What jobs can I get with a Scrum Master qualification?

10 November 2020 | Produced by Kandy Shaw

A Certified Scrum Master (CSM) qualification is highly sort after by employers.  There are plenty of jobs advertised on the UK Job Boards that ask for this qualification and there are also some very tantalising salaries attached.  As well as this, CSM is globally recognised meaning that there are many possibilities to work abroad if you wanted to.  So, let’s have a look at the Job Boards and what is on offer…

Job Boards

My research was carried out on the most popular job boards and on 9th November 2020 the amount of positions advertised for Scrum Master on each board were as follows: Totaljobs: 777; Indeed: 584; Technojobs: 308; Reed: 167 and CV Library: 55. There were also 436 positions advertised on LinkedIn.  Just to give you an idea of how popular this qualification is to employers, over the last 3 months LinkedIn have advertised over 8,000 positions, so as you can see, a Scrum Master Certification is well worth acquiring.   

Note: Although the amount of Scrum Master vacancies across the most popular job boards is impressive, some may be duplicated across several of the job boards. 

Tables

I have created four tables for UK-based positions but have divided them into permanent and contractual positions inside and outside of London.  The fifth table displays vacancies for Scrum Master overseas. Only positions that listed salaries have been highlighted but there are plenty more for you to look at that offer a ‘competitive’ salary, both in the UK and overseas. 

London Permanent (Full-Time)

London Contract (Full-Time)

Outside London Permanent (Full-Time)

Outside London Contract (Full-Time)

Contract Salary

Temporary contracts offering salaries calculated on a daily rate are usually a higher salary than the more permanent positions.  Whilst these contract figures might be appealing, you must remember that there will be times when you are in between contracts.  There will also be times when contracts end prematurely.

Daily contractual Rate

If you wish to apply for a contractor position and want to know how it pays annually, then assuming you are going to take 20 days a year holiday, 8 Bank Holidays and not work weekends, your annual number of working days will be 233.  If you then multiply this number by the daily contractual rate, you will have your annual salary. 

Other Qualifications

Most positions that I looked at asked for minimum of 3-5years experience and some asked for additional qualifications.  AgilePM, PRINCE2, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) are also highly recommended qualifications to have and accompany a CSM qualification perfectly.  The more qualifications and the more experience you gain, the greater the salary you can expect to achieve. 

To give some idea of the higher qualified salaries available, a Scrum Master/Programme Manager could expect to earn between £85,000 to £95,000 per annum and a Development Project Manager could expect to achieve between £110,000 to £135,000 per annum (LinkedIn 16.10.2020).  Both positions were permanent and offered other benefits too, such as free gym membership, health insurance and a host of other bonuses.  You will, however, find that most positions offer benefits beside a generous salary.

Work Overseas

If work overseas interests you, then above is a table illustrating some of the positions and salaries available.  Some of these positions are permanent and all offer company benefits aside from a good salary.  Many of them also include a relocation package.

Whilst the salaries in the table above are tempting, again there are exceptions such as the permanent position I found on Technojobs (02.11.2020) advertising for a Scrum Master to be based in Zurich; the salary is £99946.80 – £116604.60.

I also found a couple of websites that specifically advertise for jobs abroad.  If you fancy a job in Canada, then try Workopolis.  If you fancy Singapore, then visit: singapore.recruit.net.  Both offer a variety of opportunities and Scrum Master was quite sought after.

Remote Positions

Due to the current Covid 19 situation, many vacancies I looked at were for remote working, although most of them stated that the position would become office-based once the pandemic is over.

Whilst my guide is only very generalized, I think you’ll find it answers the question of what jobs you can get with a Scrum Master qualification and as well as that, what salaries are attached to those jobs.  We at NILC wish you every success in your job-hunting.