The IT professionals grasp the importance of certifications for career growth and earning potentials. According to the studies carried out by Global Knowledge, about 83% of specialists in this field in Canada and the United States hold a certificate, and an average salary of such professionals is around $84,400 higher than non-certified professionals’. The credential equips you with the skills and knowledge you need to perform in your job role and potential employers know about this. For instance, about 44% of decision makers in the field of IT agree that the certifications positively affect the pace at which employees work. 33% of employers opine that the certificates result in a high level of efficiency during the implementation of systems while 23% mention that it assists in deploying services and products faster with little or no error. If you are ready to pursue a certificate, we have highlighted some of the most valuable certifications for infrastructure professionals.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
AWS remains one of the most valuable cloud platforms. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate credential is aimed at the professionals with ground in the AWS platform. The certification is focused on validating the candidate’s capability to deploy and design expandable systems on the platform of AWS, such as saving on development without compromising reliability, quality, and security. The individuals pursuing this credential must have at least one year of practical experience in designing and developing systems on the AWS platform. They are also required to have knowledge and skills in a programming language of a high level and understand the AWS application development practices. The average remuneration of professionals with the AWS certificate is around $121,292.
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
This credential is intended for the developers who work with core AWS services. The certification is designed to validate the capability of professionals to develop, debug, and deploy the AWS-based application. Due to the increase in the adoption of cloud technology, machine learning, Internet of Things, and emerging technologies, the credential is becoming highly valuable for the specialists seeking new jobs. To earn AWS Certified Developer – Associate, you are required to have at least a year of hands-on work experience maintaining and designing AWS-based applications. You also need to have a strong knowledge and skills in at least one high level programming language and a comprehensive knowledge of AWS services. The candidates with this certificate can get on an average $114,473 per annum.
Project Management Professional – PMP
The Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is offered through the Project Management Institute. It is aimed at the advanced project management experts. The credential allows the professionals to work practically with any methodology in any industry and any location. There are five different phases of the life cycle of project that are covered under this credential. They include Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring, and Controlling and Closing. To write the certification exam, the candidates are required to hold at least a 4-year degree with experience (3 years) working on project management. In addition to this, the individuals are required to have 4,500 hours of directing and leading projects, and an additional 35 hours of education in project management. The person who has a secondary degree requires experience (5 years), 7,500 working hours of directing and leading projects, as well as 35 hours of education in project management. The average salary of professionals with the PMP credential is $114,475 per annum.
Certified Ethical Hacker – CEH
The CEH is offered by EC-Council and is designed to validate the skills and knowledge of individuals on how to discover vulnerabilities in computer systems and prevent them from hacking. The individual with this credential is equipped to utilize the same knowledge and skills used by malicious hacker to design security measures to avert possible attacks and hacking. The prerequisite for the certification is two years of work experience in information security. With the CEH certificate, one can earn $106,375 averagely per annum.
Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT – CGEIT
This credential is offered by ISACA and is designed to validate the candidates’ knowledge and skills in enterprise IT governance. It demonstrates your capability to apply IT governance concepts and principles in professional environments. It is intended for the professionals with remarkable advisory, assurance or management roles as they relate to the governance of Information Technology. These include information technology and information security directors, executives, consultants, governance professionals, and managers. The CGEIT credential is ranked as one of the highly valuable certifications that any candidate can pursue. To earn it, you are required to have at least five years of work experience servicing and managing an oversight or advisory role, or supporting information technology governance initiatives in enterprise environment. The candidates are also expected to have at least one year of work experience in the IT governance framework and additional experience in at least two of the CGEIT content domains, including benefits realization, strategic management, resource optimization, and risk optimization. This credential can provide you with a salary of about $121,363 per annum.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional – CISSP
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential is designed to help the IT security professionals institute the best practices in modern security. It is administered by ISC and is accredited by ANSI. It is also approved by the United States Department of Defense. The certificate is globally recognized. To write the certification exam, the candidates are required to have not less than a five-year experience working in information security and a minimum of three years working as a security manager. To maintain the certification, the students are required to earn the continuing professional education credit and must maintain a minimum of five years of full time job role in at least two of the topics of the test. The professionals with the CISSP credential can earn an average salary of $111,475 per annum.
Certified Information Security Manager – CISM
CISM is a product of ISACA. The credential is aimed at the IT security professionals who work in the management level roles in organizations. It is designed to validate the proficiency in designing, managing, and building enterprise security initiatives. The certification exam is available only for two sixteen-week periods all through the year. To earn the credential, you are required to have a five-year experience in information security. This should be within ten years of your certification exam date or at least five years after you pass it. The candidates are required to maintain their certificate by earning CPE credits every year. The average salary is $108,045 per annum.
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control – CRISC
The CRISC credential is regarded as the singular certification that prepares the IT experts for the special challenges inherent in the field of IT and enterprise risk management. It is also viewed as the certification that position professionals to become strategic partners to organizations. CRISC validates the skills and knowledge of candidates in risk management, mitigation monitoring, assessment, reporting, and response. To earn the certificate, the students need to have at least a three-year experience in a minimum of two of the four different topics that are covered. Maintaining the certification also requires that one earns the continuing professional education credits every year. The average remuneration of professionals with the CRISC credential is $111,049 per annum.
Certified Scrum Master – CSM
Certified Scrum Master is a popular and well-respected certification in the industry. It validates your knowledge and skills in the Scrum framework and the process of its application in workplace. It is aimed at project managers, Scrum masters, technical project managers, project leads, product developers, and program managers. With this certification, the candidates will also earn a 2-year membership with Scrum Alliance, and this gives access to online and local networking events. The prerequisite for earning the certificate is attendance of a two-day in-person CSM training course delivered by a certified Scrum trainer. The applicants with this certification can earn about $106,938 per annum.
Six Sigma Green Belt
Six Sigma is regarded as a management methodology that is utilized to streamline the quality management, and it involves multiple levels of credential. It is impossible to skip any level when pursuing the Six Sigma credential. Irrespective of your career level, you will have to start at the entry level of the Green Belt certification. A Six Sigma Green Belt is guided by a Black Belt in an organization. The prerequisite for earning the certification is three years of hands-on experience in at least one area of the Six Sigma Body of Knowledge. The average salary of a Green Belt is $104,099 per annum.
To make an exponential growth in your career, you need to pursue a certification. The credentials highlighted above are some of the most valuable certificates for infrastructure professionals.
