Does Change Pay? A Change Management Salary Guide

Could change management be the right career path for you? For most people, salary is a critical factor in choosing a profession. Our change management salary guide shares the latest rates, typical roles and responsibilities, and ways to maximize your earning potential.

Training and Certification Salary Impact

Change management is the application of structured tools and processes for leading the people side of change to achieve the desired outcome. It’s also a process and a competency that drives successful individual and organizational change. Organizations of all kinds apply change management to help people adopt and use new technology and processes, enhance project ROI, and build resilient organizations.

Being a change management professional often starts with training to gain the right skills. Change management jobs with the highest salary potential require extensive experience and expertise. Proper training and a formal certification equip change managers with the approaches and skills to drive successful outcomes and advance their career trajectories.

How Much Does a Change Management Professional Make?

A change management salary varies based on experience, location, industry and credentials. Job seekers with formal training and certification do have higher earning potential, but some start out doing change management projects in adjacent roles like project management and human resources and then get certified in change management later.

Here are some typical roles and salaries without certification:

Change Management Specialist

Most change management specialists earn between $32 and $69 per hour; the average salary is $56 per hour or $116,108 per year. Job location, years of experience, and training affect the pay for these roles.

Change Management Manager

Most change management managers earn between $44 and $68 per hour across the United States, and the average base salary is $58 per hour or $120,531 annually. Job location, years of experience, and training impact earning potential.

Change Management Director

A change management director in the United States makes between $127,500 and $203,000 annually, with an hourly average rate of $81. Someone without a certification might expect a salary closer to the first half of the range, with opportunities for more pay as they advance in their careers.

As you specialize your career in change management, obtaining a certification can help increase your change management salary and equip you with the knowledge to help you grow your career.

Here are some typical salary increases you might expect with certification:

Change Management Specialist

Change management specialists with a certification and more experience can command higher salaries. Some earn up to $107 hourly. The variability in this salary range suggests that change management specialists with certification may increase their pay based on credentials and experience.

Change Management Manager

A change management manager with certifications in change management offers added credibility and expertise, increasing salary potential. Some change management managers earn up to $105 hourly or $217,500 annually based on their credentials and years of experience.

Change Management Director

Change management directors increase their salary potential with additional years of experience and skills that highlight their expertise. Some report earning as high as $398,500 annually.

Even if you start your change management career without a certification, you can still earn a decent salary and increase your earnings upon pursuing additional credentials.

What Are the Responsibilities of Change Management Professionals?

It’s an exciting time to work in the change management discipline, and there are opportunities for professionals with varying degrees of experience and knowledge. Not only do job seekers with formal training and certification have higher earning potential, but their responsibilities increase as they work their way up.

Here are some of the responsibilities to expect at each level:

Change Management Specialist

Change management specialists support organizational change at a project or initiative level. Working with others, they collaborate cross-functionally and ensure alignment between initiatives and organizational goals. They execute organizational readiness and impact assessments, conduct stakeholder analyses, construct change management plans, and apply change management frameworks and methodologies. They also partner with other teams to support communications and training development, like human resources, learning and development, and project management.

Change Management Manager

Change management managers are responsible for executing change management activities and coaching junior change management team members. In addition, their duties include consulting and coaching project teams and supporting organizational leaders to drive success. Due to the nature of the role, some organizations may require change management managers to have a bachelor’s degree and several years of change management experience.

Change Management Director

A change management director or lead develops and drives successful change management strategies, leads change management teams, and uses their significant experience to coach organizational leaders throughout the change process. They oversee company-wide change management programs and apply industry-standard methodologies and processes. This role requires significant experience, advanced education such as a master’s degree, and additional qualifications, such as a change management certification.

Those with certification may also consider other related-director level titles, including:

• Director of Organizational Change Management
• Director of Change Strategy
• Director of Change Operations
• Director of Transformation Programs
• Director of Change Communications
  
  

Where Can Change Management Professionals Find Jobs?

The demand for change management has evolved and increased over the last two decades.

In 2011, Prosci’s research revealed that 43% of organizations surveyed in the studies had permanent job roles dedicated to change management. Over the last decade, that number has hovered at or above 49% on average, increasing the number of career opportunities for change management professionals.

If you’re looking for your next change management job, the following ten cities have the most change management career openings:

1. Calgary
2. Seattle
3. Houston
4. New York City
5. Minneapolis
6. Denver
7. Edmonton
8. St. Petersburg
9. Atlanta
10. San Diego

Industries and initiatives requiring change management

In addition, organizations across industries need change management professionals to drive enterprise change. Prosci’s Best Practices in Change Management – 12th Edition research suggests that specific industries prioritize hiring for permanent change jobs, including education services, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods, and governments.

We also asked research participants about the most significant changes their employer expects. The top-ranked responses were:

• Technology and digital transformation
• Regulatory changes and compliance
• Environmental sustainability and climate change
• Talent retention and turnover
• Cultural and organizational change

With these changes on the horizon, the need for change management professionals is vast.

What Services Can Change Management Consultants Provide?

If you’re considering a career as a change management consultant, there are different options to explore. Change management consultants provide services aimed at helping organizations manage and navigate transitions successfully on a full-time or contract basis, depending on need.

A full-time change management consultant is usually embedded within an organization for an extended period. In some cases, they may serve as interim change leader. They may be responsible for developing change plans that align with business goals, engaging with senior management to ensure alignment with the vision for change, and assessing cultural readiness for change.

Unlike a full-time consultant, organizations bring in contract or part-time consultants to manage change on a short-term basis. They might help with a specific change or part of the process. Activities could include conducting change impact assessments, preparing change management plans, or leading workshops to support the change.

Consider a Career in Change Management

It pays to become a change manager. As organizations continue to recognize the critical role that change management plays in driving successful transformations, the demand for skilled change management professionals will continue to grow.

Careers in change management are lucrative and rewarding. Understanding the factors influencing a change management salary—such as industry, job location and certifications, can help you negotiate higher pay and find a suitable role. Remember, an estimate of salary is only half the battle. Make sure you look at the total pay, including benefits and any additional pay such as bonuses and/or profit sharing.