Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on
A Scrum Master is a professional who leads a team using Agile project management through the course of a project.
A Scrum Master facilitates all the communication and collaboration between leadership and team players to ensure a successful outcome.
What does a Scrum Master do?
Scrum is an Agile framework for developing complex projects, most often software. The Agile project management methodology uses short development cycles, called sprints, that result in the continuous improvement of a product or service. There are many Agile frameworks, and Scrum is a popular option for fast-moving projects. The methodology is highly collaborative and requires efficient processes, and the results of the process depend upon the expertise of the Scrum Master.
Agile methodologies may have started in tech companies, but Scrum Master jobs can be found in all kinds of industries and for all kinds of companies around the globe.
Scrum Master vs. project manager
The fundamental difference between a Scrum Master and a project manager is in their focus. Project managers focus primarily on project outcome, including budget, timeline, resources, and communication between teams. Where a project manager focuses on the project, a Scrum Master focuses on the team, taking steps to ensure the team and individual team members achieve success.
Tasks and responsibilities of a Scrum Master
The role of a Scrum Master is to use Agile project management to champion a project, teams, and team members. Since Scrum Masters can work in many settings, your tasks and responsibilities may vary. Depending on where you work, you may find yourself taking on the role of a facilitator, coach, or project manager. Your duties will often vary from day to day but might include:
Leading daily stand-up meetings, reviews, demos, and other project-related meetings
Supporting team members in their tasks
Coaching the team on Scrum principles and best practices
Facilitating open discussion and conflict resolution
Proactively identify and resolve issues
Updating activities in a project management tracking tool
Scrum Master skills
Effective Scrum Masters often have a set of workplace skills in common. Whether you’re just getting started or advancing within your career, building these skills will empower you to lead your team to the best of your ability.
Problem-solving skills help you navigate complex projects.
Adaptability enables you to make changes as necessary to achieve the best possible outcome.
Motivational skills empower you to bring out the best in your team to improve productivity.
Communication skills allow you to collaborate effectively with team members and stakeholders.
Organization skills help you manage multiple tasks, meetings, resources, and priorities.
As a Scrum Master, it’s also important to be proficient in specific technical skills related to Agile management and software development.
With the Agile project management methodology, you can ensure that your teams follow specific processes to complete and release projects and products in stages for customer input at every step.
Software development and management skills are necessary when working on software projects and products. You’ll need to know the goals, structure, and expectations, processes, requirements, planning, and monitoring that goes into producing better software.
Business analysis skills help you focus on how to continuously improve a product to meet customer, stakeholder, and company needs.
If you're considering transitioning into a Scrum master role, you might consider learning from a leading company in the tech space. You can gain job-ready skills with IBM in just 9 hours by enrolling in Introduction to Agile Development and Scrum:
Why pursue a career as a Scrum Master?
As a Scrum Master, you can play an integral role in a company’s success. You may also have the opportunity to develop products that positively impact the world around you by making people’s lives better. On a more granular level, you’ll have the opportunity to foster a positive working environment for team members in a company and ensure the most successful outcome of a product or project.
Scrum Master salary and job outlook
As of March 2024, Glassdoor reports that Scrum Masters in the US make an average of $114,464 a year, and LinkedIn has over 85,000 US Scrum Master job listings [1, 2]. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in management positions such as scrum master are expected to grow faster than average [3].
How to become a Scrum Master
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Educational requirements
Most companies prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in IT, business administration, or a related field. According to Zippia, 66 percent of Scrum Masters have a bachelor's degree, and 26 percent have a master's [4]. Earning a college degree can also open up opportunities to gain on-the-job experience, another requirement that often shows up on Scrum Master job listings.
Scrum Certification
Earning an industry credential is another excellent way to validate your knowledge of the Scrum framework to potential employers. Among the most popular options for Scrum Masters is the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) from the Scrum Alliance. As you prepare for the certification exam, you can begin to build practical skills to help you successfully lead teams.
Read more: 7 In-Demand Scrum Master Certifications
Scrum Master career path
Becoming a Scrum Master will open up doors to numerous careers, companies, and industries. Many people who start as Scrum masters advance to become Scrum coaches, product owners, or project managers.
Become a Scrum master with Coursera.
Choosing a career as a Scrum Master puts you on a path toward using your communication, business, and product development skills to help companies get their products successfully to market. Build a foundation in Agile project management, and learn how to implement Scrum events and build Scrum artifacts with IBM IT Project Manager Professional Certificate. This program covers topics like Scrum master essentials, foundations of project management, and more.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
You don’t need to have technical skills to become a Scrum Master. Generally, the product owner will be the one with expert knowledge of the application or software being developed. The main role of the Scrum Master is to be well-versed in all things Scrum: rules, practices, and values. On the other hand, understanding the technical side of the product in development may help you communicate more effectively with engineers and developers.
Most Scrum teams have three specific roles: product owner, Scrum Master, and developers.
The product owner manages the product backlog, prioritizes product features, and incorporates stakeholder feedback into the development process. The development team is responsible for finishing the work set by the product owner. This team typically has three to nine members. The Scrum Master helps drive Scrum team performance through coaching and facilitating open communication.
The Scrum Master has a more focused role, ensuring that a single team (or a small number of teams) follows the scrum process. An Agile coach has a broader role, working with all teams involved with a project.
There are many paths toward becoming a Scrum master. Some Scrum Masters start out as developers, business analysts, quality assurance testers, or team leads. As you progress in your career, you may take on multiple or more complex projects, transition to product owner, or advance to become a manager, mentor, trainer, or coach.
While there are no formal education requirements for Scrum Master positions, you may find more job opportunities if you have a bachelor’s degree. If you’re thinking about earning a degree, consider coursework in management, psychology, business, computer science, or a specific industry to help build a foundation for your career.
An effective Scrum Master is a servant leader who exhibits Lean-Agile leadership where they support and help the team progress toward their goals and highest potential. They're also facilitators in team events to ensure members are productive and meet timelines.
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