Cisco CCNA and AWS cloud networking rank among highest paying IT certifications

CISA

ISACA’s Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification earns professionals an average annual salary of $154,500, an increase over last year’s $142,336. In existence since 1978, the CISA is one of “the oldest and most respected credentials” on Skillsoft’s list. This certification validates audit, risk, and cybersecurity skills specific to these domains: Information Systems Auditing Process; Governance and Management of IT; Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation; Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience; and Protection of Information Assets. The exam costs $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members, and there will be an updated exam starting in August 2024. “CISA-certified professionals can serve as the conduit between technical, legal, and compliance teams and ensure organizations protect privacy and manage risk in an efficient, cost-effective way,” the Skillsoft report says.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking-Specialty

This certification is meant for those IT professionals who want to prove their experience working with complex networks. With an annual average salary of $153,031, this certification consists of 65 questions, costs $300, and lasts 170 minutes. Candidates for this certification must have knowledge of networking architectures, interconnectivity options, developing automation scripts and tools, and network security. According to Skillsoft’s IT Skills and Salary survey, “more than half of IT leaders say their team’s networking skills fall somewhere between good and bad (or ranked as ‘medium’ in the survey. That’s to say, relatively few [IT leaders] feel very confident in their teams’ abilities in this area, creating an opportunity for specialists.”

Cisco CCNA

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification helps IT professionals demonstrate their ability to navigate the “evolving IT field by covering networking fundamentals, security, automation, and more.” According to Skillsoft, IT professionals with a CCNA cert gain the skills in managing and improving advanced networks. With an average annual salary of $128,651, the CCNA is like Cisco’s Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification, which didn’t make the list this year due to only 19 respondents having this certification. (Skillsoft looks for 50-100 professionals to report the salary figures reliably.) The CCNPs responding earned an average salary of $160,399. The CCNA typically appeals to network administrators or engineers who can pass an exam focused on: network fundamentals, network access, IT connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, automation and programmability. CCNAs must complete their exam though one of the Pearson VUE testing centers. The exam costs $300 and testing time runs about 120 minutes, and the certification is valid for three years.

Looking ahead to AI

While this year’s survey shows cloud and security as the top earning roles, Skillsoft expects artificial intelligence expertise to debut on its list in the coming year. Among those certifications that just missed the cut is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals. With an average annual salary of $126,517, this certification validates a basic understanding of machine learning, AI concepts, and Azure services.

“Looking at IT talent and skills as a whole, demand far outweighs supply right now. And, with the current AI wave, we’ll likely see IT salaries surge even higher next year,” Fuller says. “Earning certifications is a win-win scenario for talent and organizations alike, with the former able to increase their value and proficiency and the latter seeing improved quality of work, increased engagement, and faster performance across their IT workforce. On both ends, investment in professional development is an investment in future success.” 

The 20 most valuable IT certifications today

Skillsoft polled nearly 2,000 IT professionals between May and September 2023 for its salary ranking. Some average annual salaries exceeded $200,000 this year, and many on the list surpassed $150,000. Here is the full list of 20 top-paying certifications plus their salaries, according to Skillsoft.