PMP vs Scrum Master
Software development has become one of the major activities in today’s business world. Some places take a traditional project management approach to it. But others use a more agile approach, which helps firms quickly adapt to changes and stay ahead of competitors. Two of the most popular careers are thus PMP (project Management Professional) and Scrum Master. While both are excellent choices for those interested in software development, they each have their pros and cons. In this article, we’ll look at the PMP vs Scrum Master debate and help you decide which one is right for you.
What is PMP?
PMP stands for Project Management Professional. It is a certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMP is a methodology for managing projects that emphasizes planning, risk management, and project control. It is often used in industries such as construction, engineering, and IT.
PMP is a structured approach that focuses on meeting specific project objectives. It involves making a detailed project plan, defining the project scope, creating a project schedule, and monitoring progress against the plan. PMP also includes risk management, quality management, and change management activities to ensure that the project stays on track.
What is a Scrum Master?
A Scrum Master is a role within the Scrum framework of agile software development. Scrum is an iterative and incremental framework for managing software product development. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that the Scrum team follows the Scrum framework and its principles.
The Scrum Master acts as a facilitator for the Scrum team, removing obstacles, and facilitates collaboration and communication between team members. The Scrum Master also helps the team to continuously improve by identifying areas for improvement and running retrospectives.
While a Scrum Master is not a manager, they are accountable for the team’s effectiveness. They are a servant leader who guides the team to define and build better products.
PMP vs Scrum Master: a comparison
Now that we’ve covered the basics of PMP and Scrum Master, let’s compare and contrast the two careers.
Focus
The primary focus of PMP is project management. PMP is a methodology for managing projects and ensuring that they are completed on time, within budget, and to expected quality standards. The focus of PMP is on planning, monitoring, and controlling the project.
In contrast, the focus of a Scrum Master is on enabling the Scrum framework. The Scrum Master’s role is to ensure that the Scrum team is following the framework and that the organization respects Scrum and the Scrum team. The Scrum Master is responsible for removing impediments, enabling collaboration, and helping the team to continuously improve.
Approach
PMP is a structured, sequential approach to project management. It involves developing a detailed project plan, defining the project scope, creating a project schedule, and monitoring progress against the plan. PMP also includes risk management, quality management, and change management processes to help ensure the project is delivered successfully.
In contrast, Scrum is an iterative and incremental framework for managing software work. Teams work in smaller, more manageable chunks called sprints. Each sprint is a timeboxed period of typically 2-4 weeks during which the Scrum team works on a number of prioritized items from a Product Backlog.
Certification
PMP is a certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). To become a certified PMP, you must pass an exam that tests your knowledge of project management concepts and principles. You must also have a minimum of 3 years of project management experience.
In contrast, there is no formal certification required to become a Scrum Master. However, many Scrum Masters choose to obtain a certification from a Scrum Alliance or Scrum.org.
Career Path
PMP is an excellent career path for those interested in project management. PMP is widely recognized in industries such as construction, engineering, and IT. PMP is also a globally recognized certification, which can open doors for career advancement and higher-paying job opportunities.
On the other hand, a career as a Scrum Master is an excellent choice for those interested in agile software development. Scrum is widely used in the software development industry and is gaining popularity in other industries as well. A Scrum Master can expect to work in roles such as Agile Coach, Product Owner, or Scrum Master for larger organizations.
Salary
According to Payscale, the average salary for a PMP certified project manager in the United States is around $88,000 per year. This can vary depending on the industry, company, and location. Those numbers are as of 2022.
In contrast, according to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Scrum Master in the United States is around $100,000 per year. Again, this can vary depending on a number of factors. But it looks like overall that Scrum Masters are pulling ahead of project managers in average salary numbers. That is probably due to the increasing demand for agile approaches to software development. This shift in the industry has been happening for a while, and I have talked about this and the reasons why here.
Job Opportunities
As mentioned earlier, PMP is widely recognized in industries such as construction and engineering. This means that there are more job opportunities available for PMP certified project managers in these industries. Scrum is pretty rare outside of IT software / product development.
However, Scrum is starting to gain popularity in a wider range of industries, which means that there are more job opportunities available for Scrum Masters. In addition, because Scrum is a newer approach, there is a higher demand for Scrum Masters with experience and certification.
My personal thoughts
Talking about my personal views, I have to first admit I am a little biased. I am certified as a Scrum Master and have worked for many years as a Scrum Master. I like agile approaches overall, and feel they can work well for firms doing product development. Especially under conditions of uncertainty.
That isn’t to say we don’t need project managers. A good project manager is worth their weight in gold! And sometimes we aren’t facing uncertainty. Sometimes we know what we need to do and we just need to get it done. In which case, a PMP project manager would be a great choice.
So while Scrum Master has been as great choice for me, a PMP might be good for you. It depends on how you see the world, how you like interacting with people, and what sort of firms and types of projects you like to work on.
If you aren’t fussed either way, I feel that Scrum Master is a very “future-proofed” career choice. While the job market in 2023 (at time of writing) is getting tight, there is still demand for Scrum and Scrum Masters (along with PMP / project managers).
What about PMP-ACP / Agile Certified Practitioner?
What if there was a middle way? Well, the Project Management Institute (PMI) seem to think so. A few years ago they noticed that there was a big movement in IT towards agile and Scrum. So they jumped on the bandwagon and created a new weird PMP spinoff called PMI-ACP. This stands for Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner.
They have basically tried to shoe-horn a bunch of agile terminology and concepts into a project management framework. Kind of a “hybrid approach”, you could say. They co-opted the DAD (Disciplined Agile Delivery) framework to buddy with them and lend them some credibility.
And they’re not the only ones to try this bait and switch. The big alternative to PMI, Prince2, did the same thing too.
Is this stuff worth it, and is it agile? That’s a topic for another article. Actually I wrote one on this topic – you can read about how PMP uses agile here.
Overall, I don’t feel that it really represents the ideals of the agile software development movement. And I wouldn’t pick it if I had to choose a framework to work with, for most contexts. If I wanted to do agile in a waterfall organization context, I would probably go with DSDM. But that’s just my perspective.
If you feel that a lot of jobs you’re looking at are asking for PMI-ACP, then go for it. But don’t expect it to be very agile friendly.
Conclusion: PMP vs Scrum Master
Both PMP and Scrum Master are great career paths for those looking to software development. PMP for those who prefer a more traditional structured approach to project management. Scrum Master, on the other hand, is part of the Scrum framework and focuses on empiricism, learning and pivoting under conditions of uncertainty.
While PMP is widely recognized in industries such as construction, engineering, and IT, Scrum is gaining popularity in a wide range of industries, which means that there are more job opportunities available for Scrum Masters. Also, Scrum Masters can expect to earn a slightly higher salary than PMP certified project managersl. Well, at least for now.
Basically, the choice between PMP and Scrum Master will depend on your interests, skills, and career goals. If you enjoy a more structured project management approach, PMP will be the better choice for you. If you enjoy working in a collaborative environment and have an interest in agile software development, Scrum Master is the better choice for you.
I chose Scrum Master and it worked well for me. But as always, you need to take your own perspective into account.
Either way, you will probably need to get certification and some experience to start your career. I talk about those topics elsewhere on this website.
