BPM Salary Survey – A comparative analysis

Author(s)

Faculty Member, DBizInstitute.org and Managing Director, Spanyi International
Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org
With over 25 years experience building and creating professional communities, Gregg Rock is recognized as an industry leader in professional training and education vital to helping enterprise organizations support their transformation initiatives. His work has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Financial Times, CIO Magazine, and New York Times. Throughout his career Gregg has developed communities, hosted executive networking forums and the formation of advisory boards on topics ranging from IT security and outsourcing to multimedia and Y2K, but is most widely associated with his accomplishments in the areas of Business Process Management (BPM), Digital Business (DBiz), Business Architecture (BA), and Cloud Computing. BPM in particular is a widely accepted approach for designing enterprise organizational and information systems. This focus on process-related skills is creating demand for BPM content, collaboration, and training resources by corporations—a niche Gregg has spent years to fill. In 1997, Gregg founded BrainStorm Group and the network of BrainStorm Communities, consisting of discipline-specific web portals for BPM, BA, and SOA practitioners to network and receive education, professional training online and through live in-person events. This has enabled over 100,000 practitioners from over 125 countries to collaborate and share best practices, online and face-to-face. BrainStorm Communities feature a comprehensive suite of member services including newsletters, discussion groups, blogs, virtual and live events, live and online training, certificate programs, and professional certification. During his tenure, Gregg has produced more than 100 industry events in North America, South America, EMEA, and Australia attended by over 300,000 professionals. He led the development of the Certified Business Process Management Professional program. Harnessing the collective intelligence of leading BPM subject matter experts, this certification establishes an objective evaluation of a BPM professional’s knowledge, skill, and ability. He recently led the launch of BrainStorm's newest Community, focused on Digital Business and Transformation - DBizInstitute.org. Gregg also earned his private pilot license in 1991 and remains an active member of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). When not flying, he’s active in his community and enjoys coaching little league, soccer, and lacrosse for his children.

A must read for business analysts, business process analysts, business process managers,  business process designers and business architects.

This BPM Salary Survey report outlines a regional comparison across the USA, Canada and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). It is based upon the data collected in the BPM 2015 Salary Survey conducted by BPMInstitute.org which represented the first such survey and formed the baseline for our future research in this area.

The objective of the 2015 survey was to examine the profile, skills, and compensation of BPM professionals around the world based on an international sample of 352 respondents and examined factors such as age, gender, education, job satisfaction, salary and bonus, certification, background, and other characteristics. This report now compares factors such as respondent demographics, company characteristics, job status, and compensation based on the responses from 155 USA respondents, 36 respondents from Canada and 48 respondents from EMEA.

Respondent characteristics include factors such as age, education and sex.  Company size, industry affiliation and BPM maturity are included in company characteristics.  In the areas of job status and compensation, factors such as position, job role, and job function are reviewed as well as average compensation and bonus considerations.

Demographics
There were some major differences observed in terms of age, education and sex. While 42.6% of respondents were women in the USA, and women accounted for 38.9% of respondents in Canada, it was noteworthy that women represented only 18.8% of total respondents in EMEA. 

When it comes to age, the respondents in EMEA were much younger – 35.4% of EMEA respondents were under 35 years of age. In comparison, on a percentage basis only about half as many respondents or 17.4% of US respondents and 16.7% of Canadian respondents were under the age of 35.

With respect to education, the group from EMEA reported higher levels of education with 75.1% of respondents in EMEA holding an advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in comparison to 45.1% of respondents in the US and only 16.7% in Canada.
In summary, the group of respondents from EMEA was younger and better educated and more likely to be men than their counterparts in the USA and Canada.

Company Characteristics
As might be expected, the highest representation from large companies was in the USA, where 43.3% of respondents worked in companies with annual revenues greater than 1 billion dollars as compared to 36.2% of respondents in Canada working in organizations of similar size and only 21.1% of respondents in EMEA.

In terms of industry representation, more than 50% of the respondents in the USA were from banking, government, insurance and technology, yet this trend was not as clear in EMEA and Canada.  In EMEA, more than 30% of respondents came from the technology sector, representing software vendors, technology manufactures and service providers. In terms of BPM maturity, nearly 18% of respondents in the USA and Canada indicated that they worked for firms that were at the higher end of the maturity scale, compared to only 5.6% of respondents in EMEA. 

Job Status
When asked what title best describes their position, 59.4% of US respondents were either BPM Practitioners or BPM Team Leaders. The comparable statistic for EMEA was 41.7%, while 43.8% of respondents in EMEA selected “Consultant” as the title that best described their position, as compared to 33% in Canada and only 15.5% in the USA.  The highest percent of full time employees were in the USA, where 92.3% were in a full time salaried position, as compared to 83.3% in Canada and 75% in EMEA.  Conversely, 20.8% of EMEA respondents were engaged as independent consultants as compared to 6.5% in the USA and 13.9% in Canada.  Half of the total number of respondents from EMEA reported that their work was fully dedicated to BPM, while the comparable statistic in the USA was 38.7% and 36.1% in Canada. When asked what term best describes their role, the titles business analyst, business process analyst, business process manager and business process designer were frequently cited.  Those four titles were selected by 69% of respondents in the US, 64.5% in EMEA and 69.4% in Canada.  The title of business architect was the next most frequently cited.  The moist frequently mentioned functions, regardless of role, were consistently process modeling, process analysis, process design, process implementation and process governance.  Nearly 50% of US respondents had been employed with their current company for 7 or more years, as compared to 41.1% in EMEA and only 27.7% in Canada. 

Compensation
Compensation varied quite widely across the three regions. In 2014, the average base salary for the 155 respondents in the USA was $101,693.50 as compared to $87,083.33 for the 36 respondents in Canada and $70,000.00 for the 48 respondents in EMEA. Further, 69% of US respondents reported that they had received a bonus during the prior year while only 47.9% of EMEA respondents and 44.4% of Canadian respondents reported having received a bonus in 2014. The results for average base salary and bonus were significantly influenced by the fact that 12 respondents in the USA or 7.8% of the total reported that they earned in excess of $150,000.00 in base salary.   In response to the question, “Do you feel that you are fairly compensated?” – 66.7% of Canadian respondents felt that they were fairly compensated as compared with 50.3% of US respondents and 47.9% of respondents in EMEA.  Similarly, 55.5% of Canadian respondents were either highly or very highly satisfied in their current position as compared to 50.3% in the US and 48% in EMEA.

BPM Credentials
The survey results indicate that BPM professionals are increasingly recognizing the value of obtaining a certificate and professional certification. More than 30% of the respondents indicated that they had earned a certificate or certification. Download the full report for details.

Download the full report:

2015 Business Process Management Salary Survey Report

Similar Resources

Enhancing Your Team’s BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise

Enhancing Your Team’s BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Enhancing Your Team's BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise In today’s dynamic business environment, managing and improving business processes is critical for any organization aiming to maintain a competitive edge. Many companies consider handling Business...

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+ Introduction In the evolving landscape of Business Process Management (BPM), the introduction of Shared Data Model Notation (SDMN) marks a significant advancement. As businesses increasingly seek to...

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+ Introduction In the realm of business process management (BPM), low-code and no-code platforms have emerged as transformative tools, reshaping how organizations develop applications and manage workflows....

Featured Certificate: BPM Specialist

Everyone starts here.

You're looking for a way to improve your process improvement skills, but you're not sure where to start.

Earning your Business Process Management Specialist (BPMS) Certificate will give you the competitive advantage you need in today's world. Our courses help you deliver faster and makes projects easier.

Your skills will include building hierarchical process models, using tools to analyze and assess process performance, defining critical process metrics, using best practice principles to redesign processes, developing process improvement project plans, building a center of excellence, and establishing process governance.

The BPMS Certificate is the perfect way to show employers that you are serious about business process management. With in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management, you'll be able to take your business career to the next level.

Learn more about the BPM Specialist Certificate

Courses

  •  

 

Certificates

  • Business Process Management Specialist
  • Earning your Business Process Management Specialist (BPMS) Certificate will provide you with a distinct competitive advantage in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. With in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management, you’ll be able to take your business career to the next level.
  • BPM Professional Certificate
    Business Process Management Professional
  • Earning your Business Process Management Professional (BPMP) Certificate will elevate your expertise and professional standing in the field of business process management. Our BPMP Certificate is a tangible symbol of your achievement, demonstrating your in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management.

Certification

BPM Certification

  • Make the most of your hard-earned skills. Earn the respect of your peers and superiors with Business Process Management Certification from the industry's top BPM educational organization.

Courses

 

Certificates

  • Operational Excellence Specialist
  • Earning your Operational Excellence Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in driving organizational excellence and achieving sustainable improvements in performance.
 

 

OpEx Professional Certificate

  • Operational Excellence Professional
  • Earn your Operational Excellence Professional Certificate and gain a competitive edge in driving organizational excellence and achieving sustainable improvements in performance.

Courses

Certificate
  •  

  • Agile BPM Specialist
  • Earn your Agile BPM Specialist Certificate and gain a competitive edge in driving business process management (BPM) with agile methodologies. You’ll gain a strong understanding of how to apply agile principles and concepts to business process management initiatives.  
 

Business Architecture

 

Certificates

  • Business Architecture Specialist
  • The Business Architecture Specialist (BAIS) Certificate is proof that you’ve begun your business architecture journey by committing to the industry’s most meaningful and credible business architecture training program.

  • Business Architecture Professional
  • When you earn your Business Architecture Professional (BAIP) Certificate, you will be able to design and implement a governance structure for your organization, develop and optimize business processes, and manage business information effectively.

BA CertificationCertification

  • Make the most of your hard-earned skills. Earn the respect of your peers and superiors with Business Architecture Certification from the industry's top BPM educational organization.

Courses

 

Certificates

  • Digital Transformation Specialist
  • Earning your Digital Transformation Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. 
 

 

  • Digital Transformation Professional
  • The Digital Transformation Professional Certificate is the first program in the industry to cover all the key pillars of Digital Transformation holistically with practical recommendations and exercises.

Courses

Certificate

  • Agile Business Analysis Specialist
  • Earning your Agile Business Analysis Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in the world of agile software development.

Courses

Certificate
  • DAS Certificate
  • Decision Automation Specialist
  • Earning your Decision Automation Certificate will empower you to excel in the dynamic field of automated decision-making, where data-driven insights are pivotal to driving business innovation and efficiency.