10 Highest Paying IT Certifications

Quick Answer: The top-paying IT certifications include CDPSE, CRISC, CISM, CISSP, CISA, and AWS Certified Security—Specialty. Keep in mind that the top salaries can vary by location and experience. 

Looking for your career path? IT certifications are the first way to show your current or future employer that you have what it takes to do the job! Which certifications are likely to land you a high-paying position?

We examined some of the certifications that paid the most. Based on a salary survey by Global Knowledge, we found that cloud, data science, and IT infrastructure are among the top fields.

This is probably not surprising, given the trend towards "hyper-networked" systems, in which everything is connected to something, somewhere, sometime. There is a clear need for technicians capable of designing, operating, and securing these complex networks.

So, let's review ten high-paying IT certifications, which pay over $100,000 per year on average. We'll also highlight the CBT Nuggets training courses to help you prepare for and pass the certification exams.

10. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center: $107,000 Annually

With an average surveyed salary of $107,000, this certification demonstrates the importance of networked data centers in today's world. Cisco-certified data center network administrators are in demand to design, install, and maintain data centers that use Cisco technologies. 

These specialists are expected to understand networking and data center technologies. This is reflected in the certification exams and associated training courses Cisco CCNA Assessment Labs (200-301) and (2023) Cisco CCNA 200-301. 

Pro tip: Most Cisco training will provide the basic foundation you need to pursue many high-paying areas of IT.

9. Project Management Professional (PMP®): $123,000 Annually

Just search any job site, and you'll see that project management continues to be an in-demand skill. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is the leading industry-recognized certification for project managers and can help you earn around $123,000 annually.  

PMP is a global certification, and according to the Project Management Institute's Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, PMI-certified practitioners earn 20 percent more than their non-certified peers.

Note: The number of hours needed for PMP certification has been updated recently, so make sure you're up-to-date on the changes. 

8. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate: $132,000 Annually

Next on our list of high-paying certifications is the Amazon Web Services Certified Solutions Architect Associate level. As the cloud expands, so does the need for cloud architects. This is why, according to ZipRecruiter, the average AWS-certified solutions architect associate can expect to earn around $132,000 per year. 

This certification covers various topics, including understanding AWS services, architecture best practices, security, and building scalable and elastic systems that can automatically scale to handle varying workloads. 

7. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH): $135,269 Annually

According to ZipRecruiter, you can easily earn over $100,000 after passing the vendor-neutral Certified Ethical Hacker certification. This text covers penetration testing techniques used to uncover weaknesses and vulnerabilities in computer systems security. 

CEH-certified professionals use the same knowledge and tools as malicious hackers but in a legal manner. Earning this certification will prepare you for the role of pen tester, security analyst, or cyber security engineer. 

6. AWS Certified Security – Specialty: $138,053 Annually 

The AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam prepares you to create and implement security solutions in the AWS Cloud. It also proves you have a deep understanding of specialized data classifications, AWS data protection mechanisms, data encryption methods, secure internet protocols, and how to implement all of this on the AWS cloud. 

It's a tough test that requires you to answer 65 questions in 170 minutes, but the high salary may make this cert worth pursuing. 

5. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): $154,500 Annually

It's no secret that systems are enterprise-critical! It's imperative that enterprise systems and data are secure and that organizations can withstand and recover from threats and calamities. Based on ZipRecruiter data, the average CISA holder can expect to earn over $100,000 per year, with top earners bringing home $140,000, while Skillsoft puts the average at $154,500 in the US. 

For public companies, the regulatory reach of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act begins with financial records but can extend deep into their systems and network operations. With that background, it's easy to see why companies place a premium on vendor-neutral CISA certification for their IS audit and security personnel. 

4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): $152,037 Annually

The vendor-neutral CISSP certification is for security and IT audit professionals responsible for the overall information security programs to protect their organizations from internal and external threats. First, CISSP candidates must have at least five years of specific work experience in the information security sector.

They also must pass an exam that challenges their mastery of eight technical security domains, including security and risk management, communications and network security, and identity and access management. With an average salary exceeding $150,000, it's worth the time. 

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM): $167,396 Annually

The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification is more business- and management-focused than the CISSP. It is aimed at management-level IT professionals who need a top-down view of enterprise information security. 

As with the CISSP certification, CISM candidates must have 5+ years of work experience in the information security sector. CISM covers four management-level domains of information security: Information security governance, information risk management and compliance, information security program development and management, and information security incident management.

2. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC): $169,065 Annually 

CRISC is one of the top-ranking IT certifications by salary, with an average salary exceeding 160,00 per year. Not too shabby!

This certification offered by ISACA validates your knowledge in handling the challenges and responsibilities of a risk management expert, including IT security, risk reporting, risk assessment, and performing a cost-benefit analysis of risk reduction approaches. Like most certs on this list, this isn't an entry-level test, but it is worth it. 

1. Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE): $178,545 Annually 

The Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) certification is an experience-based, technical certification designed to assess your ability to assess, design, and build data privacy solutions.

CDPSE also validates your ability to work closely with the legal team, policy department, engineers, developers, database administrators, and other internal experts. With an average salary exceeding $178,000 in the US, this cert can be worth it for IT professionals already in data security who want to move to the next level. 

Final Thoughts 

There are many high-paying certifications available across a broad spectrum of vendors and functional specialties. Other high-paying certifications we found included Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) Security, ITIL® v3 Foundation,  and VMware Certified Professional 6 Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV). It's worth noting some of the most difficult IT certifications are also the most lucrative. 

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