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It's no longer good enough for IT professionals to just "know computers"
Want to get a good idea of how the perceived value of certifications has changed over time? This is a line from our first IT Skills and Salary Report in 2008:
“There have been many articles and discussions regarding the value of certification, and in general, employer support for certification appears to be mixed.”
93% of IT decision-makers believe a certified team member brings added value above and beyond the cost of certification.
What a difference a decade makes. In our 2019 report, there are few mixed feelings—93% of IT decision-makers believe a certified team member brings added value above and beyond the cost of certification. Those values include increased productivity and faster troubleshooting, which are abilities that are vital in today’s tech world as skills gaps are steadily widening.
Certifications are considered the pinnacle of achievement in the tech industry. That’s a huge change in perspective from a decade ago when many IT professionals still didn’t understand the merit of certification.
Certification Value Has Skyrocketed
When you analyze survey responses from 12 years of our report, the data overwhelmingly illustrates a rise in demand for certification training.
- In 2008, nine percent of respondents said the main reason they train is to prepare for certification. In 2019, that number has risen to 45%.
- In 2008, just 38% of IT professionals held at least one certification. In 2019, 85% are certified.
- In 2008, 42% of respondents said they plan to pursue a certification in the next year. In 2019, 66% will either pursue certification or are already in the process of becoming certified.
Currently, 69% of our survey respondents hold more than one IT certification. There’s a lot of competition in the tech industry, so professionals often have their eyes set on their next certifications years in advance.
Certifications Pay Off
It’s not just the employers who are benefiting from an increase in certification training. In 2019, certified IT professionals in the U.S. and Canada have an average salary of $111,334, which is seven percent more than non-certified professionals. As long as the training is career-relevant, it certainly pays to pursue certifications.
There has, however, been a slight shift in the top-paying certifications over the course of our reporting. In 2008, Project Management Professional (PMP®) was the top-paying certification at $101,698. PMP® is still a popular and lucrative certification, ranking second in the U.S. and seventh globally in terms of salary. But cloud and cybersecurity certifications have taken over the top spots on our highest-paying lists since 2014.
Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect is the top-paying certification this year in the U.S. and Canada with an average annual salary of $152,129. AWS certifications make a big splash in our top 10 as well, with AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate coming in fourth, AWS SysOps Administrator – Associate taking fifth, and AWS Developer – Associate ranking sixth in salary.
While cloud certifications didn’t appear in our rankings a decade ago, cloud salaries are the highest by job function (excluding executives) in the world.
ISACA’S Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified in Risk Systems and Control (CRISC) cracked our top 10 highest-paying certifications. CISM is second at $132,919 while CRISC is eighth at $128,556.
See our complete list of the 2019 top-paying U.S. certifications.
Cybersecurity, ITIL®, Cisco and Microsoft Are the Most Popular
One thing that hasn’t changed in 10 years is the popularity of certain certifications. In 2008, Microsoft certifications were dominant. Nearly 35% of respondents held a Microsoft certification. The next highest was Project Management at 16.3%.
Eleven years and 12 reports later, Microsoft is still popular—21% of respondents hold at least one Microsoft certification. This makes it the fourth most popular certification category, behind cybersecurity, ITIL and Cisco.
Thirty-one percent of global respondents hold a cybersecurity certification and the average global salary of those respondents is $96,308. ITIL and IT service management credentials are held by 21% of IT professionals, of which ITIL Foundation is by far the most popular and sought-after certification.
Nineteen percent of respondents hold a Cisco certification, the most popular of which is CCNA Routing and Switching, which is held by 11% of all respondents.
How Employers View IT
Management’s perspective on IT training has certainly shifted over the course of our reporting. In 2011, only 35% of decision-makers believed certifications led to a more effective staff. Today, managers are nearly unanimous in their support.
The additional skills that certified employees bring to the table are also a welcomed benefit in an industry that’s currently facing ever-widening skills gaps. When asked to estimate the economic benefit of a certified staff member versus a non-certified peer, 63% of IT decision-makers said it exceeds $10,000 annually. Twenty-two percent say that number is more than $30,000, which far exceeds the cost of the certification exam and prep fees.
The advantages of certification seem obvious now, but skepticism of its value and IT in general was rampant a few years ago. According to Daniel Cummins, Global Knowledge Technical Instructor of Networking and Security, organizations used to consider IT a necessary evil.
“Business owners didn’t understand it, but since they needed technology to do their jobs, they hired guys who ‘knew computers’ to handle support,” Cummins said.
Cummins says the increased frequency of major security breaches forced employers to take IT departments more seriously. The search for qualified and certified IT professionals became a driving force of many organizations.
“It was no longer good enough to ‘know computers,’” Cummins said. “Now, we are looking for experts.”
Holding a certification may not be enough anymore. Cummins says that a certification was once proof of expertise without the need for a full degree, but he’s seen a shift in recent years.
“I’m seeing a trend toward degrees and certifications now,” he said. “Employers want a four-year bachelor’s degree in a related discipline and expert-level certifications.”
More Experts Are Needed
Year after year, building new skills is the No. 1 reason why IT professionals train. Traditionally, preparing for a certification exam is second.
The two go hand in hand. Certification value remains high as experts with diverse skill sets are needed in every IT department. This trend is likely to continue as rapid innovation continues to impact the industry.
Certifications, especially in cybersecurity and cloud computing, have grown in popularity for a multitude of reasons. Security breaches are increasing in size and scope, and it’s no longer a matter of if companies will be using the cloud but when. Decision-makers are also struggling to hire qualified candidates for these two specific functional areas.
As for cloud computing, the rapid market advancement is creating new roles that force traditional IT pros to re-train and those looking to be hired learn new skills. Like cybersecurity, supply has yet to catch up with the demand for talent.
According to our report, 38% of IT decision-makers struggle to hire cybersecurity professionals while 34% can’t find the cloud talent they need. Nearly 70% total say that hiring in general is somewhat or extremely difficult.
Plan Your IT Certification Roadmap
Clearly the value of becoming certified has positive impacts on both the organization and one’s career. We have a collection of resources to help you navigate your own certification journey.
For those of you looking to start your certification journey, read “How to Select the Right Certification for You.”
If you’ve decided to get certified but want to ensure you select a proven certification with staying power, check out “18 Certifications Worth Having.”
Certification tracks
Certification tracks provide easy-to-follow roadmaps of the steps and courses you need to take as you pursue a certification.
Certifications take a lot of time and energy, so before you embark on your journey, make sure you’re fully aware of the courses and exam prep available, and what’s required or optional.
- AWS
- Check out our AWS Cert Prep Toolkits
- Business Analysis
- Cisco
- (Learn about the certification changes coming in 2020 at globalknowledge.com/ciscocerts2020)
- Google Cloud
- ITIL®
- Microsoft
- Microsoft Azure
- Project Management
- Red Hat
- VMware
Certification prep guides
These “How to Become a” certification prep guides highlight the critical knowledge, skills and abilities you need to achieve each certification. Download them for free.
- Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate
- Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect
- Google Certified Professional Data Engineer
- AWS Certified Architect
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator
- Project Management Professional
- Build an IT Career with CompTIA Certifications