Scrum Master is a prominent project management methodology that assists businesses and organizations in managing large projects, boosting team responsibility, and lowering costs.

A Scrum Master is a certified expert who assists teams of any size in organizing and scaling the Scrum process. Becoming a certified Scrum Master adds credibility, makes Scrum masters more desirable and boosts their earning potential.

We looked at the two most important Scrum Master credentials, the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and the Professional Scrum Master (PSM), other significant Scrum qualifications, and the best training and certification providers.

What Exactly Is Scrum Master Certification?

Scrum master certification provides specific training in managing big teams across many departments and tells employers that an individual has the expertise and ability to manage Agile teams successfully. The certificate also provides the Scrum master with an advantage over their peers and boosts their earning potential.

What Is Involved in Scrum Master Certification?

The focus of (Disciplined Agile Scrum Master) DASM Certification and (Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master) DASSM certifications differs. However, both emphasize having a Scrum Master who demonstrates their knowledge and mastery of Scrum concepts and practical implementations via a demanding exam.

It is important to note that Scrum Master training differs from the Scrum Master test. CSM training is often spread out across two or three days, with each day lasting between 4 and 8.5 hours. Online training is frequently provided in addition to on-site training.

Although Scrum training is necessary to take the CSM test, there are no PSM exam requirements. Agile and SAFe Scrum Master certification prerequisites may be found in Project Management Institute and Scrum Alliance reviews.

How Much Does a Scrum Master Certification Cost?

CSM Training and Agile Certification can range from $500 to $2,000, including the test fee. Individuals must be recertified every two years and pay a $100 recertification fee. Scrum Alliance demands 20 SEUs in addition to the price for CSM recertification. Fortunately, there are several methods to earn SEUs for free.

Scrum.org charges $150 for PSM I certification, $250 for PSM II certification, and $500 for PSM III certification. There are no renewals or continuing education credits required for PSM credentials.

Renewal fees and criteria for the PMI-ACP and SAFe Scrum Master certifications are detailed in the Project Management Institute and Scaled Agile evaluations above. Although Scrum training is necessary to take the CSM test, there are no PSM exam requirements. Agile and SAFe Scrum Master certification prerequisites may be found in Project Management Institute and Scrum Alliance reviews.

What Do Scrum Masters Get Paid?

Scrum Masters make an average of $111,252 per year in the United States, with most incomes ranging from $28,000 to $537,000. A typical project manager with no certification gets an annual salary of $98,061 on average, with wages ranging from $43,679 to $231,768.

Is it worthwhile to become a Certified Scrum Master?

As more businesses implement Agile and Scrum methodologies for project management, there is a greater need for qualified and experienced Scrum Masters. Scrum Masters provide knowledge beyond traditional project managers through their proven methodology training.

No amount of training can replace hands-on experience, but certification lends legitimacy and professionalism to a Scrum Master’s background, making them more valuable to future employers.

How We Selected the Most Valuable Scrum Master Certifications

While several companies provide Scrum Master Training, only a few provide certification. We looked at the suppliers of the most popular and well-known Scrum certifications and broke down the costs, prerequisites, and attendance choices.

2022’s Top 5 Scrum Master Certifications

Scrum Alliance

Scrum Alliance, founded in 2001 by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber, is the largest professional organization in the agile community. They provide the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) credential. We picked Scrum Alliance’s CSM as the best overall scrum certification since it is a highly known Scrum Master certification program.

Scrum Alliance’s certification program focuses on interactions with trained trainers and coaches, followed by a structured test. Every Scrum Alliance CSM graduate must complete the CSM training program to take the certification test.

Scrum.org

Scrum co-founder Ken Schwaber left Scrum Alliance in 2009 to establish Scrum.org to provide training that he believed was more aligned with Scrum concepts. He developed a substitute for the Certified Scrum Master known as the Professional Scrum Master (PSM). We picked it as a runner-up because it provides Scrum certification second only to Scrum Alliance.

The critical distinction between Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org is their approach to certification. Scrum.org focuses on the test itself, but Scrum Alliance needs students to undergo Scrum training before taking the certification exam. The organization is less concerned with the sort of class or training Scrum Masters attend and more concerned with the information they get.

Scrum, Inc.

Scrum co-founder Jeff Sutherland founded Scrum Inc. in 2006 to resume offering CSM courses. Scrum Inc. also provides leadership courses as well as business coaching and consultancy. We picked it as the most interactive class because it emphasizes training certification through exciting and engaging hands-on exercises.

Scrum Inc.’s Licensed Scrum Master program mixes lectures with various games and exercises to provide learners with first-hand experience with the Scrum Master position. Participants form Scrum teams and learn how to develop and prioritize product backlogs, manage burndown charts, and examine real-world case studies from various sectors.

The Project Management Institute (PMI)

Since its inception in 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has become a recognized leader in certifying project management professionals, with nearly 700,000 global members and over 300 local chapters worldwide. We identified it as the top Agile Scrum certification provider because it provides four Agile certifications, including some that boost the reputation of Scrum Masters.

In addition to Scrum Master certification, PMI provides a Certified Agile Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification that combines Kanban, extreme programming (XP), Lean, and test-driven development (TDD) and Agile certification. Because it covers various Agile and Scrum techniques and concepts, the PMI-ACP certification is popular among Scrum Masters and employers.

Scaled Agile

Scaled Agile was founded in 2011 to provide Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) certification, a framework designed to scale Agile, Lean, and DevOps practices for enterprises. When seeking a job at an enterprise-level firm, a Scrum Master with SAFe Scrum Master certification can help. Scaled Agile was chosen as the best for SAFe Scrum Master certification since it is the gold standard for SAFe training and even invented the framework.

The SAFe Scrum Master certification from Scaled Agile focuses on the fundamentals of team-level Scrum and how to build high-performing Agile teams to deliver maximum business value at scale. Courses are offered both on-site and online.