Cisco Security Certifications

cisco wireless security

What’s the number one thing that keeps your CEO up at night? Security. On average a security breach takes 186 days to discover¹, and costs nearly $4 million² to manage. That’s why security continues to be one of the fastest growing fields in IT.

Cybersecurity job growth postings have increased 94%³ in the last several years. This fast-rising demand continues to push salaries higher. So, if you are just starting out in your career or you are a seasoned professional, there is great opportunity in security.

Through networking of all kinds remains a white-hot IT concern and technology area, nothing is hotter than wireless technologies for everything from local area networking with 802.11ad to the widespread proliferation and adoption of fourth-generation (4G) wireless wide area networking technologies, such as LTE (with 5G now also starting to make its debut.)

The five certifications we cite in this article represent a small sample of the wireless IT certifications available in today's marketplace. This year, we continue to feature two ever-popular Cisco certifications – the CCNA and CCNP Enterprise – along with the CWNA and CWSP credentials from the Certified Wireless Network Professional organization. Rounding out our top five list is the CompTIA Network+ credential.

Salaries for wireless-savvy professionals vary considerably. According to SimplyHired, entry-level wireless networking professionals can expect to make roughly $67,000, although there were highs reported at nearly $154,000. Of course, these are just average salaries. Indeed, other factors, such as job role and experience, greatly influence earning potential. When looking at salaries by job role rather than individual certification, you'll find average salaries are much higher. For example, SimplyHired reports average earnings for network architects at more than $130,000, with earnings on the high end at almost $181,000.

In preparation for this article, we conducted a random survey of various IT job boards to see what certifications are being requested by prospective employers. In reviewing the results, it's important to remember that factors, such as geography, the current climate of the employment market, and the complexity of the cert, influence outcomes.

You can expect to see lower numbers on more senior certifications, because, quite frankly, they're more difficult to earn. Thus, fewer people possess them as compared to entry- and mid-level wireless certs.