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SAFe® Agilist Certification Value

Become A SAFe® Certified Agilist For Leveraging Proven Project Management Principles

Prior to the advent of SAFe®, the existing project management methodologies adopted a classic approach that was inert and intended to create documentation. Plans were not readily executable as they were for longer terms. The Scaled Agile Framework enterprise (SAFe®) has brought about a sea of changes which has resulted in it becoming the leading framework for enterprise agility in the world. This underscores the value and importance of SAFe® Agilist Certification. This article explores the value of SAFe® Agilist Certification from different perspectives. 

Meet Your Instructors

Become an Instructor
Kishore

Kishore Nakka SPC

Trainer

Kishore is an Enterprise Lean/Agile & SAFe® Transformation leader with 25+ years of progressive experience in the IT industry — leading people, processes, and technology — to deliver high-value solutions with measurable results. He has a proven track record of successful Lean/Agile, SAFe® transformation of large-scale, complex federal systems and hands-on experience working with Agile/SAFe® coaches and consultants to tailor transformation efforts for lean product and solution delivery in large, complex, and controlled federal govt. settings.

He has mentored and coached teams in SAFe®, Lean/Agile methodologies such as Scrum, XP, and Kanban, and other technical practices such as Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Release on Demand, etc. He has also authored books on the Agile Ecosystem, and Customer Experience (CX) Ecosystem, which are available on Amazon. 

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Geethalakshmi

Geethalakshmi Radhakrishnan

Author

Dr. Geethalakshmi, a CSP-SM is a diversified leader with 12 years of rich experience who is known for maintaining a track record of successfully improving the growth of the companies in the Lifesciences and Pharmaceutical industry. Specialized in Client management, Product Management, Business Development, Project Management, and stakeholder management.

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Ankit

Ankit Tandon SPC

Agile

Ankit is a Servant Leader and an organizational change agent with expertise in coaching, mentoring and helping cross-functional teams to higher performance by using Scrum and other Agile/Lean frameworks.
He is an avid learner with a passion to build the community. His mission is to transform 10000 non-Agile minds by 2020 through training and counselling and his well on track. He has successfully helped professionals in top organizations embrace Agility and improve processes.

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Farrah

Farrah Koudsi SPC

SPC, Enterprise Agile Coach

Farrah is a SAFe Program Consultant and global training and organizational development leader with 20+ years of experience in learning and development, organizational and leadership training instruction, and executive coaching.

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Mohammed

Mohammed Rowther SPC

SPC, Scrum@Scale Trainer, Certified Agile Coach

Mohammed Rowther is a Scrum@Scale Trainer, a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), and Certified Agile Leader 1. He comes with over 17 years of experience in the IT industry and currently works as an Agile Consultant or Coach for various clients across the UK, adding immense value to each agile transformation. A man with many feathers to his cap, he is a Facilitator, a Scrum, Kanban, LeSS, and Scrum@Scale practitioner, an expert trainer in Agile and User Story workshops; and promotes Agile Testing approaches using Automation through his multiple efforts.

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Brief Overview of SAFe® Agilist Exam Format and Modalities

The certificate is recognized globally. Your Agile credentials, knowledge, and skills would be recognized at par with other trained professionals even if you apply for a job offshore. Your ambitions of working for a renowned MNC can come true with this certification. 

Better Salaries Offered 

Even at the entry-level, a SAFe® Agilist can fetch higher salaries when compared to other software developers. The salary hike is comparatively more and quicker than other professionals in the same organization. Project managers with this certification are paid almost 25% more than the peers who don’t have a SAFe® certification. 

The salaries vary from nation to nation. In the USA, India, Canada, UK, and Australia, the salaries of SAFe® Agilists are the highest. The salaries fetched on an average per annum by SAFe® Agilist is indicated in the table below. 

Country 
Currency
Salary per annum 
United States of America 
USD 
80,000 – 135,00
Canada
CAD
66,000 – 145,000
India
INR
1,200,000 – 2,000,000
United Kingdom
GBP
33,000 – 75,000
Australia
AUD
100,000 – 157,000


Source: PayScale
 

Better Career Advancement Prospects 

The demand for SAFe® Agilists outweighs their supply. As such, organizations offer better career progression framework to them to retain them in their corporate fold. Also, Agilists get the opportunity to continuously upgrade their skills by virtue of their exclusive access to the SAFe® Leading Platform and forum. This access is guaranteed by SAFe® certification. Understanding of emerging knowledge, cutting-edge practices, and newer techniques enhance the employability scope of professionals and improve their visibility in the global landscape. 

The SAFe® Agilist salaries for various SAFe® job roles are indicated below. 


Job Role 
Salary per annum (in USD) 
Scrum Master 
90,000 – 100,000 
Agile Coach 
110,000 – 135,000 
Certified Scrum Master (CSM) 
90,000 – 105,000 
Product Owner 
80,000 – 95,000 
Project Manager 
85,000 – 110,000 
Software Engineer 
77,000 – 101,000 


Source: PayScale
 

Allows Adapting to Changing Demand Dynamics Quickly 

Clients have become fussier with their demands. With SAFe® training, you can quickly make your team adapt to the changing demands of the clients. For effectively catering to clients’ needs, you can test various innovative ideas and creative plans with Lean Start-up Cycle and Lean UX (User Experience). 

Building Continuous Delivery Pipeline 

The SAFe® certification empowers you to achieve continuous delivery which makes frequent product release possible. Learning ways of implementing and integrating with DevOps, you can easily meet client demands even with a large team set up. You can deliver more value by executing Agile Release Trains and can be a leader in Lean-Agile transformation within a scaled organization. You will be instrumental in promoting the culture of Lean portfolio. 

Source: Improuv 

Better Decision Making At Enterprise Level 

Informed and conscious decision making after factoring in all the pros and cons is important for the survival of any organization. With SAFe® certification, you can confidently facilitate important financial and estimation based decision-making by management through the application of Lean Portfolio Management, as well as Lean Finance. You can also expedite the release of product functionalities which will add more value to clients associating with your organization. 

This is the reason why the salaries of SAFe® Agilist grows with increasing experience. This table is indicative of that. 

Years of Experience 
Salary per annum (in USD) 
< 1 
76,000 - 89,000 
1-4  
88,000 - 103,000 
5-9 
100,000 - 116,000 
10-19 
114,000 - 129,000 
20+ 
132,000 - 141,000 


Source: PayScale
 

Other Incidental Benefits 

  • The certification would allow you to showcase your skills overall major professional social networks.  
  • A digital badge of SAFe® Certified Agilist would be displayed against your name 
  • You can connect to motivated SAFe® certified managers over LinkedIn for interacting and exchanging views. 
  • Your enterprise becomes entitled to a strategic association with SAFe® by virtue of your certification.  
  • This will grant you access to the SAFe® newsletters and experts. 

Some of the top global firms which are on the forefront of hiring SAFe® Agilists are indicated in the table below. 


Top Companies 
Salary (in USD) 
USAA Insurance 
77,000 – 102,000 
Capgemini 
74,000 – 129,000 
Comcast Cable, Inc. 
69,000 – 123,000 
Accenture 
106,000 – 146,000 
Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) 
67,000 – 133,000 


Source: PayScale 

Leading SAFe® Course Highlights

The Leading SAFe certification has become a standard requirement for Lean-Agile enterprises. It expands your horizons in terms of potential career paths and value within the sector. The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is the most widely adopted enterprise Agile approach according to most survey data, with 53% using it, according to the 16th Annual State of Agile Report.

THE RISING DEMAND FOR LEADING SAFe® CERTIFICATE


While Agile approaches have proven to be easily applicable to small teams, the majority of enterprises today work across collaborative teams, complex systems, and geographies. This requires Agile to work across your enterprise to bring in the benefits of faster delivery, better-quality products, and quick response to your customer queries. However, large-scale agile transformation is prone to failure due to a lack of suitable structure and processes, resulting in agile implementations that do not have the desired impact.

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a comprehensive framework for large-scale Agile project teams to easily implement an Agile transformation. The first step toward such a change is to use Lean/Agile principles and practices at all levels of your organization. The SAFe methodology synchronizes the alignment, collaboration, and delivery of numerous Agile teams with ease, paving the road for organizational success. Now, in its latest release (version 6.0), SAFe promises to bring in full business agility with significant advances in strategy, execution, and leadership competencies that will help individuals and enterprises deliver innovative business solutions and outperform the competition in its latest release (version 6.0).

Here's a closer look at what you can expect from this 16-hour live, instructor-led online training experience:

  1. 16-Hour Live Instructor-Led Online Training: Our course is designed to be engaging and interactive, with a seasoned instructor leading you through 16 hours of live, real-time training. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, participate in discussions, and apply what you learn in a supportive virtual environment.
  2. Earn 16 PDUs and 16 SEUs for Continual Learning: Continuous learning is key to staying at the forefront of Agile practices. By completing this course, you'll earn 16 Professional Development Units (PDUs) and 16 Scrum Education Units (SEUs), recognized by leading industry bodies, to support your professional growth.
  3. Unlock Exam Success with Comprehensive Exam Support: We're here to ensure you're fully prepared to ace the SAFe certification exam. Our course includes comprehensive exam preparation materials, practice tests, and guidance to boost your confidence and success on exam day.
  4. All-Inclusive Learning - Exam Fee Included: Your investment in this course covers not only the training but also the SAFe certification exam fee. This means there are no hidden costs, and you can focus on your learning journey without worrying about additional expenses.
  5. Comprehensive Career Support with Job Boost 360: Accelerate your professional growth with our holistic program. Gain access to job placement assistance, resume workshops, interview preparation, and personalized coaching designed to propel your career forward.
  6. Embrace the SAFe Way with Access to the SAFe Studio: Gain access to the SAFe Studio, a treasure trove of resources that includes a wealth of SAFe content, videos, and tools to deepen your understanding of the framework and its practical applications.
  7. Acquire Free 1-Year SAFe Community Membership: As a course participant, you'll gain access to the vibrant SAFe community. You'll have the opportunity to network with Agile enthusiasts, access valuable resources, and stay updated on the latest developments in the SAFe framework throughout your one-year free membership.
  8. Gateway to the Largest Global Agile Community: Connect, collaborate, and stay updated on industry trends through our exclusive gateway. Access forums, events, and networking opportunities to forge connections and share best practices with fellow practitioners worldwide.
  9. Mentorship by Agile Industry Experts: Tap into the knowledge and experience of Agile leaders. Benefit from personalized guidance, feedback, and insights tailored to your career goals, empowering you to make informed decisions and achieve success in your Agile journey.

With more than 70% of US Fortune 100 companies actively employing SAFe®, it is clear that the demand for Leading SAFe® is on a constant rise. Earning the Leading SAFe® 6.0 certification from Scaled Agile, Inc. - a globally renowned accreditation body, gives you a major lead over your peers and places you at the helm of Agile transformation in enterprises.

We're excited to embark on this SAFe journey with you, equipping you with the skills and knowledge you need to lead Agile transformation initiatives successfully. Let's embrace the SAFe way together and achieve excellence in Agile practices. Welcome to the Leading SAFe course!

A Leading SAFe® certificate will not just merit a salary raise in your present organization but also offers several other benefits as listed below:

  1. Apply SAFe® 6.0 in an enterprise context.
  2. Deliver more value.
  3. Improve communication and collaboration across all projects.
  4. Introduce Agile not just to your IT delivery teams but the whole organization.
  1. Lead transformation in Agile teams.
  2. Become a top-earning Agile professional.
  3. Grab more career opportunities.
  4. Keep up with the swift-changing market trends.

The average salary of a Certified SAFe® Agilist (SA) is $98k per annum. This is chiefly based on skills, experience, organization and a few more factors. As more and more organizations are defaulting to Agile, there is an exponential rise in the number of jobs for Agile professionals who can scale Lean and Agile practices at different levels. In the present industry, therefore, SAFe® certified professionals have a major competitive advantage.

Get the certification that is topmost on recruiters’ list-- SAFe® Agilist

FAQs

KnowledgeHut Support On Your SAFe® Agilist Journey

Yes. As per the 2014 VersionOne State of Agile survey, more than 94% of organizations have embraced Agile practices. This unparalleled popularity has led to a surge in the demand for SAFe® Agilists whose numbers don’t measure up to the open profiles. Hence, a certified Agile professional gets paid more when compared to other IT professionals. 

  • This certification will endow you with keen foresight which will help you identify changes in trends and client demand patterns.  
  • Consequently, you can proactively plan for mitigating risks and measuring up to clients’ expectations.  
  • You will be entitled to better salaries compared to your peers. You can create callable project team structures.  
  • Also, keeping pace with the trends that are dictating product development domain would be easier. 

You will be able to leverage Lean, Agile, and Product Development methodologies collectively. By conditioning your project team’s members to adopt the Lean-Agile mindset, you can optimize on the SAFe® principles effectively. By engaging with a Lean portfolio, you will be consistently discovering, incorporating, and deploying new models for delivering better value. 

You need to be experienced in Scrum and have 5+ years’ experience in software development, testing, business analysis, and product/project management for completing the SAFe® Agilist certification. 

Organizational executives, Project Leaders, Portfolio Managers, Process Leads, PMO, Project or Program Managers, Product Line Managers, Product Managers, Enterprise or Solution Architects, Managers, Directors, CIOs, and VPs. 

SAFe® has risen to pre-eminence as more than 70% of Fortune 100 companies have adopted SAFe® delineated practices. More than 150k trained professionals have been working in 100+ nations.  

reviews on our popular courses

Review image

Everything was OK. The trainer (Kiran Ravula) also. Very nice digital workbook and slides. Good division into seven parts (Thriving in the digital age with business agility, Becoming a Lean-Agile Leader, Establishing team and technical agility, Building solutions with Agile Product Delivery, Exploring Lean Portfolio Management, Leading the change, Practicing SAFe).

Robert Rachela

Senior Manager of QA
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in June 2022
Review image

The training experience was great, with the focus on both theoretical and practical knowledge. The trainer is well experienced and the overall workshop experience was good.

Praneetha Macharla

Product Manager
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in November 2020
Review image

The training met the requirements. Trainer was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and motivating. I could relate to many case studies and scenarios discussed. Thank you, KnowledgeHut.

Ruchi Tandon

Project Manager
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in November 2020
Review image

Great class. Instructor was very knowledgeable. Overall , a wonderful experience. I was able to take the certification test right after class and pass. KnowledgeHut provided good support.

Samuel Obrien

QA Manager
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in November 2020
Review image

The instructors were amazing and the learning experience was commendable. I would highly recommend taking the SAFe 5.0 SA =Leading SAFe Agile course with KnowledgeHut.

Vijay Chander

SAFe
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in August 2020
Review image

SAFe Agile training was interactive and we had good discussions among group. The instructor patiently answered all questions and also leveraged his rich industry experience to provide examples. Great learning experience with KnowledgeHut.

Satish Kumar Batakala

Digital Consulting Manager
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in July 2020
Review image

The training was provided by an excellent professional, with deep knowledge about SAFe and scrum. He managed to keep the group interested in the contents and with the continuous practice exercises, everybody participated. Thoughtful workshop management by KnowledgeHut.

Douglas Villamizar

Assistant Manage
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in June 2020
Review image

Well-thought and systematic overview of SAFe, I gained a lot of insights into Agile which I can successfully apply on a daily basis. Highly recommend KnowledgeHut.

Gustavo  Borelli

Senior QA Specialist
Attended Leading SAFe® 6.0 Certification workshop in June 2020

Process to get a Leading SAFe® certification

Steps to become a SAFe® Agilist

  • Step 1: Follow the easy steps to register on KnowledgeHut, a Gold SPCT Partner of Scaled Agile, Inc. (Scaled Agile)

  • Step 2: Take the 2-day Leading SAFe® 6.0 course instructed by SAFe Practice Consultants (SPCs).

  • Step 3: Scaled Agile will send you the exam information directly on successful completion of course.

  • Step 4: Click on the link received from Scaled Agile and take the 1.5 hour “SAFe® 6.0 Agilist Exam” online test which comprises of 45 MCQs. 

  • Step 5: Score a minimum of 80% to pass the SAFe® Agilist test. 

  • Step 6: Scaled Agile will update your profile to disclose the certification, after passing the exam. 

  • Step 7: You will receive 1-year membership with Scaled Agile along with the certification. 

  • Step 8: You have to renew the certification every year. 

Prerequisites for Leading SAFe Certification Course

There are no prerequisites to attend this course. Any interested individual regardless of experience can attend this course. However, it is highly recommended that those who intend to take the SAFe® 6.0 Agilist (SA) certification exam should have:

  • At least 5+ years of experience in software development, testing, business analysis, product or project management
  • Prior working experience in Scrum

Who should attend the Leading SAFe® Course online

  • Executives and Leaders
  • Managers, Directors, CIOs & VPs
  • Development, and QA
  • Infrastructure Management personnel
  • Program & Project Managers
  • Product & Product Line Managers
  • Portfolio Managers, PMO, and Process Leads
  • Enterprise, System, & Solution Architects

upGrad KnowledgeHut Experience

EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS

High-energy workshops with Agile activities, team-based exercises and practical case studies

SAFe PRACTICE CONSULTANT TRAINERS

Get trained by accredited SPCTs with over a decade of experience across industries around the world.

MENTORSHIP BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Acquire real-world tips, proven strategies and practical insights from seasoned industry experts.

JOIN THE LARGEST SAFe NETWORK

1-year free SAFe Community Platform membership - your gateway to the largest Scaled Agile communities.

CONTINUAL LEARNING AND SUPPORT

Webinars, e-books, tutorials, articles, and interview questions - we're right by you in your learning journey!

HANDY RESOURCES

Get access to tutorials, articles, interview Q&A and case studies prepared by the industry experts with latest updates in the Agile industry.

SCALED AGILE GOLD SPCT PARTNER

We're a Global Top 10 Scaled Agile Gold SPCT partner. 12K+ SAFe career transformations facilitated!

ACCESS 5,000+ HIRING PARTNERS

Access our diverse hiring partners for a vast array of career advancement and opportunities.

COMPREHENSIVE JOB SUPPORT

Benefit from complete job support, including LinkedIn assistance, resume refinement and mentorship.

Leading SAFe Curriculum

Learning Objectives:

Get introduced to the fundamental concepts of Business Agility and decipher the major competencies of Business Agility. 

Topics: 

  • Thriving in the Digital Age  
  • SAFe as an operating system for Business Agility  
  • The Seven Core Competencies of Business Agility  

Learning Objectives:

Gain a solid understanding of important SAFe principles and develop a Lean-Agile mindset like successful Agile leaders 

Topics: 

  • The Lean-Agile Mindset  
  • SAFe Core Values
  • SAFe Lean-Agile Principles

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to manage cross-functional Agile teams and deliver ROI-driven results on a consistent basis.  

Topics: 

  • Forming Cross-Functional Agile Teams  
  • Built-In Quality  
  • Organizing Agile Release Trains around Flow of Value  

Learning Objectives:

Gain a solid understanding of important Agile Product Delivery metrics like PI Planning, Customer Centricity, and more. 

Topics: 

  • Customer Centricity and Design Thinking  
  • Prioritizing the Program Backlog  
  • PI Planning  
  • Develop on Cadence; Release on Demand  
  • Building a Continuous Delivery Pipeline with DevOps  

Learning Objectives:

Understand what goes behind a successful SAFe portfolio. Learn to maintain Portfolio vision catering to enterprise goal.  

Topics: 

  • Defining a SAFe Portfolio  
  • Connecting the Portfolio to Enterprise Strategy  
  • Maintaining the Portfolio Vision  
  • Realizing the Portfolio Vision through Epics   
  • Establishing Lean Budgets and Guardrails  
  • Establishing Portfolio Flow  

Learning Objectives:

Build the essential qualities that makes you a successful Agile leader. Lead by an example and be responsible for successful execution. 

Topics:  

  • Leading by Example  
  • Leading the Change  

Learning Objectives:

Get the skills to put your learnings into action. Implement SAFe to solve complex business challenges under the guidance of industry veterans.  

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THE SAFe® AGILIST TRAINING

Scaled Agile, Inc. Career Path