What certifications pay the most?

 certifications that make good money

These certifications pave the way for a higher salary

In recent years, IT decision-makers have told us conclusively there are two technical areas that demand the most investment—cloud computing and cybersecurity.

So it shouldn’t be a major surprise that the top four IT certifications by salary are in either cloud or security. IT professionals with these skills are in high demand and command the largest paychecks in the industry.

Our list of the top-paying certifications in the United States is based on survey responses from the Global Knowledge 2020 IT Skills and Salary Survey (report to be released in the spring). This year saw more turnover than most, as seven new certifications cracked the top 15.

Also new this year, we provide a snapshot of the average certification-holder for each credential. Find out how many current certifications they own, which other certification they’re likely to have, their age and most likely job role. We offer this new information to provide a more representative picture of each certification. The salaries in this article aren’t simply a result of achieving a specified certification—they are a culmination of many factors, including relevant skills, job role, tenure and hard work.

 

Top-paying certifications:

1. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect — $175,761
2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate — $149,446
3. CISM – Certified Information Security Manager — $148,622
4. CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control — $146,480
5. PMP® – Project Management Professional — $143,493
6. CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional — $141,452
7. CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor — $132,278
8. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner — $131,465
9. VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization — $130,226
10. ITIL® Foundation — $129,402
11. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals — $126,653
12. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate — $125,993
13. CCA-N: Citrix Certified Associate – Networking — $125,264
14. CCNP Routing and Switching — $119,178
15. CCP-V: Citrix Certified Professional – Virtualization — $117,069