Scrum vs PMP: certification
If you want your formal certification skills as a professional project management, you have many different choices. But the most popular is Project Management Professional (PMP) certification by the PMI Institute.
This is the most valuable for companies that use a more traditional approach to project management.
The PMP appointment is largely based on the Methodology of Project Management Agency (PMBOK), which is often put together with a waterfall model. If you want to work for smaller and more agile companies such as innovative startups, opportunities are much higher so they work with scrum.
There are two main certifications for Scrum: Certified Scrum master (CSM) by Scrum Alliance, and Professional Scrum Master (PSM) by Scrum.org.
341,882 Scrum Masters has several PSM certification levels.
Before we go further, we must show that Scrum certification is not the same as agile certification.
Having a PSM or CSM certificate shows you know nimbly to a certain extent, because you need to be familiar with the principles and overall valuable values.
But it only declares you for an agile skeleton – Scrum.
If you want to consult with a company with agile transformation, or you want to work for a company that includes a different framework, such as safe, you must see other certification options, such as being a coach of agilely certified.
Alright, now it’s clear, let’s jump back to Scrum vs. PMP.
Impact on salary and income power
In the US, the average project manager’s salary is $ 66,137 per year according to the glassdoor.
PMI’s official salary survey shows a much higher annual income. The respondent has an average salary of $ 116,000.
And project managers with PMP certification have a salary of 22% higher, on average.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for the main role of Scrum is $ 97,319 in the US.
And, according to the 2019 Master Scrum Trend report, 51% of respondents generate $ 75,000 or more per year. Certification distinguish the upper receiver.
Certification fee
Take a PMP exam to get a $ 550 certified fee (USD).
Training for courses can cost up to $ 3,000, but you can also learn the principles with PGMP Handbook or PMBOK Guide. These books cost around $ 60 each.
Next, let’s take a closer look at what Scrum certification fees.
PSM1 certification test costs $ 150, and the official course starts around $ 500.
CSM exams are usually only given as part of CSM Course. Courses can be valuable from $ 595 to $ 1,500. The price depends on the location, instructor, and whether this course is personal or online.
Which one is better; PMP or Scrum Master?
Salary implications and certification fees are not quite different to make a clear winner option. So it’s very dependent on your career goals and current experience.
Do you want to work in the industry that focuses on the principles of PMBOK? PMP is a way to go.
Do you want to work as part of a small Scrum team that is agile in startups, tech, and other innovative companies? You must be a certified master scrum.
Scrum vs. PMP: Method
Next, let’s check what the actual project management methodology for each option.
PMP is focused on the PMBOK model, so let’s start there.
PMBOK model.
In the past, people used to be the same as PMBOK with a top-down waterfall approach. This is because dividing project management into 5 phases or groups of different processes.
Start
Planning
Execution
Monitoring and Control
Closing
However, PMBOK focuses on overall principles and does not prescribe the methodology.
In a single sprint context or a cycle in nimble or scrum, you can still apply many PMBOK principles – you only do 5 phases per iteration, not once the project.
However, you will find many PMBOK guides written to assume you use a top-down framework, pre-planned like a waterfall.
It also tends to emphasize a lot of documentation, which is something great advising.
Scrum Framework.
The scrum framework is designed specifically for agile methodology. Instead of trying to find a way to adjust PMBOK to work agile, Scrum issued a clear step-by-step solution.
Instead of following 5 phases clearly defined that occur once during a project, you divide a larger project into a smaller sprint, last 1-4 weeks.
There are still 5 phases that can be recognized in each sprint, but they go with different names:
Pre-planning (or backlog improvement)
Planning (Sprint Planning Alias)
Work (execution)
Sprint Review (or review of product additions)
Retrospective
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