Skip to content
Tiatra, LLCTiatra, LLC
Tiatra, LLC
Information Technology Solutions for Washington, DC Government Agencies
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
 
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact

Top 8 IT certifications in demand today

Certifications can validate your IT skills and experience to show employers you have the expertise to get the job done. When it comes to certifications, you can typically choose to get certified in skills that you already have, or you can use certification as an opportunity to grow your skill set and develop skills you’d like to put to use in your career. Whatever your reason for getting certified, certifications are a great way to strengthen your resume, set yourself apart from other candidates in a job search, and boost your salary.

According to the 2024 IT Salary report from Robert Half, these are some of the most valuable certifications IT professionals can hold in the coming year. Whether you’re just starting out and building your resume or you’ve been in the industry for 20 years, there’s a certification that can help boost your salary and your career.

8 most in-demand certifications

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) certifications
  • Certified Agile Leadership (CAL)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • Cisco certifications
  • CompTIA A+
  • Microsoft Azure certifications
  • Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) certifications

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a widely used platform across every industry, and Amazon offers several certifications that fall under the umbrella of AWS, with paths for IT roles such as solutions architect, application architect, cloud data engineer, software development engineer, systems administrator, cloud engineer, test engineer, cloud DevOps engineer, DevSecOps engineer, cloud security engineer, cloud security architect, network engineer, and machine learning engineer. It’s a vendor-specific certification that will benefit anyone who is tasked with working directly with AWS products and services or looking to make good on the high demand for cloud skills today. The certifications range in skill level, with options available for people who are completely new to tech, options for entry-level IT pros who have experience, and certifications designed for seasoned veterans of the industry.

According to PayScale, the average salary for AWS skills is $115,000 per year, while the average salary for each AWS certification varies depending on the specific certification.

Certified Agile Leadership (CAL)

The Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) certification is offered by ScrumAlliance and includes three certification modules, including CAL Essentials, CAL for Teams, and CAL for Organizations. The modules were customed designed by “leaders in business and team agility,” according to ScrumAlliance, and they employ approved educators who can demonstrate years of “real-world experience and success” coaching others and implementing agile in the workplace. The goal is to help participants gain the skills and confidence to navigate and guide an organization through agile adoption and transformation. The certification is targeted at agile team members, managers, organizational decision-makers, change leaders, executives, coaches and consultants, and aspiring or current leaders.

While it does not offer certification-specific salary data for agile, according to PayScale the average salary for IT pros with agile development skills is $113,000 per year.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Offered through the ISACA, the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is a globally recognized certification for IS audit control. It was established in 1978 and certifies your ability to report on compliance procedures, how well you can assess vulnerabilities, and your knowledge of every stage in the auditing process. To qualify, you need at least five years of experience in IS auditing, control, or security and must complete another entry-level exam through the ISACA certification scheme. The certification covers high-level topics such as the information systems auditing process, governance and management of IT, operations and business resilience, and IS acquisition, development, and implementation.

According to PayScale, the average annual salary for CISA certified IT pros is $114,000 per year.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification offered through the (ISC)² demonstrates your knowledge of and skills in IT security and information assurance. The vendor-neutral certification covers topics such as organizational structure, security and risk management, asset security, security operations, identity and access management (IAM), security assessment and testing, and security architecture and engineering. You’ll need at least five years of cumulative, paid work experience in two or more of the eight domains included in the (ISC)² CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). It’s an advanced certification that is best suited for those in roles such as CISO, CIO, director of security, IT director or manager, security systems engineer, security analyst, security manager, security auditor, security architect, security consultant, and network architect.

According to PayScale, the average salary for a CISSP certification is $126,000 per year.

Cisco certifications

Cisco offers several certifications at the entry, associate, professional, and expert level, and these certifications regularly top the list each year as being in-demand for IT pros. Certifications are offered in a variety of topics such as collaboration, CyberOps, data centers, DevNet and automation, design, enterprise networking, and security. The certifications are generally designed for network engineers, system engineers, CyberOps analysts, and network security analysts who want to grow and certify their skills and expertise. Cisco’s lineup of certifications is vendor-specific, typically focusing on Cisco products and services, so if you’re in a role working with Cisco products, it’s a great way to get a leg up.

Salary for Cisco certifications ranges depending on the certification, but the average salary for CCNA certified IT pros is $87,000 per year, while the average salary for CCNP certification is $104,000 per year.

CompTIA A+

CompTIA offers a variety of certifications for IT pros at every stage of their IT careers, and the CompTIA A+ certification is its entry-level IT certification covering the foundations of hardware, technical support, and troubleshooting. The certification is designed for those interested in a career as a service desk analyst, help desk tech, technical support specialist, field service technician, help desk technician, associate network engineer, data support technician, desktop support administrator, or end user computing technician. To earn your CompTIA A+ certification you’ll have to pass two separate exams. The CompTIA A+ 220-1001 exam covers mobile devices, networking technology, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, and network troubleshooting. The CompTIA A+ 220-1002 exam covers installing and configuring operating systems, expanded security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. While it is an entry-level certification, it’s recommended to have at least 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in the field.

According to PayScale, the average salary for a CompTIA A+ certification is $70,000 per year.

Microsoft Azure certifications

Microsoft Azure is a popular cloud services offering used by enterprises across every industry, and Microsoft offers several certifications to validate your skills and abilities working with Azure. You can select from several different versions of certification, including ones designed specifically for roles such as administrator associate, security engineer associate, solutions architect, IOT developer, data base administrator, data engineer, data analyst, AI engineer, and data scientist. Microsoft also offers certifications focused on fundamentals, specific job roles, or specialty use cases. Certifications range in expertise and experience from the fundamental level up to expert. It’s a widely recognized certification in the industry, enabling IT pros to validate that they have the specific skill set and knowledge that businesses are looking for when it comes to leveraging Azure in the workplace.

The salary for each Azure certification depends on its specific focus, but according to PayScale, the average salary for those with Microsoft Azure skills is $100,000 per year.

Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Offered by Scrum.org, the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification is one of several Scrum-focused certifications for validating that you have knowledge of the Scrum framework, and the ability to apply it in real-world situations. The certification is offered at three levels, PSM I, PSM II, and PSM III, with each level covering a different scope and depth of the Scrum framework. At the entry level, the PSM certification covers the fundamentals of Scrum, focusing on the terminology and application of Scrum in Scum Teams. At the second level, the PSM certification focuses on Scrum Master accountabilities, and dives in deeper into how Scrum Teams function. At the third, and highest, level of certification the PSM exam covers deeper knowledge, how to use Scrum to help influence organizational change, and how to coach and teach others on the Scrum framework.

According to PayScale, the average salary for a PSM I certification is $101,000 per year.

Careers, Certifications, IT Skills
Read More from This Article: Top 8 IT certifications in demand today
Source: News

Category: NewsOctober 20, 2023
Tags: art

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:Allstate’s cloud-first approach to digital transformation pays offNextNext post:Multicloud by design approach simplifies the cloud experience

Related posts

Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
May 30, 2025
Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
May 30, 2025
The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
May 30, 2025
Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
May 30, 2025
“AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
May 30, 2025
“ROI는 어디에?” AI 도입을 재고하게 만드는 실패 사례
May 30, 2025
Recent Posts
  • Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
  • Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
  • The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
  • Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
  • “AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
Recent Comments
    Archives
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    Categories
    • News
    Meta
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Tiatra LLC.

    Tiatra, LLC, based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, proudly serves federal government agencies, organizations that work with the government and other commercial businesses and organizations. Tiatra specializes in a broad range of information technology (IT) development and management services incorporating solid engineering, attention to client needs, and meeting or exceeding any security parameters required. Our small yet innovative company is structured with a full complement of the necessary technical experts, working with hands-on management, to provide a high level of service and competitive pricing for your systems and engineering requirements.

    Find us on:

    FacebookTwitterLinkedin

    Submitclear

    Tiatra, LLC
    Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.