As the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Survey data are analyzed, certain trends emerge every year. One of these trends is that IT professionals are increasingly pursuing multiple certifications. The 2017 Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report (which highlights the Survey’s results) revealed that 63 percent of respondents said they have at least one certification in multiple categories. This ranged from 63 to 69 percent in Latin America with the middle being North America and Asia-Pacific.
Cross-Certification can be a great option
Four job functions had a higher rate than the average for cross-certification. This includes people who work in systems, enterprise or architecture as well as program and team managers, data analysts professionals and business operations workers. IT audit, risk management, telecommunications, and business analysis professionals tend not to focus on more than one certification category in their professional education.
Multipliering your skills by obtaining multiple certifications in different areas or technology has many benefits. It can help you improve your economic standing. People who have certifications in more areas earn an average of 6.6 to 7.5 percent more than those without them. For those just starting out in their careers, certifications across categories can provide a significant boost of up to 20%.
Crossing certifications can make it easier to hold a variety of job functions. IT professionals working in support/service management, networking and infrastructure saw a 16-18 percent increase in their salaries compared to their counterparts who only have one certification. Respondents with multiple certifications and working in data management/analytics/business intelligence and IT audit and risk management also saw salary lifts greater than the norm of 7.5 percent.
Microsoft Case Study
The IT Skills and Salary report analysis revealed that more than one-third (36%) of certified IT professionals had at least one Microsoft certification. This group earns an average global salary of $66,146 (median $62,500). This average was between $31,220 in Latin America to $86,150 in North America. Asia/Pacific fell in the middle. The average salary for Microsoft-certified respondents in the US was $91,520.
Microsoft is well-known for its core areas of excellence, popular cross-certification options, and four core areas that are considered the best in their industry. Are there higher salaries associated with a certification in a different area than the Microsoft certification? Yes, for the U.S. as well as other regions. The average U.S. salary for IT professionals who have a Microsoft credential, or one of these categories, is significantly higher than the norm.
Microsoft and… MeanMedianCitrix$107,837$102,500Amazon Web Services (AWS)$121,590$120,000Business Process$113,410$113,000Cloud (non-AWS)$111,542$114,000Internet / Web Development$96,510$91,520ITIL(r) / ITSM$99,910$96,500Project Management$95,619$90,000Security and Privacy$93,178$90,000VMware$100,795$95,000
Be aware that not all certifications can be given the same. Some certifications require substantial time and investment. They offer extensive training and skill development. Others are designed to teach the skills necessary to complete a task. Let’s take, for example, the project management category. The average U.S. salary of those with both a Microsoft and project management certificate is $95,619. This
