Q4 2026, The Index

You hold the cert. Do you hold the salary?

The 100 highest-paying IT & AI certifications, reranked every quarter. The only place that prices every credential, quarter by quarter, against the US market.

How much should you be earning?

Add the certifications you hold and your salary, and see where you land against real contributors — your percentile, top-of-band pay and stacking uplift, in USD. Never shown against your name; published only in groups of 10 or more.

Tracked like the market, because it is one.

RankCertificationVerdictTop of bandDemand
#1 AWS Certified Solutions Architect - ProfessionalAWS INVEST Join to unlock
#2 Google Cloud Professional Cloud Network EngineerGoogle Cloud INVEST Join to unlock
#3 Google Cloud Professional Data EngineerGoogle Cloud INVEST Join to unlock
#4 AWS Certified Security - SpecialtyAWS INVEST $240,000 92 ►
#5 AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - ProfessionalAWS INVEST $232,000 87 ►
#6 Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security EngineerGoogle Cloud INVEST Join to unlock
#7 Salesforce Certified Technical ArchitectSalesforce STABLE Join to unlock
#8 Google Cloud Professional Cloud ArchitectGoogle Cloud INVEST $224,000 91 ▲
#9 AWS Certified Advanced Networking - SpecialtyAWS UPGRADE Join to unlock
#10 Google Cloud Professional Cloud Database EngineerGoogle Cloud DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#11 Google Cloud Professional Cloud DevOps EngineerGoogle Cloud INVEST Join to unlock
#12 Nutanix NCP - Multicloud InfrastructureNutanix DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#13 ISSMP - Information Systems Security Management ProfessionalISC2 INVEST Join to unlock
#14 Salesforce CPQ ConsultantSalesforce STABLE Join to unlock
#15 CCSP - Certified Cloud Security ProfessionalISC2 INVEST $202,000 88 ▲
#16 AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer - Associate (SOA-C03, formerly SysOps Administrator)AWS DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#17 CCNP SecurityCisco INVEST Join to unlock
#18 CISSPISC2 INVEST $198,000 90 ►
#19 CCIE Enterprise InfrastructureCisco STABLE Join to unlock
#20 CRISCISACA INVEST Join to unlock
#21 AWS Certified Developer - AssociateAWS INVEST $195,000 85 ►
#22 CIPP - Certified Information Privacy ProfessionalIAPP INVEST Join to unlock
#23 Microsoft Intelligent Applications Builder Associate (AB-410, succeeds PL-200)Microsoft INVEST Join to unlock
#24 Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertMicrosoft STABLE Join to unlock
#25 Salesforce Certified Application ArchitectSalesforce STABLE Join to unlock
#26 Salesforce Platform Developer IISalesforce DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#27 AIGP - Certified AI Governance ProfessionalIAPP INVEST Join to unlock
#28 CISMISACA INVEST $185,000 85 ►
#29 VMware Certified Distinguished Expert (VCDX)VMware DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#30 CIPM - Certified Information Privacy ManagerIAPP INVEST Join to unlock
#31 AWS Certified Solutions Architect - AssociateAWS INVEST $184,000 94 ▲
#32 CISAISACA INVEST $183,000 83 ►
#33 CGEIT - Certified in the Governance of Enterprise ITISACA INVEST Join to unlock
#34 SAP S/4HANA ConsultantSAP DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#35 Google Cloud Professional Cloud DeveloperGoogle Cloud STABLE Join to unlock
#36 PfMP - Portfolio Management ProfessionalPMI STABLE Join to unlock
#37 Microsoft Azure Administrator AssociateMicrosoft STABLE $176,000 86 ►
#38 CKA - Certified Kubernetes AdministratorLinux Foundation INVEST $174,000 93 ▲
#39 Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)Microsoft INVEST $173,000 92 ▲
#40 Google Cloud Associate Cloud EngineerGoogle Cloud UPGRADE Join to unlock
#41 CEH - Certified Ethical HackerEC-Council UPGRADE $173,000 76 ►
#42 CDPSE - Certified Data Privacy Solutions EngineerISACA INVEST Join to unlock
#43 PgMP - Program Management ProfessionalPMI INVEST Join to unlock
#44 Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer AssociateDatabricks INVEST Join to unlock
#45 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst AssociateMicrosoft STABLE Join to unlock
#46 Workday HCM ConsultantWorkday STABLE Join to unlock
#47 Salesforce Marketing Cloud ConsultantSalesforce STABLE Join to unlock
#48 PMP - Project Management ProfessionalPMI STABLE $159,000 90 ►
#49 Salesforce DevOps EngineerSalesforce STABLE Join to unlock
#50 VMware VCP-VCF Administrator (succeeds VCP-DCV)VMware UPGRADE Join to unlock
#51 AWS Certified Data Engineer - AssociateAWS INVEST Join to unlock
#52 Databricks Certified Data Engineer ProfessionalDatabricks INVEST $153,000 87 ▲
#53 Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning EngineerGoogle Cloud INVEST Join to unlock
#54 AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C01 > MLA-C02)AWS INVEST Join to unlock
#55 Microsoft Power Platform Developer AssociateMicrosoft INVEST Join to unlock
#56 Six Sigma Black BeltASQ DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#57 SAFe Leading SAFe AgilistScaled Agile STABLE Join to unlock
#58 Scrum Master (CSM/PSM)Scrum Alliance / Scrum.org DIVERSIFY $148,000 88 ▼
#59 CKS - Certified Kubernetes Security SpecialistLinux Foundation INVEST Join to unlock
#60 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Solution ArchitectMicrosoft DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#61 CKAD - Certified Kubernetes Application DeveloperLinux Foundation INVEST Join to unlock
#62 HashiCorp Terraform Associate (004)HashiCorp INVEST $142,000 85 ▲
#63 Oracle Certified Professional DBAOracle DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#64 OSCP - Offensive Security Certified ProfessionalOffSec INVEST $141,000 87 ▲
#65 ICP-ACC - Agile CoachingICAgile DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#66 IBM Data Science / GenAI Professional CertificateIBM UPGRADE Join to unlock
#67 Databricks Certified Data Analyst / ML AssociateDatabricks INVEST Join to unlock
#68 TOGAF 9/10 CertifiedThe Open Group STABLE $135,000 80 ►
#69 GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)GIAC STABLE Join to unlock
#70 Tableau Certified Data AnalystSalesforce DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#71 AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)AWS INVEST Join to unlock
#72 Microsoft Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (AI-103, succeeds AI-102)Microsoft STABLE Join to unlock
#73 NVIDIA NCA-GENL (Generative AI LLMs)NVIDIA INVEST Join to unlock
#74 PMI-ACP - Agile Certified PractitionerPMI DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#75 ServiceNow CTA - Technical ArchitectServiceNow INVEST Join to unlock
#76 RHCE - Red Hat Certified EngineerRed Hat DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#77 CompTIA SecurityX (formerly CASP+)CompTIA STABLE Join to unlock
#78 ITIL 4 FoundationPeopleCert STABLE $120,000 77 ►
#79 CCNP EnterpriseCisco STABLE Join to unlock
#80 Microsoft Security Administrator Associate (SC-500, succeeds AZ-500)Microsoft INVEST Join to unlock
#81 UiPath Automation Developer (succeeds UiRPA / UiARD)UiPath UPGRADE Join to unlock
#82 CompTIA CySA+CompTIA UPGRADE Join to unlock
#83 AVIXA CTS-D (Design)AVIXA DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#84 Red Hat OpenShift AdministratorRed Hat INVEST Join to unlock
#85 AVIXA CTS-I (Installation)AVIXA UPGRADE Join to unlock
#86 CompTIA Security+CompTIA DIVERSIFY $108,000 85 ►
#87 CSA - ServiceNow System AdministratorServiceNow STABLE Join to unlock
#88 Salesforce Agentforce SpecialistSalesforce INVEST Join to unlock
#89 Google Cloud Digital LeaderGoogle Cloud DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#90 AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerAWS DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#91 SAS Certified Advanced ProgrammerSAS UPGRADE Join to unlock
#92 PRINCE2 PractitionerPeopleCert STABLE $100,000 74 ▼
#93 Microsoft SC-900 Security FundamentalsMicrosoft STABLE Join to unlock
#94 Cisco CCNACisco STABLE $97,000 82 ►
#95 Citrix CCA - Virtual Apps and DesktopsCitrix UPGRADE Join to unlock
#96 GitLab Certified AssociateGitLab DIVERSIFY Join to unlock
#97 Jenkins Certified EngineerCloudBees UPGRADE Join to unlock
#98 CompTIA Network+CompTIA UPGRADE $87,000 77 ▼
#99 AVIXA CTSAVIXA UPGRADE Join to unlock
#100 CompTIA A+CompTIA UPGRADE $83,000 80 ►

Ranked by pay, highest first. US market data. All figures USD. Full methodology →

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