Are IT Certifications Worth It? When to Get Certified in Your IT Career

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

IT certifications can boost skills, salary, and job prospects, but they also require time and money. This guide explores when certifications are worth it, when they’re not, and highlights popular options along with their career and salary benefits.

[Featured Image] Person looking up IT certifications in cafe

Key takeaways

Certifications can help you learn needed skills and demonstrate them to employers, but require studying or coursework and can be expensive to take.

  • An IT certification offers benefits like enhanced skills, the potential to boost salary, and improved job prospects.

  • IT certifications might not be worth it for you if your job doesn’t require them or if you have significant practical experience.

  • You can consider getting an IT certification if you’re starting out in IT, gaining new skills, want to improve your salary, don’t have a degree, or it’s required for your job.

Explore the benefits of an IT certification, as well as when it might not be necessary for your IT career. If you’re ready to start preparing for an IT role, enroll in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn fundamental IT skills like systems administration, network troubleshooting, IT automation, and more in as little as three months. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.

When IT certifications can be worth it for you

Getting an IT certification might be worth it if you’re trying to bolster your experience and skills, don’t have other related credentials, or are just starting out in the field.

1. You’re just starting out in IT.

If you’re new to the IT field and don’t have any past work experience, school work, or personal projects you can point to in an interview, an IT certification can go a long way. 

An IT certification isn’t just a way for employers to see that you have an industry-recognized credential showing you have a baseline of experience. You can learn much about a topic while studying for the certification exam, and improve your technical skills. Plus, the actual content of the certification can give you a roadmap of what you need to know for related jobs. Even if you know the ins and outs of different operating systems, if you don’t know basic security or data storage principles, you might be limited in the roles you're qualified for. Getting an entry-level certification that tests you broadly on IT fundamentals can ensure you have the foundational knowledge you need.

Read more: What Is the Easiest IT Certification to Get?

2. You’re trying to gain more experience or skills in your current role.

Certifications can help you reach the next step in your IT career. Let’s say you’re a systems administrator trying to learn more about cybersecurity but aren’t building any related experience in your day-to-day work. Studying for and getting a cybersecurity certification may bring you the practical training needed to make the transition or expand your current role. Even if you have some experience with a new topic, a certification can ensure you’ve learned it thoroughly enough to be on par with other professionals in that realm.

At the end of the day, being able to actually do the work is what matters the most. But certifications can act as a bridge between where your experience and skills are and where you want them to be.

3. You want to see a boost in your salary.

There’s evidence that certifications and skill development are correlated with bigger raises. The average raise among IT professionals was 5 percent in 2024, according to Skillsoft. Twenty percent of IT professionals reported receiving a raise from learning new skills through certifications [1]. Remember, it’s not a guarantee that getting a certification will lead to a hefty raise, but acquiring the skills your employer needs may increase your chances.

Plus, the IT field is lucrative and growing. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that computer and IT jobs will grow much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. The median annual wage in the field was $105,990 in 2024. Compare that to the median across all jobs, which was $49,500 [2]. 

Which IT certification pays the most? Top certifications for IT with salaries

The list below outlines the top certifications worldwide per the Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary Report 2024, with their respective average salaries [1].

  1. ISSMP Information Systems Security Management Professional: $188,291

  2. Microsoft Certified: Azure Cosmos DB Developer Specialty: $178,304

  3. AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty: $171,725

  4. CCSE - Check Point Certified Security Expert: $166,685

  5. Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE): $165,817

  6. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: $164,012

  7. CDPSE - Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer: $163,852

  8. CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional: $161,959

  9. AWS Certified Security - Specialty: $158,594

  10. ECIH - Certified Incident Handler: $158,594

Google Professional Certificates

You might also consider earning a Career Certificate from Google. Based on Google’s 2024 internal data, 70 percent of Google Career Certificate graduates in the US reported positive career movement, ranging from raises to promotions to a new job within six months of completion [3]. Whether you want to start or advance your career, you have certificate program options ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

4. You’ve considered certification costs.

Certifications can cost up to several hundred dollars. Taking the CompTIA A+ certification exams costs $265 [4]. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) costs $749 [5]. 

But if the certification will open doors to a career path you’re interested in, it can be a worthwhile investment. CISSP holders made an average base salary of $133,000 in 2026 [6]. A+ certification holders typically earn an average base salary of $77,000 [7].

Worried about costs? If you’re already in an IT position and think the skills you’ll gain can benefit your employer, try asking your supervisor to see if the company will cover the costs for exams or training courses. 

Some prep courses can also offer discounts on the certification exams. Taking the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, for example, can prepare you for 80 percent of the CompTIA A+ exam materials, plus give you a 20 percent discount on exam costs (subject to change).

5. You don’t have a degree in computer science or other credentials.

Several IT job listings, even if they’re for entry-level jobs, request that you have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. That’s not to say that you should be discouraged if you don’t. But a certification here can be helpful to show employers you have the discipline to study, learn, and achieve a goal, and that you’re serious about the IT field.

6. Certifications are required for the job.

Some industries might require you to have specific certifications or else heavily prefer that you do. For example, you’ll need to get an approved certification to work in information assurance for the Department of Defense. Some IT consultancies may also prefer that you have related certifications in order to assure clients that their personnel are well-trained and capable.

When you might not need a certification

There are a lot of benefits to certification, but here’s when you might find they reach their limits.

1. They’re not needed in your role.

About half of technology professionals don’t have a technical certification, according to a survey reported in the Dice 2025 Tech Salary Report [6]. If you’re capable of performing your job well, have opportunities to learn new things, and feel content in your field of IT, IT certifications may not be high on your priority list.

2. You have plenty of hands-on experience.

The capacity to perform tasks up to standard will probably be the biggest asset in your job hunt. A certification, at the end of the day, is simply a quick way to prove to employers that you have that capacity. If you’re confident that your past experience speaks for itself, you may be able to set aside pursuing a certification for now.

Resources

Practical tools for meaningful growth

Explore career paths, assess your skills, and connect with resume guidance while browsing our Career Resources Hub. Or if you want to learn more about the field of IT, check out these free resources:

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses. 

Article sources

1. 

Skillsoft. “Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report 2024, https://cdn.bfldr.com/SDYPVW60/at/vfhxpgf7bh3qnc8bhnj9wk7/Skillsoft_IT_Skills_Salary_Report_2024.pdf." Accessed February 7, 2025.

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