Scrum Master vs Product Owner: What’s the Difference

When comparing a Scrum Master vs Product Owner, it’s not always clear who’s responsible for what, what they should be doing, and how they help out the team. Let’s clear things up. 

Many businesses use an agile methodology these days. That means that many Product Teams are likely going to have a Scrum Master and a Product Owner within their midst. The issue here is that these two roles can easily be – and often are – confused. 

The Product Owner and the Scrum Master are two unique team members. It’s time, once and for all, to explain what those roles mean so that you can go away with a solid understanding of both positions and how to get the most out of them. 

We’re going to do that by running through a checklist of the burning questions people have about these roles.

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: What do they do? 

Let’s start small by covering the top-level explanation of these two roles. What’s their purpose? Why do they exist?

What is a Scrum Master? 

A Scrum Master’s entire role is designed to make sure that an Agile squad in an Agile release train follows the Agile playbook properly. They do all the background work to make sure that a team continues to adopt the Agile methodology at all times, helping them to work more efficiently. 

Here’s our definition:

To properly visualize this, imagine a rugby coach who’s talking the players through their strategies and tactics while nurturing camaraderie, teamwork, and innovation. That’s the Scrum Master. 

A ruby coach ensures that every player knows the rules, and understands the game plan, just like how a Scrum Master makes sure that everyone executes and follows the core principles of the Agile manifesto. They ensure that everyone operates in an Agile way. 

What is a Product Owner?

A Product Owner is responsible for articulating the product vision and ensuring the Development Team builds what delivers the most value to users. They act as the bridge between stakeholders and the team, prioritizing the backlog, refining requirements, and making decisions that keep the product moving in the right direction.

Here’s how we define it internally: 

To put it simply, a Product Owner is like a navigator, setting the course and making sure the team stays on track. They translate big-picture ideas into actionable tasks, ensuring that what gets built truly meets user and business needs.

Because they can help guide product development, Product Owners are also often confused with Product Managers.  

The easiest way to differentiate them is that Product Owners manage the product backlog, ensuring the team is building the right features at the right time, while Product Managers own the product roadmap, setting the overall direction and vision for the product.

That’s the surface-level distinction, but it’s worth checking out our article explaining the difference between those two as well. 

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: Why are they important? 

Both roles are pretty important to well-functioning Scrum teams, but they serve distinct purposes. The Scrum Master focuses on making sure the team follows Agile best practices and works efficiently, while the Product Owner ensures the team is building the right things. Having both means your team stays focused, productive, and aligned with business product goals.

Why should you have a Scrum Master?

A Scrum Master is key to keeping the Agile process running smoothly, helping teams collaborate effectively and continuously improve. They remove obstacles, facilitate all the ceremonies (fancy word for meetings), and ensure Agile principles are followed without unnecessary hassle.

The benefits of having a Scrum Master are:

✔ Keeps the team focused and efficient by eliminating roadblocks.
✔ Ensures Agile processes are followed correctly, preventing bad habits.
✔ Facilitates team collaboration between team members and stakeholders.
✔ Helps the team continuously improve through retrospectives and feedback.
✔ Shields the team from distractions so they can focus on delivering value.

Without a Scrum Master, teams risk inefficiencies, unstructured workflows, and process breakdowns that slow progress.

Why should you have a Product Owner?

A Product Owner ensures the team builds what matters most, aligning development efforts with customer needs and business objectives. They own the product backlog, define priorities, and make critical decisions about what gets built next.

The benefits of having a Product Owner are:

✔ Maintains a clear product vision and communicates it effectively to the team.
✔ Prioritizes the backlog to ensure the team works on the most valuable tasks.
✔ Balances business goals with user needs to maximize impact.
✔ Provides clarity on requirements, reducing rework and confusion.
✔ Keeps stakeholders aligned and informed on product progress.

Without a Product Owner, teams risk working on low-impact tasks, losing sight of customer needs, and struggling with misaligned priorities.

Why you need both

While their responsibilities are different, the Scrum Master and Product Owner work best together. The Scrum Master optimizes how the team works, while the Product Owner defines what the team should work on. Without both, teams either risk building the wrong thing efficiently or struggling with productivity despite having a clear vision. Having both ensures a balanced, high-performing Agile team that delivers real value.

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: What are their responsibilities? 

So we now understand the main aims of both these roles. But let’s dive deeper into the details and take a granular look at what these two roles do in their day to day.

While both roles are crucial to an Agile Product Team, their day-to-day responsibilities are very different. That becomes clear when you focus on their daily and weekly activities.

What are the Scrum Master’s responsibilities? 

The Scrum Master’s overarching responsibility is to keep the Agile methodology working effectively within the team. In a nutshell, the Scrum Master clears the way so the team can focus on delivering value without unnecessary disruptions. They obsess over Agiel so that others don’t have to.

Here’s a simple breakdown of a Scrum master’s main responsibilities:

🏆 Facilitating Scrum events such as daily stand-ups, sprint planning, and sprint reviews.
🚧 Removing any impediments that obstruct the team’s progress.
🎓 Coaching the team on self-organization and cross-functionality.
🛡️ Protecting the team from external distractions.
🔄 Encouraging continuous improvement and the adoption of Agile best practices.

What are the Product Owner’s responsibilities? 

A Product Owner’s main job is to ensure the team is always working on the most valuable things. They look after the product vision, break it down into actionable work, and communicate priorities to the Development Team. Their role is highly strategic, requiring them to balance business goals, customer needs, and technical feasibility.

While they don’t dictate how the work is done, they are responsible for defining what the team should build and why it matters.

A Product Owner can do a lot. Here are some of the main responsibilities of the role.

📌 Break down strategy into user stories and tasks.
📊 Gather insights from customer feedback and product data.
📋 Prioritize and groom the backlog effectively.
❌ Say no when necessary to keep focus.
🤝 Bridge the gap between Product and Development.
🧭 Align stakeholders on goals and priorities.
🎙️ Advocate for customers in every decision.
🚀 Oversee releases and maintain quality standards.

If you’re curious to dive deeper into these responsibilities, we cover them in great detail:

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: What skills do you need? 

Since these two roles serve completely different purposes, they also require distinct skill sets. Sure, there’s some overlap – strong communication and adaptability are valuable for both – but the day-to-day demands of each role mean they require vastly different strengths. Let’s break it down.

Scrum Master skills

A Scrum Master is more of a coach than a manager. Here’s what it takes to do that well:

💡 Strong leadership skills: A Scrum Master isn’t the boss, but they do need to guide and motivate the team, keeping everyone aligned and engaged.

🗣️ Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: Whether it’s running standups, facilitating retrospectives, or conflict resolution, clear and effective communication is key.

📖 Deep knowledge of Scrum and Agile methodologies: You can’t guide a team through Agile without a rock-solid understanding of its principles, frameworks, and best practices.

🛠️ Problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities: Scrum Masters need to anticipate roadblocks, clear obstacles, and navigate team dynamics without derailing progress.

🚀 Champion of continuous improvement: Agile is all about iteration. A great Scrum Master encourages feedback loops, retrospectives, and process tweaks to keep things running smoothly.

💙 Empathy and emotional intelligence: Understanding team dynamics and individual needs helps create a collaborative and psychologically safe work environment.

🔄 Adaptability and flexibility: Priorities shift, challenges pop up, and teams evolve. A great Scrum Master rolls with the punches while keeping the team focused and motivated.

Product Owner skills

A Product Owner is the visionary of the team, responsible for ensuring the product delivers real value. Here’s a list of the most important skills that make up an effective product owner:

📈 Strong business and market acumen: A Product Owner needs to understand the market landscape, industry trends, and customer pain points to make informed product decisions.

🔊 Excellent communication and negotiation skills: Whether it’s aligning stakeholders, defending prioritization decisions, or sharing the product vision, strong communication is non-negotiable.

🎛️ Prioritization and strategic decision-making: With endless requests and limited resources, a Product Owner must ruthlessly prioritize what delivers the most value.

❤️ Empathy for customers: Understanding the user’s perspective is crucial. A great Product Owner puts themselves in the customer’s shoes to build products people actually want.

📊 Data-driven decision-making: It’s not about opinions; it’s about evidence. A Product Owner must rely on data, not gut feelings or HiPPOs (Highest Paid Person’s Opinions), to drive decisions.

🔍 Analytical and problem-solving capabilities: From assessing product performance to interpreting user feedback, strong analytical skills help a Product Owner identify opportunities for improvement.

🤝 Leadership and collaboration: A Product Owner works with development, marketing, sales, and leadership teams. Aligning everyone toward a common goal is a must.

🔄 Adaptability and flexibility: The market changes. Customer needs evolve. A good Product Owner is always ready to pivot and adjust the roadmap accordingly.

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: Where do they sit in a Product Team?

A clear way to differentiate between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner is to look at where they sit within the Product Team hierarchy in an Agile setup. While both roles are essential to the success of a Scrum team, they carry distinct responsibilities and report to different individuals, which helps to clarify the demands and expectations placed on each role.

Let’s take a look at who each reports to and where they fit into the Agile team structure.

Who does a Scrum Master report to? 

While this role isn’t typically hierarchical, the Scrum Master still reports to someone depending on the organizational structure and the scope of their responsibilities.

In smaller teams, the Scrum Master often reports to a Head of Product or Head of Engineering. The Scrum Master is less involved in the business-side decisions and more focused on enabling the Development Team to succeed in their day-to-day sprint work.

In larger organizations or more complex projects, the Scrum Master may report to a Program Manager, Project Manager, or even a senior-level Scrum Master overseeing multiple teams. This setup helps maintain consistency across teams while allowing the Scrum Master to focus on their primary duty: facilitating team efficiency and removing blockers. The Scrum Master is there to serve the team and remove obstacles, not to make product or business decisions.

Who does a Product Owner report to?

The Product Owner typically reports to a senior leadership figure within the product department, such as the Head of Product, VP of Product, or Chief Product Officer. In some organizations, the Product Owner might also have a line to the Business Development or Marketing teams, especially if they play a role in the go-to-market strategy. While the Scrum Master focuses on the process, the Product Owner ensures the output aligns with business goals and customer value.

In terms of day-to-day interactions, the Product Owner works closely with stakeholders across the organization, including Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, and Development Teams. They are responsible for maintaining the product backlog, prioritizing Ideas, and ensuring the team’s work aligns with the broader strategic vision. 

Learn more about the relationship between Product Owner and product vision:

Here’s a good look at the Product Owner and Scrum Master both chilling out in an Agile scrum squad: 

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: How do you become one? 

How do you become a Scrum Master? 

Becoming a Scrum Master is all about understanding Agile principles and the Scrum framework, along with gaining hands-on experience in leading teams through Agile processes. If you’re looking to transition into this role, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you along the way:

1. Gain a thorough understanding of Agile principles and Scrum framework

Dive deep into the Agile Manifesto and familiarize yourself with Scrum values, roles, and processes. Understanding the core principles of Agile methodologies is key to your success.

2. Acquire hands-on experience in Scrum projects as a team member

Get involved in Agile projects, whether it’s as part of Development Teams, as a tester, or any other role. Experience within a Scrum team will give you a solid understanding of how an Agile sprint works.

3. Enroll in a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) training program

Sign up for a reputable Scrum Master training course. These programs often last a few days and cover all essential topics, including Scrum ceremonies, roles, and techniques to facilitate team processes.

4. Obtain the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification from a recognized institution

After completing the training, take the CSM exam to get your certification. This credential proves you understand the fundamentals and are ready to take on the role of Scrum Master. 

5. Continuously update your knowledge and skills

Agile and Scrum practices evolve. Stay up-to-date by attending workshops, joining Scrum communities, and networking with industry professionals to continue improving your skills and knowledge.

How do you become a Product Owner?

The path to becoming a Product Owner involves gaining experience in Product Management, understanding customer needs, and learning the ins and outs of Agile product development. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you there:

1. Gain practical experience in Product Management or related fields

Start by working in roles like business analysis or Product Operations Management. These roles give you valuable insights into understanding customer needs, business goals, and the product development process.

2. Develop a deep understanding of the product development lifecycle and Agile methodologies

Familiarize yourself with the entire Product Management lifecycle, from ideation and design to launch and iteration. Additionally, strengthen your understanding of Agile methodologies and how they apply to product management.

3. Enhance your communication and negotiation skills

As a Product Owner, you’ll need to communicate effectively with stakeholders, customers, and your Development Team. Consider taking courses in communication and negotiation to sharpen these critical skills.

4. Obtain the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification

The CSPO certification is a recognized credential that demonstrates your knowledge of Agile practices and your ability to manage the product backlog. It’s one of the essential certification courses to show your expertise in product ownership.

5. Continuously gather feedback and stay updated with market trends

A successful Product Owner listens to customers and stakeholders, iterating on the product to deliver maximum value. Regularly collect feedback, monitor market trends, and adjust your product strategy to keep it relevant and competitive.

The Product Management career path

Both the Scrum Master and Product Owner are early, entry-level roles within the Product Management career tree. From these roles, you can take multiple directions and sculpt your skillset to make you a better fit for more specialized roles in the future. 

To see where you can go from these positions, read our article on the Product Management career path:

Scrum Master vs Product Owner: How much do they get paid? 

When it comes to compensation, the annual salary for both Scrum Masters and Product Owners varies based on factors like location, experience, and company size. While these are average figures in the U.S., keep in mind that salary expectations can differ significantly across regions, and outliers may skew the data. Nonetheless, the following should provide a clear snapshot of what you can expect to earn in each role.

What is the Scrum Master salary? 

On average, a Scrum Master in the U.S. earns around $115,000 per year. The salary range typically spans from $96,000 to $139,000, according to Glassdoor.

This range is consistent across multiple sources, although it’s important to note that entry-level Scrum Masters will likely earn less than the average, with starting salaries on the lower end of the spectrum. Factors such as company size, industry, and geographic location all play a role in determining the exact figure.

In addition to the base annual salary, many Scrum Masters also receive bonuses and other supplementary benefits, which can increase their overall compensation package.

What is the Product Owner salary?

The average salary for a Product Owner is around $124,000, according to Talent.com – roughly $9,000 more than the average Scrum Master salary. This is in line with the fact that Product Owners tend to have more seniority and broader responsibilities compared to Scrum Masters.

The salary range for Product Owners typically starts at $105,000 and can reach as high as $159,000, depending on experience and seniority level. The higher end of the range generally applies to those with significant experience or working in larger, high-paying organizations.

Geography also plays a significant role in salary differences. For example, according to Built In, cities like San Francisco and Colorado offer notably higher salaries compared to places like Orlando or Miami, highlighting regional pay discrepancies within the U.S.

The Final Comparison 

I don’t know about you, but I think we sufficiently broke down the differences between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner. We’ve covered quite a lot, so we thought it’d be handy to break it all down into a neat comparison table: 

Of course, we don’t think these two roles should be seen as competitors – they’re complementary. Both play essential but distinct roles in an Agile Product Team, working together to enhance efficiency and deliver value.

It’s like apples and oranges – different in function and flavor, but both essential in their own way. And when combined and mixed with other fruits, they create a killer fruit salad.

Understanding their differences is useful, but once that’s clear, like it should be now, it’s best to see them as separate, yet equally vital, parts of the team.

The Scrum Master and Product Owner are just two cogs in the machine that make great Product Management Teams, and Agile is just one aspect of impactful Product Management. 

Want to learn how to improve the product function in your business? Of course you do! 

We’ve got a comprehensive Product Management Handbook, covering everything you need to know to build a product that can thrive. Used by the folks at Amazon, Google, and more, this is a resource that can supercharge your capabilities. 

Download it now.