes about 10,000 hours of dedication towards a skill or subject to achieve mastery.
If the average person working in project management spends 45 hours working each week across 50 weeks per year, that’s 2,250 hours worked per year. It would take roughly 4.5 years to achieve ‘mastery’ at this rate.
What if someone spends 55 hours working each week, though?
Across 50 weeks per year, that’s 2,750 hours worked. That’s an additional 500 hours worked per year compared to a 45-hour week and 750 hours more than a standard 40-hour week. That 10,000 hour mark is achieved in just over 3.5 years.
This is just a rough example with many nuances but by working an extra hour or two every day on useful, critical work, one can literally get years ahead in terms of skill-level over enough time – and time moves fast!
The Lesson: Extra time spent each day will compound over time into a much higher level of performance and skill. This shrinks the amount of time you spend as an underpaid Project Manager!
Recommended Book On Improvements
Read Next: 7 Simple, Effective Ways To Get Ahead As A Project Manager
4.) Put In Hours On The Weekends To Reorganize & Strategize
The world of project management is full of interruptions, problems to solve, surprises and more – even for the most organized among us.
When our afternoon is wiped out by work our boss gives us or our day gets derailed due to an emergency, our organizing and strategizing time takes a hit.
Think about it: how often do you have time at work to step back, organize and look at the big picture? In my experience as a construction P.M., it’s usually outside of normal working hours.
No one wants to work on the weekends, but putting in a couple hours during the weekend to plan and stay organized will pay you back in major ways – this includes efficiency and performance.
The Lesson: A little bit of extra investment on the weekends to plan and strategize can provide a huge boost in how you perform as a Project Manager.
Recommended Book On Effort
Read Next: Going To The Office On The Weekend: 5 Situations When It’s Beneficial
5.) Learn About Profitability, Cash Flow, Budgets & Billing
Doing our job well is a great thing. However, this doesn’t always translate into running a business well.
What makes a business stay in business? Money.
If you want to become truly valuable to your organization, it’s vital to learn how the company makes money, how money gets lost and how it can make even more money in the future.
Here are a few questions I asked myself and in turn, learned everything I could possibly learn about finance in Project Management:
- How does my company make money?
- How much revenue did we make last year?
- What profit margin do we need to maintain?
- How can we (fairly) bill customers to protect ourselves and maintain cash flow?
- What are the biggest or most important items in a project’s budget?
- How can we streamline and standardize estimating and budgeting for upcoming projects to avoid past mistakes?
Recommended Book On Finances
The Lesson: If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking for a raise, understanding how the company makes money and what you can do to bring it in will go a long way towards getting one.
6.) Take Training Opportunities When They’re Presented
The marker of a good company or organization is what they invest into their employees. I was fortunate enough to work for a company that did so.
This company offered to provide and/or pay for training related to project management, marketing, sales, public speaking, leadership and more.
The problem? Nearly all of this training was offered after hours. Even if it was during the day, we were still expected to get our own work done on top of it.
In the majority of situations, I bit the bullet and took these training opportunities. Not only do you develop your skills further, but it shows the company that you’re dedicated to improving – this is a big talking point when promotions or raises come around.
Your company doesn’t offer this? There are numerous online courses or community college programs that can teach things like marketing, people skills, leadership and more. Worst case, you can buy books and study them.
The Lesson: While obvious, additional training and skill-development is a huge part of getting promoted. If you’re an underpaid Project Manager, take opportunities to hone your skills and get better. Similar to point no. 3, a few extra hours spent on training every few weeks pays dividends before you know it.
Read Next: How Project Managers Waste Their Time: Avoid Doing These 13 Things!
7.) Learn How To Work With Clients
As we discussed earlier, businesses need money to survive. Who pays businesses? Their clients!
In order to keep existing clients and acquire new ones, it’s essential to provide services and experiences they benefit from.
In order to become a Project Manager, one must learn to work with clients. This includes:
- Keeping clients informed and updated regularly
- Building trust and rapport
- Prioritizing the client and their needs
- Interacting with them in a professional, confident and conscientious manner.
The Lesson: Pay close attention to what your businesses’ clients need and require. Learn to build and maintain trust with them. Put the clients’ needs as a priority.
Recommended Book On Client Relationships
Read Next: Working For Difficult Clients As A Project Manager: Avoid These 5 Things
8.) Practice Leadership Skills – Meetings, Delegation & Initiative
If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking for a raise, it’s imperative that you’re able to lead others, delegate work and take initiative.
If a business owner or upper-level manager is going to give a promotion or raise, they’re going to view it as an investment.
Giving a raise effectively translates to ‘buying’ performance, accomplishments and most of all – fewer headaches!
How can a boss buy performance, progress and peace of mind? Pay someone who can make them happen.
When planning out my week, I began to make note of any task that involved other people and what they must get done to make my plan happen. Then, I would either email them or discuss in person whatever needs to be done and why. I took the initiative to get teamwork in motion myself.
The opposite of this is to rely on your boss to do the delegating and initiating. If they must take the lead on everything, they won’t see any point in promoting you.
The Lesson: View your raise as an investment from your company. Become someone who carries a substantial part of the load.
Recommended Book On Leadership
Read Next: Being Direct In The Workplace, Without Being A Jerk: 10 Simple Steps
9.) Write Your Boss A Proposal For A Raise Or Promotion
Asking for a raise takes guts, but is it enough? In my experience – not quite.
I recommend writing out a ‘raise proposal letter‘ for your boss to review. Here are a few things to include:
- What you want: A raise, promotion or both. Be specific!
- Why you deserve it: Address your track record, performance and skills.
- What you’re willing to do for it: Take on additional responsibility, handle bigger projects, etc.
- Backup for your request: I recommend printing out 2-3 salary reports from Salary or Glassdoor for similar positions to yours.
- Be open to discussion: Ask your manager what they’d like to see from you in the future to justify the raise.
The Lesson: If you’re requesting a raise and/or promotion, come prepared. Having a clear proposal written with justifications, talking points, specific requests and backup goes a long way.
Recommended Book On Negotiations
10.) Asked For A Raise & Got Told ‘No’? Make A Plan To Get One
The first time I asked for a substantial raise, I was told no.
I was disappointed, but I wasn’t going to let the entire discussion just fade away.
Instead, I met with my boss for over an hour to discuss what it will take to get a raise.
The discussion closely followed item no. 9 above, including some metrics I needed to hit in order to receive a raise. I also established a timeframe for this to happen in.
If you ask for a raise and receive a ‘no’, I recommend creating a six-month plan to get one. Six months is a long enough time to make real, measurable progress without burning out, going crazy or watching other potential opportunities slip away.
Lastly, be sure to document this plan in some way. I personally wrote my boss a summary email of what we discussed, what I will work on and mentioned the six-month timeframe in closing.
After six months of hitting these goals and carrying out the plan, I got the 15.8% raise I requested.
The Lesson: You may ask for a raise or promotion and get rejected at first. In these moments, making a plan with your boss gives you an outline to follow and a soft-guarantee that you have a raise coming in the near future if you do what’s necessary.
Read Next: Signs Of A Positive Work Environment: Our Top 10 Indicators To Look For
11.) Learn About The Whole Business, Not Just Your Role
As we discussed previously, learning about how your business brings in money is a critical step towards getting promoted.
Learning about how the company operates as a whole is equally important. Knowing your role is a good place to start. If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking for a bigger opportunity, it’s vital to understand how everything works.
Here are some things to learn about your company:
- How does the accounting process work?
- What administrative processes are in place?
- How does technology and software operate?
- Which parts of other departments are a pain to deal with?
- When do planning and visionary meetings take place?
- How can you help?
Not sure how to learn these things? Ask someone from each department! More specifically, you can talk to them about how your role affects their work and what you can do collaboratively to make things smoother, easier and more efficient.
The Lesson: By learning about how the company operates as a whole, you can increase the size and scope of your role within it. You’ll effectively become indispensable to your organization, which provides you with leverage.
Recommended Books On Business Basics
Read Next: Working At A Large Company Vs. Small Company: The Pros & Cons
12.) Develop Relationships With Everyone – Coworkers, Associates, Etc.
Networking is extremely important. Other than the coworkers you deal with on a regular basis, how often do you really get to know anyone outside of this close circle?
In reality, there are very few opportunities (relatively) to get to know any coworkers or associates other than who’s on your team, department or whatever. It’s important to make each interaction count.
This ESPECIALLY includes upper management! Any opportunity you have to speak with them, it should be your goal to come across as competent, professional and passionate about your work. Don’t hesitate to speak your mind if you have ideas.
After all, you are only as good as your reputation when it comes to work. This statement is true both inside and outside of your organization.
The more people you have a good relationship with and the better you can connect with them, the more likely it’ll be you that comes to mind when help is needed, a new project comes up or another opportunity presents itself.
The Lesson: Make the most of any opportunity you can to build stronger relationship with management, coworkers and associates, no matter how small of an investment it seems. Over enough time, you’ll be the one people think of for future opportunities.
Recommended Books On Building Relationships
Read Next: How To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust: The Do’s & Don’ts
13.) Start Saying No: Break Out Of The Yes-Man Mentality
When we’re an underpaid Project Manager, it only makes sense that we should say ‘yes’ to everything we’re asked to do, right? Not always true!
What is a ‘yes-man’ (or ‘yes-woman’)? In some ways, they’re a person who has no real judgement or ability to think on their own.
If a boss asks a yes-‘person’ to jump off a bridge, they do it! Half-kidding.
In all seriousness, saying ‘no’ communicates a few things, either overtly or covertly:
- You have some level of authority (perception is often reality).
- You’ve got a backbone.
- You’re willing to be honest.
- You’ve got ideas of your own.
- You’re willing to make tough discussions.
- You have priorities and a sense of judgement.
- You’ll know when your time is being wasted or used poorly.
- You’re not willing to be pushed in any direction the wind blows.
If you’re an underpaid Project Manager, the solution may be as simple as changing your mindset and demeanor! Of course, saying ‘no’ must be done with tact and professionalism.
The Lesson: Saying ‘no’ isn’t about being a jerk – it’s more about being honest. It’s about knowing what your priorities are, what work you must get done, when a task makes sense vs. when it’s a waste of time, pointing out inefficiencies, proposing your own ideas and generally being a person capable of standing on their own.
Recommended Books On Saying ‘No’
Read Next: How To Stop Being Too Nice At Work: 12 Simple, Quick Techniques
14.) Take On Work Unrelated To Your Role
Early in my construction project management career, my first boss gave me valuable advice.
“If you truly want to advance in this business, you need to learn how to stand out. Take on something extra and make it yours.”
He wasn’t wrong. When taking a look at the Project Managers 5-7 years ahead of me – who were making the big cash – I realized that in addition to being great Project Managers, they also had spearheaded side projects that were instrumental to the company’s operation.
Once I realized this, these side projects just seemed to magically appear for the taking.
A few examples of side projects I’ve done include:
- Tracking and organizing safety training certifications for workers in the field.
- Tracking and managing the calibration, location and status of testing equipment for concrete work, etc.
- Establishing vendor relationships and arranging presentations, meetings, discussions, etc. for company-wide partnerships.
- Agreeing to go to career fairs as a company spokesperson.
- Co-creating an estimating resource for production rates and unit prices.
The Lesson: If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking to make big strides forward, find a project you can take on beyond your normal duties that the company really needs – and nail it.
15.) Start Making Tough Decisions & Having Difficult Conversations
The upper-most managers of a company need to make tough decisions. They must deal with conflicts. They have to navigate through disputes. They’ll no doubt have to be uncomfortable at times and handle the stress that comes with it.
That said, employees at all levels are human. If your boss or upper management can relieve themselves of some of these duties, they’ll do so gladly.
If you’re an underpaid Project Manager in search of a promotion – provide your bosses with that relief!
This means NOT bringing every problem to your boss so they can handle it. This means giving your boss solutions, not issues. This means having tough conversations, making decisions and handling project disputes on your own.
If that’s scary, then it’s vital to learn how to negotiate as a Project Manager.
The Lesson: By taking on difficult decisions and dealing with problems, your bosses won’t have to. Giving you a raise or promotion in exchange for that comfort is mutually beneficial.
Read Next: Common Weaknesses Of Project Managers: Overcoming My 6 Main Flaws
16.) Fight Through “The Suck” On A Bad Project
Every Project Manager will have a bad project at some point. It’s practically a rite of passage.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
The difference between a hero and coward comes down to actions, not feelings.
Grinding through the difficulties of a bad project is a great way to show your worth, your tenacity and your ability to get sh*t done.
Who’s more worthy of a raise: A tough, never-quit P.M. who keeps pushing forward or one who starts whining, retreating and quitting when things get tough?
We all know who.
The Lesson: Don’t quit when adversity comes your way – challenge it head on. If you try your absolute best, display grit and move forward with determination, your actions will speak for themselves.
Recommended Book On Mental Toughness
Read Next: Overwhelmed By Big Projects? 6 Approaches With Metaphors & Examples
17.) Stand Up To A Bad Boss – Have Self-Respect & Know Your Worth
Click here to read all about my bad, manipulative boss if you like.
In short, I was doing just about everything on this list prior to getting my second big raise, with emphasis on long hours and grinding through ‘the suck’ – and I received nothing but negativity in return.
My boss at the time was a true jerk – one who practically worked against me and wanted me to fail. He was like this with others, but especially with me.
After several blow-out fights, instances of betrayal and countless mind-numbing interactions, I came to realize that I was wasting my time at work fighting an uphill battle with no end – even after getting my first big raise and promotion a couple years earlier, I wanted out.
I knew I was undeserving of the constant criticism and put-downs he doled out. So, I told him off.
While I did so respectfully, tactfully and honestly, I straight-up told him that he’s working against me. We don’t have a real team at all. That he’s wrong to criticize every part of my work despite lacking major resources, putting in ridiculous hours and still finding success. I deserve better.
I gave my notice the following day.
18. Go On Three Interviews & Get Better Offers
After telling off my boss, I polished up my resume and began applying to other jobs.
I even got an offer that was 21% higher than my salary at the time. Funnily enough, my boss’ boss fought to keep me on board. He promised to match the salary I was offered and arrange that I’d report directly to him instead.
In exchange, I had to agree to take on an additional project on top of ‘the suck’ I was already managing. For a 21% raise, this was worth it.
While the workload did increase, I got to stay where I was, keep the same coworkers I enjoyed working with over the years and get a nice bump in pay – all while distancing myself from the bad boss.
The Lesson: This was only possible by actively implementing item no.’s 1 through 17 above over a meaningful period of time!
Read Next: How Do You Manage Multiple Projects Effectively? Our Top 10 Techniques
Getting A Raise As An Underpaid Project Manager: In Closing
I began wiring this article as a comprehensive guide for underpaid Project Managers to get promotions and raises. There are no secrets or shortcuts, but this article has outlined every single thing I did to get one. If you’re looking to get a big raise or promotion soon, I don’t think you can go wrong by following this list. Thanks a lot for reading and I hope this helps.
