Est. global distribution of ITAM, SAM, Software Licensing, and Licensing Auditor professionals

🌎 North America

Metric	Estimate
ITAM Professionals	~100,000
SAM Professionals	~75,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~50,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~12,000
Primary Sources	– IAITAM membership data

• LinkedIn job title searches
• Gartner/IDC market insights | | Key Assumptions | – Highest concentration of ITAM/SAM professionals due to large enterprise IT footprint in the U.S. and Canada
• Overlap between ITAM, SAM, and Licensing roles is partially accounted for through LinkedIn job postings and association data |

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🌍 Europe

Metric	Estimate
ITAM Professionals	~60,000
SAM Professionals	~45,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~30,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~10,000
Primary Sources	– ITAM Forum EU and other regional associations

• LinkedIn data
• Gartner EMEA market insights | | Key Assumptions | – Includes EU, UK, and non-EU countries
• Strong SAM presence driven by compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR) and frequent software audits
• Multinational organizations create role overlap |

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🌏 Asia-Pacific

Metric	Estimate
ITAM Professionals	~50,000
SAM Professionals	~35,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~25,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~7,000
Primary Sources	– IAITAM chapters in APAC

• LinkedIn job title searches
• IDC APAC data | | Key Assumptions | – Rapidly growing market in India, China, Australia, and Singapore
• Expansion of multinational companies and increased local enterprise adoption of formal asset management
• May be understated due to inconsistent job title usage |

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🌎 Latin America

Metric	Estimate
ITAM Professionals	~20,000
SAM Professionals	~15,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~10,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~3,000
Primary Sources	– Latin American IAITAM & ITAM Forum data

• Local job market surveys
• Frost & Sullivan and other analyst reports | | Key Assumptions | – Growing IT sectors in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia
• Smaller market than North America or Europe, but consistent growth
• Some role overlap is assumed in these estimates |

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🌍 Middle East & Africa

Metric	Estimate
ITAM Professionals	~20,000
SAM Professionals	~10,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~5,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~3,000
Primary Sources	– IAITAM/ITAM Forum memberships

• LinkedIn job data
• Gartner MEA regional reports | | Key Assumptions | – Emerging ITAM/SAM practices with pockets of high adoption in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa
• Estimates may be low due to fewer formalized asset management titles
• Significant overlap of roles within smaller teams |

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🌐 Global Summary

Global Totals	Approximate Count
ITAM Professionals	~250,000
SAM Professionals	~180,000
Software Licensing Professionals	~120,000
Software Licensing Auditors	~35,000
Grand Total	~585k 👏

Sources (Across All Regions)

1. IAITAM (International Association of IT Asset Managers) – Membership figures and general insights
2. ITAM Forum & Other Professional Groups – Regional membership and event data
3. LinkedIn Job Title Searches – Approximate counts of professionals using roles like “IT Asset Manager,” “SAM Specialist,” “License Auditor,” etc.
4. Market Research (Gartner, IDC, Forrester, Frost & Sullivan) – Market sizing, growth rates, and industry trends

Key Assumptions (Across All Regions)

• Role Overlap: Many organizations merge ITAM, SAM, and licensing roles, so the figures may double-count some individuals.
• Varying Job Titles: Lack of standardized titles can lead to under- or over-counting.
• Extrapolation: Much of the data is inferred from membership and job postings; actual figures may differ.

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Future Market Trends

1. Growth in Cloud & Subscription Models
   • Complex hybrid licensing (on-prem + cloud) drives continued need for Software Asset Management and licensing expertise.
2. Higher Emphasis on Governance & Compliance
   • Regulatory requirements (data protection, cybersecurity) and frequent software audits are spurring organizations to invest more in ITAM/SAM.
3. Increased Automation & Tool Adoption
   • Tools for inventory, contract management, and analytics reduce manual workload but require specialized knowledge, creating demand for both technical and business-savvy professionals.
4. Rise of Managed Services & Consultancy
   • Smaller or mid-sized companies often outsource SAM and licensing management, increasing the market for third-party providers and auditors.
5. Talent Gap & Upskilling
   • Growing demand outpaces the supply of specialized ITAM/SAM professionals, leading to more certification programs (IAITAM, ISO/IEC 19770, etc.).
6. Global Standardization
   • Wider adoption of standards like ISO/IEC 19770 fosters consistency in practices and further drives the need for certified professionals.

👉 Read more about our counting methodology in our Wiki article.