As a Scrum Master, you’re responsible for making sure that Scrum functions effectively in your organization, which means helping the Scrum team achieve overall success with a project. You’re expected to work with the Developers and Scrum Product Owner to make sure that Product Backlog Items are successfully completed within the agreed Sprint, and value is delivered to the customer.
As part of your role, you’re also required to facilitate discussions and help resolve conflicts and obstacles, which is where Advanced Scrum Master training really kicks in and your experience as the teams coach is highly valued.
To perform these roles effectively and deliver the highest value, you need the Scrum Master skills that are best developed with our Advanced Certified ScrumMaster training in Scrum tactics and the Agile mindset, and even Lean Software Development methodology. Taking advanced Scrum Master training to become an Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) not only improves your skills and understanding of the Scrum framework and Agile principles, but also improves your chances of advancing in your career and earning a better salary.
Many people who are interested in acquiring the A-CSM certification want to know if advanced Scrum Master certification is worth it, how much A-CSM certification costs, and how much an advanced Scrum Master earns. Let’s dive in!
Earning Potential for ACSMs
An A-CSM professional has gone one step beyond a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) in the Scrum Alliance® Scrum Master track because they’ve completed advanced training in Scrum and the Agile methodology to earn the much-coveted advanced A-CSM certification. Consequently, the typical salary of an A-CSM is higher than that of a CSM.
* As of late 2023 there are only a few thousand Advanced Certified ScrumMasters world-wide, so any discussion about salary data should be viewed with that understanding carefully in mind. According to Indeed.com, the average annual salary of an Advanced Certified ScrumMaster is roughly between $110,000 and $130,000 (in the ballpark of $60 per hour on average), with slightly higher earnings in Canada versus the United States (late 2023 figures).
What Determines How Much an A-CSM Should Earn?
The total earnings for an A-CSM are based on several key factors. Understanding these factors will help you estimate how much you’re likely to earn after securing your certification.
Industry
The industry you work in will determine how much you earn. The IT, finance, and software development industries tend to pay their Scrum Masters handsomely. Glassdoor.com reports that Thomson Reuters pays its Scrum Masters an average annual salary of a little over $100,000 and J.P. Morgan pays slightly under $100K (late 2023).
Skills and Experience
A-CSMs have advanced skills and experience that enable them to facilitate and coach teams through more challenging problems. This puts their salaries higher than that of CSMs.
Take Your Scrum Master Career to the Next Level
Keep in mind that a well-paying Advanced Scrum Master role also requires that you have solid nontechnical skills in leadership, conflict resolution, facilitation, continuous improvement, and transparency. If you’re interested in advancing your career and learning new skills that will benefit your team and organization, consider our Advanced Certified ScrumMaster training.