11 Most Valuable IT Certifications

graffius-11-certs-lowres-squashed



In Technology, there's no substitute for experience. However, certifications remain a valuable tool for advancing one's career. Employers want candidates with up-to-date knowledge and skills, and certifications demonstrate a person’s mastery of the respective subject. Eleven certifications emerged as the most valuable in Technology and two of them are related to project management. [1] [2]

These are the most highly valued technology certifications today:

1. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect
3. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
5. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
6. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
7. CompTIA A+
8. Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
9. ITIL
10. Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure
11. Project Management Professional (PMP)

If you're interested in learning about the project management related certifications, visit the
Scrum Alliance for the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and the Project Management Institute for the Project Management Professional (PMP).

Many employers prefer to hire certified professionals, especially those who also have college degrees and successful work experience to accompany them. Those who invest in professional credentials typically enjoy larger salaries among other benefits.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Sources:

[1] Robert Half. “Which IT Certifications are Most Valuable?” The Robert Half Blog. October 4, 2018,
https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-and-skills/which-it-certifications-are-most-valuable.

[2] Robert Half Technology (2018).
Technology Salary Guide 2019. Menlo Park, CA: Robert Half International, Inc.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

spacer-post-publication-notes-1000pxw

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

This article by Scott M. Graffius on the most valuable IT certifications was published in 2019. Graffius periodically refreshes his work. The most current (2024) edition of his report is
here.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3



A version of this article also appears at
Exceptional-PMO.com and AgileScrumGuide.com. Both of those sites and ScottGraffius.com are owned by Scott M. Graffius.

© Copyright 2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





custom - back to main page of blog

The 14 Most Valuable IT Certifications

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

Top 14 IT Certifications - Scott M Graffius - LR for Blog - SQ



Click here to download this article as a PDF.

In Technology, there's no substitute for experience. However, certifications remain a valuable tool for advancing one's career. Employers want candidates (and employees) with up-to-date knowledge and skills, and certifications demonstrate a person’s mastery of the respective subject. The author reviewed data from multiple sources — including BMC, CIO, Clearance Jobs, Indeed, and Robert Half — to determine the consensus on the most valuable Technology related certifications. Fourteen emerged. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

  1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
  2. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
  3. Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE)
  4. Certified Data Professional (CDP)
  5. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
  6. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
  7. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  8. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
  9. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
  10. CompTIA (A+, Cloud+, Security+)
  11. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
  12. Oracle MySQL Database Administration
  13. Project Management Professional (PMP)
  14. Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Designer

If you're interested in learning about the project management related certifications, visit the
Scrum Alliance for the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and the Project Management Institute for the Project Management Professional (PMP).

Many employers prefer to hire certified professionals, especially those who also have college degrees and successful work experience. Those who invest in professional credentials typically enjoy larger salaries.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Sources:


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

spacer-post-publication-notes-1000pxw

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

This article by Scott M. Graffius on the most valuable IT certifications was published in 2022. Graffius periodically refreshes his work. The most current (2024) edition of his report is
here.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

About Scott M. Graffius

ScottGraffius-181024_1000x1000_152KB-lowres-sq

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP-SM, CSP-PO, CSM, CSPO, SFE, ITIL, LSSGB is an agile project management practitioner, consultant, multi award-winning author, and international speaker. He has generated over $1.75 billion of business value in aggregate for the organizations he has served. Graffius is the founder, CEO, and principal consultant at Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ and subsidiary Exceptional Agility™. Content from his books (Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions and Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change), workshops, speaking engagements, and more have been featured and used by businesses, professional associations, governments, and universities including Microsoft, Oracle, Broadcom, Cisco, Gartner, Deloitte, EY, Project Management Institute, IEEE, SANS Institute, U.S. Soccer Federation, English Institute of Sport, Ford, Qantas, Atlassian, Wrike, Bayer, National Academy of Sciences, United States Department of Energy, United States Army, United States National Park Service, New Zealand Ministry of Education, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Tufts University, Texas A&M University, Warsaw University of Technology, University of Waterloo, National University of Ireland Galway, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, and others. Graffius delivers dynamic and engaging talks and workshops at public and private/corporate events. His engagements total 78 in-person and online conferences and other events around the world, including Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. Graffius delights audiences with sessions on technology leadership and project, program, portfolio, and PMO management inclusive of agile, waterfall, and hybrid approaches. He uses everyday language and vibrant custom visuals to make complex topics clear, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use.

His full bio is available
here.

Connect with Scott on:


Follow_ScottGraffius_-_v22020507-SG-BLG-LR-SQ

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3


About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Scott_M_Graffius_Agile_Scrum_v22123007_LR_1000x1000_sq

Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

About
Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change

Scott_M_Graffius_Agile_Transformation_LR_1000x505

Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.

Based on actual events,
Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.

The award-winning book by
Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

The short link for this article is: bit.ly/14-certs



© Copyright 2022 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




custom - back to main page of blog