15 Top Paying IT Certifications In 2019 – According to Global Knowledge’s latest survey

• Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect is the highest paying certification of 2019, paying an average salary of $139,529.
• Certifications in virtualization and cloud computing pay an average salary of $127,494 this year, up from $112,955 in 2018, a 12.8% increase in just one year.
• Five of the top 15 highest paying certifications of 2019 are for cybersecurity expertise, and they pay an average of $115,867.
• Project Management Professional (PMP®) certifications increased in value by 18.6%, jumping from a median salary of $114,473 in 2018 to $135,798 in 2019.

Today Global Knowledge published the 15 top-paying IT certifications in 2019 based on the results of their 2019 IT Skills & Salary Report research. Global Knowledge will be publishing the full report later this year, and a link will be provided here when the report goes live. The study’s goals center on cybersecurity, cloud computing, enterprise IT, networking and clarifying what skills professionals need to earn higher salaries and excel in their careers.

The 2019 survey’s findings regarding the most lucrative IT certifications are summarized in the article, 15 Top-Paying IT Certifications for 2019. The study is global in scope, with the top 15 certifications reflecting U.S. market demand and salary levels. A certification had to have at least 100 survey responses to ensure that the data was statistically valid, and the certification exam has to be currently available.

Key insights on the 15 top paying IT certifications in 2019 include the following:

• Average salary across all 15 certifications is $121,514 for 2019. Virtualization and cloud computing certifications pay an average salary of $127,494 in 2019, soaring over the median salary of $112,955 in 2018. The five cybersecurity certifications pay an average salary of $115,867. Network certifications pay an average salary of $111,555. Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect, Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate and AWS Certified Developer – Associate all have salaries above the median of $121,514.
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) – Server Infrastructure certification pays an average salary of $121,288, up from $100,656 in 2018. Reflecting continued demand by large-scale enterprise IT departments globally, an MCSE certification in server Infrastructure pays 20% more in 2019 compared to last year. Technical professionals with this certification, which was retired by Microsoft in March 2017 will continue to see the market value of their experience increase. Microsoft replaced the MCSE – Server Infrastructure with the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification. The new certification covers the roles of cloud administrator, cloud architect, computer support specialist, and information security analyst.
• The two highest-paying AWS certifications in 2019 have an average salary of $131,605, $6K higher than $125,591 which is the average of the five highest-paying AWS certifications of 2018. AWS excels at developing, launching and gaining adoption of a proliferating product and service roadmap, by far the most aggressive in cloud computing. Their rapidly expanding product and services base drives higher demand for AWS certifications. Even with just two AWS certifications being considered the highest paying this year, their aggregate value jumped by $6K. AWS is now the primary computing platform in hundreds of enterprises and is spreading to mid-market businesses, further driving demand for certifications as companies look to build more cloud apps internally. Please see the Global Knowledge post, What It Takes To Earn a Top-Paying AWS Certification for additional details.

The following table provides a breakout of the top 15 IT certifications in 2019 according to Global Knowledge’s latest survey.

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