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The differences between project managers/scrum master and contract project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a project manager/scrum master, becoming a contract project manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a project manager/scrum master has an average salary of $95,047, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.
The top three skills for a project manager/scrum master include sprint planning, jira and scrum meetings. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Contract Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $95,047 | $81,263 |
| Hourly rate | $45.70 | $39.07 |
| Growth rate | - | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 99,027 | 159,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
Project Managers or scrum masters are experienced employees who lead an agile team. They are in charge of managing a specific project in terms of the agile model. They lead the team throughout the planning session, the designing of the project parameters, the development of the processes, the implementation of the project, and the evaluation. They represent the team in meetings with stakeholders. They ensure that the working relationship among all the departments involved is harmonious. They also guide their team members throughout the project.
A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.
Project managers/scrum master and contract project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $95,047 | $81,263 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $128,000 | Between $53,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Citi | PRO Unlimited |
| Best paying industry | Media | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a project manager/scrum master and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Contract Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between project managers/scrum master' and contract project managers' demographics:
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Contract Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 4% |