A product management certification is a qualification that demonstrates you have the necessary skills, training, and experience to thrive in product management roles. It can also be a good launchpad for those looking to explore a career in product management for the first time. This is because certifications for product management typically cover some of the most important topics you’d need to know to break into the industry.
In this article, we will highlight the highest-paying product management certifications, product management training programs, potential job outlook, accredited associations, and various resources you can use to prepare for a product management certification exam.
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What Is a Professional Certification?
A professional certification is a credential showing that a person has the required experience, skills, and knowledge to perform a specific job or tasks that they have received training for. You can earn certifications in product management through a professional organization.
What’s the Difference Between a Certification and a Certificate?
The difference between a certification and a certificate is that the former shows that a professional has met industry standards by passing a professional exam, while the latter signifies education in a specific area of interest and is handled by an educational institution. Certifications are also usually standardized because they are issued by national organizations or professional bodies.
Why Is Certification in Product Management Important?
A certification in product management is important because it can help you stand out in your product management role as employers and decision-makers will view your opinions as credible. You also get to improve and become more effective in carrying out core tasks.
Product management certification courses can broaden your product management knowledge and introduce you to some of the best strategies that industry experts use to solve problems.
Best Product Management Certifications by Salary
| Certification | Provider | Average Salary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Leader Certification | Product School | $132,434 | $4,799 |
| Senior Product Manager Certification | Product School | $122,921 | $4,799 |
| Certified Innovation Leader Certification | The Association of International Product Marketing & Management | $117,447 | $1,195 |
| Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner Credential | The Association of International Product Marketing & Management | $110,000 | $1,495 |
| Certified Product Marketing Manager | The Association of International Product Marketing & Management | $106,423 | $375 (members); $520 (non-members) |
| Certified Digital Product Manager Credential | The Association of International Product Marketing & Management | $101,059 | $1,495 (self-paced); $3,495 (live, online) |
| Certified Product Manager Credential | The Association of International Product Marketing & Management | $94,166 | $375 (members); $520 (non-members) |
| New Product Development Professional Certification | Product Development and Management Association | $93,000 | $250 |
| Product Manager Certification | Product School | $80,694 | $4,799 |
Best Product Management Certifications to Further Your Career
This course is designed for senior product managers looking to pursue a leadership role. They can achieve this by working hard with practical exercises and case studies to get a deeper understanding of how to use the best product management practices in a strategic manner to achieve stellar results.
Product Leader Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $132,434
- Cost: $4,799 or 3 installments of $1,599.50/month
- Requirements: Years of experience as a senior product manager
- Valid For: 2 years
- Exam Length: 90 minutes to answer 50 questions
- Best Suited For: Senior product managers looking to break into managerial or leadership role
Potential Careers With Product Leader Certification
This certification is ideal for product managers looking to deepen their skillset and level up their career. The senior product manager certification will give you the opportunity to learn how to design an effective product strategy and develop a wide range of practical skills that can help you manage teams.
Senior Product Manager Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $122,921
- Cost: $4,799 or 3 installments of $1,599.50/month
- Requirements: Experience in product management
- Valid For: 2 years
- Exam Length: 90 minutes to answer 50 questions.
- Best Suited For: Product managers ready to move up the career ladder
Potential Careers With Senior Product Manager Certification
This certification is for professionals who are interested in driving or participating in innovation-related initiatives. Participants will also gain essential skills, deeper knowledge, and mastery of product management tools that will help them nurture a well-structured innovation culture within their organization.
Certified Innovation Leader Overview
- Average Salary: $117,447
- Cost: $1,195
- Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher; at least 1 year of product management experience
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Professionals with the drive to lead or be a part of innovation efforts in an organization
Potential Careers With Certified Innovation Leader Certification
This Agile product management certification aims at strengthening your understanding of Agile methodology and how it can influence product ownership. To prepare for the exam, you are advised to take the affiliated course offered through 280 Group. This self-paced course covers crucial topics like building product roadmaps, Agile development methodology, and product vision.
Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner Credential Overview
- Average Salary: $110,000
- Cost: $1,495
- Requirements: No requirements
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Product professionals interested in driving growth using Agile methodology
Potential Careers With Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner Credential
This product management certification program can help participants gain deeper insight into product marketing strategies that can help boost a product's success in the market. They will be able to successfully carry out core tasks like market planning, budgeting, and creating marketing deliverables. Participants will also learn how to use business analytics and market campaigns to improve sales and revenue.
Certified Product Marketing Manager Overview
- Average Salary: $106,423
- Cost: $395 for members; $520 for non-members
- Requirements: No requirements
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: Two hours; 120 questions
- Best Suited For: Product marketers looking to develop a deeper understanding of product-market functions
Potential Careers With Certified Product Marketing Manager
This certification program exposes participants to tried-and-tested digital product management processes and tools used by industry professionals. It covers topics like Lean methodology and design thinking.
The live online format gives you access to expert-led instruction, exercises, and team collaboration while the self-paced format affords you total flexibility. Ultimately, it aims at preparing you for the online exam that can help you become a certified digital product manager.
Certified Digital Product Manager Credential Overview
- Average Salary: $101,059
- Cost: $1,495 (self-paced); $3,495 (live online)
- Requirements: No requirements
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Professionals interested in building viable products in the digital world or product managers looking to refine their technical skills
Potential Careers With Certified Digital Product Manager Credential
The accreditation body has designated the Certified Product Manager (CPM)® certification as the highest certification standard in the industry. It follows global best practices which are used and implemented by experts in the field.
This certification can serve as proof that its holder is proficient at performing crucial tasks like project and market planning, product launch plan development, product lifecycle management, and product analytics.
Certified Product Manager Credential Overview
- Average Salary: $94,166
- Cost: Exam fee costs $395 for members and $520 for non-members; tuition can cost up to $1,399
- Requirements: 5+ years of experience
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Project managers across different career levels
Potential Careers With Certified Product Manager Credential
This certification is designed to facilitate career growth in the product industry which explains why it requires sufficient industry experience in order to be eligible. The exam will test your proficiency in seven key areas of new product development such as common strategy, tools and metrics, market research, and life cycle management. You will be given more than three hours to answer 200 questions either online or at a dedicated testing center.
New Product Development Professional Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $93,000
- Cost: $250
- Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher and 2 years of experience; high school diploma and 5 years of experience
- Valid For: 3 years
- Exam Length: 3.5 hours; 200 questions
- Best Suited For: Professionals with a minimum of two years of industry experience looking to advance their career
Potential Careers With New Product Development Professional Certification
This certification is designed for people with no prior experience working as a product manager. This flexible program aims at providing students with hands-on experience using standard industry tools. Students will not only learn how to be good product managers, but they will also get comprehensive in succeeding in the job market.
Product Manager Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $80,694
- Cost: $4,799 or 3 installments of $1,599.50/month
- Requirements: No experience needed
- Valid For: 2 years
- Exam Length: 90 minutes to answer 50 questions
- Best Suited For: People who have never held a product management role before
Potential Careers With Product Manager Certification
How to Choose the Best Product Management Certification for Your Career
There are certain factors you should consider when choosing the best product management certification to help boost your career. Some of the factors that you need to consider include program costs, career goals, and program format. We shall be discussing these few factors briefly below.
Program Costs
It is very important to find out the cost of the certification program that you wish to sign up for. This will help you assess if you will be able to afford the program or should consider a similar program that costs less. You can use the opportunity to plan your finances ahead of your application.
Career Goals
It is best to choose a certification program that aligns with your professional goals and interests. This can help ensure that you are on a realistic timeline and that you are hitting every milestone you have mapped out for yourself. A good way to assess the potential outcome of a certification program is by researching the career progression of others holding the same certification.
Program Format
Finding out how a certification program is designed is a great idea to ensure that it’s compatible with your schedule. It can give you time to plan ahead if you need to make any adjustments. If you desire a flexible program or a program that doesn’t take up too much time, factor these in when making your choice for a product management certificate.
Which Product Management Certifications Pay the Most?
The product management certifications that pay the most include the Product Leader and the Senior Product certifications offered by Product School. Both certifications aim to equip participants with the necessary skills to advance in their careers and break into more senior-level roles. People in similar product management careers reportedly earn up to $132,434, according to PayScale.
Highest-Paying Product Management Certifications
- Product Leader Certification: $132,434
- Senior Product Manager Certification: $122,921
- Certified Innovation Leader Certification: $117,447
- Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner Credential: $110,000
- Certified Product Marketing Manager: $106,423
Which Product Management Certifications Are the Best for Beginners?
The production management certification that is best for beginners is Product Manager Certification offered by Product School. This program is specifically designed for newcomers to the product management world.
The program offers a solid foundation in the fundamentals of product management and mentorship with internship experts that can equip students with detailed knowledge. Students also develop soft skills essential to the product manager role.
Best College Certificate Programs
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How to Prepare for Your Product Management Certification Exam
Preparing for your product management certification exam doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience. There are steps you can take such as taking courses, following relevant product management blogs, joining groups, or reading specific books that can help make your product management exam preparation smooth and stress-free.
Best Courses to Prepare for Product Management Certification Exams
Taking product management courses is a great way to prepare for a certification exam as they can help you get familiar with what taking a certification exam would entail. Some of the best product management certification prep courses are listed below.
- Cost: $1,356 or $399/month
- Duration: 4 months
- Best Suited For: Certified Digital Product Manager Credential, Product Manager Certification
In this course, participants learn about product strategy and key performance indicators (KPIs). They will build a timeline for execution to handle priorities that compete with each other. Participants will also learn how to create tests that can improve the product features based on market data. This is a great option for people looking for a flexible schedule as you can customize your own schedule.
- Cost: Free but a fee of $199 is required for collection of certificate of completion
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Best Suited For: Product Manager Certification, Certified Digital Product Manager Credential
This four-week course is hosted on edX for free. Participants can learn about the core duties and responsibilities of a professional product manager, as well as the skills required for this role. Additionally, they will learn how to manage innovative product teams. The course offers an overview of the common challenges in marketing and ways to tackle them effectively.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 2 months
- Best Suited For: Product Management Certification, Certified Product Marketing Manager Credential
This intermediate-level course is designed to help students transform their brilliant creative ideas into a product that can build a big brand. Participants will learn about UI/UX practices, product validation, and Google design sprint through a fine blend of theory and consistent practice. They will also learn about the process of setting actionable metrics and also tracking them.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 10 days
- Best Suited For: Certified Digital Product Manager Credential, Certified Product Manager Credential
This unique course prepares participants for product management certification exams by teaching them how to become more strategic. They will learn how to make sharp decisions that will impact the company they work for in a positive manner. This course is ideal for those with a busier schedule because all lessons are delivered straight to your inbox daily and require only five minutes of reading each.
- Cost: $49/month or $33.25/month with annual subscription
- Duration: 12 hours
- Best Suited For: Certified Digital Product Manager Credential, Product Management Certification, Certified Product Marketing Manager Credential
This course introduces beginners to what product management is and the part it plays in the tech ecosystem. The course provides a good balance of hands-on exercises and lectures to teach the basics of product management within a short period of time. It is suitable for people preparing for an internship or a new job in the field.
Other Resources to Prepare for Your Product Management Certification Exams
Apart from courses, there are other resources like books and online communities that are helpful for product management certification exam prep. Some examples are The Product Book, Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days, and The Product Coalition online community. We briefly discuss these resources and more below.
The Product Book
This book covers all the fundamentals of being a product manager which leads to managing a great product team. It is written by the Product School CEO and a former product manager at Pixar. It illustrates how people can build incredible products and launch them.
The Product Book Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People looking to pursue a leadership role in product management
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
Sprint is an excellent book that offers a blueprint for solving big problems and questions. The book is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller which says a lot about the quality of its content. This versatile book can help everyone—from a team lead to a teacher—generate bright ideas to make great decisions.
Sprint Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $15.99
- Ideal For: People that play a key role in product management decision-making
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Hooked serves as the perfect model for the next generation of products. The book is an excellent guide to finding out how users think, making it a great tool for driving engagement and building good product management habits.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products Overview
- Type of Resource: e.g. Book, Website, Online Community
- Cost: $12.99 (Kindle); $17.66 (hardcover), $21.89 (audio CD); free (audiobook)
- Ideal For: People who want to build quality engagement and improve user experience
The Product Stack
The Product Stack is more than an online community. It is a coalition of organizations offering important solutions for software teams. Members of this community enjoy valuable benefits which include advice, access to webinars, and engaging product management conversations that take place on the community’s Slack platform.
The Product Stack Overview
- Type of Resource: Online Community
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People looking for the latest information about product management and ways to stay current with the latest development
The Product Coalition
The Product Coalition is owned by the Medium organization and is the largest community for product managers that is free. The community has a ton of articles on product management topics and operates a very interesting Slack community where a multitude of product managers exchange ideas on a daily basis.
The Product Coalition Overview
- Type of Resource: Online Community
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Product management professionals seeking to engage, collaborate, and connect with like-minded people in the industry
Best Online Courses
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Product Management Job Outlook and Average Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is not specific on the job and salary information for product managers but does provide some information for marketing management under which they fall. The product management job outlook between 2020 and 2030 is projected to be at 10 percent. This is slightly higher than the national average of seven percent.
Workers in the industry earn an average annual salary of $133,380, according to BLS. States with the highest level of employment in this field include Texas, California, New Jersey, Illinois, and New York.
Best Product Management Jobs After Certification
Passing a product management certification exam can open up a lot of job opportunities. Some of the roles you can explore include product manager, director of product management, digital product manager, product marketing manager, and senior product manager.
A product management director oversees the development of a product from conception all the way to completion. Focus is placed on the production process and the quality of the end product. A product management director is a role that requires you to be comfortable with taking charge.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Product Leader Certification. This certification is awarded to help experienced senior product managers and help them ease into leadership roles.
A senior product manager leads other product managers. They work with different departments including engineering, IT, marketing, and sales to achieve the result that the organization desires throughout the entire product lifecycle.
They develop the requirements and product roadmap to meet these milestones. Senior product managers also listen to and incorporate feedback from customers into the product strategy.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Senior Product Manager Certification. This certification is only open to experienced product managers, indicating your comprehension of production cycles and product strategy, among others.
A product marketing manager develops effective strategies to sell a company's products or services to generate high revenue. They are in charge of improving overall customer perception and satisfaction by monitoring promotional material like press releases and advertisements. A product marketing manager is also typically creative, focused on the vision, and dynamic in their strategy.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Product Marketing Manager. This certification helps a product professional showcase their proficiency, especially in a niche area of product management
Product managers supervise the production aspects of development. They have the responsibility of reaching set goals for a product while maintaining industry standards. Product managers have high problem-solving skills and can motivate co-workers to accomplish expected results.
They also help to train new production workers to observe in-house rules and adhere to best practices. A product management certification can validate your skills, experience level, and mastery of all aspects of product management.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Product Manager Certification.This certification shows that although new to the industry, the holders have adequate knowledge of core product management skills and tools.
A digital product manager oversees the entire lifecycle of a digital product. This role requires a lot of core skills which range from customer and market research, supply chain planning, UI development, and product architecture design.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Digital Product Management. This certification helps professionals develop a leadership mindset and gain the skills required to lead digital transformation in an organization.
Best Product Management Associations
There are a number of product management associations that you can join as a professional to earn certain benefits and also easily upgrade your career status. These bodies are accredited and offer certifications that are applicable to different aspects of the field. We will be looking at a few of these product management associations below.
The Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM)
AIPMM is the largest professional association of product managers, brand managers, and product marketing managers in the world. AIPMM represents members through the entire life cycle in any industry and is the only association that does so. Members receive quality training, certification, and professional networking opportunities that you need to keep abreast in the industry.
The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)
The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) has thousands of members around the world. Some of these members are the powerhouses behind some globally recognized organizations. PDMA focuses on the integrated activities that encompass the full lifecycle of product management and is the only organization that does so.
The Association of Product Professionals (APP)
The Association of Product Professionals is a globally recognized industry body for product managers that put in the hard work to advance the profession of product management. Members can receive some benefits including receiving an APP membership badge that is fully accredited on LinkedIn. Members can also develop their skills and get mentored by top professionals across the globe.
Are Product Management Certifications Worth It?
Yes, product management certifications are worth it because they can help professionals improve their knowledge and skills. This, in turn, can prepare you for career growth. A promotion means higher competency and a better pay package. A product management certification can unlock the door to fresh opportunities as it gives professionals the opportunity to network and improve their career prospects generally.
Additional Reading About Product Management
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Product Management Certifications FAQ
No, product managers do not need to learn how to code as it is not a requirement for a majority of the jobs. It can, however, serve as an added advantage to make you more successful on the job. Product management teams usually execute projects from conception to the production stage. Learning what goes on on the technical side can help facilitate the whole process.
No, you do not need a product management certification to become a successful product manager. Many product managers today maintain at least one certification as shown in the Pragmatic Marketing Inc survey, where 71 percent of product managers revealed that in addition to their degree, they hold at least one professional certification.
Without prior experience, you can still break into a career in product management by following a few steps: assess your weaknesses and strengths, acquire new skills that can help address areas you lack, obtain certification to validate your expertise, and seek fitting employment.
It can take from a few hours to a few months to get a product management certification. The length of time required to complete a certification in product management varies and is dependent on the institution offering the certification and the type of certification that you seek to obtain.
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