The 15 most valuable IT certifications today

Certifications have long been a great means for IT career advancement. The right credentials can boost your salary, set you apart from the competition, and help you land promotions in your current role. In fact, IT leaders report that certified staff add a value of $30,000 per year to the organization, with a noticeable increase in productivity from employees earning certifications, according to Skillsoft. In the coming year, certifications centered around cybersecurity and cloud are some of the highest-paying and most sought-after certifications available.

But knowing which certifications can have the most impact on your career and salary can be challenging. To help, Skillsoft recently released data on the highest-paying certifications based off a survey of over 1,900 professionals for their annual IT Skills and Salary report. Following are the 15 certifications associated with the highest pay for 2024.

The 15 most valuable certifications for 2024

• Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect
• Google Cloud – Professional Data Engineer
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• AWS Certified Security – Specialty
• Google Cloud Professional – Cloud Database Engineer
• Google Cloud Associate – Cloud Engineer
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
• Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
• BTA Certified Blockchain Security Professional (CBSP)
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect

The Google Cloud – Professional Cloud Architect certification validates your ability to work with Google Cloud technologies in the enterprise and to design, develop, and manage scalable and secure business solutions in the cloud. The exam covers designing and planning, managing and provisioning, and implementing cloud architecture. You’ll also be tested on your ability to analyze and optimize business processes, design with security and compliance in mind, and ensure they work reliably. Unless otherwise stated, all Google Cloud certifications expire after two years from the date received and you will need to recertify to maintain your status. 

Google’s Professional Cloud Architect certification is most popular with cloud architects, and it’s recommended to have three or more years of experience in the industry with more than one year of experience designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud.

Average annual salary: $200,960

Google Cloud – Professional Data Engineer

The Google Cloud – Professional Data Engineer certification is designed to certify your skills, knowledge, and abilities as a data engineer. The exam covers knowledge areas such as collecting, transforming, and publishing data, as well as designing, building, operating, securing, and monitoring data processing systems. With this certification, you can validate to employers that you have the skills as a data engineer to build and manage scalable, efficient, and reliable data systems, along with the ability to deploy and train machine learning models. While there are no prerequisites for the exam, it’s recommended that you have at least three or more years of industry experience, along with one or more years of experience designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud.

Average annual salary: $193,621

Project Management Professional (PMP)

The Project Management Institute offers the Project Management Professional certification, which is aimed at advanced project managers. The certification exam tests your knowledge of project management fundamentals and the five main stages of a project’s lifecycle. To qualify for the exam, those holding a four-year degree must have three years of experience in project management, 4,500 hours of leading and directing projects, and 35 hours of project management education. For those with a secondary degree, you’ll need five years of experience, 7,500 hours leading and directing projects, and 35 hours of project management education.

Average annual salary: $176,116

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification, offered by Amazon, validates your knowledge of implementing cloud initiatives and demonstrates that you can design, deploy, and evaluate applications on AWS in complex environments. The exam is designed for those with two or more years of hands-on experience with designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS. It’s recommended that candidates for this exam are familiar with AWS CLI, AWS APIs, AWS CloudFormation templates, the AWS Billing Console, the AWS Management Console, a scripting language, and Windows and Linux environments. You should also know the best practices for architectural design, how to make architectural recommendations for cloud applications, and be able to design hybrid architecture using AWS technologies.

Average annual salary: $174,137

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

The ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager certification is designed to validate your skills and expertise in information security governance, program development and management, and risk and incident management. The certification is designed for IT pros working with or managing IT security at an enterprise or organizational level. To qualify for the exam, you’ll need at least five years of previous work experience in information security within the past 10 years. The CISM certification is valid for five years and must be maintained by earning continuing professional education (CPE) credits.

Average annual salary: $167,396

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification is designed for security professionals who want to validate their knowledge of AWS security services. It’s recommended to have at least five years of IT security experience with designing and implementing security solutions and two years of hands-on experience in securing AWS workloads. You should also have knowledge of AWS security services and features, an understanding of security operations and risks, and the ability to make decisions to meet application requirements. Candidates also need to have knowledge of the AWS shared responsibility model, security controls for workloads, strategies for logging and monitoring, cloud security threat models, patch management and security automation, data classifications and AWS data protection mechanisms, among other topics.

Average annual salary: $166,449

Google Cloud Professional – Cloud Database Engineer

The Google Cloud Professional – Cloud Database Engineer certification is designed for those who are charged with designing, overseeing, and troubleshooting databases, while ensuring that they’re building scalable and cost-effective solutions for the business. The certification covers everything you need to know about designing scalable and highly available cloud solutions, migrate data, and to deploy scalable and highly available databases using the Google Cloud platform. It’s recommended that those who take the exam have at least two years of experience working with Google Cloud and five years or more of experience working with databases in an IT environment.

Average annual salary: $163,193

Google Cloud Associate – Cloud Engineer

The Google Cloud Associate – Cloud Engineer certification is an entry-level certification for cloud engineers working in the Google Cloud environment. The certification covers your knowledge and skills surrounding deploying, managing, maintaining, and securing cloud-based solutions in the enterprise. As an entry-level exam, there are no prerequisites to qualify, but it’s recommended that you have at least six months experience working with Google Cloud. Once you pass the associate-level certification, you can move up to the professional designation, which covers higher-level Google Cloud topics.

Average annual salary: $161,075

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification is for solutions architects with one or more years of hands-on experience designing “available, cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed systems on AWS,” according to Amazon. The exam tests your knowledge of AWS application architecture and security, your ability to define a solution based on customer requirements, and how well you understand the best practices of AWS application implementation. It’s recommended to have hands-on experience with AWS services, knowledge of the best practices for building reliable and secure applications on the AWS platform, and an understanding of the AWS global infrastructure and related network technologies.

Average annual salary: $160,052

Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification is offered through the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, known as (ISC)². The certification is accredited under the ANSI standard and it has been approved by the US Department of Defense as a requirement for certain IT roles. As a vendor-neutral certification, the CISSP exam certifies your ability to design, implement, and manage a cybersecurity program. The exam covers eight main domains, including security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communication and network security, identity and access management (IAM), security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security. To qualify for the CISSP exam, you will need at least five or more years of work experience in IT and systems security.

Average annual salary: $156,699

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

The ISACA’s Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is designed for those responsible for auditing, controlling, monitoring, and assessing an organization’s IT and business systems. While working toward earning your CISA certification, you’ll learn everything you need to know about information systems auditing, the governance and management of IT, IS acquisitions and implementation, business and operations resilience, and the protection of IT assets. The exam covers your expertise in the information systems (IS) auditing process, your ability to report on compliance procedures and to access vulnerabilities. To qualify for the exam, you need five or more years of experience in IS or IT auditing, control, assurance, or security. To maintain your certification, you will need to need report at least 20 CPE hours annually; credentials expire after three years.

Average annual salary: $154,500

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification offered by Amazon validates your skills and knowledge in regard to designing and maintaining network architecture using AWS services. As an advanced certification, it’s designed for those who have at least five years of hands-on experience architecting and implementing network solutions in an enterprise environment. The certification covers topics such as AWS technology, AWS security and storage, advanced networking architectures and interconnectivity options, automation scripts and tools, routing architectures, CIDR and sub-netting, network security features, and more.

Average annual salary: $153,031

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional certification is best suited for those with two or more years of experience managing AWS environments. The exam covers your ability to implement and manage continuous delivery systems, automated security controls, governance processes and compliance validation on AWS. To pass the exam, you’ll need experience coding in one or more high-level programming language, as well as familiarity with automation, administering operating systems, and a strong understanding of development processes and methodologies.  

Average annual salary: $150,546

BTA Certified Blockchain Security Professional (CBSP)

The BTA Certified Blockchain Security Professional certification focuses on your skills and knowledge around blockchain security, with a focus on 12 knowledge areas, which include fundamentals, consensus in the blockchain, advance blockchain security mechanisms, smart contract security, blockchain risk assessment, basic blockchain security, blockchain for business, securely implementing blockchains, network security, system security, smart contract, security, and security of alternative DLT architectures. It’s designed for blockchain architects and developers, application developers, blockchain system administrators, network security architects, cybersecurity experts, and IT professionals with cybersecurity experience. The CBSP certification validates that you have the right expertise to work with blockchain technology, and that you are able to identify security risks, implement best practices, and can stay on top of cyber-attack vectors on the blockchain.

Average annual salary: $129,185

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

In the past, Cisco offered several certifications under the Certified Network Associate certification scheme, but it has recently consolidated all CCNA certifications into one single CCNA certification. The new CCNA certification validates your skills and knowledge with network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. The CCNA certification is designed to cover a “broad range of fundamentals based on the latest technologies, software development skills and job roles.” It’s an entry-level certification designed to get you up to speed on the latest IT fundamentals to launch your career. It’s best suited to those interested in roles such as entry-level network engineer, help desk technician, network administrator, or network support technician.

Average annual salary: $128,651