Seeking a career in project management? Becoming a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) can open the door to a wealth of opportunities, significantly increase your salary, and establish you as a trained professional in the field.
Key Insights
- Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is a globally recognized entry-level certification designed for new and aspiring project managers.
- Obtaining CAPM certification can greatly enhance job applications, providing the necessary training and credentials to launch a career in project management.
- PMI predicts a 33% increase in project management jobs over the next five years, resulting in 22 million new positions by 2027.
- Online tutorials can be helpful for budding project managers, but a structured class is necessary for CAPM certification in order to fulfill the education requirements.
- According to PMI, the median annual salary for a Project Manager is about $116,000, which is more than double the average U.S. salary for all occupations. CAPM-certified Project Managers typically earn 25% more than their non-certified counterparts.
- Noble Desktop offers a comprehensive Project Management Bootcamp that provides the necessary training and hours required for CAPM certification.
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the entry-level professional certification for new and aspiring Project Managers. Becoming CAPM certified is the fastest way to launch a new career in project management. Watching video tutorials online is a popular method of learning CAPM certification. Online videos and tutorials can be a great way to explore an interest in project management. However, if you plan to get CAPM certified, you must take a more structured class to fulfill the education requirements. This article will cover a range of videos, including what they teach and where to find them.
What is CAPM Certification?
CAPM stands for Certified Associate in Project Management. CAPM is a professional certification for Project Managers with little to no experience or for aspiring Project Managers interested in launching a new career in project management.
CAPM is the most entry-level professional certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). CAPM certification is highly recommended for new and aspiring Project Managers with less than three years of experience. Gaining CAPM certification will make you stand out on job applications, increase your salary and opportunities, and ensure you have the necessary training and credentials to launch a new career as a Project Manager.
Project management is a very hot career path. A Project Manager is responsible for managing a project, including planning, organizing, monitoring, directing, and completing various elements of that project. PMI estimates that project management jobs will see a 33% increase over the next five years, with 22 million new project management jobs created by 2027. The exploding demand for Project Managers will lead to around 90 million jobs in the U.S. that require project management skills.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global education, networking, and professional association for Project Managers. They have been largely responsible for defining the field of project management for the past few decades through the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). PMI offers certification programs, has local chapters in more than 80 countries, organizes academic and market research programs, and offers professional development for project management professionals. PMI’s more advanced Project Management Professional (PMP) is the gold standard in project management certification.
Read more about CAPM Certification and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with CAPM Certification?
CNBC calls project management “a great way for people with non-tech backgrounds to earn lucrative tech salaries.” The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the world's leading entry-level project management certification. Earning a CAPM certification will make you stand out on the job market, open the door to more opportunities, and increase your salary.
We are in the golden age of project management: some of the industries with the largest growth in project management jobs include construction and manufacturing, information services, management and professional services, utilities, and oil and gas. Across industries, Project Managers make above-average salaries. According to PMI, the median annual salary for a Project Manager is around $116,000. The average U.S. salary for all occupations is around $50,000, which means that becoming a Project Manager would most likely nearly double your salary. For example, in an interview with CNBC, a Project Manager reports that switching from higher education to project management more than tripled her salary.
CAPM-certified Project Managers earn even more than their non-certified colleagues: PMI reports that CAPM certification results in around a 25% salary increase.
Why Are Video Tutorials Helpful for CAPM Certification?
Video tutorials can be a great way to explore an interest in project management and start learning the basics. You’ll need a strong grasp of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the four domain areas covered on the test: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts, Predictive Plan-Based Methodologies, Agile Frameworks, and Business Analysis Frameworks.
Video tutorials can be great for exploring and interest or learning the basics, but to become CAPM-certified, you will need to complete 23 hours of instructor-led project management education. PMI does not count “self-directed study” to count toward this requirement, including reading books and watching videos.
Types of CAPM Certification Videos
It’s important to remember that CAPM certification has prerequisites. To apply to become CAPM certified, you will need a high school diploma, an associate’s degree, or the global equivalent. You will also need to complete 23 hours of project management education from an approved source. For example, Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp provides comprehensive training and the hours needed to apply for certification.
The Project Management Institute (PMI), which offers CAPM certification, does not allow your required education hours to be self-directed. Watching online videos or reading books will not be counted toward the necessary hours. While online videos can be a great resource for exploring an interest or learning the basics, you’ll need to enroll in a more structured course before qualifying for the CAPM-certification exam.
Noble Desktop offers free seminars through its website and YouTube channel if you’re looking for online resources to learn about project management. For example, Project Managers must have excellent skills in Microsoft Office and Excel for budgeting, planning, and resource management. Noble Desktop’s Top 10 Beginner Excel Tricks You Need To Know is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to improve their Excel skills.
Why Earn CAPM Certification?
Project management is a very hot career path. The Project Management Institute (PMI) estimates that project management jobs will increase by 33% over the next five years, with 22 million new project management jobs created by 2027.
Project management is a skill-based field, meaning your skills are more important than formal education. It is also a relatively new field that is still establishing its career paths and expectations. PMI’s CAPM certification is the top professional certification for aspiring and entry-level Project Managers. Project Managers who are CAPM certified have more job opportunities, are more likely to get hired, and earn higher salaries. PMI estimates that CAPM-certified Project Managers earn 25% more than non-certified Project Managers.
If you’re serious about becoming a Project Manager, then it is recommended that you seek Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification. CAPM certification benefits include a higher salary, demonstrating your capabilities, more job opportunities, better understanding of project management practices, and industry-recognized credentials.
CAPM-certified Project Managers earn around 25% more than non-certified professionals. The average annual salary for a CAPM-certified Project Manager is around $101,000. More senior Project Managers earn a lot more, with a median annual salary of around $125,000. Earning a CAPM certification can help you get hired: it allows you to demonstrate that you have training in project management practices, theories, and methodologies.
Read more about CAPM Certification.
How Difficult is It to Learn CAPM Certification Skills?
Earning a professional certification could seem intimidating, especially if you’re totally new to project management. However, the CAPM is designed for new and aspiring Project Managers. Rather than focusing on professional experience managing projects, CAPM certification requires you to demonstrate knowledge in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the four primary domains: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts, Predictive Plan-Based Methodologies, Agile Frameworks, and Business Analysis Frameworks. How long you prepare for the exam depends on which training format you choose and your learning style.
There are two prerequisites to becoming CAPM certified: a secondary degree (a high school diploma or associate’s degree) and 23 hours of project management education. It is important to note that self-directed study will not apply to the education prerequisite, including watching online videos and reading books. You’ll need to choose an approved learning method, such as the Project Management Bootcamp offered by Noble Desktop. This bootcamp is a great way to learn project management from a PMP-certified Project Manager and complete education hours toward this requirement.
Becoming CAPM-certified isn’t as expensive as you might think. You’ll need to pay an application fee to take the certification exam, which typically costs around $225 to $300. The other cost will come from taking an instructor-led course that qualifies toward the education prerequisite. Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp costs around $450. This means that you could become CAPM certified for less than $1000.
Read about prerequisites for CAPM Certification.
Learn CAPM Certification Skills with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the top professional certification for new and aspiring Project Managers. Earning a CAPM certification is highly recommended for anyone serious about pursuing a new career in project management. Being CAPM-certified will create more job opportunities and lead to a higher salary: reports show that CAPM-certified Project Managers earn around $101,000, 25% more than non-certified entry-level Project Managers.
There are prerequisites to taking the CAPM exam. Before you can apply to take the CAPM-certification exam, you will need to have 0 to 3 years of project management job experience, a high school diploma, and 23 hours of project management education. Enrolling in a bootcamp like Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp is a great way to accrue the required education hours to take the exam.
Noble Desktop is a coding, business, and design school that offers project management courses live online and at its state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. All of Noble Desktop’s project management courses are taught by PMP-certified Project Managers using Noble Desktop’s highly-rated, unique approach to learning: expert instructors teach a “micro-lecture” and then immediately guide students through applying what they just learned. This unique approach to training ensures that students learn the skills they need to get hired.
Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp is highly recommended for aspiring Project Managers and those seeking CAPM certification. Students are guided hands-on through managing real-world projects to develop skills in the five phases of project management, foundational project management concepts and terminology, project scope, resource management, project costs and budgeting, and risk management. Students also get an overview of several Agile Project Management Frameworks: Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), and Kansan. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion to demonstrate their credentials.