Top-paying Scrum Master Certifications to Consider in 2021

A series of courses and qualifying Examinations can get you a Scrum Master’s Certification. Professionals in the field of software development and project management are enhancing their skills, knowledge and aptitude in Scrum and Agile methodology for managing complex projects. The role most sought after is that of the Scrum Master, which shoots your monthly pay package into six figures.

Scrum Certification exams and courses that professionals undertake validate their knowledge, skills and aptitude in Scrum, as well as giving them expertise in the Agile methodology and framework for managing complex projects.

Numerous accreditation bodies exist around the globe which provide Scrum training and certification programs, most of which are widely accepted and recognized.

This article discusses a few top Scrum Training and Certification options which are available, starting right from the basics. Read along to know more!

A few words about the Agile Methodology. Fast catching up with organizations around the world, Agile provides a way of doing projects (mostly for Software Development) that differs from traditional project management in that it empowers the solution development teams to respond quickly to unpredictability through iterative and incremental work cadences called Sprints.

There are many Agile Methodologies in use today. Scrum, Kanban, Crystal, Lean, ASD, XP, FDD and DSDM fall under the umbrella of Agile. All of them share the same principles and philosophy but the recipe of implementation is different for each one of them.

Scrum is the most popular amongst them, being lightweight with broad applicability for managing and controlling iterative and incremental projects of all types. It is simple to understand yet difficult to master. Scrum is a process framework which can be used to manage complex product development. Under its framework one can continuously improve the efficacy of product management. As per the Scrum Guide, Scrum can be defined as, “A framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value.” The Scrum framework comprises of Scrum Teams and their Roles, Events, and Artifacts. The Scrum Theory is founded on empiricism which asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is known. That is why Scrum Methodology believes in iterations and an incremental approach to solving a problem.

The three pillars that hold empiricism are Transparency, Inspection and Adaptation.

Development Team: The Development team is a group of self-organized, cross-functional people, who work together to create products as well as test the incremental releases of the products at the end of each sprint.

Scrum Master: The Scrum Master serves as a facilitator for team members. It is the Scrum Master’s responsibility to ensure that the Team adheres to the Scrum practices and rules.  A Scrum Master acts as a coach to the development team, product owner and stakeholders, and works towards removing the impediments that the team faces.

Product Owner: A Product Owner is responsible for conveying the vision of the project to the team members who are building it. They are accountable for managing the product backlog and testing the incremental work that is completed.

The Scrum Team comprises of a Product Owner, the Solution Development Team and a Scrum Master. They deliver the products iteratively and incrementally; thereby maximizing opportunities for feedback and deliveries of ‘Done’ product. We shall focus on the role of a Scrum Master because that is our area of interest. 

The Scrum Master

Scrum Master is a servant leader for the Scrum Team. They provide service to the product Owner, SDT and to the Organization.

Scrum Masters interact with all and are responsible for:

• Ensuring that Scrum is understood and enacted by Scrum Team.
• Maximizing the value created by the team.
• Coaching the Development Team.
• Helping the Development Team create high-value products.
• Removing all impediments in the way of SDT’s progress.
• Causing change that increases the productivity of Scrum Team.
• Leading and coaching the organization in several ways to plan the implementation of Scrum.

Having seen the duties of a Scrum Master it is now pertinent to discuss the type of Scrum certifications available in the market.

Types of Scrum Certifications

There are a number of Scrum Certifications available all over the globe but the top seven amongst them along with the kind of salary that one is likely to get are tabulated below:-

Top Scrum Certifications

1. Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®):

CSM is among the most popular and pursued Scrum Master Certifications. With the help of this certification process, you can learn about the Scrum framework and get a better understanding of team events, roles and artifacts.

• Accreditation body: Scrum Alliance®
• Prerequisites: The CSM® course can be taken by any professional who wants to deepen their Scrum understanding. CSM® certification is usually taken up by professionals working in IT and Non-IT industries. Therefore, it is recommended that one becomes familiar with the basics of Scrum to understand the overall framework perfectly in the shortest possible time.

Who can take up this certification?

The following individuals can take this course:

• Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master
• Teams transitioning to Scrum
• Managers of Scrum teams
• Scrum team members such as product owners and developers

If you are already working as a Scrum Master, then taking this course will help you to strengthen your Scrum knowledge and skills.

Certification Procedure: You will have to attend a training of two days duration, after which you will be required to take an online test. The two-day training is conducted by a Certified Scrum Trainer who has been authorized by the Scrum Alliance.

The CSM certification has to be renewed every two years by paying a fee of $100 without any additional examination or training.

Job opportunities after Scrum Master Certification:  

After attaining your Scrum Master Certification, you can take on the role of a Scrum Master. Scrum Masters can opt to become mentors, coaches, managers, product owners or advance as a senior level Scrum Master in more challenging situations.  

• Cost: Depending on factors like location and trainer, the cost of Scrum Master Certification is approximately between $700 to $1500. The price bracket of the CSM certification varies across the globe. Click here to know more.
• Average Salary: The average salary of a Certified Scrum Master ranges between $100,00 to $130,000 across the United States.

2. Advanced CSM (A-CSM℠):

If you are a Certified ScrumMaster then your next natural progression in the world of Scrum certificates would be the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster certification. This course will help you get a deeper insight of Scrum along with its practical usage and multiple ways to coach the Product owner and the team members.

• Accreditation Body: Scrum Alliance
• Prerequisites: As a Certified ScrumMaster, you should have a minimum of twelve months of working experience to become an Advanced CSM. You should also have a basic understanding of Scrum along with its usage and implementation.

Who can take up this certification?

The following individuals can take this course:

• Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master after completing the CSM course
• Scrum Team managers
• Teams which are transitioning to Scrum
• Scrum team members such as product owners and developers
• Anyone who wishes to distinguish himself in the global market.

Certification Procedure: You will have to attend an education offering for certified A-CSM to learn techniques and skills which go beyond the basics of Scrum, like interaction, coaching, facilitation and team dynamics. Also, you will be required to have an experience of 12 months as a working Scrum Master in the last five years.

The certification has to be renewed every two years by paying a fee of $175 without any additional examination or training.

Job opportunities after Advanced Scrum Master Certification:

Work towards becoming a more professional practitioner of Scrum, learn how to untap the underlying potential of your team. Work as a Scrum Master, coach, mentor or a Product Owner.

• Cost: Depending on different factors like location and trainer, the cost of Advanced Certified ScrumMaster Certification ranges approximately between $1295 to $1495.
• Average Salary: The average salary of an Advance Certified ScrumMaster ranges between $100,000 to $130,000 across the United States.

3. Certified Scrum Professional (CSP-SM)

This course focuses on topics like lean concepts, system thinking, coaching, emotional intelligence, facilitation, deeper understanding of the Scrum Framework and scaling Scrum to big organizations.

• Accreditation Body: Scrum Alliance

Prerequisites:

• An active A-CSM certification
• 24 months of experience as a Scrum Master in the last five years
• Attend a CSP-SM workshop which is conducted by the Scrum Alliance approved ‘Path to CSP Educator’.

Who can take up this certification?

The following individuals can take this course:

• Scrum team members such as developers
• Teams transitioning to Scrum
• Managers of Scrum teams

Job opportunities after Certified Scrum Professional (CSP-SM) Certification: 

Work towards becoming a more professional practitioner of Scrum for big organizations, and learn how to tap the underlying potential of different teams. Work as a Scrum Master, coach, mentor or a Product Owner. Get various opportunities to attend exclusive CSP events along with many other leaders in Scrum and Agile

• Cost: Depending on various factors, the cost of the certification costs around $1295.
• Average Salary: The average salary of a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP-SM) is calculated to be approximately $115,000 across the United States.

4. Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM), is a two-day course which covers the theory and principles of the Scrum Framework and the roles of a Scrum Master. This course combines team-based exercises with instructions in order to teach the heart of the Scrum and Agile movement.

• Accreditation Body: Scrum.org
• Prerequisites: The PSM course can be taken by any professional who wants to deepen their Scrum understanding. It is recommended to familiarize with the basics of Scrum to understand the overall framework perfectly in a shorter course of time.

Who can take up this certification?

This course is apt for professionals who are involved in product delivery using the Scrum Framework. It is particularly beneficial for Scrum Masters, Team members and managers, that is, professionals who are accountable for getting the most out of Scrum..

Job opportunities after Professional Scrum Master Training (PSM): 

After being a certified Professional Scrum Master, the candidate can apply for various fields, to name a few:

• Scrum Master
• Associate Scrum Master
• Product Owner
• Coach
• Mentor

Cost: Starts from  $150.

Average Salary: $100,500

5. SAFe 4.0 Scrum Master (SSM)

It is a two-day course, during which the attendees gain a proper understanding of the roles of a Scrum Master in the context of SAFe enterprise while at the same time, prepare them to plan and execute the Program Increment(PI) successfully. PI is an enabler of alignment for all the levels of a SAFe organisation, which includes the facilitation of Scrum in the enterprise and executing the Iteration Planning.

This course will validate that you can now perform the role of a Scrum Master in a SAFe environment, which will help you increase your value to organisations and teams which are implementing SAFe.

• Accreditation Body: Scaled Agile, Inc.

Prerequisites: Regardless of experience, this course can be attended by anyone. But it is recommended to have the following prerequisites for the ones who intend to take the SAFe® Scrum Master (SSM) certification exam:

• They should be familiar with Agile concepts and practices.
• Basic knowledge and awareness of Scrum, eXtreme Programming (XP) and Kanban.
• Proper working knowledge of hardware as well as software development processes.

Who can take up this certification?

This course can be taken up by Scrum Master who are new to this and need to perform the role. While this course can also be taken up by the existing Scrum Masters who wish to know about their role as a Scrum Master in a SAFe environment.

Other than them, Team leads who wish to understand the roles of Scrum Master can also take up this course.

Job opportunities after SAFe 4.0 Scrum Master (SSM): 

Based on the candidates' experience, the candidate can apply for various roles. To name a few:

• Scrum Master
• Senior Scrum Master
• Agile Scrum Master
• Agile Project Manager
• Agile Project Director
• Agile Coach
• Product Owner

Cost: The first attempt of the exam is included in the course registration fee, provided the exam is taken within 30 days after completing the course. After that, each retake costs $50.

Average Salary: $114,546

6. Scrum Master Certified (SMC)

The professionals who are certified as Scrum Master Certified (SMC) ensure that the Scrum team is working in an environment which helps them in completing their project successfully. The Scrum Master has the responsibility to ensure that the Scrum process is being followed. He guides the Scrum practices to everyone who is involved in the project.

• Accreditation Body: SCRUMstudy
• Prerequisites: There are no particular prerequisites for this certification, but a SDC™certified professional is more preferred.

Who can take up this certification?

This course is apt for professionals who are involved in product delivery using the Scrum Framework. It is particularly most beneficial for Scrum Master, Team members and managers, that is, those people who are accountable for getting the most out of Scrum.

Job opportunities after Scrum Master Certified (SMC): 

After completion of the course, you can opt for the following job opportunities:

• Scrum Master
• Associate Scrum Master
• Senior Scrum Master
• Coach Scrum Master
• Product Owner/Manager

Cost: $450 USD
Average Salary: The average salary for a Scrum Master Certified professional ranges between $100,00 to $130,00 USD.

7. Agile Scrum Master (ASM)

The Agile Scrum Master certification combines scrum practices and agile methodologies with practical assignments. It tests the ability of the professional that is required to facilitate, enable and coach a cross-functional Scrum Team as a Scrum Master.

• Accreditation Body: Exin.
• Prerequisites: You are required to have successfully completed an EXIN Accredited Agile Scrum Master Training, which is mandatory.

Who can take up this certification?

This certification aims the managerial professionals who are in the fields of IT project management, business management, software development, and IT service management.

Job opportunities after Agile Scrum Master (ASM): 

The professional can look forward to the following job opportunities after completing the Agile Scrum Master course:

• Scrum Master
• Agile Coach
• Associate Scrum Master
• Program Manager

Cost: $260 USD

Average Salary: The average salary of an Agile Scrum Master ranges between $100,00 to $130,000 across the United States.

SCRUM CERTIFICATIONS AND THEIR FEATURES IN TABULAR FORMAT FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING

Notes:-  

1. For courses CSM, A-CSM, CSP-SM and PSM duration of the course is 2 days and renewal every 2 years at cost $100 to $175. You will also be required to earn SEUs to maintain your Scrum Alliance certifications.
2. For SAFe 5.0 Scrum Master (SSM) renewal every year is @ $100
3. For SMC Course , retake SMC® Recertification exam every 3 years or earn any SCRUMstudy™ Certification

Here is a quick list of what benefits can be attained by a Scrum Certification.

1. Get in-depth knowledge about Scrum: Having a Scrum certification will help you attain a solid base of Scrum knowledge as well as train you with the required skills to utilize it in an effective manner.
2. Learn to think the Scrum way: It is necessary to develop an Agile mindset to work with Scrum effectively. This will help you to have better team collaboration, make your projects more successful, and will lead to a decrease in disagreements.
3. Scrum Artifacts: Scrum concepts like product backlog, sprint backlog, burndown, etc. act as a pillar in a Scrum project, which help organizations to deliver the project in iterations.
4. Become more relevant and marketable: A Scrum certification will provide you with in-depth practical knowledge, which will help you become more marketable and relevant in your field or in an industry which engages with Agile values. This certification will act as a validation that you have knowledge of Agile concepts and that you have an Agile mindset.
5. Scrum Certification benefits your organization: Scrum Certification trains you to use the latest tools, technologies as well as resources, which leads to business processes and a better-organized team which costs less time and money.
6. Influence your organization to adopt Agile methodology: Adopting Agile methodologies will help your organization as it will ensure better yields, lesser time to market, timely insights, improved productivity, better ROI, sellable products after each sprint and much more.
7. Better interaction with your peers: Having a Scrum certification will help you to build a better understanding of Scrum while working with your colleagues. It helps to promote productivity while at the same time it helps you communicate and collaborate with your peers in a better manner.
8. Prove and put Scrum knowledge into practice: The process to earn Scrum Certification requires you to go through a rigorous Agile Scrum training, which helps you get a better job and career opportunities.
9. Join the community of Scrum experts: With a Scrum Certification, you can connect with various professionals. This ensures continuous improvements that you will learn and achieve with an Agile approach.
10. Enhance sale: Make your Scrum team work in a more flexible manner, ensure fast delivery and quick releases. Being Scrum Certified enables you to make a difference to your organization.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a lightweight framework with the help of which people can address complex problems to deliver projects of the highest possible value. It is primarily used for software development processes by using iterative and incremental practices to work towards a well-defined goal.

It is a subset of Agile as it follows the Agile Manifesto, which expresses a set of values and principles to help make decisions on how to develop higher-quality software in a quicker and better manner. Organisations have benefitted by Agile Scrum process as:

• It increases the productivity of the team.
• It increases the quality of deliverable products.
• Helps in getting a better grip of the project schedule.
• It provides a better estimate while less time is spent on creating them
• It keeps the stakeholders and customers satisfied.

1. Scrum Events: The Scrum Events consist of five components, namely Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-up, Sprint Review, Retrospective.
2. Sprint: A Sprint is a time-boxed period within which a Scrum Team completes a specific task or tasks so that they can be ready for a review. A Sprint can be as short as one week.
3. Sprint Planning: During a Sprint Planning meeting, the tasks which must be accomplished during a Sprint are decided upon. It discusses the product backlogs which are needed to be delivered and how it can be achieved.
4. Daily Stand-up: It is a short meeting of 15-minutes duration which is conducted on an everyday basis. The main objective behind this short meeting is to make sure that the whole team is on the same page and is aligned to the sprint goal. The tasks covered in the previous 24 hours are discussed and the tasks to be carried out during the next 24 hours are planned out.
5. Sprint Review: A Sprint Review is conducted after the Sprint ends. The increment completed and the tasks that have not been completed are discussed during the Sprint Review.
6. Sprint Retrospective: During a Sprint Retrospective, the whole team comes together and reflects on the Sprint process, that is, discusses what tasks were completed and what problems they faced. The main motive behind this is continuous improvement.

According to The 13th Annual State of Agile Report, the top 5 Agile Techniques are:  

• Daily standup 
• Sprint/Iteration Planning 
• Retrospectives 
• Sprint/Iteration Review 
• Short Iterations 

Scrum Artifacts 

Scrum Artifacts include product backlog, sprint backlog and product increment. 

Product Backlog:  

It is a document which consists of an ordered list of all the product requirements. The Product Owner looks after the Product Backlog, and prioritizes them as per the requirement. 

Sprint Backlog: 

The Sprint Backlog is a specific list of all the items from the Product Backlog which are to be worked on in a sprint. 

Product Increment: 

A product increment is the sum of all the completed product backlogs since the software release. 

How are Scrum and Agile related  

Scrum and Agile are related, but distinctly. Agile is a methodology that describes a set of guiding principles to build software through iterative development, which is described in the Agile Manifesto.

Scrum follows a set of rules while practicing agile software development. Even though these two models look similar and function in a similar manner, there are differences as well. Scrum aims for a product team with firm rules and guidelines. It is an incremental and iterative development methodology of Agile, that is, it can be said that it is an agile framework for developing software. Scrum does not state any detailed description or template of the process of software development, unlike many other software development methodologies. It states the desired outcome that is required, leaving it on the agile scrum team to determine the solutions to the problems that they are facing or will come across. It may be used for software maintenance projects or software development. Scrum increases the flexibility and speed of the process of product development. Organizations which have switched to agile processes like Scrum have experienced many benefits like higher stakeholder satisfaction, higher productivity, etc.  

Scrum Certifying Accreditation Bodies 

The following is a list of the foremost Scrum Certifying Bodies. 

• Scrum Alliance 
• Scrum.org 
• Scaled Agile, Inc 
• APM Group International 
• SCRUMstudy 

1. Scrum Alliance:  

Scrum Alliance was founded in the year 2011. Being a globally renowned organization, it supports Scrum adoption, research and networking, focusing on organizational transformations. It is the largest, most established organization for Agile membership and certifications that has trained more than 750,000 professionals worldwide. 

2. Scrum.org: 

Scrum.org provides training, assessments and certifications based on the principles of Scrum and Agile manifesto in order to improve software delivery. They empower people and organizations all around the world to achieve agility through Scrum. The global organization was founded in the year 2009 by Ken Schwaber. 

3. Scaled Agile, Inc. (SAI):  

Scaled Agile, Inc. (SAI) is the leading provider of SAFe® courses. Being a knowledge base for enterprises to adopt Agile, it uplifts the career growth of an individual as it offers various role-based courses and certifications. 

4. SCRUM study:  

SCRUMstudy is a globally acknowledged accreditation body for Agile and Scrum certifications. It has a large global partner network of ATPs (Authorized Training Providers) delivering training and certifications. The SBOK™ Guide has been authored by the SCRUMstudy, which is a comprehensive guide to deliver projects successfully using Scrum. 

5. EXIN:  

EXIN offers professionals certifications in a wide range of exams in the field of IT qualifications. It innovates in a continuous manner by developing exams in-house. The developed exams are both independent and offered through partners, which is done in order to enhance EXIN’s portfolio as well as broaden the scope of the exams that are offered. 

Summary:

Various accreditation bodies provide various Scrum Certifications around the globe. The main objective behind all the Scrum Certifications is the making of a knowledgeable and reliable Scrum Master who in turn will help his/her organization achieve business goals by following the procedures of the Scrum framework. Choose the best certification course according to your requirements and make the best out of it! 

Happy Scrumming.