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Statistics · 55 sourced figures

Project Management Statistics 2026

This page collects figures on how often projects succeed and fail, how much time teams lose to coordination, how organizations buy and use project and work management software, how AI is changing project work, and what the project workforce looks like. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026. A few older figures are kept because they are still the most cited primary measurements: Asana's Anatomy of Work surveys from 2020 and 2021, Gartner's 2022 digital worker survey and the University of Oxford IT project overrun datasets. Sources are professional bodies (PMI, APM), a PPM consultancy survey (Wellingtone), government auditors in the US and UK (GAO, NISTA), the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, vendor research from Asana, Atlassian, Microsoft and ClickUp, Gartner, and the quarterly results of Asana and monday.com. Each figure states its scope and year.

By the TopToolAdvisor research desk · Updated November 5, 2026 · 55 figures from 21 sources

Quick answer

PMI's December 2025 study of more than 5,800 professionals found that only half of projects fully succeed, 37% partly deliver and 13% fail outright, and Wellingtone's 2026 report found just 36% of organizations mostly or always finish projects on time. Coordination eats much of the working week: Asana measured 58% of the workday going to work about work, Atlassian found teams spend 25% of their time searching for answers, and Microsoft telemetry shows workers interrupted every 2 minutes. Demand for project skills keeps rising, with the BLS projecting 7% job growth for US project management specialists from 2025 to 2035 and a median wage of $102,320.

Key figures

  1. HalfPMI's 2025 global study of more than 5,800 project professionals, stakeholders and knowledge workers found that only half of projects meet its definition of success: value that exceeds the effort and expense, as seen by all key stakeholders.Project Management Institute
  2. 37%In the same 2025 PMI study, 37% of projects only partly delivered the expected results and 13% failed outright.Project Management Institute
  3. 36%Only 36% of organizations in Wellingtone's 2026 State of Project Management survey of project and portfolio practitioners always or mostly complete projects on time.Wellingtone
  4. 31%31% of complex projects failed to achieve the full scope of their intended benefits in PMI's 2026 research, more than twice the rate for projects overall.Project Management Institute
  5. 25%Leaders and teams spend 25% of their time just searching for answers, according to Atlassian's 2025 State of Teams survey of 12,000 knowledge workers and 200 executives.Atlassian
  6. 2 minutesMicrosoft 365 telemetry for 2025 shows employees are interrupted every 2 minutes on average by a meeting, email or notification.Microsoft
  7. 6%89% of executives in Atlassian's 2026 survey say AI increases speed, but only 6% are sure they have clear examples of organization-wide AI return on investment.Atlassian
  8. $102,320The median annual wage for US project management specialists was $102,320 in May 2025.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What the figures show

Roughly half of projects deliver what they promised. PMI's 2025 study of more than 5,800 professionals, stakeholders and knowledge workers counts 50% of projects as successful, 37% as partly delivering and 13% as outright failures, using a definition based on value rather than only time and budget. Wellingtone's 2026 survey of PPM practitioners is harsher on schedule: only 36% of organizations mostly or always complete projects on time. Complexity is the main reason results vary. PMI's 2026 Pulse of the Profession finds that 31% of complex projects miss the full scope of their benefits, while teams that handle complexity well report an 88% success rate against 14% for teams that do not.

Large public programs show the same pattern at scale. The UK's Government Major Projects Portfolio held 189 projects worth £924.2bn in whole life cost in 2025-26, and 34 of them carried a red delivery confidence rating. In the US, the GAO says the federal government invests more than $100 billion a year in IT and has kept IT management on its High Risk List because investments too often run over cost and schedule. Research by Flyvbjerg and Budzier at Oxford found an average IT project cost overrun of 27%, but one project in six overran by about 200%, which is why averages understate the risk.

A large share of the working week goes to coordinating work rather than doing it. Asana's Anatomy of Work surveys measured 60% of time in 2020 and 58% in 2021 lost to work about work such as status updates, searching and unnecessary meetings. Newer measures point the same way: Atlassian's 2025 State of Teams found leaders and teams spend 25% of their time searching for answers, Microsoft's 2025 telemetry shows an interruption every 2 minutes, and 72% of Wellingtone respondents spend half a day or more each month collating reports.

Spending on work management software keeps growing, and AI is now part of the pitch. monday.com reported Q2 2026 revenue of $364.6 million, up 22%, with 4,834 customers paying more than $50,000 a year, and Asana reported $216.4 million, up 10%, with 26,778 core customers. Atlassian's 2026 survey finds 85% of knowledge workers use AI at work but only 29% have built it into their workflows, and just 6% of executives can point to clear organization-wide AI returns. On the labor side, the BLS counts about 1.1 million US project management specialists earning a median $102,320, and PMI estimates up to 29.8 million more project professionals will be needed worldwide by 2035.

Project success and failure rates

  1. 1.

    PMI's 2025 global study of more than 5,800 project professionals, stakeholders and knowledge workers found that only half of projects meet its definition of success: value that exceeds the effort and expense, as seen by all key stakeholders.

    Project Management Institute, New PMI Research Reveals Strategy-Execution Gap Is Undermining Transformation (press release) (Dec 2025)

    Source quote
    just half of projects today meet a modern definition of success: delivering value that exceeds the effort and expense involved, as perceived by all key stakeholders.
  2. 2.

    In the same 2025 PMI study, 37% of projects only partly delivered the expected results and 13% failed outright.

    Project Management Institute, New PMI Research Reveals Strategy-Execution Gap Is Undermining Transformation (press release) (Dec 2025)

    Source quote
    Thirteen percent of projects fail outright and 37% only partially deliver the expected results.
  3. 3.

    PMI's 2026 Pulse of the Profession puts the failure rate for projects overall at 13%, and reports that about a third of complex projects fail.

    Project Management Institute, Pulse of the Profession 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects (May 2026)

    Source quote
    of complex projects fail, nearly twice the 13% rate of failure for projects overall.
  4. 4.

    PMI's Net Project Success Score (successful projects minus outright failures) rose from 27 for professionals using none of its four recommended practices to 94 for those using all four, in its 2025 study.

    Project Management Institute, New PMI Research Reveals Strategy-Execution Gap Is Undermining Transformation (press release) (Dec 2025)

    Source quote
    jumps from 27 when none of the M.O.R.E. elements are used to 94 when all four are consistently applied.
  5. 5.

    Only 36% of organizations in Wellingtone's 2026 State of Project Management survey of project and portfolio practitioners always or mostly complete projects on time.

    Wellingtone, The State of Project Management Annual Report 2026 (Mar 2026)

    Source quote
    Only 36% of organisations always or mostly complete projects on time.
  6. 6.

    44% of Wellingtone's 2026 respondents were somewhat or very dissatisfied with their organization's level of project management maturity.

    Wellingtone, The State of Project Management Annual Report 2026 (Mar 2026)

    Source quote
    44% are somewhat or very dissatisfied with their organisation’s current level of project management maturity
  7. 7.

    67% of respondents to Wellingtone's 2026 survey see the scope and responsibilities of their project management office (PMO) increasing.

    Wellingtone, The State of Project Management Annual Report 2026 (Mar 2026)

    Source quote
    67% see the scope & responsibilities of their PMO increasing

Complex projects and major programs

  1. 8.

    97% of project professionals in PMI's 2026 Pulse of the Profession survey managed at least one complex project in the past year, and more than half of all projects qualified as complex.

    Project Management Institute, Why Complex Projects Fail: Best Practices Are Not Enough, System Thinking Gives Your Team the Edge (May 2026)

    Source quote
    97% of project professionals managed at least one complex project in the past year, and more than half of all projects now qualify as complex.
  2. 9.

    81% of project professionals told PMI in 2026 that projects have become more complex in recent years, and 37% described a significant increase.

    Project Management Institute, Why Complex Projects Fail: Best Practices Are Not Enough, System Thinking Gives Your Team the Edge (May 2026)

    Source quote
    81% of project professionals say projects have become more complex in recent years, with 37% describing a significant increase.
  3. 10.

    31% of complex projects failed to achieve the full scope of their intended benefits in PMI's 2026 research, more than twice the rate for projects overall.

    Project Management Institute, Why Complex Projects Fail: Best Practices Are Not Enough, System Thinking Gives Your Team the Edge (May 2026)

    Source quote
    nearly one third (31%) of complex projects fail to achieve the full scope of their intended benefits—more than twice the rate reported for projects overall.
  4. 11.

    Projects whose teams handled complexity effectively had an 88% success rate in PMI's 2026 survey, against 14% for teams that were only slightly effective or ineffective.

    Project Management Institute, Why Complex Projects Fail: Best Practices Are Not Enough, System Thinking Gives Your Team the Edge (May 2026)

    Source quote
    delivering an 88% success rate compared with just 14% for teams that are only slightly effective or ineffective at managing complexity.
  5. 12.

    The UK Government Major Projects Portfolio comprised 189 projects in 2025-26, with a total whole life cost of £924.2bn and £603.6bn of monetised benefits.

    National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (UK), NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (Jul 2026)

    Source quote
    This year’s Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) comprises 189 projects, with a total Whole Life Cost (WLC) of £924.2bn and £603.6bn of monetised benefits
  6. 13.

    34 of the 189 UK major government projects carried a red delivery confidence rating in 2025-26, against 109 amber and 29 green.

    National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (UK), NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (Jul 2026)

    Source quote
    From 2025-26 it comprised 189 projects - of those, 29 are rated green, 109 amber and 34 red.
  7. 14.

    26 UK major government projects left the portfolio in 2025-26 after delivering their objectives, up from 14 the year before.

    National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (UK), NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (Jul 2026)

    Source quote
    Notably, 26 projects exited the GMPP this year having successfully delivered on their objectives, up from 14 last year
  8. 15.

    The US federal government invests more than $100 billion a year in IT, and the GAO reported in 2025 that these investments too often fail or run over cost and schedule.

    U.S. Government Accountability Office, High-Risk Series: Critical Actions Needed to Urgently Address IT Acquisition and Management Challenges (Jan 2025)

    Source quote
    Each year, the federal government invests more than $100 billion on IT. However, for several decades, GAO has reported that federal IT investments too frequently fail or incur cost overruns and schedule slippages while contributing little to mission-related outcomes.
  9. 16.

    In a sample of 1,471 IT projects analyzed by Flyvbjerg and Budzier at the University of Oxford, the average cost overrun was 27%, but one project in six overran by about 200% (older data, published 2011).

    Flyvbjerg and Budzier, University of Oxford (arXiv), Why Your IT Project Might Be Riskier Than You Think (Mar 2013)

    Source quote
    The analysis of a sample of 1,471 IT projects showed that the average cost overrun was 27%
  10. 17.

    A later study by Flyvbjerg, Budzier and coauthors of 5,392 IT projects found that cost overruns follow a power-law distribution, with a fat tail of projects with extreme overruns.

    Flyvbjerg et al. (arXiv), The Empirical Reality of IT Project Cost Overruns: Discovering A Power-Law Distribution (Sep 2022)

    Source quote
    we collect and analyze a large sample comprised of 5,392 IT projects to empirically examine the probability distribution of IT project cost overruns.

Chart

UK major government projects by delivery confidence rating, 2025-26

Count of Government Major Projects Portfolio projects by rating; the remaining projects of the 189 were not rated in these three groups.

  • Amber109
  • Red34
  • Green29

Source: National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (UK), NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26

Time lost to work about work

  1. 18.

    Knowledge workers lost 60% of their time to work coordination rather than skilled work in 2020, according to Asana's Anatomy of Work Index 2021, a survey of 13,123 knowledge workers in several countries (older data).

    Asana, Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2021: Work About Work Is Dominating in a Distributed World (Jan 2021)

    Source quote
    global workers are losing 60 percent of their time on work coordination rather than the skilled, strategic jobs they’ve been hired to do.
  2. 19.

    At organizations with 5,000 or more employees, 63% of time went to work about work in Asana's 2021 index (older data).

    Asana, Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2021: Work About Work Is Dominating in a Distributed World (Jan 2021)

    Source quote
    organizations of 5,000+ employees lose 63% of their time to it every week.
  3. 20.

    Asana's 2022 Anatomy of Work Index found 58% of the workday still lost to work coordination rather than skilled or strategic work (older data).

    Asana, Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2022: Work About Work Hampering Organizational Agility (Apr 2022)

    Source quote
    the majority of their day — 58% — is still being lost to work coordination rather than the skilled, strategic jobs they’ve been hired to do.
  4. 21.

    Leaders and teams spend 25% of their time just searching for answers, according to Atlassian's 2025 State of Teams survey of 12,000 knowledge workers and 200 executives.

    Atlassian, How top teams work smarter (State of Teams 2025) (Apr 2025)

    Source quote
    Atlassian’s survey of 12,000 knowledge workers and 200 executives found that leaders and teams waste 25% of their time just searching for answers.
  5. 22.

    Employees wasted 6 working weeks a year on duplicated work and unnecessary meetings, according to Asana's 2022 index (older data).

    Asana, Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2022: Work About Work Hampering Organizational Agility (Apr 2022)

    Source quote
    employees waste 6 working weeks each year on a combination of duplicated work and unnecessary meetings.
  6. 23.

    Time spent on strategy made up less than 10% of the working day in Asana's 2022 index, down 36% from the year before (older data).

    Asana, Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2022: Work About Work Hampering Organizational Agility (Apr 2022)

    Source quote
    However, time spent on strategy comprises less than 10% of their working day, a staggering 36% decrease from last year
  7. 24.

    Microsoft 365 telemetry for 2025 shows employees are interrupted every 2 minutes on average by a meeting, email or notification.

    Microsoft, Breaking down the infinite workday (Work Trend Index) (Jun 2025)

    Source quote
    Our telemetry data shows that, on average, employees using Microsoft 365 are interrupted every 2 minutes by a meeting, email, or notification.
  8. 25.

    Microsoft's 2025 telemetry counts 275 interruptions a day from meetings, emails and chats for the busiest fifth of users.

    Microsoft, Breaking down the infinite workday (Work Trend Index) (Jun 2025)

    Source quote
    Employees are interrupted every two minutes during core work hours—275 times a day—by meetings, emails, or chats.
  9. 26.

    57% of meetings tracked in Microsoft 365 in 2025 were ad hoc calls without a calendar invite.

    Microsoft, Breaking down the infinite workday (Work Trend Index) (Jun 2025)

    Source quote
    57% of meetings are ad hoc calls without a calendar invite
  10. 27.

    48% of employees and 52% of leaders in Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index survey of 31,000 workers in 31 markets said their work feels chaotic and fragmented.

    Microsoft, Breaking down the infinite workday (Work Trend Index) (Jun 2025)

    Source quote
    nearly half of employees ( 48% )—and more than half of leaders ( 52% )—say their work feels chaotic and fragmented.
  11. 28.

    72% of project professionals in Wellingtone's 2026 survey spend half a day or more collating reports every month.

    Wellingtone, The State of Project Management Annual Report 2026 (Mar 2026)

    Source quote
    72% spend ½ a day or more collating reports every month
  12. 29.

    Nearly 40% of professionals in ClickUp's 2025 survey of more than 5,000 respondents feel they must follow up on action items immediately after every meeting.

    ClickUp, State of Workplace Communication Report 2025 (Mar 2025)

    Source quote
    Our data shows that nearly 40% of professionals feel compelled to follow up on action items immediately after every meeting.

Work management software adoption and spending

  1. 30.

    monday.com reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $364.6 million, up 22% year over year.

    monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026)

    Source quote
    Revenue was $364.6 million, an increase of 22% year-over-year
  2. 31.

    monday.com had 4,834 paid customers with more than $50,000 in annual recurring revenue at the end of June 2026, up 31% in a year.

    monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026)

    Source quote
    The number of paid customers with more than $50,000 in ARR was 4,834, up 31% from 3,702 as of June 30, 2025.
  3. 32.

    monday.com counted 65,783 paid customers with more than 10 users at the end of June 2026, up 6% year over year.

    monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026)

    Source quote
    The number of paid customers with more than 10 users was 65,783, up 6% from 61,803 as of June 30, 2025.
  4. 33.

    monday.com's net dollar retention rate was 109% in the second quarter of 2026.

    monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026)

    Source quote
    Net dollar retention rate was 109%.
  5. 34.

    Asana reported revenue of $216.4 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2027 (May to July 2026), up 10% year over year.

    Asana, Asana Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    Revenues were $216.4 million, an increase of 10% year over year.
  6. 35.

    Asana had 26,778 core customers, those spending $5,000 or more a year, at the end of its fiscal 2027 second quarter, up 7%.

    Asana, Asana Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    The number of Core customers, or customers spending $5,000 or more on an annualized basis, grew to 26,778, an increase of 7% year over year.
  7. 36.

    Asana's customers spending $100,000 or more a year grew 16% to 890 in mid-2026.

    Asana, Asana Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    The number of customers spending $100,000 or more on an annualized basis grew to 890, an increase of 16% year over year.
  8. 37.

    The average knowledge worker used 11 applications for work in Gartner's 2022 survey of 4,861 employees, up from six in 2019 (older data).

    Gartner, Gartner Survey Reveals 47% of Digital Workers Struggle to Find the Information Needed to Effectively Perform Their Jobs (May 2023)

    Source quote
    uses is 11, compared to six applications in 2019.
  9. 38.

    47% of digital workers in Gartner's survey struggled to find the information or data they need to do their jobs effectively (older data).

    Gartner, Gartner Survey Reveals 47% of Digital Workers Struggle to Find the Information Needed to Effectively Perform Their Jobs (May 2023)

    Source quote
    A recent survey by Gartner, Inc. found that 47% of digital workers struggle to find information or data needed to effectively perform their jobs.
  10. 39.

    66% of respondents to Gartner's digital worker survey agreed that business outcomes would improve if IT provided universally accepted and supported applications (older data).

    Gartner, Gartner Survey Reveals 47% of Digital Workers Struggle to Find the Information Needed to Effectively Perform Their Jobs (May 2023)

    Source quote
    On an average, 66% of the respondents agreed that better business outcomes could be achieved if IT provided universally accepted and supported applications and devices to get work done.

Chart

monday.com customers paying more than $50,000 a year

Paid customers with more than $50,000 in annual recurring revenue, as of June 30 of each year.

  • June 20253,702
  • June 20264,834

Source: monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1)

AI in project and team work

  1. 40.

    Project professionals who integrate AI tools into their workflows see a 17-point increase in project success, according to PMI's 2025 study.

    Project Management Institute, New PMI Research Reveals Strategy-Execution Gap Is Undermining Transformation (press release) (Dec 2025)

    Source quote
    professionals who integrate AI tools into their workflows see a 17-point increase in success.
  2. 41.

    85% of knowledge workers use AI at work, but only 29% have embedded it in their flows of work, according to Atlassian's State of Teams 2026 survey of 12,035 knowledge workers.

    Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026)

    Source quote
    85% of knowledge workers use AI at work, but only 29% of have embedded it in their flows of work
  3. 42.

    89% of executives in Atlassian's 2026 survey say AI increases speed, but only 6% are sure they have clear examples of organization-wide AI return on investment.

    Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026)

    Source quote
    89% of executives say AI increases speed, but only 6% of executives are sure they have clear examples of organization-wide AI ROI
  4. 43.

    87% of knowledge workers told Atlassian in 2026 that, with everyone in execution mode, they lack the time or capacity to coordinate.

    Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026)

    Source quote
    87% of knowledge workers say with everyone in execution mode, they lack the time or capacity to coordinate
  5. 44.

    Atlassian estimates that poor coordination of AI work costs the Fortune 500 $161 billion a year, which it calls a fragmentation tax (2026 estimate).

    Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026)

    Source quote
    resulting in a fragmentation tax that costs the Fortune 500 $161B each year.
  6. 45.

    Just 24% of leaders in Atlassian's 2026 research focus on using AI to improve teamwork.

    Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026)

    Source quote
    Just 24% of leaders focus on using AI to improve teamwork
  7. 46.

    AI products accounted for 17% of monday.com's net new annual recurring revenue in the second quarter of 2026, after AI revenue doubled from the first quarter.

    monday.com, monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026)

    Source quote
    ARR from AI products doubled from Q1, representing 17% of net new ARR

Chart

Executives who say AI increases speed vs. those with clear AI ROI, 2026

Atlassian Teamwork Lab survey of 173 Fortune 1000 executives, January to February 2026.

  • Say AI increases speed89%
  • Sure of organization-wide AI ROI6%

Source: Atlassian, The State of Teams 2026

Project management jobs, pay and demand

  1. 47.

    Project management specialists held about 1.1 million jobs in the United States in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    Project management specialists held about 1.1 million jobs in 2025.
  2. 48.

    The median annual wage for US project management specialists was $102,320 in May 2025.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    The median annual wage for project management specialists was $102,320 in May 2025.
  3. 49.

    The highest-paid 10% of US project management specialists earned more than $167,970 in May 2025, and the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $61,580.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,580, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $167,970.
  4. 50.

    The BLS projects employment of US project management specialists to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    Employment of project management specialists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
  5. 51.

    About 76,500 openings for US project management specialists are projected each year on average from 2025 to 2035.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026)

    Source quote
    About 76,500 openings for project management specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
  6. 52.

    PMI's 2025 Global Project Management Talent Gap report estimates that up to 29.8 million more project professionals will be needed worldwide by 2035.

    Project Management Institute, Shortage of Project Talent Endangers Global Growth According to Global Project Management Talent Gap Report (May 2025)

    Source quote
    Up to 29.8 million more project professionals will be needed by 2035 to meet global demand.
  7. 53.

    PMP certified respondents in the US reported a median salary of $135,000 in PMI's 2025 salary survey, against $109,157 for non-certified respondents.

    Project Management Institute, Amidst Ongoing Economic Uncertainty, PMP Certification Holders Build Career Momentum and Experience Earning Advantage, PMI Survey Finds (Nov 2025)

    Source quote
    PMP® certified survey respondents in the U.S. reported a median salary of $135,000, compared to $109,157 for those non-certified - a nearly 24% difference.
  8. 54.

    The average UK project management salary was £52,500 in APM's 2025 Salary and Market Trends Survey of more than 3,800 project professionals, up from £47,500 in 2023.

    Association for Project Management, Average salaries of project managers increase by 10% to £52,500: APM Salary Survey 2025 (May 2025)

    Source quote
    The average salary for a project management professional now stands at £52,500
  9. 55.

    80% of UK project professionals surveyed by APM were satisfied in their current role, while 33% said they were likely to change jobs in the next 12 months.

    Association for Project Management, Average salaries of project managers increase by 10% to £52,500: APM Salary Survey 2025 (May 2025)

    Source quote
    The survey also reveals high job satisfaction levels with 80% of respondents saying they are satisfied in their current role.

Chart

Projected US employment growth, 2025 to 2035

BLS employment projections, percent change 2025 to 2035.

  • Project management specialists7%
  • Business operations specialists6%
  • All occupations3%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Common questions

What percentage of projects fail?
PMI's 2025 study of more than 5,800 professionals found 13% of projects fail outright and another 37% only partly deliver the expected results, leaving about half fully successful. For complex projects, PMI's 2026 Pulse of the Profession found 31% fail to achieve the full scope of their intended benefits.
What share of projects finish on time?
Wellingtone's 2026 State of Project Management report found only 36% of organizations always or mostly complete projects on time. In the UK government's major projects portfolio, 34 of 189 projects carried a red delivery confidence rating in 2025-26.
How much time do workers spend on work about work?
Asana's Anatomy of Work surveys measured 60% of time in 2020 and 58% in 2021 going to coordination rather than skilled work. Atlassian's 2025 State of Teams found leaders and teams spend 25% of their time searching for answers, and Microsoft's 2025 telemetry shows an interruption every 2 minutes during the workday.
Does AI improve project success?
PMI's 2025 research found professionals who integrate AI tools into their workflows see a 17-point increase in project success. Atlassian's 2026 survey is more cautious: 85% of knowledge workers use AI, but only 29% have embedded it in their workflows and only 6% of executives can show clear organization-wide returns.
How much do project managers earn?
The BLS reports a median annual wage of $102,320 for US project management specialists in May 2025. PMI's 2025 salary survey found a US median of $135,000 for PMP certified respondents, and APM's 2025 survey put the average UK project salary at £52,500.

How we picked these figures

We chose figures that describe project outcomes, time spent coordinating work, spending on work management software, AI use in team work and the project workforce, and we read each one on the publisher's own page, report, press release or SEC filing. PMI press releases that pmi.org does not serve to automated requests are cited from the verbatim copies archived by PM World Library. Definitions differ: PMI measures success by value delivered as judged by stakeholders, Wellingtone by on-time completion, and NISTA by delivery confidence ratings, so these rates should not be combined. Surveys by vendors (Asana, Atlassian, ClickUp, Microsoft) come from companies that sell collaboration or work management software, and the Microsoft interruption figures come from Microsoft 365 telemetry rather than a survey. Asana's Anatomy of Work figures describe 2020 and 2021, Gartner's survey was fielded in 2022 and the Oxford overrun samples date from 2011 and 2022; they are kept because no newer primary measure of the same thing has been published. Revenue and customer counts for monday.com and Asana come from their quarterly results and use each company's own definitions. Each quote is copied from the original publisher and fetched again by a script to confirm it still appears there. See the methodology.

Sources

  1. Asana. Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2021: Work About Work Is Dominating in a Distributed World (Jan 2021).
  2. Asana. Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2022: Work About Work Hampering Organizational Agility (Apr 2022).
  3. Asana. Asana Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 Results (Sep 2026).
  4. Association for Project Management. Average salaries of project managers increase by 10% to £52,500: APM Salary Survey 2025 (May 2025).
  5. Atlassian. How top teams work smarter (State of Teams 2025) (Apr 2025).
  6. Atlassian. The State of Teams 2026 (Apr 2026).
  7. ClickUp. State of Workplace Communication Report 2025 (Mar 2025).
  8. Flyvbjerg and Budzier, University of Oxford (arXiv). Why Your IT Project Might Be Riskier Than You Think (Mar 2013).
  9. Flyvbjerg et al. (arXiv). The Empirical Reality of IT Project Cost Overruns: Discovering A Power-Law Distribution (Sep 2022).
  10. Gartner. Gartner Survey Reveals 47% of Digital Workers Struggle to Find the Information Needed to Effectively Perform Their Jobs (May 2023).
  11. Microsoft. Breaking down the infinite workday (Work Trend Index) (Jun 2025).
  12. monday.com. monday.com Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 6-K, Exhibit 99.1) (Aug 2026).
  13. National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (UK). NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (Jul 2026).
  14. Project Management Institute. New PMI Research Reveals Strategy-Execution Gap Is Undermining Transformation (press release) (Dec 2025).
  15. Project Management Institute. Pulse of the Profession 2026: Driving Success in Complex Projects (May 2026).
  16. Project Management Institute. Why Complex Projects Fail: Best Practices Are Not Enough, System Thinking Gives Your Team the Edge (May 2026).
  17. Project Management Institute. Shortage of Project Talent Endangers Global Growth According to Global Project Management Talent Gap Report (May 2025).
  18. Project Management Institute. Amidst Ongoing Economic Uncertainty, PMP Certification Holders Build Career Momentum and Experience Earning Advantage, PMI Survey Finds (Nov 2025).
  19. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Project Management Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Sep 2026).
  20. U.S. Government Accountability Office. High-Risk Series: Critical Actions Needed to Urgently Address IT Acquisition and Management Challenges (Jan 2025).
  21. Wellingtone. The State of Project Management Annual Report 2026 (Mar 2026).

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TopToolAdvisor. (2026, November 5). Project Management Statistics 2026. https://toptooladvisor.com/project-management-statistics

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Questions or corrections: editorial@toptooladvisor.com. Next review due January 4, 2027.

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