15 highest-paying IT certifications in 2022
AWS Certified Solutions Architect -- Professional tops the list of highest-paying certifications.
In the IT job market, one of the best ways for job seekers to stand out from the rest of the crowd is to have a certification under their belt.
It's also a great way to earn a high-paying salary.
An IT certification is a standardized way to prove a person has a certain level of knowledge and ability within a specific domain of IT expertise.
A certification shows an individual has completed a course within that area of study. Certification also usually involves some form of examination. It can be in-person or virtual, where a series of questions are asked to test an individual's knowledge of the subject. Upon successful completion of the exam, the recipient is usually granted an IT certificate.
There are IT certifications for general IT knowledge categories and more specific areas. Some of the more specific certifications include cloud architect, cloud services, systems control, networking, cybersecurity, development, infrastructure and project management.
Earning an IT certification is different than earning a postsecondary degree. IT certifications are often focused on specific IT skills. Degrees tend to provide higher-level skills across computer sciences and engineering domains.
Learn more here about the differences between certifications and degrees and which is best for you.
Highest-paying IT certifications
The highest-paying IT certifications vary based on the survey source. Among the most cited sources for IT certification pay scales is the Skillsoft "IT Skills and Salary Report," which provides a listing of the top certifications and salaries.
Here are the highest-paying IT certifications in North America.
1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect -- Professional
Skills: This certification validates skills for helping to evaluate, recommend and deploy secure applications on the AWS cloud platform.
Average salary: $168,080
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-professional/
2. CISM: Certified Information Security Manager
Skills: This is a certification from ISACA. It validates an individual's skills in information security governance, as well as incident and risk management.
Average salary: $162,347
Website: https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cism
3. Google Cloud -- Professional Cloud Architect
Skills: This certification focuses on validating skills to help design and use cloud architecture on Google Cloud Platform.
Average salary: $161,371
Website: https://cloud.google.com/certification/cloud-architect
4. CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Skills: This certification is operated by (ISC)2. With this cert, professionals can demonstrate competence and expertise in securing IT systems and reducing risk.
Average salary: $158,190
Website: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP
5. AWS Certified Solutions Architect -- Associate
Skills: For individuals looking to validate knowledge on how to develop and deploy secure applications on the AWS cloud platform, this certification is a prerequisite to the AWS professional certification.
Average salary: $155,019
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-associate
6. AWS Certified Security -- Specialty
Skills: This certification seeks to help develop and validate skills for properly deploying and managing security for workloads and data on the AWS cloud platform.
Average salary: $149,740
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-security-specialty/
7. PMP: Project Management Professional
Skills: This certification is administered by Project Management Institute. It helps professionals show knowledge and expertise about effective IT project management.
Average salary: $148,290
Website: https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp
8. Nutanix Certified Professional -- Multicloud Infrastructure
Skills: This is for IT staff looking to validate skills to manage, configure and deploy Nutanix's converged cloud IT infrastructure technologies.
Average salary: $147,169
Website: https://www.nutanix.com/support-services/training-certification/certifications
9. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Skills: This certification helps professionals show expertise in designing, implementing, managing and monitoring an organization's Microsoft Azure environment, as well as the ability to help explain business requirements and implement them in the cloud.
Average salary: $142,978
Website: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/azure-solutions-architect/
10. Google Cloud -- Cloud Digital Leader
Skills: This certification is all about being able to be a leader within a business to explain and help implement Google Cloud technologies in support of business goals.
Average salary: $142,707
Website: https://cloud.google.com/certification/cloud-digital-leader
11. CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor
Skills: This is an ISACA certification. It is designed to help professionals validate IT auditing skills and expertise, including the ability to control, monitor and access IT systems.
Average salary: $142,336
Website: https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cisa
12. AWS Certified Big Data -- Specialty
Skills: This certification helps to demonstrate an individual's skills and knowledge of data analytics and big data services running on the AWS cloud platform.
Average salary: $138,403
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-big-data-specialty/
13. VMware Certified Professional -- Data Center Virtualization 2022
Skills: This certification validates an individual's skills to implement, manage and troubleshoot a VMware vSphere virtualization infrastructure.
Average salary: $138,349
Website: https://www.vmware.com/learning/certification/vcp-dcv.html
14. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Skills: This is a cloud-focused certification for AWS. It helps professionals demonstrate a high level of understanding in how to use and manage AWS services.
Average salary: $135,612
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-cloud-practitioner/
15. CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional Enterprise
Skills: CCNP has undergone some restructuring in recent years. Formerly known as CCNP Routing and Switching, the CCNP Enterprise certification provides a validation of skills needed to plan, implement and verify Cisco network technology deployments.
Average salary: $133,568
Other IT certifications
Now that you know what the highest-paying IT certifications are in North America, here are some other certifications that are also worth exploring:
What are the benefits of an IT certification?
There are multiple benefits of an IT certification for both individuals and employers.
On-the-job experience is a good indicator of an individual's capabilities, but an IT certification provides a third-party validation of knowledge. This can help employers make employment decisions. A certification can also potentially lead to a higher average salary.
For individuals, an IT certification can make them stand out against peers who don't have one. Certification is also a form of validation, showing that a professional has achieved a specific milestone.
IT certification is also a vital component for career development. Nothing remains the same for long in IT. And, with training and certification, individuals can ensure that they are advancing in their careers.
An IT certification is also often a prerequisite for certain job roles. Among the most in-demand IT tech jobs, having some form of IT certification is a key requirement.
How to obtain an IT certification
Getting an IT certification can vary based on the certificate. But, in general, there are several primary activities:
- Training. The first step in many IT certifications is to get some form of training. The training often includes the need to read and learn from a certain number of source materials. Training can also sometimes include hands-on labs or a virtual simulation of labs, where skills are demonstrated and practiced. Many certifying bodies for specific certificates also offer training materials and courses for certificates. For example, AWS offers training for its cloud certifications.
- Experience. Some IT certifications require that an individual has a certain amount of on-the-job or hands-on experience with a given technology or activity.
- Certification exam. This is the final and most critical step of the IT certification process. The exam validates skills, knowledge and understanding in the professional's area of study. Most certifications are granted to those who pass an examination of skills from a recognized testing center. The testing center could be a third-party resource, or it could be from the certifying body itself.
What careers require or benefit from an IT certification?
For those who don't have a lengthy resume of established IT experience, an IT certification can be a way to get in the door.
The PMP certification is often a specific job requirement to qualify for mid- to senior-level project management roles. The CISSP certification is a common requirement for cybersecurity roles. And, in the area of auditing -- for both compliance and risk -- the CISA certification is often a prerequisite for employment.
For areas of expertise regarding specific vendor technology, an IT certification can be highly beneficial. For example, those who work specifically with AWS would benefit from an AWS cloud certification. The same is true for those who use Google Cloud, where the Google Certified -- Professional Cloud Architect certification is highly sought after. In the networking sector, CCNP is often a job prerequisite. It can help an employer validate a candidate has a certain level of expertise and skills.
While an IT certification does not guarantee that an employer will hire a candidate -- or offer them a higher salary -- it is never seen as a negative. It provides both a validation of skills and continuing education to IT professionals.
