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The differences between project managers/scrum master and project management specialists 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 project management specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a project manager/scrum master has an average salary of $95,047, which is higher than the $81,204 average annual salary of a project management specialist.
The top three skills for a project manager/scrum master include sprint planning, jira and scrum meetings. The most important skills for a project management specialist are PMP, powerpoint, and status reports.
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Project Management Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $95,047 | $81,204 |
| Hourly rate | $45.70 | $39.04 |
| Growth rate | - | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 99,027 | 145,872 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 project management specialist is an individual who manages an entire project and serves as a point of contact for a client or customer. Project management specialists must provide detailed cost analysis and timetable reports to keep projects on schedule and budget. They must ask for frequent updates from all staff assigned so that they can identify potential problems that may keep projects from being completed on time. Project management specialists must also prepare progress reports of projects and create presentations for senior management.
Project managers/scrum master and project management specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Project Management Specialist | |
| Average salary | $95,047 | $81,204 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $128,000 | Between $58,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Bridgewater, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citi | Enbridge |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between a project manager/scrum master and a project management specialist in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Project Management Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between project managers/scrum master' and project management specialists' demographics:
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | Project Management Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 11.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |