TL; DR: The Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 — How Do You Compare?
The Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 is the third edition of the industry survey after 2017 and 2019. This free report is based on the answers of 1,113 participants globally. If you are considering a career decision this year, maybe, whether you should join the industry as a junior Scrum Master or move to a new organization or go independent, you will find the report’s information beneficial.
By the way, the average salary of the participants in the survey is $83,687, with a standard deviation of about $48,700. In the complete report, you will find more detailed information; download your copy below.
Moreover, we are considering creating a statistical model to suggest further career steps: The “Scrum Master Salary Toolkit.”
🗳 Update: Join the poll and its lively discussion on LinkedIn.
🗞 Shall I notify you about articles like this one? Awesome! You can sign up here for the ‘Food for Agile Thought’ newsletter and join 34,000-plus subscribers.
🎓 Join Stefan in one of his upcoming Professional Scrum training classes!
Download the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022
Download your free copy of the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 here and compare where you stand:
Download the 2019 edition here: Scrum Master Trends Report 2019
Download the 2017 edition here: Scrum Master Salary Report 2017
A Brief Summary of the Findings of the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022
How We Collected the Data, Demographics, Experience
We collected the data for the 2022 edition from September 2021 to December 2021. Overall, 1,113 Scrum Masters and agile coaches participated in the survey. To gather the contributors’ answers, we employed an online questionnaire administered via Google Forms.
The main acquisition channel was the Food for Agile Thought newsletter. Additionally, we distributed the survey link via blog posts and various social media postings.
The participants are 64.3 % male and 34.5 % female. Most of the participants are between 30 and 39 years old (40.9 %) or between 40 and 49 years old (30.7 %.) Another 16.9 % belong to the age group between 50 and 59 years.
Most of the participants of the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 either have practical experience of more than four years (50.5 %) or at least two to four years (31.2 %). In addition, they indicated significant transition experience (67.2 %), and at least 52.0 % of them experienced or initiated a transition kickoff.
Among our participants were 70 % Scrum Masters and 30 % Agile Coaches, 92.2% of them employed directly at the respective organization. The participants` tenure level was more or less evenly distributed among the four categories “less than one year” (32.5 %), “one to two years” (19.9 %), “two to four years” (22.4 %), and “more than four years” (25.2 %.)
Certifications and Experience Have Significant Impact on the Remuneration
Your salary increases with the number and sophistication of the certificates you obtain. The median difference between having no certification and having at least an entry-level certification, for example, the PSM I, is as much as $15,000 annually. Advanced certificates, for example, the PSM II, and additional qualifications such as SCM, ICP-ACC, PMI-ACP add up to another $19,000 annually to your paycheck.
Unsurprisingly, the salary also increases as Scrum Masters and agile coaches gain experience and reach intermediate and senior levels. From our point of view, what is surprising is the median difference between junior-level income and senior-level income. A difference of roughly $40,000 is a valid argument to cope with the troubles that may stress you in your day-to-day business. We also want to highlight that the more senior you become, the higher the salary distribution spreads.
Toward a Scrum Master Salary Toolkit
Taking a step back and looking at our analyses, we wondered how we could improve the value for our readers. One size doesn’t fit all, and what you can and cannot achieve—financially speaking—heavily depends on your current situation and your specific profile. Therefore, we want to go beyond group comparisons. In preparation for future reports, we experimented with our dataset and investigated if it could point to a salary pathway or a Scrum Master salary toolkit. The toolkit should allow you to calculate your salary considering your specific characteristics and identify relevant “next steps” to increase your salary significantly.
Learn more about the Scrum Master salary toolkit in the report.
The Conclusion
What are the most interesting findings of the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022? My pick is as follows:
- For Scrum Masters and agile coaches, hands-on experience trumps a Ph.D. concerning your career.
- Continuing your education in the form of earning industry-acknowledged certificates pays well.
- Your previous work experience impacts your remuneration as Scrum Master or agile coach.
- The average salary of the participants in the survey is $83,687, with a standard deviation of about $48,700.
- We might be able to create a statistical model to suggest further career steps: The “Scrum Master Salary Toolkit.”
If you found the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 useful, please consider forwarding it to a friend or colleague.
✋ Do Not Miss Out and Learn more about the Scrum Master Salary Report 2022 — Join the 11,000-plus Strong ‘Hands-on Agile’ Slack Community
I invite you to join the “Hands-on Agile” Slack Community and enjoy the benefits of a fast-growing, vibrant community of agile practitioners from around the world.
If you like to join all you have to do now is provide your credentials via this Google form, and I will sign you up. By the way, it’s free.
📖 Related Articles
Hiring: 60 Scrum Master Interview Questions To Avoid Agile Imposters
Peer Recruiting: How to Hire a Scrum Master in Agile Times
Scrum Master Trends Report 2019
Scrum Master Salary Report 2017
Download the ’Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide’ for Free
🎓 Do You Want more like this?
Well, then:
- 📰 Join 34,017 peers and sign-up for my weekly newsletter
- 📅 Join 4,000-plus peers of the Hands-on Agile Meetup group
- 🐦 Follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my blog Age of Product
- 💬 Alternatively, join 11,000-plus peers of the “Hands-on Agile” Slack Community for free.