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The differences between technical project managers and scrum masters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a technical project manager and a scrum master. Additionally, a technical project manager has an average salary of $108,205, which is higher than the $86,329 average annual salary of a scrum master.
The top three skills for a technical project manager include project management, technical project and scrum. The most important skills for a scrum master are jira, software development, and agile scrum.
| Technical Project Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Yearly salary | $108,205 | $86,329 |
| Hourly rate | $52.02 | $41.50 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 209,820 | 44,670 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The role of technical project managers is to oversee the planning and management of projects within a company. They are considered as the lead subject matter expert in terms of technology concerns. They have varied duties that include ensuring the completion of projects within an established budget and time frame, hiring and training support members, and improving resource management and project planning. They also communicate with stakeholders and collaborate with other departments, all to attain a common goal.
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.
Technical project managers and scrum masters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Project Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Average salary | $108,205 | $86,329 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $142,000 | Between $65,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a technical project manager and a scrum master in terms of educational background:
| Technical Project Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical project managers' and scrum masters' demographics:
| Technical Project Manager | Scrum Master | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% |
| 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% |