Ridgeline$170k median pay
7 postings
View jobs ↗ at Ridgeline matching CAPM
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Validates foundational knowledge of project management, predictive delivery, agile approaches and business analysis for supporting project work.
Summary
CAPM is PMI's entry-level project management certification for students, career changers and project team members who cannot yet qualify for PMP. It tests fundamentals, predictive and agile delivery, and business analysis in a 150-question exam.
Good fit if
- You are moving into project management without PMP experience
- You are a student, coordinator or team member
- You plan to take PMP, whose training requirement CAPM meets
Look elsewhere if
- You have three or more years leading projects: PMP
- You work only on Scrum teams: PSM I
- You want project training without an exam: Google Project Management
Salary & jobs
828 US job postings ask for CAPM, with Project Manager as the most common job title. The median pay is $113k a year; most fall between $88k and $140k.
Top-paying job titles
Most common job titles
| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program Manager | $147k | 12 |
| Project Manager | $109k | 73 |
| Technical Project Manager | $104k | 8 |
| Associate Project Manager | $103k | 6 |
| Project Coordinator | $75k | 26 |
Top-paying employers
Ridgeline
Leidos$130k median pay
7 postings
View jobs ↗ at Leidos matching CAPM
Guidehouse$125k median pay
20 postings
View jobs ↗ at Guidehouse matching CAPM
Motorola$123k median pay
6 postings
View jobs ↗ at Motorola matching CAPM
CACI$122k median pay
9 postings
View jobs ↗ at CACI matching CAPM
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)$120k median pay
34 postings
View jobs ↗ at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) matching CAPM
Booz Allen$114k median pay
11 postings
View jobs ↗ at Booz Allen matching CAPM| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | $109k | 73 |
| Project Coordinator | $75k | 26 |
| Construction Project Manager | - | 18 |
| Program Manager | $147k | 12 |
| IT Project Manager | - | 8 |
| Technical Project Manager | $104k | 8 |
| Associate Project Manager | $103k | 6 |
| Assistant Facilities Manager | - | 5 |
| Business Analyst | - | 5 |
| Master Scheduler | - | 5 |
| Project Customer Experience | $211k | 5 |
| Project Engineer | - | 5 |
| Project Manager II | - | 5 |
| Project Manager Operational Excellence | - | 5 |
| Financial Analyst | - | 4 |
Top employers
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)34 postings
$120k median pay
Most common title: Construction Project Manager
View jobs ↗ at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) matching CAPMGuidehouse20 postings
$125k median pay
Most common title: Strategy Transformation Consultant
View jobs ↗ at Guidehouse matching CAPMBooz Allen11 postings
$114k median pay
Most common title: Financial Analyst
View jobs ↗ at Booz Allen matching CAPM
Lam Research10 postings
Most common title: Technical Program Manager 5
View jobs ↗ at Lam Research matching CAPMCACI9 postings
$122k median pay
Most common title: Military Program Project Operations Coordinator
View jobs ↗ at CACI matching CAPMLeidos7 postings
$130k median pay
Most common title: Dtra I3Ts Program Coordinator
View jobs ↗ at Leidos matching CAPMRidgeline7 postings
$170k median pay
Most common title: Project Customer Experience
View jobs ↗ at Ridgeline matching CAPMMotorola6 postings
$123k median pay
Most common title: Command Center Solutions And Services Southeast Program Manager
View jobs ↗ at Motorola matching CAPMPrerequisites
Cost
What holders say
Helps career switchers and new grads get noticed, especially paired with real work
Holders describe CAPM opening early PM-adjacent doors, such as a support analyst moving toward technical PM work. It works best alongside internships, military service or other operational background.
Its most agreed-upon payoff is a route toward PMP
Most agree the main payoff is that an active CAPM meets PMP's 35-hour training requirement. People who cannot yet qualify for PMP often take it mainly to open that path.
Rarely opens doors by itself, and many employers have not heard of it
CAPM alone rarely produces interviews, and many employers have not heard of it. Some holders call it low-value next to PMP or real experience. It matters most with little PM background.
Certification path
PMI accepts the Google Project Management Certificate as the education for CAPM. An active CAPM counts as the 35 hours of education PMP requires.
Renewal
CAPM is valid for 3 years.
- Validity
- 3 years
- Renewal requirement
- 15 PDUs per cycle
- Renewal fee
- $150 USD$60 for PMI members
PDUs are professional development units: one hour of learning, teaching, volunteering or similar work earns one PDU. PDUs earned for another active PMI certification, such as PMP, also count for CAPM.
PMI CAPM renewal FAQs ↗Alternatives
PMP$695 required · Advanced
The senior PMI credential, for people who can document 3 to 5 years of project leadership.
Google Project Management$294 required · Entry
A course-based certificate with no exam. It also counts toward the CAPM training requirement.
PSM I$200 required · Entry
A cheaper, Scrum-only test with no training requirement and no expiry.
FAQ
Does CAPM require work experience?
No. You need a secondary diploma, 23 hours of project management education and to be at least 18.
How do I get the 23 hours?
Take a qualifying course: a PMI Authorized Training Partner, PMI’s own course, a university program or an online course with an end-of-course assessment. Reading books or watching videos on your own does not count. The Google Project Management Certificate also qualifies.
How hard is the CAPM exam?
It has 150 questions in 3 hours, and PMI does not publish a passing score. Candidates say business analysis questions are the hardest, and opinions on whether practice exams are easier or harder than the real exam are mixed.
Is the CAPM exam changing for PMBOK 8?
No change has been announced. The exam still follows the 2023 Exam Content Outline, so study the outline rather than any one edition of the PMBOK Guide.
Can I use CAPM toward PMP?
Yes. An active CAPM meets the 35-hour training requirement on a PMP application. You still need the PMP experience.
How long is CAPM valid?
Three years. Earn 15 PDUs and pay the renewal fee to renew.
Last updated October 2026