“Product Owner” was created in 1992 by Jeff Sutherland and his teams. Since that moment some 30 years ago, it is still clear that most organizations do not appreciate the value of a highly-trained Product Owner or that we CSTs and coaches are doing a poor job of teaching new product owners. As of the beginning of 2023, the median salary of a Certified Scrum Product Owner is:

I believe these salaries are too low for the position, leading me to confirm what I thought before: there are still a lot of companies out there that really don’t know what a well-trained Product Owner is capable. Both my wife and I have independently acted as product owners for our respective employers and saved millions of dollars for our companies in just a few months of work.

Also, consider some of the highest Product Owner salaries in the United States.

  • Google pays up to $208K.
  • Apple, VMWare, and Microsoft pay between $170K and $190K.

Yes, I realize all of these examples are from areas of the country with high costs of living. However, check out my Scrum Master Salary blog post. You’ll see that the salary difference between the median and the maximum isn’t nearly as significant for Scrum Masters as Product Owners.

If you would like to learn how to consistently deliver high-value, high-quality products on time, every time, register for one of my Certified Scrum Product Owner classes. Many of my past students have said, “you won’t regret your decision!”

According to 2022 research by Money magazine, product manager (the title most often equated with the Product Owner role) is one of the highest-paying IT jobs, with an average salary of $115K.

Across the United States

In this article, you’ll find average ScrumMaster salaries across the United States as of December 2022. Hot job markets (highest salaries) are highlighted in bold letters.

Northeast US States

Here’s a list of northeastern cities in the US, along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:

  • New York City – $118K
  • Washington DC – $116K
  • Boston – $115K
  • Hartford – $109K
  • Philadelphia – $108K
  • Baltimore – $105K

Southeast US States

Here’s a list of southeastern cities in the US, along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:

  • Atlanta – $105K

  • Richmond – $104K
  • Miami – $100K
  • Jacksonville – $98K
  • Tampa – $96K

Central US States

Here’s a list of cities in the central US, along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:

  • Houston – $111K

  • Chicago – $108K

  • Minneapolis – $106K

  • St. Louis – $106K

  • Dallas – $105K

  • Denver – $105K

  • Austin – $104K

  • Memphis – $98K

  • New Orleans – $97K

Western US States

Here’s a list of cities in the western US, along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:

  • San Francisco – $126K

  • Seattle – $116K
  • Los Angeles – $110K
  • San Diego – $110K
  • Portland – $105K
  • Phoenix – $103K
  • Salt Lake City – $101K
  • Boise – $96K

Regardless of the salary, we at Artisan recommend that you pursue a career you are passionate about, not one that pays well and might seem to provide a low barrier to entry. Being a Product Owner is about building and maintaining relationships between teams and stakeholders. You’ll also have to be prepared to say NO (which you’ll do more often than not if you’re doing the job right).

On the other hand, if you have a real passion for building high-quality, highly valuable products, take the first step and earn your certification.

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More About #Certifications

Artisan News – April 2021

Included in this Newsletter: The New Certified Scrum Developer Program, Recovery from COVID-19, and a Return to In Person Training?

ScrumMaster Certification Renewal

So, you attended a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) class a while ago and have noticed your certification has expired, or is about to expire. What are your options?