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The differences between engineering managers and scrum masters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an engineering manager, becoming a scrum master takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineering manager has an average salary of $139,328, which is higher than the $86,329 average annual salary of a scrum master.
The top three skills for an engineering manager include java, project management and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a scrum master are jira, software development, and agile scrum.
| Engineering Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Yearly salary | $139,328 | $86,329 |
| Hourly rate | $66.98 | $41.50 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 67,124 | 44,670 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
An engineering manager is responsible for managing the overall concept of engineering and construction projects, ensuring that the plan meets the budget goals and the client's specifications. Engineering managers approve designs, plan strategic procedures to follow the project's timetable, analyze current market trends, hire the best and efficient contractors, and coordinate with the clients for any changes and adjustments as needed. An engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of engineering disciplines, as well as leadership and communication skills, monitoring the team's performance throughout the project.
A scrum master is a job that's rooted in leadership. It is the scrum master's responsibility to ensure a scrum process over the development of a project. They are not directly involved in the decision-making but guide the team in completing the scrum process with their experience and expertise. Also, a scrum master must be adept at being agile in approaching a project and also be able to schedule meetings during the process. In addition, the scrum master acts as a coach as well, helping the scrum teamwork cross-functionally.
Engineering managers and scrum masters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Average salary | $139,328 | $86,329 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $195,000 | Between $65,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Mixpanel | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between an engineering manager and a scrum master in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between engineering managers' and scrum masters' demographics:
| Engineering Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.2% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |