Where Have All The Agile Roles Gone?

Where Have All The Agile Roles Gone?

Are we witnessing a market correction, or the slow death of Agile as a profession?

Just a few years ago, Agile contractors were everywhere - and in demand. £700, £750, even £800 a day was not unusual for experienced Scrum Masters or Agile Coaches. Today, the going rates for those same roles, when they do occasionally pop out of the woodwork, are often less than half of what they were just a couple of years ago.

It was very nice to briefly catch up with an old colleague recently - albeit virtually, who put it bluntly, “It feels like the Agility market has just evaporated” - and it does. The roles that remain are almost always hybrid titles: Agile Delivery Manager, Agile Project Manager, Agile Team Lead - with less focus on coaching, team development or value driven delivery and more on chasing tickets - in order to hit deadlines.

Some of this was inevitable. Organisations have, or believe they have already 'done Agile' - meaning they see their transition as complete. They have Jira or the like, daily scrums and story points - what more do they need? Somewhere along the way however, the discipline started to lose its focus. As Agile became more widespread, titles began to outpace experience. It was not uncommon to see someone call themselves an Agile Coach after only a few minutes - sorry, months as a Scrum Master. The role became diluted - less about shifting mindsets and enabling teams, and more about managing tickets on boards and facilitating the 'ceremonies'.

This is not just a local story - it is happening globally. In North America, Europe, Australia and across parts of Asia, Agile-specific roles have been scaled back, absorbed into broader delivery roles or removed altogether. Day rates have dropped, job titles have blurred, and the emphasis has shifted to hybrid roles that promise more for less. Even in growing markets like India and Southeast Asia, Agile demand remains strong but increasingly commoditised - focused on delivery mechanics rather than transformation or coaching.

Add in tighter budgets, offshoring and a flood of roles advertised at £350 - £400 per day, and it is no wonder the profession feels like it is on its last legs.

Perhaps this is a necessary correction. Agile was never meant to be a job title; it is a way of thinking, of learning and adapting. The demand for that mindset has not gone away. What has changed is how visible and valued it is. 

The need for adaptability and outcomes has never been greater. This may be our opportunity, as Agilists, to move beyond frameworks and demonstrate how agility truly delivers value, even in teams that consider themselves already Agile.

What is your take? Have you seen the same trend - if so, how are you navigating it? Share your thoughts in the comments or message me directly, I am always eager to discuss and share ideas. 

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• Agile job market downturn

• Agile Coach demand dropping

• Scrum Master day rate 2025 UK

• Agile roles being replaced