Table of Contents
One of the key motivations behind seeking to pursue a certification in the Lean Six Sigma field is the perceived uptick in salary and earning potential that comes from such a certification. The thinking is that with the additional skills, knowledge and tools in your toolkit, you can demand better pay as you will be adding more value to the business.
This is indeed true. Lean Six Sigma qualifications are highly in demand because of the range of skills and knowledge they can give you. From root cause analysis to process mapping. From business improvement to statistical analysis. From data creation, management and presentation through to project delivery, Lean Six Sigma is a big house harbouring many skills businesses want to see being deployed within their organizations.
How to secure a good compensation package through Lean Six Sigma qualifications
For businesses looking to hire people with Lean Six Sigma qualifications, the key is delivery. They want to see that people have practically deployed their qualifications in business through a range of projects, to tackle a range of issues and to deliver a range of outcomes. They want to see the practical deployment of the tools and techniques, tangible changes and improvements made and a good return on investment.
Therefore, to secure that higher salary, you need to sell what you have done and have been doing. Ensure your resume is always up to date and packed full with what you have done, how you have done it and the benefits that the company has received from this work.
Six Sigma certification Salary – All belt levels
Now let’s look at the salaries you can expect at each belt grade, adjusted for 2 key global currencies. We will identify firstly, the skills you will have obtained through said belt, and these will be the ones you need to shine through on your CV. They need to be front and centre as these are the skills that businesses will pay for. We will identify the salary range (as there will never just be one figure) and the dependencies. This is because just having a qualification is not enough and a lot will depend on the salary you actually receive.
Yellow Belt Salary
| Skills obtained: DMAIC project management, root cause analysis tools such as Fishbone Diagram and 5 Whys, voice of the customer focus, process mapping & improvement, delivery of improvements, issue resolution and solutions  |
| Salary range: $50,000 – $70,000 [Experienced] £30,000 – £40,000 [New] |
| Dependencies: Which level of the salary you end up getting will depend on experience. If you have recently certified and are still new to the field, you will be on the lower end. If you have been delivering related work and projects for some time now and have certified to add to this, you can expect the upper end. |
Join our Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Program
Green Belt Salary
| Dependencies: Which level of the salary you end up on will depend on what has come prior. If you have jumped straight into a Green Belt qualification with little to show related wise prior, you will end up at the lower end. However, if you are an experienced professional or have been delivering Yellow Belt-related projects for some time, you can expect the higher end. |
| Salary range: $70,000 – $100,000 [Experienced] £40,000 – £60,000 [New] |
| Dependencies: Which level of the salary you end up on will depend on what has come prior. If you have jumped straight into a Green Belt qualification with little to show related-wise prior, you will end up at the lower end. However, if you are an experienced professional or have been delivering Yellow Belt-related projects for some time, you can expect the higher end. |
Black Belt Salary
| Skills obtained: Advanced statistical analysis, use of highly complex statistical tools, building of statistical models, monitoring performance of process metrics, delivery of end to end cross-functional and cross-departmental projects, big savings made (over $1 million a project or the equivalent in time and efficiencies or quality gained) |
| Salary range: $100,000 – $150,000 [Experienced] £60,000 – £100,000 [New] |
| Dependencies: Which level of the salary you end up getting will depend on how big and impactful the work done so far has been. If you have delivered projects which have crossed many departments and service lines, if you have led big project teams and supported Green and Yellow Belts, you can expect the higher end of the salary range. If not, you will need to get such experience once the Black Belt is obtained to expect bigger increases when you are working as a Black Belt. |
Master Black Belt Salary
| Skills obtained: Managed teams of Black and Green belts to deliver projects, supported or led on the delivery of large-scale improvement initiatives or programs, delivered cross-functional and departmental change which has led to big savings (over $10m a time or equivalent inefficiencies or quality gains) |
| Salary range: $150,000 – $200,000+ [Experienced] £100,000 – £150,000+ [New] |
| Dependencies: Your experience of delegating to others, managing teams of Black and Green Belts and the success of sizeable programs of work will be key here. The more you have delivered successfully, the higher up the salary range you could expect to see. Equally, if you are looking to be in charge of the wider organizational strategy around business improvement, quality and change, this will also add on a substantial amount to any salary in mind. If you are seeking to work your way up to this, you would start at the lower end. |
Conclusion
When it comes to asking for or expecting a certain salary range for your Lean Six Sigma qualification, you need to remember it is not just about the qualification itself. It is about what you have done with it, or what you are intending to do with it. If you are new to the field, you will need to demonstrate what success looks like for you in the role.
Equally, if you have been delivering for some time now, what benefit has the business received thus far, and what will they receive in the future? It is all about return on investment. As Lean Six Sigma salaries are traditionally larger than average at those levels or grades within the business, the organization is going to expect greater returns for the investment they are making – both the salary they are paying you and the qualification they are paying for (if indeed they are the ones paying for the Lean Six Sigma qualification).
Read More: Lean Six Sigma Topics
