The 3 Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Explained

Key takeaways

Scrum is a popular Agile methodology that consists of three roles: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers.

• The median total pay for a Scrum Master in the US is $126,000 [1].

• Scrum teams are intentionally small, with 10 or fewer members, to support communication, collaboration, and productivity.

• You can apply Scrum roles and sprints within an Agile framework to help teams stay organized and focused on product goals. 

Explore the three roles you can expect to find on a Scrum team, including what they do and how much money you can make. If you're ready to start building skills used by Scrum teams, enroll in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate. In this program, you can work with Agile project management concepts and Scrum practices, such as Sprint Planning, Sprint Retrospectives, and backlogs. 

What are the three Scrum roles?

A Scrum team consists of three roles, called accountabilities in the Scrum Guide: the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, and the Developers [2]. While a project has only one Scrum Master and one Product Owner, you will generally have several Developers. 

Scrum teams are small by design. The Scrum Guide recommends a maximum of 10 members to ensure optimal communication and productivity [2]. Explore the responsibilities and average salaries of each of these roles.

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of March 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

1. Scrum Master

Median total pay in the US (Glassdoor): $126,000 per year [1]

As a Scrum Master, you will be responsible for ensuring that a Scrum team is operating as effectively as possible with Scrum values. This means you will keep the team on track, plan and lead meetings, and work out any obstacles the team might face. You might also work in a larger role within an organization to help it incorporate Scrum concepts into its work. Because they are both a leader and a behind-the-scenes supporter, they are often described as the “servant leader” of the Scrum team.

Scrum Master responsibilities

Scrum can look different from organization to organization and team to team, making the specific tasks of a Scrum Master varied. Broadly, however, a Scrum Master might have the following responsibilities:

• Facilitate daily Scrum meetings (also called “daily standups”) 

• Lead Sprint Planning meetings

• Conduct Sprint Retrospectives to see what went well and what can be improved for the following Sprint

• Keep a pulse on team members through individual meetings or other means of communication

• Manage obstacles that arise for the team by communicating with stakeholders outside of the team

Read more: 7 In-Demand Scrum Master Certifications

What is a Scrum Master role?

A Scrum Master is the person responsible for implementing Scrum principles, setting Sprints, coordinating between parties, and acting as a coach and leader for all team members. The median total pay for a Scrum Master in the US is $126,000 per year [1].

2. Product owner

Median total pay in the US (Glassdoor): $141,000 per year [4]

As a Product Owner, you will ensure the Scrum team aligns with overall product goals. You will understand the business needs of the product, such as customer expectations and market trends. Because you understand how the Scrum team fits into bigger-picture goals, Product Owners usually stay in touch with product managers and other stakeholders outside the team. 

Product Owner responsibilities

Product Owners might find themselves with the following responsibilities:

• Manage the Product Backlog by ordering work by priority

• Set the product vision for the team

• Communicate with external stakeholders and translate their needs to the team

• Make sure the team is focused on hitting product needs through communication and evaluating progress

3. Developer

Median total pay in the US (Glassdoor): $153,000 [4]

As a member of the development team, you will be doing hands-on work to complete tasks in a Scrum Sprint. This means a Developer can be a computer engineer, designer, writer, data analyst, or any other role needed to reach Sprint goals. The development team doesn’t just wait for orders; they usually collaborate to map out goals and plans for achieving them.

Developer responsibilities

Not all development team members will always have the same responsibilities. For example, if you’re updating a website, you might have a front-end engineer, user experience (UX) designer, copywriter, and marketing professional all working on the same Scrum team. The responsibilities of a Developer will also depend on the end goals of the Scrum team. Broadly speaking, however, you might find that a development team can be tasked with the following:

• Help in Sprint planning and goal setting.

• Lend expertise to program, design, or improve products.

• Use data to find best practices for development.

• Test products and prototypes, plus other forms of quality assurance.

What is the 3:5:3 rule in Scrum?

In Scrum, 3:5:3 is a shortcut for remembering the roles, events, and artifacts that make up the Scrum framework.

• Roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers

• Events: Sprint Planning, Sprint, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective

• Artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Product Increment

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