The 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2020

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The 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2020

If you're looking to add to your IT skill set during COVID-19 home isolation, check out this study of the 10 highest-paying certifications for 2020.

By Gadjo Sevilla

Updated April 15, 2020

If you're an IT professional trapped at home during the coronavirus pandemic, you might want to think about upping your skillset for when everyone heads back to work. With remote learning more sophisticated than ever, this is a great time to add to your list of IT certifications. For 2020, we're seeing some of the highest-paid certifications challenged by new entrants while average salaries are on the rise across the board.

If you're dubious about learning new skills at home, remember that it's now entirely possible to study and earn these certifications remotely since most IT learning services have placed both the curriculum and the certification exam available online and on demand. This makes achieving a new certification entirely viable for people working from home during COVID-19.

Eighty percent of IT professionals say that certifications are useful in moving their careers forward, and PCMag sees a number of new and hot specializations, ranging from architect-level tracks like information systems management, project management, and cloud computing to more hands-on specializations, like networking and cybersecurity. The initial challenge will be figuring out exactly which area you want to learn. 

We looked at data provided by professional development solutions and course provider Global Knowledge to determine the highest-paying IT certifications in the world right now. The data is based on what Global Knowledge's customers are studying as well as the jobs they find after they graduate. We've broken down the top choices based on a description of the specialization as well as a corresponding pay range. Cloud and project management certifications currently dominate the top five spots.

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Kindly note that these figures change from year to year, so we update this piece whenever Global Knowledge releases new data. Be sure to return to this list to check out which certification tops the rankings the next time you're thinking of changing career gears. Let's look at the most in-demand certifications for 2020 and their corresponding salaries.

Where to Find Online Learning Sources

For IT professionals looking for online options to take their certification courses, here are some alternative choices and what they offer.

Coursera is an online learning platform boasting 3,500+ courses, many of which are affiliated with colleges and universities. Coursera has a range of accredited and non-accredited IT-focused courses available. Learners can earn college accreditation only if they are receiving a degree. But, they can earn industry credentials for non-degree work. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Coursera is offering free access to students from any university or college impacted by the virus and is offering access to 3,800 courses and 400 specializations.  

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) is a massive on-the-job learning portal; it has 6,000 courses and many of them are focused on tech. Certifications are available for IT courses, but they usually cost extra and not all of them are accredited.

Udemy is another colossal online learning platform with 65,000 courses on a wide range of subjects. Udemy is popular because it offers massive discounts on courses and is one of the more affordable options for online learning. That said, Udemy enables uncredited instructors to sell courses for profit, which diminishes its credibility in more academic tracks. While it has many resources for learning programming languages, it's a tough sell for serious IT pros looking for accredited certifications.

edX is a learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT. It has 20 million users and is offering 2,600 online courses from 140 institutions including tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM. Some of the areas of concentration at edX include a Professional Certificate in IT Project Management from UWashingtonX and Professional Certificate in Data Science for Executives from ColumbiaX. To help during the coronavirus pandemic, edX  created the edX Online Campus, so that any university across the globe can offer in-demand and on-demand learning for their students, alumni and employees.  

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With many of these services, you really do get what you pay for. Let's look at what this 2020's 10 highest-paying IT certifications look like.

10. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

Sliding from from the seventh spot last year to 10 in 2020, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the most widely accepted framework for IT management in the world. It has held this distinction for the past 30 years. Covering a set of best practices for providing IT services with the needs of organizations, it is a wide-ranging discipline covering a laundry list of important specializations such as IT operations, incident management, capacity management, and availability, to name a few. Best practices aim to control or reduce IT costs, improve IT services, and balance IT resources. 

The ITIL Foundation is the starting point for the certification and offers a general understanding of the IT service lifecycle. ITIL Foundation-certified managers earn an average of $129,402 annually.  

9. VCP-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 - Data Center Virtualization

New for this year. the VCP-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 - Data Center Virtualization validates the skills needed to build a scalable virtual infrastructure using VMware vSphere 6. Certification candidates will learn how to deploy, consolidate, and administer virtualization technologies, such as vSphere High Availability and Distributed Resource Scheduler clusters.

IT professionals with this credential have earned an average of 7.4 career certifications, the highest amount on the Global Knowledge list. IT pros that have attained this certification will earn an average salary of $130,226 per year.

8. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

New to the top 10 list this year, the AWS Cloud Practitioner is the starting point for a variety of popular cloud certifications, including AWS Solutions Architect, Developer, DevOps Engineer and SysOps Administrator.

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This foundational certification is designed for professionals seeking an overall understanding of AWS cloud services. As a fundamental-level certification, it is often held by individuals early in their careers, as it is a springboard for more specialized AWS certifications down the road. With the uptick in cloud and AWS cloud management demand this year, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certs will continue to rise.

AWS Cloud Practitioner validates the ability to define basic cloud infrastructure and architectural principles, as well as key services on the AWS platform. A certified professional should also be able to describe basic security and compliance aspects of the platform. Over 12% of U.S. IT professionals plan to pursue this certification in 2020 according to Global Knowledge. They can expect to make an average of $131,465 per year.

7. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

One of the oldest and most respected credentials is the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) track. New to list this year, the CISA accreditation validates audit, risk and cybersecurity skills. CISA-certified IT experts are hired to ensure that a businesses' critical assets are secure and well-maintained. 

To achieve this certification, you must pass the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam, which consists of five domains, namely Auditing Information Systems, Governance and Management of IT,  Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation,  Information Systems Operation, Maintenance, and Service Management, and Protection of Information Assets. Most likely job roles for this certification are IT auditors and the average pay for CISA cert holders is $132,278 per year.

6. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

If you work in analysis, auditing, systems engineering, or anything in between, then the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) might be the perfect certification for you. CISSPs are information assurance pros who are mainly responsible for determining the architecture, management, design, and controls that ensure the security of your company.

Should you pass the test, which requires you to have a minimum of five years of relevant experience, you can look forward to the average pay of $141,452 per year. It's worth noting that, even after getting the certification, you will still need to receive Continuing Education credits each year to maintain your credentials.

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5. Project Management Professional (PMP)

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification was created and administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is one of the most recognized project management certifications available today. This certification demonstrates that you are competent when it comes to managing projects and project teams. You will be tested in five specific areas: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.

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Before you become certified, however, you'll need to have completed at least 35 hours of related training before you can take the exam. If you have a Bachelor's degree, then you'll also need 4,500 hours of project management experience (those without a degree will need 7,500 hours). Getting PMP certification takes years but it's worth it. PMPs currently earn an average of $143,493 per year.

4. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

Take the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) exam and you'll be tested in four major areas: Identification, Assessment, Response, and Mitigation, as well as Control Monitoring and Reporting. Previously the ninth most in-demand IT cert, CRISC has surfaced near the top as a reflection of the industry's renewed focus on eval‎uating IT risk in business. If you have the prerequisite three years of relevant experience, and identifying and managing risks sounds interesting to you, then the CRISC certification might be worth checking out.

If you pass the exam and find a role, pros with the CRISC certification earn an average of $146,480 per year. The test has 150 questions and lasts roughly four hours.

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Leapfrogging from the eight-place position last year to the third spot in 2020 is the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) cert. This becomes the highest-paying discipline whose main focus is on information security management. Your job will be to design and engineer security protocols as well as manage a company's security. As a CISM, you'll have access to lines of business outside of IT, putting you face to face with company stakeholders. Registration is via the ISACA website as well as this exam locator.

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CISMs are well-paid, too. On average, Global Knowledge says you can make an average of $148,622 per year as a CISM. However, if you choose to go down this route, then you'll have to take a 200-question test on topics such as information security governance, information risk management, and incident management.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification found its way back on the list last year and has propelled itself to the second most in-demand IT certification for 2020. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam tests your expertise in designing systems on AWS. If you have hands-on experience with AWS services and are used to architect large-scale distributed systems, then this certification may be exactly what you're looking for.  To achieve this certification, candidates must pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C01) exam. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is a prerequisite. AWS also recommends a year of hands-on experience designing systems on AWS before taking this exam.The exam takes 80 minutes and is administered at PSI centers across the United States. Successful AWS Certified Solutions Architects can make an average of $149,446 per year.  

1. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect

Debuting in 2017 and making it to the top of the list for two years in a row is the Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect, the discipline that allows IT pros to certify as cloud architects on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Completing this certification ensures you'll have the capacity to design, develop, and manage Google's cloud architecture using GCP technologies.

Earning this certification entails a deep knowledge of what solutions to apply in different scenarios. Cloud skills continue to be in high demand and mastering Google's tools for secure, scalable, and reliable solutions will be critical to most organizations for the foreseeable future. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architects can expect to earn an average of $175,761 per year.

Have any questions you need answered about the top IT certifications? Join the PCMag@Work business community on LinkedIn, and you can ask vendors, other pros like yourself, and PCMag's editors

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