Exam fee
$655
Non-member price; PMI members pay $405
Cost, pay and fit
Is PMP worth it?
Yes, if you already lead projects and want that recognized. It’s PMI’s main credential for experienced project managers. It’s also a commitment: PMI requires years of experience and training before you can sit the exam, and the fee is among the higher ones.
Last updated
The cost
What it costs
The exam fee is the certification’s fixed cost. Study material and your own time come on top.
Keeping it
Valid for 3 years
Earn 60 PDUs within the three-year cycle, across PMI’s Talent Triangle
A fee covers one attempt: if you don’t pass, the next attempt is paid for again. What every exam costs
The return
What the jobs pay
US government figures for the occupations this certification most often leads to.
Project management specialists
$102,320
Median pay a year, 2025
- Employed
- 1,094,300
- Openings a year
- About 76,500
- Outlook
- Expected to grow much faster than average (7% or higher) from 2025 to 2035
PMP is aimed at the experienced end of this occupation.
These figures cover everyone in the occupation in the United States, with or without the certification, at every level of experience. Starting pay is lower, and no certification guarantees a job.
Source: O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and employment projections. Checked November 10, 2026. How we check our facts
Recognition
What the vendor says
Quoted from the vendor’s own page, so read it as their claim.
PMI says PMP is accredited by the American National Standards Institute against the ISO/IEC 17024 standard for bodies that certify people.
PMI’s PMP handbook (PDF) · Read November 10, 2026
PMI asks for at least three years leading projects with a four-year degree, or five without one, plus 35 hours of project management education.
PMI’s PMP handbook (PDF) · Read November 10, 2026
Your decision
Is PMP worth it for you?
It’s worth it if
- you’ve led projects for several years and want to move into bigger ones or a formal project management role.
- the roles you want ask for PMP.
- you work across industries and want a credential that isn’t tied to one technology.
Think twice if
- you don’t yet have the experience PMI requires. CAPM is the one you can sit now.
- your work is agile software delivery only. PMI-ACP or a Scrum certification may fit better.
FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
Is PMP worth it in 2026?
Yes, if you already lead projects and want that recognized. It’s PMI’s main credential for experienced project managers. It’s also a commitment: PMI requires years of experience and training before you can sit the exam, and the fee is among the higher ones.
How much does PMP cost?
$655 (non-member price; PMI members pay $405). Check PMI’s site for the price in your country.
What jobs does PMP lead to, and what do they pay?
The closest occupation is project management specialists (median pay $102,320 a year in 2025). The figures are for the United States, from O*NET OnLine, the US Department of Labor’s occupation database. They cover everyone in the occupation, with or without the certification, so starting pay is lower.
Does PMP expire?
Valid for 3 years. To keep it: earn 60 PDUs within the three-year cycle, across PMI’s Talent Triangle.
How hard is PMP?
We rate it advanced, going by the level PMI gives it and the experience it expects. PMI doesn’t publish a passing score for PMP. PMI sets it by psychometric analysis. To sit the exam, PMI requires 3 years leading projects (5 without a degree) and 35 hours of training.
