• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

Contractor PM rates

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Contractor PM rates

    Hi - I'm not contracting atm but I still get a lot of recruiters contacting me with PM roles and I've noticed in the last 6 months that rates have dropped consistently below £400/day. Is everyone finding this? Is this acceptable? Is it a case that people are selling themselves short? This is not a good rate imo.

    #2
    probably depends where you are and in the industry

    in London working in finance, getting £500+ still for PM role

    Comment


      #3
      like every role it depends on skills / experience and client expectations

      main problem with PM perceptions is that the title has become diluted with seemingly every tom dick and harry calling themselves a PM even if they've only managed the co-ordination of a workstream or two

      rates wise i've seen variations from the 250 p/d upto 550 p/d, this is midlands based roles

      i'd say around 400 p/d is probably about fair for a "decent" PM in most parts

      Comment


        #4
        It's not and it's been driven down by every man and his dog jumping in because they are all starry eyed about the money and don't realise what contracting really involves. They then spend months on the bench after their first gig and either go back permie or struggle contracting. Sadly those that do know what they are doing are also affected due to the rate drop and attitude to contractors due to the previous guy not handling it properly....

        And breath.....
        'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Depends how much you're managing?

          £400/day in Manchester for basic project (rather than programme) management is about right. It's just glorified admin unless you're in with the Agile crowd, at which point, "it's a mindset, you know".
          The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Phillwin View Post
            Is this acceptable? This is not a good rate imo.
            It's an outrage - I'd write to your MP.

            In my view your question is nowhere near specific enough. A PM in what area of IT, doing what, with what budget, with what areas of responsibility, with how big a team, with how many years of experience etc etc. The variables are huge in ascertaining the rate.

            Personally - rates to me in London look bigger than ever, particularly if you have Oracle Fusion, large-scale business transformation experience as well as any Oracle Cloud, PAAS, IAAS experience but that's obviously not relevant for the majority.

            Rethink the question.

            Comment


              #7
              Two things affect rate:
              Experience and Supply & Demand

              When someone tells you that they earn x there are so many other factors that they aren't telling you. So the questions you need to ask yourself are:
              1. What do I need to make per day to break even?
              2. What experience do I have?
              3. What war chest do I have?

              If you've got a big enough war chest, you can turn down work until someone is prepared to pay you what you think you are worth. If after several years, maybe you need to re-evaluate your worth.
              Or you might take a contract which is short term but well paid, compared to a longer term one at a lower rate.

              But you ask the question "is this acceptable?", sorry is what acceptable in what way to what person for what reason?
              …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

              Comment


                #8
                I don't think experience affects rate in the way newbies probably think it does. Very rarely will the client take on a less experienced guy at a lower rate. They have a requirement to fulfill and you either fit or you don't. It won't be matched again your level of experience.
                It does however set a level at which gig's you can go for. I. E. The ones with thenlower advertised rates.

                If you don't have much experience and are 300 per day contractor you are wasting your time going for a 500 a day gig. They won't drop that to match the rate Vs skill. They will just a get 500 a day contractor in.
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  NLUK, you put that better than I did - yes, experience counts for little in terms of the rate, but your experience of past contracts tells you how much you have got in the past.
                  …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

                  Comment


                    #10
                    How long is a piece of string?

                    There is a very wide gap on rates between a PM who is managing a desktop roll-out and a PM who is transforming an incumbent nationalised mobile operator into a privatised business including a vendor financed $1.5B infrastructure upgrade.

                    PM is about as granular a term as 'driver'.

                    A London bus driver does not charge the same as Vettel. (Tube drivers I understand might).

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X