Updated January 16, 2023 with new average salary information from Glassdoor
Updated October 19, 2018 with new average salary information from Glassdoor. Updated August 20, 2018 with the release of a study by Glassdoor. Updated April 26, 2018 with the release of the 2017-2018 Scrum Alliance salary survey.
“ScrumMaster” is a relatively new term, created around 1992 by Jeff Sutherland and his teams. In that short space of time, however, companies across the world are starting to see the value of the role. According to research by LinkedIn, ScrumMaster appeared as #10 of 20 jobs on the “Most Promising Jobs of 2017.” The median salary of a Certified ScrumMaster is:
- according to Glassdoor: $116,830 (as of 2023)
- according to ZipRecruiter: $115,001 (as of 2023)
Moving from Development Team member to the ScrumMaster position typically results in a salary increase of up to $7,000.
According to 2018 research by Glassdoor, the ScrumMaster role is one of the highest paying jobs in the United States with a median base salary of $98,239 and over 1800 job openings. The hottest markets for ScrumMasters? New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, and Richmond. Update January 2022: According to new research by Glassdoor, Scrum Master still makes #32 on the list of the top 50 jobs in the United States (based on salary, job satisfaction, and available openings).
At a Glance
Where are the highest salaries? Lowest? Biggest gainers? Read on…
- City with the highest average salary: San Francisco, CA ($133K)
- City with the lowest average salary: St. Louis, MO ($111K)
- City with the largest increase since 2018: Seattle, WA ($36K increase)
- City with the smallest increase since 2018: Washington DC ($23K increase)
No matter where you work in the United States, a Scrum Master’s salary is no small thing. Very few locations in the country are offering starting salaries below the $100K line.
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 and largest increases) 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, $125K (up $20K since 2018)
- Boston, $123K (up $24K since 2018)
- Philadelphia, $122K (up $28K since 2018)
- Washington DC, $119K (up $23K since 2018)
- Baltimore, $118K (up $29K since 2018)
Southeast US States
Here’s a list of southeastern cities in the US along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:
- Atlanta, GA – $118K (up $32K since 2018)
- Tampa, FL – $118K (up $32K since 2018)
- Richmond, VA – $115K (up $28K since 2018)
- Jacksonville, FL – $113K (up $29K since 2018)
- Miami, FL – $113K (up $29K since 2018)
Central US States
Here’s a list of cities in the central US along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:
- Chicago, IL – $122K (up $30K since 2018)
- Minneapolis, MN – $120K (up $27K since 2018)
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Dallas, TX – $118K (up $32K since 2018)
- Austin, TX – $117K (up $31K since 2018)
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Denver, CO – $117K (up $29K since 2018)
- New Orleans, LA – $117K (up $30K since 2018)
- Houston, TX – $115K (up $27K since 2018)
- Memphis, TN – $112K (up $29K since 2018)
- St. Louis, MO – $111K (up $25K since 2018)
Western US States
Here’s a list of cities in the western US along with the average Certified ScrumMaster salary:
- San Francisco, CA – $133K (up $25K since 2018)
- Seattle, WA – $131K (up $36K since 2018)
- Los Angeles, CA – $121K (up $23K since 2018)
- Portland, OR – $118K (up $27K since 2018)
- San Diego, CA – $116K (up $23K since 2018)
- Boise, ID – $116K (up $33K since 2018)
- Phoenix, AZ – $115K (up $28K since 2018)
- Salt Lake City, UT – $113K (up $31K since 2018)
Regardless of the salary, we at Artisan recommend that you pursue a career that you are passionate about, not one that pays well and might seem to provide a low barrier to entry. Being a Certified ScrumMaster is all about passion and being a servant leader. If you don’t have the skills to be a strong servant leader where the achievements of your team are YOUR greatest achievements, being a ScrumMaster isn’t for you.
On the other hand, if you have a real passion for leading teams and helping them become hyper-productive teams, take the first step and earn your certification.
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