IT & Technology Certifications by Salary
Compare IT & Technology certification salaries side by side. See which IT & Technology credentials pay the most.
The rankings below are based on the salary outlook stated on each IT & Technology certification profile. Figures reflect typical U.S. earnings for roles associated with the credential and are directional, not guarantees — actual pay varies with experience, region, employer, and local demand.
What tends to drive IT & Technology pay higher: seniority and years of hands-on experience, narrow specialization, credentials stacked with related certs, and working in high-demand metro markets. Use the table to compare earning potential, then open any profile for the full cost-and-requirements picture.
| Rank | Certification | Level | Salary Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) | Advanced / Professional | CISSP holders commonly earn $120,000–$170,000+ in security engineer, analyst, and manager roles. |
| 2 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | Associate | Holders commonly earn $110,000–$160,000 USD annually as cloud architects, depending on region and seniority. |
| 3 | Project Management Professional (PMP) | Professional | PMP holders report median salaries 16–25% higher; commonly $95,000–$150,000 USD. |
| 4 | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Foundational | Often a stepping stone; paired with associate certs it supports roles at $90,000–$140,000 USD. |
| 5 | Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | Foundational (Agile) | Scrum Masters commonly earn $90,000–$130,000; CSM is a common baseline for the role. |
| 6 | Google Cloud Digital Leader | Foundational | A stepping-stone; paired with Associate certs, GCP roles commonly pay $90,000–$140,000. |
| 7 | CompTIA Security+ | Entry / Baseline | Security analysts with Security+ earn roughly $75,000–$110,000 USD. |
| 8 | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) | Foundational | Not a salary-driver alone, but commonly a stepping stone; practitioners often move to roles paying $70,000–$120,000 after follow-on certs. |
| 9 | ITIL 4 Foundation | Foundational (ITSM) | ITIL-backed ops/manager roles commonly pay $70,000–$120,000; Foundation is the entry signal. |
| 10 | Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) | Associate | Network engineers with CCNA commonly earn $60,000–$95,000; it is a strong baseline for networking careers. |
| 11 | Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate | Foundational (Career) | Entry data analysts commonly earn $55,000–$85,000; the cert helps land the first role. |
| 12 | CompTIA Network+ | Entry / Baseline | Network+ holders commonly earn $50,000–$80,000 in support and admin roles; it pairs well with CCNA and Security+ for career growth. |
| 13 | CompTIA A+ | Entry / Baseline | Help-desk and support roles commonly pay $40,000–$60,000; A+ is the usual entry ticket. |
| 14 | Google IT Support Professional Certificate | Foundational (Career) | IT support specialists commonly earn $40,000–$60,000; the cert helps land the first role. |
Back to all IT & Technology certifications or view the overall salary ranking.