Lean Six Sigma Belt Levels Explained

We get a lot of questions about the levels of Six Sigma so we’re going to take this space to explain the system.

• Master Black Belts are Mentors, Coaches, or Trainers. They have earned their Black Belt, facilitated several projects and “mastered” Lean Six Sigma. They can teach all of the other levels as well as lead Lean Six Sigma projects.
• Black Belts lead Lean Six Sigma projects. They completed the Black Belt training (at least 40 hours of in-class time) and a Black Belt project to obtain their certification. They have more leadership and tactical training than a Green Belt and can oversee a large Lean Six Sigma project.
• Green Belts can manage a small-scale Lean Six Sigma Project. They completed the Green Belt training (at least 24 hours of in-class time) and a Green Belt project. They have the technical training to pull together and analyze data, but Green Belts are not as equipped as a Black Belt to organize people and lead a project.
• Yellow Belts are Six Sigma project members who understand Lean Six Sigma and can contribute to the goals of a project. They are often Human Resource professions or Financial experts. (They completed at least 16 hours of in-class time).
• White Belts understand Lean Six Sigma. They have earned their White Belt certification by attending at least 4 hours of in-class time. It is beneficial for an organization using the Lean Six Sigma principals to require all employees to have this level of understanding so they can contribute to the project and so the company can achieve the best results possible.