Top 30 IT Certifications to Advance Your Career

2020 has been a challenging year, with many companies shifting their businesses to remote or digital operations. This means that IT professionals are more in demand than ever before, which also means increased competition. But there are several ways to stand out from the crowd, including dozens of IT certifications. Below we have curated the best of the best to give yourself a competitive edge.

What is an IT certification?

An IT certification is a document that verifies the competency of an IT professional with a specific skill or technology. IT certifications are often administered by reputable vendors within the IT industry upon completion of an assessment or course. Popular IT certification-issuing vendors include Amazon, Cisco, CompTIA, IASCA, Google, and Microsoft among others.

If there is a particular technology you wish to demonstrate core competency in, that vendor likely offers a certification. An IT professional holding a popular IT certification can be expected to earn 5 to 10% more than their peers.

Do you need an IT certification?

You may not need an IT certification to practice, but they certainly help you win projects. IT certifications give you the opportunity to demonstrate competency in certain technologies or IT roles and stand out from the competition. Depending on the program, they also provide opportunities to greatly increase your skills and knowledge to help you grow as a professional.

There are three ways a professional can benefit from an IT certification: skill building, personal branding, and higher pay. While it’s difficult to find data on how IT certifications affect the hourly rates or fixed-price contracts of independent contractors, salary information—which is widely reported—can still give you a good idea of how valuable a certification might be to your profile. ‍

Best IT certifications by salary

1. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect

The Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect exam assesses your ability to design, develop, manage, and secure cloud solution architectures built off Google Cloud Platform (GCP). ‍

Costs: $200 to take the exam, no hard prerequisites, recommended 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing solutions using GCP. ‍

Perks: Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect is the highest-paying certification, paying an average salary of $175,761.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

Amazon’s AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate) exam tests professionals on their ability to architect and deploy cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed software solutions on AWS.‍

Cost: $150 to take the exam, no hard prerequisites, recommended experience is to complete the training course material covered by the exam. ‍

Perks: AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate is the second highest-paying certification at $149,446.

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

ISACA’s CISM certification covers general information security governance, program management, incident management, and risk management. ‍

Costs: $575 for members, $760 for non-members to take the exam, an additional $50 to apply for certification (within 5 years of passing the exam). The CISM has a robust application process and requires that you have the relevant full-time work experience in the CISM Job Practice Areas at the time of your certification.                          

Perks: According to ISACA, the average salary of CISM holders is $148,622.

4. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)‍

The Linux Foundation offers the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) for IT professionals seeking proof of competency in the popular container orchestration tool. This exam certifies K8s administrators can leverage Kubernetes for networking, storage, security, maintenance, logging and monitoring, application lifecycle, troubleshooting, and API object primitives.‍

Cost: $300 exam fee with a course bundle available for $499. ‍

Perks: The average salary of a CKA holder is $147,732.

5. ISACA CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control

ISACA’s Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) qualification is for IT professionals who specialize in IT risk management and information systems control.

Cost: The CRISC exam fee is $575 for members, $760 for non-members to take the exam, an additional $50 to apply for certification (within 5 years of passing the exam). The CRISC has a robust application process and requires that you have the relevant full-time work experience in the CRISC Job Practice Areas at the time of your certification.

Perks: According to ISACA, the average salary of CRISC holders is $146,480.

6. Project Management Professional (PMP®)

PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) certification recognizes one’s ability to manage projects. While not only for IT professionals, it is popular in the IT industry.

Cost: The PMP exam fee is $405 for members and $555 for non-members. The PMP exam requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, 3 years of project management experience and 35 hours of formal project management education. Alternatively, you may also qualify with a high school diploma or associates degree if you possess 60 months of experience leading projects and 35 hours of formal project management education.

Perks: The average salary of a PMP holder is $143,493.

7. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

(ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) qualification is for experienced cyber security professionals such as CIOs, CISOs, and security managers.

Cost: The CISSP exam fee is $699 and requires at least 5 years of cumulative experience working in two or more of the eight domains listed under CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

Perks: The average annual salary for a CISSP holder is $141,452.

8. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer exam is for DevOps engineers with two or more years of experience provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments.

Costs: The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer exam fee is $300.

Perks: The average salary of an AWS Certified DevOps engineer is $137,724.

9. TOGAF 9 Certification – Foundation

The TOGAF 9 Foundation certification validates one’s knowledge in TOGAF, an internationally recognized open enterprise architecture standard. The Foundation level covers TOGAF terminology, structure, and basic concepts of enterprise architecture.‍

Costs: The TOGAF 9 Foundation exam is divided into two parts, each with an exam fee of $360. Alternatively both may be taken at once for $550.

Perks: The average salary of TOGAF 9 certificate holders is $135,589.

10. Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

The Certified Scrum Master (CSM) exam validates one’s knowledge in Scrum—an agile development methodology for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex projects.

Costs: CSM exam fees vary depending on when and where you take the Scrum course. Currently ScrumAlliance has course listings ranging from $595 to $1300 with the more expensive options including 1 on 1 tutoring.

Perks: The average salary of a CSM is $135,441.

11. CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor

 ISACA’s Certified Systems Auditor (CISA) is an entry-level to mid-career IT certification that covers the auditing, governance, management, development, implementation, and protection of information systems and operations.

Cost: The CISA exam fee is $575 for members and $760 for non-members, and an additional $50 to apply for certification (within 5 years of passing). CISA candidates must have a minimum 5 years of professional information systems auditing, control or security work experience within the last 10 years before applying for certification.

Perks: According to ISACA, the average annual salary of a CISA holder is $132,278.

12. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner covers a generalized proficiency in AWS Cloud technologies independent of specific technical roles.

Cost: The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam fee is $100 with no prerequisites.

Perks: The average salary of an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is $131,465.‍

13. VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization

VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) validates your ability to implement and troubleshoot vSphere V6 infrastructures.

Cost: The VCP6-DCV exam fee is $200 and has no hard prerequisites (minimum 6 months experience with vSphere V6 recommended).

Perks: The average salary of a VCP6-DCV certification holder is $130,226.

14. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

Axelos’s Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation qualification is the official certification for the popular IT management framework. Beyond fundamentals the latest version also certifies professionals for knowledge in DevOps, Agile, and Lean IT.

Cost: Axelos does not administer the exam, so prices vary depending on where you take the test. Currently the ITIL 4 Foundation exam fee is $363 when administered online through PeopleCert.

Perks: The average salary of an ITIL Foundation holder is $129,402.

15. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

The Azure Fundamentals certification covers foundational knowledge about cloud technologies and core Microsoft Azure services.

Cost: The Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam fee is $99. There are no prerequisites for taking this exam.

Perks: The average salary of an Azure Fundamentals certification holder is $126,653.‍

16. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

The Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate certification covers the implementation, management, and monitoring of an organization’s cloud infrastructure via Microsoft Azure. ‍

Cost: The Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate exam fee is $165.

Perks: The average annual salary of an Azure Administrator Associate certification holder is $125,993.

17. Citrix Certified Associate – Networking (CCA-N)

The Citrix Certified Associate – Networking (CCA-N) qualification is for network gateway administrators, architects, and engineers using Citrix NetScaler to secure remote access to desktops, apps, and data in enterprise environments.

Cost: The CCA-N exam fee is $200, with no hard prerequisites.

Perks: The average salary of a CCA-N holder is $125,264.

18. Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation (RHCS)

The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation exam validates your ability to use Ansible to automate configuration management of systems and apps.

Costs: The exam fee for RHCS is $400.

Perks: The average salary for an RHCS holder is $121,382.

19. CCNP Routing and Switching

Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching certification covers the planning, implementation, verification, and troubleshooting of local and wide-area enterprise networks.‍

Cost: The CCNP Routing and Switching exam fee is $900. You must hold the associate level (CCNA) Routing and Switching certification or any CCIE certification to qualify for this exam.

Perks: The average annual salary of a CCNP holder is $119,178.

20. IBM Certified Data Architect - Big Data‍

The IBM Certified Data Architect - Big Data exam certifies professionals on their ability to design large-scale data processing systems for ingesting structured and unstructured data. The latest iteration of this exam also covers AI and machine learning applications.

Costs: The exam fee for an IBM Certified Data Architect is $200.

Perks: The average salary of a data architect is $117,870. An IBM certification may help you compete for projects that rely on IBM technologies for their data infrastructure.

21. Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization (CCP-V)

The Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization (CCP-V) qualification is for IT professionals who design, implement, and manage XenApp and XenDesktop provisioning environments and solutions.

Cost: The CCP-V exam fee is $300. Additionally you must have passed the CCA-V as a prerequisite for taking this exam.   

Perks: The average salary of a CCP-V holder is $117,069.

22. Google Certified Professional Data Engineer

The Google Certified Professional Data Engineer exam is for data engineers looking for proof of competency in designing, building, maintaining, and securing data processing systems.

Costs: The Google Certified Professional Data Engineer exam fee is $200 with a recommended 3+ years of industry experience and 1 year managing solutions using GCP.

Perks: The average salary of a Google Certified Professional Data Engineer is $114,888.

23. Cloudera Certified Spark and Hadoop Developer (CCHD)

The Cloudera Certified Spark and Hadoop Developer (CCHD) exam tests your ability to use Spark SQL and HDFS to process data on a Cloudera Enterprise cluster.

Cost: The CCHD exam fee is $295 with no hard prerequisites.

Perks: The average salary of a CCHD is $109,546.

24. Oracle

The Oracle Certified Professional Database Administrator (OCP - DBA) exam validates your ability to configure and manage Oracle Databases. The first exam covers SQL programming, database management, and network administration.

Costs: The OCP DBA exam fee is $245 with no hard prerequisites.

Perks: The average salary of an OCP DBA holder is $107,509.

25. CompTIA Network+ Certification

The CompTIA Network+ Certification exam validates your proficiency in configuring, managing, and troubleshooting networks.

Costs: The CompTIA Network+ Certification exam fee is $329.

Perks: The average salary of a CompTIA Network+ salary holder is $107,143 according to CompTIA. However, it should also be noted that Payscale arrived at a much more modest $65,997. We’ve been giving preference to the certification vendors if they are able to provide salary numbers for their certifications, but this discrepancy warranted a mention due to the popularity of this certification.

26. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)

The Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam certifies your skills as a system administrator and your familiarity with Red Hat products. This certification counts as a qualification for taking the Red Hat Certified Architect exam.

Costs: The RHCSA exam fee is $400. Applicants must possess valid work experience or one of the qualifying Red Hat Administration certifications to take the exam.

Perks: The average salary of an RHCSA certification holder is $105,069.

27. Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences

Columbia University’s Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences is a little different from the other certifications on this list because it’s a graduate certificate program complete with curriculum and tuition. This certification is more for professionals who really want to grow their knowledge and skills in statistics, data science, and machine learning in a graduate setting.

Costs: At $1,936 per credit this certification is less an investment in your resume and more about expanding your skills and knowledge.

Perks: Numbers aren’t available for holders of this certification, but a certification from the University of Columbia should help you reach the upper salary range of $96K to $134K or land comparable higher ticket projects.

28. Certified Ethical Hacker

EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker qualifications is for InfoSec professionals seeking to practice as white-hat hackers. The course and exam are designed to validate your ability to perform vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and other security testing techniques.

Costs: Prices vary depending on the third-party test administrators but range from $944 (Mercury Solutions) to $1,199 (Pearson Vue). There is a $100 application fee and a minimum 2 years work experience in the InfoSec domain.

Perks: The average salary for a CEH is $92,196. It’s also worth noting that the CEH qualification goes a long way towards getting a client to trust you to test their systems.

29. Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1 Certification

The Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC-1) is the first in a series of certifications that validates your skills as a Linux system administrator. LPIC-1 is broken up into two parts and covers the basics from system architecture to GNU and Unix commands to networking and security.

Costs: The exam fee of an LPIC-1 certification is $200.

Perks: The average salary of an LPIC-1 holder is $75,995.

30. CompTIA Security+ Certification

The CompTIA Security+ Certification exam covers fundamentals of cybersecurity needed in an IT environment. This certification also qualifies you for DoD 8570 compliance.

Costs: The exam fee for the CompTIA Security+ Certification is $349.

Perks: The average salary of a CompTIA Security+ holder is $74,613.

Which IT certification pays the most?

We noticed a few trends among the top 10 highest paying certifications on this list that are worth your consideration:

Cloud Certifications

Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect is the highest-paying certification, paying an average salary of $175,761. AWS Certified Solutions Architect (Associate comes in second at $149,466. Cloud infrastructure is closely tied to the success of an organization and it makes sense that certifications from the two largest cloud providers would rank highly on this list.

Cybersecurity Certifications

Cybersecurity expertise and certifications have a significant presence on our top 30 list. ISACA’s CISM No. 3 ($148,622) and CRISC No. 5 ($146,480) both made the top 10. The growing number of cybersecurity threats such as ransomware attacks have likely encouraged companies to increase investment into InfoSec talent.  

Project Management Certifications

Certifications have always been important to project managers, and with the growing demand for agile leaders who can pivot in times of uncertainty a little extra trust can go a long way. Certified Scrum Master came in at No. 10 at $135,441. PMI’s PMP certification is the 6th highest paying certification with an average salary of $143,493. PMP certifications have increased over 25% in the last 2 years, from a median salary of $114,473 in 2018 to $143,493 in 2020.

Virtualization Certifications

Virtualization certifications also hit the top 10—Certified Kubernetes Associate (CKA) came in at No. 4 ($147,732) and VMware’s VCP6-DCV almost made the list at No. 13 ($130,226). Both containers and virtual machines help businesses build the massively scalable and automated IT architectures needed to grow and compete in an increasingly data-driven market landscape.

How We Chose the Top IT Certifications

We primarily relied on the Global Knowledge Skills and Salary Report to obtain salary information from popular IT certifications. Where those numbers weren’t available we turned to sites like Payscale (which conveniently also provides data based on salary), ZipRecruiter, and the certification vendors themselves. The list was also expanded to look at the highest paying certifications from different fields within IT, including big data processing and DevOps.

We hope this in-depth look at the top IT certifications will help you grow and advance in your career.