Scrum Master Salary in India: For Freshers & Experienced [2023]

Wondering what is the range of Scrum Master salary in India?

Have you ever watched a game of rugby? Whether your answer is a yes or a no, you might have come across the term ‘scrum’ in the sport where the team organises themselves to work together to achieve a goal. Well, professional teams need to ‘scrum’ to achieve their project goals and complex projects and unite efficiently through this project management framework. 

Generally associated with the field and Information Technology and specifically, in software development, the Scrum framework has become a popular term. Often considered a lightweight Agile framework, Scrum was developed to provide adaptive solutions for complex problems. It breaks down complex tasks into smaller, manageable components. Its principles are not limited to the IT field but are transferable to any kind of teamwork. At the centre of its implementation is the Scrum team and the Scrum Master is at the helm of the ship.  

The contribution of the Scrum framework to the software development field is for everyone to see. The success and popularity of Scrum worldwide have made understanding this framework important for individuals as well as groups. For individuals, it is a great career avenue, which is known to reward good work. As a result, Scrum Master salary in India is significantly increasing. On the other hand, businesses need to understand how it works to make their software development teams function more smoothly.

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Both these reasons put together have paved the way for an increase in demand for Scrum Masters, who are at the forefront of not implementing the framework but also seeing to it that it is done away that produces the desired outcomes. More and more people are choosing this specialization as a career, and a good Scrum Master salary in India is one of the biggest reasons behind this. We will attend to the salary part later. Our first focus is on the framework itself and how it works. 

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What is Scrum?

Scrum framework makes different teams involved in software development function as a single team. It is much like DevOps and Agile teams that work together to achieve a common objective. Scrum is all about making teams learn from their experiences and work on their organization themselves when finding a solution for a problem. It also encourages teams to follow a path to continuous improvement by delving into the reasons for their victories as well as losses. It is just like how a rugby team works, and no wonder that the framework gets its name from the same sport. 

Scrum outlines specific fundamental values known as the ‘Scrum Values.’ They are- courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. Each of these values contributes toward the cohesive functioning and management of a Scrum team. 

Additionally, Scrum has three artifacts or tools to solve a problem. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

1. Product Backlog- Maintained by the Product Owner or Product Manager, the product backlog is the team’s to-do list. It is a list of tasks that need to be done by the team and updated constantly to keep track of the dynamic situation that needs to be considered for the project. It provides the data for the sprint backlog.
2. Sprint Backlog- A development team selects the enhancements, fixes, and user stories that will take priority in every sprint cycle. During the sprint planning meeting, the list of tasks is selected for the development team will work to complete. Although the sprint goal is set in stone, the sprint backlog is flexible and can evolve depending on the conditions of the sprint. 
3. Increment- Also known as the Sprint Goal, an increment is the end product of a sprint, meaning it is what the team has ‘Done’ or completed in the sprint. It marks the closure or completion of a sprint goal. However, the sprint goal may not necessarily mean that a product has been ‘shipped’ to the customer, as each sprint duration may differ from team to team. 

There are five Scrum Events or prescribed events to introduce efficient time management to prevent wastage of time through unnecessary team meetings and bring regularity to the project. They are:

1. Sprint- A Sprint has a fixed time length and may be considered a short project to achieve a Product Goal. To create consistency, each Sprint is for one month or less. The Sprint includes all the other Sprint Events. It ensures progress is made towards achieving the Product Goal and allows the team to inspect and adapt their work at each stage of executing the complex task. 
2. Sprint Planning- During this Scrum Event, the team collaboratively decides the necessary tasks they will undertake from the Product Backlog during the current sprint cycle. Sprint Planning is generally timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month cycle to prevent time waste. 
3. Daily Scrum- Usually a 15-minute Scrum Event for Developers, it helps them take stock of the progress made towards the Sprint Goal and to adjust their Sprint Backlog according to the need of the needs of their goal. The Product Owner and Scrum Master may participate in these events as Developers depending on their involvement with the project. 

1. Sprint Review- Involving the Scrum Team and stakeholders invited by the Product Owner, the Sprint Review is a session to review the accomplishments of the sprint cycle and the progress made towards achieving the Product Goal. The team also examines future adaptations during the review meeting. 
2. Sprint Retrospective- It is the concluding Scrum Event where the Scrum Team evaluates their performance to improve their future effectiveness as a team. They inspect what worked for them and what didn’t during the Sprint cycle. Moreover, recommendation on what changes are necessary to increase productivity and efficiency for the next Sprint is deliberated. 

The Scrum that we are discussing here applies to software development teams, but there is no reason why its principles can’t be used in other types of teamwork. And that is one of the biggest reasons that it is so popular across the world. It is also often taken as a part of the agile project management framework, which it is not. Scrum is used to define a set of roles, meetings, and tools that work together in an organized manner to allow teams to structure themselves and handle work management more efficiently. 

Now the reason that makes people think that Scrum has something to do with agile is its principle that focusses on continuous improvement, which is also one of the primary principles of agile. The difference lies in the basic and general purpose of using the two.

Agile is an approach or a mindset while Scrum is a framework whose only purpose is the get the work done. Going agile takes dedicated effort from the entire team. On the other hand, Scrum is a framework that can be put to work any given day to start about the agile way and build principles that are associated with it. 

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The Scrum framework is empirical in nature. Its basics include continuous learning and flexibility to factors that keep on fluctuating. It works on the assumption that a team doesn’t have complete knowledge of a project in the beginning. But it becomes better in this aspect with experience. It follows a structure to allow teams to adjust to ever-changing user requirements and conditions. Short release cycles and re-prioritization help teams to constantly learn and get better. It is structured but in no way rigid.

It is easy to customize its execution based on the requirements of a business. You will find a number of theories that say different things about the ways that Scrum teams need to work to be successful. No matter what way you choose, make sure you maintain clear channels of communication, dedication towards achieving continuous improvement, and utmost transparency to be successful. 

Scrum Job roles

1. Product owner

This individual needs to be someone who is always available has a vision and commands authority. It’s the product owner that is given the responsibility to continuously remind the development team of its visions and priorities. It has often been seen that it becomes difficult for these individuals to know the right extent to which they need to involve themselves in a project.

As we already discussed, Scrum encourages teams to organize themselves on their own, so it is very important for a product owner to not start micro-managing the teams. But they also have to available all the time to answer the team’s questions. They just need to find the right balance. 

2. Scrum Master

This individual is the facilitator or the organizer for the product owner as well as the team. However, this person is not involved in team management. The focus of the Scrum Master is to get rid of all the hurdles that are coming in the way the team’s achievement of its sprint objectives. Scrum Master ensures that the team continues to be both productive and creative and that it is able to showcase its successes in front of the product owner. This individual also makes suggestions to the product owner for maximizing ROI. 

3. Team

The team self organizes itself to complete the work. Scrum teams usually have between three to nine members that sit in one room, away from any distractions. Scrum teams for software development projects have programmers, software engineers, analysts, architects, testers, UI designers, and quality analysts. The team, with every sprint, has the responsibility of determining how it will complete the given work. 

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What does a Scrum Master do?

The Scrum Master ensures the facilitation of the Scrum framework during a project. They are responsible for holding together the framework and simplifying the entire process for the team, the product owner, and the organization in general. This individual is the point of contact for both the product owner and the team and is also responsible for understanding every sprint’s broader development picture.

These people not only delegate tasks to the team but also ensure that every member of the team is working on the priority task at a given point of time. Another responsibility is not letting the team sit idle and ensuring that it is fully deployed for a project. 

The Scrum Master also works closely with the product owner and ensures that the team understands the domain, objectives, and scope of a product. They help the product owner to get effectively manage the product backlog before the next sprint. They also organize sprint planning meetings and eliminate the hindrances coming in the way of the successful completion of a project. 

The Scrum Master also has a few important responsibilities towards their organization. They take the coaching and leading responsibilities during the transition phase. They make all the stakeholders and employees understand the empirical model of product development and follow it. They will work with other Scrum Masters in an organization to ensure that the productivity runs uniformly throughout. They also keep the stakeholders informed about the current status of sprint and development.

Now that you know what the Scrum framework is, how it works, and the responsibilities that a Scrum Master has to fulfill, we will shift our attention towards Scrum Master salary in India and what factors play an important role in deciding it. 

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Scrum Master Salary in India

The average Scrum Master salary in India is Rs. 1,412,000 per annum. It can go up to a maximum of Rs. 2,268,000 per annum in some situations and come down to as low as Rs. 7,02,000 per annum in other situations. The factors that play an important role in deciding a salary for a candidate is their experience, the city that they will be deployed in, and the company that they will be working with.

If all these factors work in your favor, you can expect to reach the higher side of the salary spectrum. Let us now see the difference in Scrum Master salaries according to location. (Data taken from Glassdoor)

Factors Affecting Scrum Master Salary in India

Scrum Master salary in India can be affected by multiple factors. Let’s see some primary salary affecting factors:

1. Location
2. Experience
3. Employer
4. Skillset

Scrum Master Salary in India: Based on Location

Scrum Master salary can vary significantly based on the location or place of your employment. It may be higher than the national average in cities like Bangalore, or it may be lower such as the Scrum Master salary Pune. We will be considering only the metro cities. If you are working as a Scrum Master in New Delhi, you will be earning something around Rs. 1,276,000 per annum. The average salary of a Scrum Master in Mumbai is quite similar to what this professional earns in New Delhi. It is around Rs. 1,255,000 per annum. It is on the higher side when it comes to Bangalore. The Average Scrum Master salary Bangalore is Rs. 1,500,000, which is higher  than the national average. Therefore, most of the professionals aim to bag opportunities that allow them to bag a scrum master salary Bangalore instead of the scrum master salary Pune has to offer.

The figure stands at Rs. 1,647,000 per annum. In Hyderabad, the average Scrum Master Salary is Rs. 1,366,000 per annum while in Pune, it is Rs. 1,438,000 per annum. A Scrum Master in Chennai earns around Rs. 1,300,000 per annum. In Kolkata, the salary is Rs. 1,446,000 per annum. (Data were taken from Glassdoor)

This list clearly elucidates the point we are trying to make. Your salary as a Scrum Master would not only vary depending on the company you are working with but also the location you are at. So, if you are working as a Scrum Master in Bangalore, you will be earning about 17% more than the national average. However, the same can’t be said about the salaries of Scrum Masters who work in Noida, Mumbai, and Chennai.

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The salaries at these locations are significantly less than the national average. This difference in salaries can be explained by the presence or non-existence of top companies in these cities. Bangalore is referred to as the IT Hub of India. There are more MNCs in Bangalore than any other city. These top companies are willing to even go beyond their limits to pay higher salaries to candidates who they think are going to be a value addition in their organisation. 

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Scrum Master Salary in India: Based on Experience

Let’s see how scrum master salary in India varies based on experience.

Entry-Level Scrum Master Salary

The average entry-level scrum master salary in India is ₹579,557

Mid-Level Scrum Master Salary

The average mid-level scrum master salary in India is ₹1,200,480.

Experienced Scrum Master Salary

The average experienced scrum master salary in India is 1,538,005.

Let’s see how the salary increases with experience:

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Scrum Master Salary in India: Based on Employer

Let’s see the most popular employers that employ certified Scrum Masters and what salary they pay them. Capgemini is the company that pays its Scrum Masters the highest salary. The average figure is around Rs. 1,225,000 per annum.  The next in line is J.P Morgan Chase & Co. that pays in the range of Rs. 1,224,000 per annum, which is not too dissimilar to what Capgemini pays.

HCL Technologies Limited pays around Rs. 1,000,000 per annum while Tata Consultancy Services offers around Rs. 967,000 per annum to its Scrum Masters. The company that pays the lowest salary to Scrum Masters is Infosys Limited. The average pay is around Rs. 723,000 per annum. (Data taken from Payscale)

Also Read: Software Developer Salary in India

Scrum Master Salary in India: Based on Skillset

Let us also look at the average salaries of professionals with related skills. The minimum and maximum average salaries of

Project managers: Rs. 4,79,000  – 2,000,000 per annum

IT Business Analysts: Rs. 2,74,000 – 1,000,000 per annum

Sr. Business Analysts: Rs. 4,36,000 – 1,000,000 per annum

Operations Manager:  Rs. 2,99,000 – 2,000,000 per annum

Sr. Project Managers: 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 per annum

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Scrum Master Salary on Other Countries

US: Scrum Master average annual salary is $117,000.

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UK: Scrum Master average annual salary is £67,000.

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Salaries of Related Roles Compared to Scrum Master

Let’s look at the average salaries of other software related roles compared to Scrum Master salary in India.

Software engineer average annual salary in India: ₹514,537

Java Developer average annual salary in India: ₹445,864

Source

Also checkout: Full stack developer salary

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Conclusion

As you can see, Scrum Masters are unique and play a significant role in the overall success of an organization. They collaborate with both product owners and teams to ensure the framework is properly deployed, and the project is timely completed. People often mistake them for project managers. The right Scrum Master can make a huge difference.

We hope you liked our article on scrum master salary in India. These numbers above are not set in stone. The real influencer of your salary is the skills you have,  the mastery you have attained over them, and how quickly you grow and make the company grow as well.

If you’re interested to learn more about scrum, full-stack software development , check out upGrad & IIIT-B’s Executive PG Programme in Software Development- Specialisation in Full Stack Development which is designed for working professionals and offers 500+ hours of rigorous training, 9+ projects, and assignments, IIIT-B Alumni status, practical hands-on capstone projects & job assistance with top firms.

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