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The differences between scrum masters and agile coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a scrum master and an agile coach. Additionally, an agile coach has an average salary of $113,405, which is higher than the $86,329 average annual salary of a scrum master.
The top three skills for a scrum master include jira, software development and agile scrum. The most important skills for an agile coach are kanban, agile transformation, and jira.
| Scrum Master | Agile Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $86,329 | $113,405 |
| Hourly rate | $41.50 | $54.52 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 44,670 | 25,965 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
An Agile coach is primarily responsible for teaching employees about the management method in software development called Agile. Typically leading a team of developers, an Agile coach is also responsible for providing tools and written materials, assessing performances, providing feedback, responding to inquiries and concerns, promoting Agile principles, and developing optimization strategies. Furthermore, as a coach, it is essential to lead and encourage employees to reach all goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Scrum masters and agile coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scrum Master | Agile Coach | |
| Average salary | $86,329 | $113,405 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $114,000 | Between $82,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a scrum master and an agile coach in terms of educational background:
| Scrum Master | Agile Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between scrum masters' and agile coaches' demographics:
| Scrum Master | Agile Coach | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 11% |