10 Tech Certifications for Big Salary Boosts in 2026

In a competitive job market, the right certifications can help you stand out, boost your salary, and highlight your technical skills. But with hundreds of options available, it isn’t always clear which credentials are the best investment of your time and money.

Our High-Paying Tech Certifications Report highlights 10 certifications that can boost your salary and career prospects in 2026.

Whether you’re starting out in IT or aiming to advance into cloud, security, or data roles, these are the certifications most likely to make a real difference in your career.

1. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

• Provider: Amazon
• Cost: $150
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $8,800
• Focus areas: Cloud computing and system operations (covers tasks like monitoring workloads and securing applications, along with managing networking and optimizing costs)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 16%
• Value to alumni:
  • 15% landed a new role
  • 27% advanced to a more senior position

The Amazon SysOps Administrator certification validates skills for managing workloads on Amazon Web Services (AWS). It covers areas such as monitoring performance, securing applications, and optimizing costs.

To earn the credential, you’ll need to pass a 65-question exam, which you can take online or at a testing center. The exam is open to anyone, and is a great choice if you’re an aspiring or experienced IT professional pursuing a cloud administration role.

2. GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

• Provider: SANS Institute
• Cost: $999
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $7,900
• Focus areas: Information security (network defense, identifying vulnerabilities, handling security incidents)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 27%
• Value to alumni:
  • 21% landed a new job
  • 8% advanced to a more senior position

The GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) is an entry-level cybersecurity certification designed to build a strong foundation in information security. You’ll learn how to secure systems, spot vulnerabilities, and respond to common threats.

To get certified, you’ll need to pass one supervised exam. Because this certification covers broad fundamentals, GSEC is often recognized by employers in government, finance, and enterprise IT.

3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

• Provider: Amazon
• Cost: $150
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $6,300
• Focus areas: Cloud architecture (designing cloud systems, Linux, agile methods)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 26%
• Value to alumni:
  • 6% landed a new job
  • 10% advanced to a more senior position

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification confirms that you can design secure and reliable systems on Amazon Web Services (AWS). It’s widely recognized and often serves as a first step for professionals moving into cloud architecture or DevOps roles.

To earn it, you’ll need to pass a 65-question exam, which you can take online or at a testing center. AWS recommends at least 1 year of experience working with AWS or 1–3 years of general IT experience before attempting the exam. If you’re new to tech, build a solid foundation by obtaining the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certificate first.

4. AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty

• Provider: Amazon
• Cost: $300
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $6,100
• Focus areas: Machine learning in the cloud (building and deploying ML models in AWS, using services like SageMaker and Rekognition, working with data pipelines and big data tools, applying ML security best practices)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 6%
• Value to alumni:
  • 25% landed a new job
  • 19% advanced to a more senior position

The AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty certification shows that you can apply machine learning within Amazon Web Services (AWS). You’ll work with services like SageMaker to train, tune, and deploy models, and you’ll also cover big data tools and security for ML pipelines.

It’s most popular with data scientists and AI engineers, but developers who want to add ML expertise to their skill set also benefit. To earn the certification, you’ll take a specialty-level exam.

5. Certified Ethical Hacker (Master)

• Provider: EC-Council
• Cost: $1,699
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $5,200
• Focus areas: Information security and ethical hacking (penetration testing, simulating cyberattacks, advanced network defense)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 7%
• Value to alumni:
  • 8% landed a new job
  • 19% advanced to a more senior position

The Certified Ethical Hacker (Master) certification shows that you can test systems for weaknesses and apply methods to improve their security.

To earn the credential, you’ll first pass a multiple-choice exam covering key concepts in ethical hacking. You’ll then complete a second practical exam where you work through real-world scenarios to demonstrate your ability to detect and address vulnerabilities.

6. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

• Provider: Cisco
• Cost: $300
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $5,100
• Focus areas: Networking and infrastructure (routing and switching, IP connectivity, security fundamentals, automation)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 31%
• Value to alumni:
  • 17% landed a new job
  • 12% advanced to a more senior position

The CCNA certification covers core networking skills, including configuring routers and switches, setting up secure network access, and understanding automation in modern IT environments.

It’s often pursued by those starting out in networking, help desk, or IT support roles, and can also help professionals strengthen their existing skills. To earn the certification, you’ll need to pass a single exam, which is available online or at a testing center.

7. GIAC Information Security Professional

• Provider: SANS Institute
• Cost: $999
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $4,800
• Focus areas: Information security management (risk management, asset security, network security, identity and access management, software security)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 19%
• Value to alumni:
  • 9% landed a new job
  • 4% advanced to a more senior position

The GIAC Information Security Professional (GISP) certification builds on prior security experience and closely mirrors the domains of the CISSP exam. It covers areas such as risk management, network defense, access management, and secure software development.

To earn the certification, you take a four-hour, 150-question exam that’s supervised online or at a testing center.

Many system administrators, network administrators, and security managers pursue this credential to show employers they’re ready for advanced security responsibilities or leadership roles.

8. SAS Certified Data Scientist

• Provider: SAS Institute
• Cost: $180+ (multiple exams may be required)
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $4,600
• Focus areas: Data science and analytics (SAS programming, machine learning models, SQL, data processing)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 5%
• Value to alumni:
  • 15% landed a new job
  • 4% advanced to a more senior position

The SAS Certified Data Scientist credential shows that you can manage large datasets and apply analytics to real business problems. You’ll work with advanced SAS programming, process data with SQL, and build machine learning models.

To earn this certification, you’ll need to complete two professional-level SAS credentials — Advanced Programming and AI & Machine Learning — and pass the required exams for each.

9. Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals

• Provider: Microsoft
• Cost: $99
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $3,300
• Focus areas: Cloud platforms and CRM (customer insights, sales, customer service, field service)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 13%
• Value to alumni:
  • 18% landed a new job
  • 10% advanced to a more senior position

This Microsoft certification introduces you to the core features of Microsoft Dynamics 365, a business platform used for customer relationship management (CRM) and operations. You’ll learn the basics of customer insights, sales, customer service, and field service applications.

The credential is aimed at beginners and can serve as a foundation for more advanced Microsoft certifications. To earn it, you’ll take a fundamentals-level exam, which lasts about 45 minutes and is available in multiple languages online or at a testing center.

10. Google Associate Cloud Engineer

• Provider: Google
• Cost: $125
• Pay growth 1 year after completion: $3,000
• Focus areas: Cloud computing and DevOps (deploying applications, managing cloud solutions, configuring access and security)
• Certificate holders without a bachelor’s degree: 14%
• Value to alumni:
  • 13% landed a new job
  • 13% advanced to a more senior position

The Associate Cloud Engineer certification confirms that you can manage applications and services on Google Cloud. It covers tasks like deploying workloads, maintaining day-to-day operations, and setting access and security controls. Google recommends at least 6 months of hands-on experience with Google Cloud before taking the exam, but there are no formal prerequisites.

To earn the credential, you’ll need to pass a two-hour exam with 50–60 questions, offered online or at a testing center. The certification is valid for three years and can be renewed with a shorter renewal exam.

How to get the most out of your tech certifications

Getting a high-value certification takes time and money. To maximize your investment, you need to choose an appropriate course for your experience level and career goals — and advertise your qualifiations effectively to employers.

These tips can help you narrow down your options and get the most value from whichever credential you pursue:

1. Choose a certification that matches your experience

If you’re just starting out, begin with a foundation-level credential. For example, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fundamentals certification costs $99 and introduces you to customer relationship management software without requiring prior experience.

If you already have IT experience, a certification like the AWS Solutions Architect – Associate may be a better fit since it builds on technical knowledge you likely already use on the job.

2. Compare the cost to the potential wage boost

Certifications vary widely in price, but the return on investment can be surprising. The AWS SysOps Administrator certification costs $150 yet leads to an average wage gain of $8,800 within a year.

By contrast, the Certified Ethical Hacker (Master) costs $1,699 but delivers a smaller average increase of $5,200. Weighing cost against expected wage growth can help you invest your resources wisely.

3. Combine certifications to stand out

Employers often look for professionals who specialize in more than one area. Pairing two complementary certifications can give you a unique edge in your job applications.

For instance, a cloud certification like Google’s Associate Cloud Engineer with a security certification such as GIAC Security Essentials shows that you can handle both cloud management and cybersecurity.

4. Show how you’ve applied the certification

A certification on your resume proves you passed an exam. It’s far more compelling if you can show the employer how you applied your technical skills in the workplace.

• If you don’t have prior work experience, highlight personal or practice projects. For example, build a simple app in AWS, create a dashboard with public data, or set up a secure test network at home. These kinds of projects give you concrete examples to list on your resume and discuss in interviews.
• If you do have prior work experience, connect the certification to workplace results. You can mention leading parts of a cloud migration, improving network security, or automating a task to free up time for your team. Framing your certification in terms of achievements makes its value clearer to employers.

Methodology

This ranking uses data from the Burning Glass Institute’s Credential Value Index Navigator, which tracks over 19 million career movements tied to more than 20,000 credentials. The 2024 Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report also served as a reference to identify commonly cited and high-value certifications.

These certifications, along with relevant keywords related to in-demand tech skills, were then analyzed in the Credential Value Index using the “Wage Increase” and “Certifications Only” filters. Certifications that were no longer offered or were verifiably inactive were removed after fact-checking.

The remaining certifications were ranked by their wage gain, defined by BGI as the change in estimated wages one year after completion compared to peers without the credential. Prices were verified on each provider’s official website at the time of writing and are included in the list.

Resume Genius isn’t affiliated with or sponsored by any of the certification providers listed in this report. Certifications were evaluated independently using data from the Burning Glass Institute’s Credential Value Index and verified with information published on each provider’s official website.

Sources

• Burning Glass Institute, “The Credential Value Index Navigator”
• Skillsoft, “2024 IT Skills and Salary Report”

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