From Scrum Master to VP of Engineering: Why Job Titles Matter

In the world of software engineering, job titles can sometimes seem like an afterthought. Startups in particular often take a casual approach, handing out flashy titles like "Rockstar Developer" or "Engineering Ninja". But while this informal attitude may seem attractive during the hiring process, misaligned titles and expectations can lead to real problems down the road.

The reality is that engineering job titles convey important information about roles, responsibilities, and career progression. Taking a role with the wrong title can hinder your professional development and lead to frustration on both sides. As someone who has held roles from Senior Engineer to VP of Engineering and hired over 100 people, I‘ve seen firsthand how much titles matter.

The Proliferation of Engineering Titles

Software engineering has seen an explosion of job titles in recent years as the field has grown and specialized. A study by Indeed found that "Full Stack Developer" was the fastest growing tech job title from 2016-2019, with a 207% spike in postings. Titles like Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, and Cloud Architect have also surged in popularity.

Source: Indeed Hiring Lab

At the same time, the fundamental progression of engineering titles from individual contributor to executive has remained fairly constant. Let‘s break down some of the key milestones and what they really mean.

Scrum Master

A Scrum Master is a facilitator for an Agile development team. They are responsible for supporting the team in managing tasks, stories and bugs in tools like Jira. Key responsibilities include:

• Tracking and managing issues to ensure they are up to date
• Unblocking impediments for the team
• Facilitating Agile ceremonies like standups, planning, and retrospectives
• Helping the team adhere to Scrum processes and best practices

A Scrum Master is usually focused on the tactical day-to-day work, with a time horizon of one to two sprints. While a great Scrum Master does remove friction and help the team execute more effectively, it is fundamentally a facilitation role vs. a leadership role. Some Scrum Masters write code in addition to their primary role, while others are more like project managers.

According to Glassdoor, the average US salary for a Scrum Master is $97,319. This is on the lower end for technical roles, reflecting that it is often an entry level position or one filled by non-engineers.

Engineering Manager

An Engineering Manager is a people manager for a team of engineers. In most cases they still spend a significant portion of their time (30-70%) hands-on with code. But their primary responsibility is the welfare and development of their team. An Engineering Manager:

• Manages and mentors engineers of varying levels
• Has deep technical understanding of the team‘s part of the product
• Handles people management tasks like hiring, firing, and performance reviews
• Acts as a "human shield", insulating the team from distractions and politics
• Works closely with Product Managers, Designers and other functions

While a Scrum Master is all about facilitating the team‘s work, an Engineering Manager takes a more comprehensive view of the engineers as individuals and the overall productivity of the team. They usually have a time horizon of a few weeks tactically to a few months for personnel issues, and may manage a team of 3-8 engineers.

The average base salary for an Engineering Manager in the US is $146,836 according to Glassdoor, a significant step up from a Scrum Master or Senior Engineer. This jump reflects the higher expectations and additional "soft skills" required.

Director of Engineering

A Director of Engineering operates at a higher level, usually managing multiple teams of engineers and managers. While they maintain technical knowledge of the product, they are less hands-on with code. A Director:

• Manages managers, and is responsible for their development and performance
• Coordinates work and releases across teams
• Ensures best practices in terms of engineering processes and quality
• Works closely with senior stakeholders in Product Management, Operations, etc.
• Has a time horizon of a few months to a year

Directors must have strong cross-functional leadership skills, as they oversee end-to-end execution and delivery across larger swaths of engineering. They are usually less involved in architectural decisions, focusing more on team topology, personnel planning and development, and hitting key milestones.

The average Director of Engineering salary in the US is $182,023. However, total compensation can vary widely with stock and bonuses. According to levels.fyi, a Senior Director of Engineering at Google averages $930k in total comp, vs. "only" $570k for a Director.

VP of Engineering

A VP of Engineering is an executive leadership role reporting to the CTO or CEO. They own the overall engineering strategy and organization. While a VP maintains a solid high-level understanding of the product and technology, they spend most of their time on the big picture. A VP:

• Defines and evangelizes the overall engineering vision and direction
• Manages the entire set of engineering processes and best practices
• Works closely with Product on overall product/market strategy and direction
• Collaborates with other executives on budgeting, headcount, and strategic planning
• Focuses on a time horizon of one to several years

The VP of Engineering is outward facing, spending much of their time with customers and executives to shape long term engineering strategy to support the business. They are responsible for the performance and productivity of the entire engineering team, and for ensuring that engineering is seen as a core competency vs. a cost center. The VP is usually "where the buck stops" in terms of overall engineering delivery.

VPE compensation also varies widely with experience and company, but often reaches into the millions at top companies. According to levels.fyi, the average base salary for a VP of Engineering at Facebook is $356k, but total comp is $1.4M!

Contrasting Responsibilities

To summarize the key differences between these titles:

Title	Scrum Master	Engineering Manager	Director of Engineering	VP of Engineering
Focus	Tactical	Team	Multi-team	Strategic
Coding	Sometimes	30-70%	Less	Rarely
People Management	No	Yes	Yes	Executive team
Process & Best Practices	Scrum	Team level	Department level	Company level
Cross-functional Scope	Within team	Adjacent teams	Entire org	Company-wide
Time Horizon	1-2 sprints	Weeks to months	Quarters	Years
Average Salary (US)	$97k	$147k	$182k	$356k+ (base)

It‘s important to note that these are generalizations and that specific responsibilities will vary by company. However, the overall trend of scope and focus expanding with seniority holds true. Individual contributor roles like Scrum Master are all about tactical execution, while executive roles like VP of Engineering focus almost exclusively on strategy and people leadership.

Titles and Career Growth

For engineers, progressing through these job titles is the clearest way to advance your career. Each step up comes with expanded scope, higher compensation, and frankly, more respect and opportunities. Both inside and outside the company, people make snap judgments based on titles.

However, it‘s important not to get caught up chasing titles and promotions at the expense of honing your craft and developing your skills. Tanya Reilly, a Staff Engineer at Squarespace, has astutely noted that "Your title isn‘t your destiny". Just because you make Senior Engineer doesn‘t guarantee you‘ll become an Engineering Manager. You need to proactively develop your skills in coding, communication, leadership, and business.

That said, if you find yourself stagnating in a role, a title change can open new doors. Both internally and externally, taking on a new title signals that you are stepping up to a new level of responsibility and performance. It can lead to higher profile projects, more mentorship, and of course, better compensation.

Titles and Hiring

For hiring managers, defining clear job titles and responsibilities is crucial for building an effective engineering team. Sloppy titling can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and ultimately, attrition.

At a previous startup I worked at, we hired an extremely talented Senior Engineer to work on data infrastructure. But his actual role ended up being much closer to a Data Analyst, wrangling pipelines and writing SQL. While he performed well, he grew frustrated with the lack of opportunities to code. If we had been clearer about the role upfront and given an appropriate title like Data Engineer, we may have been able to retain him.

On the flip side, handing out inflated titles like candy can erode their meaning and value. If everyone is a "Senior Architect", it‘s hard to map titles to meaningful differences in scope and abilities. Title compression then makes it harder to reward actual job performance and growth.

The key is to define a clear job ladder with meaningful differentiation between titles. Rent the Runway has published a great example of an engineering job ladder. It defines expectations for attributes like Coding, System Design, and Leadership at each level. This makes it clear to both managers and reports what is required to progress to the next level.

What Should You Do?

As an individual engineer, my advice is to pursue mastery first and titles second. Focus on becoming excellent at your craft, continuously learning, and delivering outsized impact. Put yourself in positions to take on meatier projects and more responsibilities organically. The titles and money will follow naturally.

That said, don‘t let yourself stagnate in a role that is below your abilities. If you‘re working at a Senior Engineer level, push for that promotion or look for it elsewhere. And always make sure you understand what a new title really means before accepting an offer. Ask detailed questions about the specific responsibilities and expectations. If possible, get the job description in writing.

As a hiring manager, take titles seriously as a tool for shaping your team. Map out the roles and responsibilities you need, and craft titles that accurately reflect them. Be realistic about the scope and level you‘re hiring for. It‘s better to bring in a solid Senior Engineer than get starry-eyed about a mediocre Director.

During hiring discussions, be extremely clear about your expectations and the growth path for the role. Nothing is more frustrating than taking a job expecting to lead an initiative, only to be handed Jira tickets. A little bit of brutal honesty upfront saves a lot of pain down the road.

Titles Matter

In the end, job titles are much more than words on a business card. They send important signals about abilities, scope, and growth path. Misaligned titles lead to confusion, frustration, and ultimately attrition.

For engineers, a thoughtful approach to titles is key to advancing your career and ensuring you‘re in a role that challenges and rewards you appropriately. Don‘t chase titles blindly, but don‘t shy away from them either. Be honest with yourself and others about your capabilities and aspirations.

For engineering leaders, a clear system of titles is the backbone of a high-performing org. Titles are a key tool for defining responsibilities, setting expectations, and rewarding impact. Craft them with care, and you‘ll build stronger, happier, more productive teams.

In short, titles matter. Take them seriously, and they will serve you well.