Quality Management

All About Six Sigma Yellow Belt Salaries

Written byJohn Terra
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Updated onJune 20, 2024

Today’s digital marketplace offers many exciting career opportunities and typically provides generous compensation. This article spotlights Six Sigma Yellow Belt professionals and their salary landscape.

We will start by defining this certification, explain its requirements, and then dive into Six Sigma Yellow Belt salary information, breaking it down by position, geographical location, level of experience, and more. We also share a Six Sigma course to help professionals boost their skill set and get on their way to certification.

Let’s begin our Six Sigma Yellow Belt journey by defining the term. What’s a Six Sigma Yellow Belt, and what is its place in the overall Six Sigma methodology?

What is a Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

Six Sigma Yellow Belts indicates that the professional passed the Yellow Belt examination and has gained the knowledge and skills to be awarded this Six Sigma professional designation. A Yellow Belt is a professional in the Six Sigma framework who has acquired more knowledge and skills than their White Belt counterpart and understands all the Six Sigma fundamental concepts. Additionally, Six Sigma Yellow Belts are qualified to work in many industries and sectors, such as consulting, education, insurance, manufacturing, finance, and health care.

As a reminder, here are the ranks of Six Sigma Belts, from lowest to highest:

White Belt. The White Belt is the basic introduction to Six Sigma and encompasses essential terms and concepts related to the Six Sigma methodology.
Yellow Belt. This training enhances the candidates’ understanding of the Six Sigma strategy and how it may be applied to a process. It also helps teams collect data and design process maps. And this is the level we’re covering today!
Green Belt. At this level, the candidate spends almost half their time working on Six Sigma projects, providing a solid foundation for the process. Green Belts are often chosen to lead teams thanks to their expertise in the process.
Black Belt. This level of Six Sigma certification is designed for professionals responsible for full-time Six Sigma projects and have been chosen to lead project teams and guide Green Belts.
Master Black Belt. In this final certification, the candidate becomes the ultimate expert in business excellence. They are responsible for implementing Six Sigma strategies within their organization.

So, what do you need to become a Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

Also Read: Six Sigma Green Belt Exam Tips

What Are the Requirements for Becoming a Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

For starters, there are no formal educational requirements for becoming a Six Sigma Yellow Belt. The Yellow Belt designation can be helpful for professionals in entry-level and mid-level positions, such as group leaders or people interested in improving their organization’s internal processes.

Although no set academic or professional requirements are established for becoming a Six Sigma Yellow Belt, candidates must pass the certification exam. The exam deals with general information and principles related to the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification.

You stand a better chance of earning your Yellow Belt if you prepare for the exam and study the included information. Additionally, you can enroll in a Six Sigma training program, practice the needed skills, and focus on the information the organization may include in the test.

Now that we know there are no formal requirements for becoming a certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt, let’s examine the advantages.

What Are the Advantages of Becoming a Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

Project success can be increased by several methods. Six Sigma Yellow certification can help you support professionals with higher Six Sigma designations, such as Green Belts or Black Belts. Green Belts collaborates with these professionals to improve project success rates. A team with Six Sigma Yellow Belt employees will help an organization develop more innovative solutions and better address challenges. Yellow Belt training can also help professionals and teams improve their processes and initiatives with their experience, skills, and knowledge.
You can receive your certification faster. Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification is a popular choice for professionals working towards a higher verification level, such as Green or Black Belts, because exam training takes less time than other programs. Yellow Belt training takes about two or three full days, so you can receive professional advancements without investing much time. This process can be an excellent way to determine if you want to pursue a higher certification level eventually or if your career goals are better served by standing pat with a Yellow Belt level.
It addresses team-based concerns and issues. A certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt could offer professionals the tools and information to create a structured solution-oriented approach. Yellow Belt certification helps team members identify the root causes of issues and not only address them but prevent them from happening again. This ability can foster a positive team environment and improve the organization’s business processes and operations.
Your small changes can have a considerable impact. Professionals with a Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification may not be as responsible for making large-scale organizational changes as their Green Belt or Black Belt counterparts. However, they can still make many small-scale adjustments that can eventually positively affect the organization. A gradual series of minor adjustments to the company’s processes, aspects, or teams can result in impactful, transformative changes. Six Sigma certifications and training are often used to help professionals improve the quality of initiatives, projects, and products, thereby increasing an organization’s return on investment (ROI) and profits.
You can take control of your personal improvement. Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification incentivizes individuals and their teams to improve their performances by emphasizing how essential it is to address issues and problems to improve the organization. This training provides new skills and abilities to contribute to team initiatives, streamline individual processes, and guarantee continuous development. Yellow Belt training can also help professionals improve communication skills and enhance collaboration with team members and managers.

Also Read: Exploring Lean Process Improvement in Six Sigma

How Much Does a Six Sigma Yellow Belt Professional Earn?

According to Indeed.com, a Six Sigma professional’s average base annual salary is $91,980. This figure is subject to variables such as geographic location, experience, the industry, the company, supply and demand, and economic factors.

Receiving a Six Sigma certification, such as a White Belt, Yellow Belt, etc., can help professionals increase their salaries and advance their careers. As a rule, Six Sigma belt color doesn’t show salary breakdowns. Instead, most salary figures reference a Six Sigma professional (or Lean Six Sigma), with the understanding that salaries can increase when the candidate seeks a higher Six Sigma certification.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Salary by Job Role

These professions are the top job positions that are looking for Six Sigma professionals, as reported by Indeed.com.

Process Manager. Average $86,694 per year.
Continuous Improvement Manager. Average $100,227 per year.
Learning and Development Facilitator. Average $82,486 per year.
Business Process Analyst. Average $76,377 per year.
Quality Manager. Average $94,059 per year.
Industrial Engineer. Average $82,509 per year.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Salaries by Location

Locations often make a significant difference in salaries. Here are the top-paying U.S. cities for Six Sigma professionals, as reported by Indeed.com.

San Antonio, TX. $144,950 per year.
Phoenix, AZ. $139,817 per year.
Schaumburg, IL. $122,089 per year.
Dallas, TX. $120,000 per year.
Terre Haute, IN. $116,862 per year.
Fontana, CA. $114,891 per year.
Lafayette, IN. $109,467 per year.
Nashville, TN. $103,560 per year.
Champaign, IL. $101,758 per year.

Also Read: Lean Thinking: Transforming Efficiency in Your Business

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Salary by Experience

A Six Sigma professional who’s held their position for ten years commands a greater salary than an entry-level position. Here’s a sample of Six Sigma professional salaries, broken down by years of experience, reported by Glassdoor.com.

0-1 Years. $101,274 per year.
1-3 Years. $103,586 per year.
4-6 Years. $ 106,588 per year.7-9 Years. $114,018 per year.
10-14 Years. $122,228 per year.
15 Years and over. $136,495 per year.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Salary by Company

Here’s a breakdown of Six Sigma professional salaries by the top-paying companies, as reported by Indeed.com.

USAA. $157,943 per year.
Aetna, a CVS Health Company. $116,756 per year.
INDORAMA VENTURES. $114,891 per year.
Southwestern Health Resources. $109,224 per year.
O’Neil Digital Solutions. $107,471 per year.
Nycor. $97,582 per year.
NEOMED. $63,743 per year.
UCLA Health. $51,447 per year.

Also Read: What is a Quality Engineer? A Comprehensive Guide to the Profession

Do You Want Six Sigma Training?

If you’re looking for Six Sigma training, consider an online bootcamp. This intense, 24-week Lean Six Sigma program is an IASSC-accredited course that uses live interactive classes, projects, and case studies to teach students the core concepts of Six Sigma.

Six Sigma is a transformative methodology embraced by many industries today. If you want to be a part of that exciting, fast-growing world and improve your skill set with valuable Six Sigma certification, check out this course today.