CSM Certification Salary

The Scrum master plays a major role in the scrum team. They help an organization meet all the needs of its customers and get the most value from each iteration of a project. In this Certified Scrum Master or CSM certification Salary article, we will learn what a Scrum Master is, the Scrum Master salary, and list down the different factors that influence the salary scale of Scrum master certification.

What is Certified Scrum Master (CSM)?

Certified Scrum Master (CSM) is one of the world's most recognized certifications for Scrum Masters. The CSM certification gives you a solid understanding of Scrum fundamentals and an understanding of team roles, events, and artifacts in Scrum. You'll learn how to protect your team from internal and external distractions and help them thrive.

Factors affecting CSM Certification Salary

There are several factors that can affect your salary. They have been listed below:

  1. Experience
  2. Location
  3. Skillset
  4. Company

These four factors directly affect the salary even if you are a certified scrum master.

Now, let us check out the details of the average Certified Scrum Master Salary by Experience Level.

CSM Certification Salary by Experience Level

An entry-level CSM with less than 1 year of experience can expect an average total compensation of $84,000 An early career CSM with 1-4 years of experience and a mid-career CSM with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $101,416 and $109,140 respectively. An experienced CSM with 10-19 years of experience and senior CSM with experience of 20 years and higher, earn an average total compensation of $109,140 and $115,123 respectively.

CSM Certification Salary Based on Location

The average salary of a CSM in different countries is shown below:

Country Salary (Annual)
United States USD 92,978
India INR 1,329,170
Canada CAD 81,139
United Kingdom GBP 47,573
Australia AUD 113,873

CSM Certification Salary Based on Popular Skills

The average salary of a CSM based on popular skills is as shown below:

Skill Avg. Salary (Annual)
Scrum Master USD 92,309
Project Management USD 92,517
Facilitator USD 89,894
Agile Software Development USD 92,962
Scrum USD 91,083
Source: PayScale

CSM Certification Salary by Companies

The average salary also varies depending on the company that you are applying for. For example, in the United States, the best-paying companies for the entry-level, early career, and mid-career CSMs are shown in the table below:

Company Avg. Salary (Annual)
Cvent, Inc USD 85,000
Booz, Allen, and Hamilton USD 88,540
Wells Fargo Bank USD 123,757
Bank of America Corp. (BOFA) USD 101,961
Capital One Financial Corp. USD 98,000
Source: PayScale

Conclusion

To attain the CSM certification, you must attend a two-day classroom training taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer. However, there are no prerequisites to attend this Scrum Master Certification training. But, it is recommended to have some basic understanding of Scrum values, principles, and working knowledge of the overall Scrum process. The CSM Certification training at Invensis Learning will help you master the Scrum framework and pass your CSM exam on the first try. In addition, there are more than 1 million CSMs around the world, proving its popularity.

FAQs on CSM Certification Salary

1. How much does a certified Scrum Master make?

The average Scrum Master salary is somewhere around 93,000 - 95,000 USD annually.

2. Is Scrum Master a stressful job?

It is not an easy task. Especially when it comes to protecting the management team and stakeholders. It comes with a lot of responsibilities and challenges.

3. Is a certified Scrum Master worth it?

If you are someone who wants to further your career in the area of agile then for sure. It is completely worth it.

4. What does a Scrum Master do all day?

A Scrum Master removes obstacles and helps the team organize and empower themselves to create, innovate and make decisions as a team for themselves. The Scrum Master is a teacher of Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospectives.

CSM Certification Training and Exam Details

Areas of Study

After completing your Certified ScrumMaster training, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of:

  • Lean, Agile, and Scrum
  • Scrum Master Core Competencies
  • Service to the Development Team
  • Service to the Product Owner
  • Service to the Organization

  • Attend a two-day classroom training taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer. However, there are no prerequisites to attend this Scrum Master Certification training. But, it is recommended to have some basic understanding of Scrum values, principles, and working knowledge of the overall Scrum process.

  • Type: Multiple Choice Questions (True/False)
  • No. of Questions: 50
  • Exam Duration: 60 Mins
  • Passing Score: 37/50 answers must be correct

  • The CSM certification training cost is approximately around 1000 USD - 4000 USD. The training includes the exam cost for CSM certification. For more details, please refer to the training schedule given below. Select your preferred date and enroll for the Certified Scrum master training course.

Job roles that can benefit from CSM training include, but are not limited to:

  • Project Team Members
  • IT Managers
  • Delivery Managers
  • QA and Testing Professionals
  • Aspiring Scrum Masters
  • Scrum Team Members (Developers, Scrum
  • Masters, and Product Owners)
  • Anyone who wants to learn Scrum and be part of the next transformation

Invensis Learning provides CSM certification training globally, which is taught by Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs).

FAQs on Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Why should I enroll for CSM Certification Training?

Agile and Scrum was a breath of fresh air for enterprises who wanted to move away from traditional command and control management styles that spread across industries. By ensuring the workforce moved away from traditional silos to customer-focused multidisciplinary teams, the Agile approach ensured accelerated growth and helped create next-generation Agile and Scrum practitioners.

Today, there are many Scrum certification programs, but Certified ScrumMaster from Scrum Alliance is one of the most popular certification courses globally. The CSM credential validates an individual’s knowledge of Scrum terminology, principles, practices, and the exam. There are more than 1 Million CSMs worldwide, which shows the popularity of the certification globally.

These are the steps you must complete to become a Certified ScrumMaster :

  • Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of Scrum Framework and the prerequisites for attending a CSM course
  • Attend a two-day training taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®) like Invensis Learning, or private coaching from a Certified Agile Coach (CAC)
  • After completing the course, you will need to accept the License Agreement to take the CSM test that’s available in 13 languages
  • Pass the exam by attempting at least 37 of 50 questions correctly
  • After getting the CSM certification, you can maintain it by earning Scrum Education Units® (SEUs) and renewing your certificate every two years

In this Certified ScrumMaster training, you will:

  • Understand the foundation of Lean, Agile, and Scrum Methodologies
  • Acquire knowledge of Scrum terminologies, team roles, events, and artifacts
  • Learn about the scope of the Scrum Master role and core competencies
  • Master how to facilitate the development team, product owner, and the entire organization
  • Gain an understanding of how to act as a servant leader and guide the team to adopt the Scrum process
  • Learn how to increase transparency and protect the team from internal and external impediments

There are no prerequisites to attend this Scrum Master Certification training. But, it is recommended to have some basic understanding of Scrum values, principles, and working knowledge of the overall Scrum process.

Job roles that can benefit from CSM training include, but are not limited to:

  • Project Team Members
  • IT Managers
  • Delivery Managers
  • QA and Testing Professionals
  • Aspiring Scrum Masters
  • Scrum Team Members (Developers, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners)
  • Anyone who wants to learn Scrum and be part of the next transformation

  • Exam Type: Multiple Choice Questions
  • Number of Questions: 50
  • Exam Duration: 60 Mins
  • Passing Score: 37/50 questions (74%)

As stated by Scrum Alliance, after completing the CSM course, you will receive a welcome email containing a link to activate your Scrum Alliance certification account, where you will be able to complete the CSM test.

To take your test, please go to the Scrum Alliance website:

  • Sign in to your Scrum Alliance account with your login credentials. You can find the login credentials in the ‘Welcome CSM’ mail
  • Hover over your name in the top right-hand corner and click on ‘My Dashboard’
  • Click on the ‘Take CSM test’ option
  • Select your preferred language and continue
  • You will then be redirected to the site where you can attempt the exam.
  • Note: Please make sure to turn OFF your pop-up blockers before you begin the test.

To maintain your CSM credential you can renew it every two years by obtaining 20 SEUs.

Yes. At Invensis Learning, you can opt to take up this CSM course in live-online delivery mode.

Scrum is quickly becoming a framework of choice for companies and organizations interested in achieving Agile transformation. There is a huge demand for highly skilled Scrum Masters across the world. LinkedIn ranked Scrum Master as one of the top 10 promising jobs of 2019. So, if you are a capable candidate, there are plenty of opportunities for you out there. In addition to a strong understanding of the fundamentals of Scrum Framework, holding one of the more recognizable Scrum Master certifications will impress employers.

Currently, most of the organizations are hiring professionals who are familiar with the Scrum Framework. As a Certified ScrumMaster, you can benefit an organization in the following ways:

  • Ease the adoption of Agile methodology within the organization
  • Bag business-critical projects with Scrum qualified employees
  • Help the team to change their mindset from traditional to Agile leadership
  • Enhanced collaboration within teams by removing impediments
  • Achieve tangible and real benefits at a rapid rate by delivering high-quality products

By getting CSM certified, you will be able to:

  • Receive high degree of proficiency in Scrum framework and its fundamentals
  • Learn the principles and values of Lean and Methodologies and will be able to apply them in your organization
  • Work better with your team by understanding Scrum vocabulary within the organization
  • Expand your career across different industries that are implementing agile practices
  • Become a global Scrum professional with increased opportunities across different industry sectors

According to PayScale, in the United States, the average salary of a Certified ScrumMaster is around $100K annually.

As stated by the Scrum Alliance, you need to have 14 hours of live online or 16 hours of in-person training with your CST, or 25 hours of face-to-face interaction with your CAC to attempt the CSM test.

The cost of this two-day CSM course is between $1000 - $1400 in the United States. The CSM test cost is included in the course fee. Apart from this, the first two retake attempts can be taken free of cost within 60 days of completion of the course and $25 after the first two attempts.

Apart from Scrum Alliance, there are several other governing bodies that offer Scrum Master Training and Certification programs. Few of the Scrum Master Certifications and the related governing bodies are:

  • Professional Scrum Master Certification (PSM) by Scrum.org
  • Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification by Project Management Institute
  • Agile Scrum Master Certification by Exin
  • SAFe Scrum Master Certification by Scaled Agile
  • Scrum Master Certified (SMC) by SCRUMstudy
  • Licensed Scrum Master by Scrum Inc

Corporate Training Solutions


  • Experienced & Industry Specific Trainers
  • Deliver sessions across continents via Live Online
  • Training in your Language
  • Customized Trainings

Training partner for Fortune 1000 companies

Request for Training

Get the Invensis Learning Advantage

Highly qualified and Accredited Trainers

Training Satisfaction Guaranteed

Accredited High-Quality Courseware

Reinforce with Retrospective Session

Choose from a Wide Range of Courses

Access to all our Latest Resources

© 2023 Invensis Learning Pvt Ltd.
Disclaimer
  • PMI®, PMP®, CAPM®, PMI-ACP®, PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute. Inc.
  • ITIL® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited
  • PRINCE2® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited
  • The Swirl logoTM is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved
  • All APMG courses offered by Invensis Learning, an Affiliate of Quint Consulting Services, an Accredited Training Organisation of The APM Group Ltd
  • DevOps Foundation® is registerd mark of the DevOps institute
  • COBIT® is a trademark of ISACA® registered in the United States and other countries
  • CSM, A-CSM, CSPO, A-CSPO, and CAL are registered trademarks of Scrum Alliance
  • Invensis Learning is an Accredited Training Provider of EXIN for all their certification courses and exams