What Are the Main Types of Scrum Masters?

To become a Scrum Master, you are expected to be facilitators of Agile practices, however, the job’s specifics will vary by industry, team composition, and project needs. Here are a few of the types of Scrum Masters you might encounter:

• Technical Scrum Master: Usually a former developer or system operator, the technical expertise of these Scrum Masters allows them to understand the development challenges their team faces, driving technical discussions and problem-solving.
• Project-Based Scrum Master: A project-based Scrum Master typically works in a consulting or contract environment and might be engaged on a time-boxed or fixed-term project to ‘do’ Scrum. Such Scrum Masters are brought in to work on a project-by-project basis, facilitating Agile practices and making sure that teams can be productive and that projects are completed on schedule.
• Enterprise Scrum Master: This role works at the enterprise level, often across multiple teams or departments. Enterprise Scrum Masters focus on alignment, consistency, and scaling Agile methods across an organization.
• Remote or Distributed Scrum Master: With the increase in remote teams, Scrum Masters can specialize in facilitating virtual or distributed Scrum ceremonies, ensuring collaboration and communication for virtual teams. They might use collaboration tools and dashboards to maintain engagement and visibility.
• Non-Technical Scrum Master: A non-technical scrum master is a scrum master who works in human resources, marketing, or product management. They take Agile concepts and adapt them for non-technical teams.
• Scaled Agile Scrum Master: These are Scrum Masters who work with frameworks such as SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) or LeSS (Large Scale Scrum), which have been adapted for larger teams working across levels, to coordinate efforts of multiple Scrum teams on a single, unified project or goal.

Each Scrum Master role is different and has its own focus, which will depend on the type of industry you work in, whether you’re working on a team of teams or a small team, and where your skillset lies.

What Does a Scrum Master Do?

A Scrum Master is a person who facilitates Agile processes, guiding the team to follow the Scrum framework when they complete a task. Here are the main duties that a Scrum Master is expected to perform:

• Facilitate Scrum Ceremonies: Scrum Masters facilitate Scrum events (sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint review, and retrospective), keep them disciplined on time, and help team members understand their purpose and participate effectively.
• Remove Impediments: The Scrum Master identifies and removes impediments that prevent the team from being productive. This could be something technical; it could be a conflict on the team or securing a certain resource for a team member.
• Coaching the Team on Agile Principles: The Scrum Master is an Agile coach—this is one of the most common descriptions of the Scrum Master role. The Scrum Master will coach the team on Scrum principles and other Agile best practices. For example, the Scrum Master will help the team understand what it means to develop iteratively, how to organize themselves, and what it means to continuously improve.
• Serving Product Owners: Scrum Masters helps product owners refine the product backlog. They also facilitate communications between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and goals.
• Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement: Scrum Masters cultivate a culture of feedback and continuous improvement. They support the team in identifying the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ parts of their work during retrospectives so that they can improve their processes continuously.
• Protecting the Team: Scrum Masters work to shield the team from external demands or interruptions that can impede their productivity. They act as advocates for the team, helping to keep the team working at a sustainable pace.
• Tracking Progress and Metrics: This is not necessarily done by the Scrum Master, but often they manage and track some metrics, such as velocity, burndown charts, and sprint goals, to help the team track progress and make adjustments.

However, a good Scrum Master requires communicating, coaching, and problem-solving. It’s a role that involves working with others.

Average Scrum Master Salary

Scrum Master salaries vary depending on experience, industry, and location. Here’s an overview of typical earnings for Scrum Masters in the UK:

• Beginner Scrum Masters (Entry Level): Those with less than two years’ experience can expect to earn around £35,000-45,000 a year. Entry-level roles may be limited to supporting only one or two teams and facilitating foundational Scrum ceremonies.
• Mid-Level Scrum Masters: After several years of experience and a few projects, mid-level Scrum Masters earn between £45,000 and £65,000. They often manage multiple teams and drive Agile transformations across an organization.
• Senior and Enterprise Scrum Masters: Senior Scrum Masters working in enterprise or multi-team coordination at a senior level can earn between £65,000 and £90,000.+. These roles often require certification in scaled frameworks such as SAFe or LeSS.
• Freelance and Contract Scrum Masters: Freelance Scrum Masters will charge a daily rate of around £400 to £700, perhaps more, depending on the project, its location, and the experience level of the candidate.
• Industry Variations: Scrum Masters working in specific industries such as finance, IT, or pharmaceuticals can earn a higher salary because of the complexity and regulation of these sectors.

Scrum Master Skills

It also requires soft skills, Agile knowledge and experience, and the ability to build partnerships. Important skills include:

• Facilitation and Communication: A Scrum Master facilitates Scrum ceremonies and acts as a communications liaison between the team, the product owner, and other stakeholders within the company. She must ensure everyone’s voices are heard and meetings don’t veer off course or extend for too long.
• Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution: Remove impediments or disruptive influences and foster conflict resolution. Scrum Masters should have strong problem-solving capabilities so they can identify root causes, work through disagreements, and help the team overcome challenges.
• Agile and Scrum Knowledge: You need to deeply understand Scrum principles and Agile practices—including variations such as Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or Kanban, to name a few—to adapt and coach your team.
• Coaching and Mentoring: As a coach for their team, the Scrum Master helps the team members understand the Agile practices and become a self-organizing team. Coaching skills help foster learning and continuous improvement.
• Time Management and Prioritization: Scrum masters juggle many priorities—facilitation, monitoring progress, resolving team issues, etc. Good time-management skills are important for staying organized and effective.
• Emotional Intelligence: Scrum Masters must be skilled in working with people. This means having a high emotional intelligence to be perceptive of team dynamics, but also to be aware of the needs of each individual and to develop relationships with each team member.
• Data Analysis and Metrics Tracking: Data Analysis and Met Scrum Masters are not project managers; they should be comfortable with Agile metrics, such as burndown charts and velocity, as well as team capacity and how these metrics support continuous improvement.

Scrum Master Tips

Here are some tips to help you become a successful Scrum Master:

• Focus on Serving the Team: The job of a Scrum Master is not to manage the team or tell it what to do. The Scrum Master’s role is to serve the team and enable it to be successful. As a Scrum Master, you should have a servant leadership mindset. This means you focus on the team’s needs and remove obstacles that prevent the team from succeeding.
• Courage to speak up: Encourage a culture where team members feel safe to share ideas or challenges and ask for feedback. Good communication is one of the most important traits of a successful Agile team.
• Build Trust Among Team Members: Trust is a key ingredient for collaboration. Be predictable and reliable, show empathy, and work towards them getting to know one another.
• Focus on Constantly Getting Better: Have the team reflect on their processes and results frequently through retrospectives or other means. Recognize improvement and celebrate success, sharing and learning from the team’s experiences.
• Protect the Team from Scope Creep: Keep your team from having to take on or shift the project’s focus due to external pressure. If your team is vigilantly focused on what is in their sprint goal, this protects them.
• Stay on the pulse of Agile trends: Agile is always evolving and improving, so keep up-to-date with new frameworks, tools, and techniques. Attend Agile communities and workshops to ensure you stay ahead.
• Use agile metrics wisely: Metrics such as velocity and burndown charts are helpful, but don’t get hung up on the numbers. Use metrics to evaluate how the team gets along, but don’t get hung up on specific numbers.

Scrum Master Requirements

Becoming a Scrum Master normally involves a combination of education, certification, and experience. Here’s what you need:

• Experience: A background in software development is a common background for Scrum Masters. However, many come from fields such as business, computer science, and project management, and past positions in these fields can be just as valuable. Most Scrum Masters have a degree, and a relevant degree can be a great foundation for the role.
• Scrum Certification: Earning a Scrum certification is strongly encouraged; it demonstrates a formal understanding of Scrum principles and practices. Popular certifications include:
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM): This is one of the most widely known certifications for Scrum Masters, offered by Scrum Alliance. The focus is on the basics of Scrum and Agile.
  • Professional Scrum Master (PSM): PSM is offered by Scrum.org and is available in three degrees of difficulty, aimed at a more advanced understanding of Scrum.
  • SAFe Scrum Master (SSM): For those looking to apply Scrum to a large organization, the SAFe certification proves that you can do it.
• Agile Experience: Most Scrum Masters understand Agile from working on an Agile team or similar at some point in their career. Being part of an Agile environment helps Scrum Masters understand team dynamics and the challenges an Agile team might face.
• Soft Skills: Good interpersonal skills such as communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. These enable a Scrum Master to create a positive, collaborative environment.
• Working knowledge of Agile Tools: Scrum Masters usually work with tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana to keep track of project progress sprint backlogs and visualize the team’s workflows. Familiarity with these tools can help coordinate and track team activities.

How to Become a Scrum Master

Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a Scrum Master:

• Learn about Scrum and Agile: Read about the principles, roles, and events of Scrum or the frameworks of Agile. Plenty of free online courses and books can help you get the basics.
• Get a Scrum Certification: Get certified (Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or Professional Scrum Master (PSM)) by learning from the expert and showcasing your skills to future employers.
• Get some experience on an Agile Team: Join a developer, product owner, or project coordinator role on an Agile team. An Agile environment provides some hands-on experience with Scrum practices and team dynamics.
• Develop Your Soft Skills: Work on your communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills. This is one of the most important areas of improvement a Scrum Master can make. These skills can often be developed through training, practice, and feedback from peers.
• Apply for Entry-Level Scrum Master Roles: If you are just starting your Agile career path, look for job openings for entry-level or junior Scrum Master positions. Many organizations hire entry-level Scrum Masters to work with more senior Agile coaches, which could be a great way for you to learn.
• Join Agile communities: Join Agile communities, whether local meetups or online forums, and start networking with other Scrum Masters willing to share their experiences and best practices—and even discuss job opportunities.
• Keep Learning To Be Agile: The more experience you gain, the more advanced Agile concepts and frameworks you should explore, such as SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) or Kanban. Agile knowledge of scaled agile practices can help to expand your Scrum Master career into more complex roles.
• Build a portfolio of wins: Develop a list of your successes as a Scrum Master, such as increased team velocity, resolving conflicts, or launching a product. You can use this portfolio to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers.

Get Qualified as a Scrum Master

Agile and Scrum Certificate, Agile and Scrum Diploma, Agile and Scrum Certificate, Agile and Scrum Fundamentals,

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should You Become a Scrum Master?

Becoming a Scrum Master offers a rewarding career path where you can support teams, foster innovation, and drive productivity. It’s a great role for those who enjoy facilitating collaboration, solving problems, and helping teams grow. Scrum Masters play a crucial role in Agile environments, contributing to successful project delivery and continuous improvement.

Is Scrum Master a Good Career Choice for You?

If you’re passionate about Agile methodologies, enjoy working with teams, and have strong interpersonal skills, becoming a Scrum Master could be an excellent choice. This role is ideal for people who like facilitating collaboration, fostering learning, and improving processes.

What Are Typical Scrum Master Salaries?

Entry-level Scrum Masters can earn between £35,000 and £45,000 annually, while mid-level roles offer between £45,000 and £65,000. Senior or enterprise Scrum Masters can earn upwards of £65,000, with potential for bonuses, especially in high-demand sectors like IT or finance.

Which Qualifications Can Help with a Career in Scrum?

A Scrum Master certification like Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) is beneficial. Some employers may also prefer candidates with project management backgrounds, Agile experience, or degrees in business or technology.

Do I Need to Be Experienced to Get Started?

Experience working in Agile environments is helpful, but entry-level Scrum Master roles are available for those with a strong understanding of Scrum principles. Starting on an Agile team or in a project management role can be a good first step.

What Is the Scrum Master Career Outlook?

The demand for Scrum Masters continues to grow as more organizations adopt Agile methodologies. Scrum Masters can progress to senior roles, Agile coaching, or scaled Agile management, providing a range of career growth opportunities.

Scrum Master Hierarchy and Progressing Within the Role

Scrum Masters can advance to roles like Agile Coach, Enterprise Scrum Master, or Agile Program Manager. With experience, some Scrum Masters move into strategic roles, guiding Agile transformations at the organizational level.

Scrum Master Exit Options and Opportunities

Experienced Scrum Masters often transition to roles in Agile coaching, project management, or operations. Their skills are highly transferable, making Scrum Masters well-suited for leadership positions in a variety of fields.