18 Hot IT Certifications for 2014

Foote Partners just released the November update to their quarterly 2013 IT Skills Demand and Pay Trends Report in which they analyze pay and demand for 641 certified and non-certified IT skills that are tracked and reported in the firm’s IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index. David Foote, co-founder and chief analyst of Foote Partners, indicates that 2,522 US and Canadian employers and 154,000 IT professionals were surveyed for this research.

There are some surprising changes to the market over the last two quarters. The certified skills that seem to be flourishing the most fall into the architecture, engineer, security and database categories.

Premium pay for this ISACA certification has risen 9.1 percent in the last three- and six-month periods. In general, IT certifications from ISACA tend to center on IT governance. Originally offered in 2010, this certification focuses specifically on risk management. “The CRISC is awarded to those experienced in business and technology risk management, and the design, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of IS control,” according to CRISC.

Vendor: ISACA

Certification: Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

Prerequisites:

• A minimum of three years of cumulative work experience executing the tasks of a CRISC pro across at least three CRISC domains.
• Take and pass the CRISC exam
• Adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics
• Meet the terms of CRISC Continuing Education Policy

Wireless security is hot, according to Foote, who goes on to say, “CWNP is a really small company and for them to be on this list is a headline.” This wireless security certification has been riding high. Premium pay is up 35 percent over the last 12 months, 28 percent in the last six months and 20 percent in the last three months, making it a marketable bullet point on your resume.

This advanced certification teaches individuals how to securely set up and run enterprise wireless LAN.

Vendor: CWNP

Certification: Certified Wireless Security Professional

Prerequisite:

• To earn the CWSP certification, you must pass two exams

Here is another CWNP certification that is seeing a huge spike in premium pay. Value/demand for this role is up 42 percent in the last 12 months, 37.3 percent in the last six months and 30 percent in the three months.

This is the highest level of certification offered by CWNP. Recipients should have a mastery of skills relating to the installation, configuration, troubleshooting of enterprise Wi-Fi networks.

Vendor: CWNP

Certification: Certified Wireless Network Expert

Prerequisite:

• Valid and current CWSP, CWAP and CWDP certifications (requires CWNA).
• Three years of documented enterprise Wi-Fi implementation experience.
• Three professional endorsements.
• Two other current, valid professional networking certifications.
• Documentation of three enterprise Wi-Fi (500 word essays.)
• Re-certification every three years.

This intermediate forensics certification is targeting individuals in the information security, incident response and computer forensics field who focus on only Windows and Linux operating systems. Value/demand for this role has climbed an impressive 16.7 percent in the last 12 months.

Vendor: GIAC

Certification: Certified Forensics Analyst (GCFA)

Prerequisite:

• One proctored exam
• 115 questions
• Time limit of three hours
• Minimum Passing Score of 69 percent

*No Specific training is required for any GIAC certification.

Pay premiums for this IT certification have gone up more than 37.5 percent in the last 12 months and with the state of IT security demand for this certification is likely to increase, according to Foote Partners data.

Individuals who receive this certification should be familiar with intrusion detection systems, analysis of network traffic and log files.

Vendor: GIAC

Certification: Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)

Prerequisite: *No Specific training is required for any GIAC certification.

• One proctored exam
• 150 questions
• Time limit of four hours
• Minimum Passing Score of 67 percent

*No Specific training is required for any GIAC certification.

Each of these HP certifications has seen gains of at least 9 percent over the last two quarters and Foote Partners is predicting that this trend will continue for at least the next three-six months. There are a number of different certifications offered.

Vendor: HP

Certification: HP/Accredited Solutions Expert (ASE – all) HP/Master Accredited Solutions Expert (MASE – all) HP/Master Accredited Systems Engineer (Master ASE)

Prerequisite: You can download the different HP certification paths here

Developed with input from the NSA, this vendor-neutral security certification is about integrating security into all forms of information systems applications and projects. In a recent interview David Foote, the CEO mentioned that employers are paying less for security in a time where security is at the forefront, an interesting trend an keep an eye on.

Demand/pay premium has risen 8.3 percent in the last 12 months, 30 percent in the last six months and 18.2 percent in the last three months.

Vendor: ISC2

Certification: Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP/CISSP)

Prerequisite: There are several prerequisites for these IT security certifications.

Microsoft announced in late August that this certification and others would be retired as of December 31 with no clear replacements, angering many people who are current or on the path to Microsoft’s highest level IT certifications. We reached out to Microsoft and was told that the program was too costly and time consuming for both MCSM candidates and Microsoft. They are now investigating future ways to make this program more scalable.

With that said, premium pay for this cert rose more than 10 percent in the last quarter and will likely continue to do so, according to Foote Partners.

Vendor: Microsoft

Certification: Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA)

This is another elite Microsoft certification that is being retired December 31st with no clear successor. However, employers are still willing to pay extra for these certifications. Individuals with this certification, according to Microsoft, have the deepest level of product expertise.

Here is Microsoft official statement on why the certifications are being retired: “The IT industry is changing rapidly and we will continue to evaluate the certification and training needs of the industry to determine what the right certification is for the pinnacle of our program.”

Vendor: Microsoft

Certification: Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (all)

Currently, this vendor-neutral certification is focused squarely on IT architecture, but according to the Open Group website, the plan is to incorporate more business and enterprise architecture into the programs. Employers have paid a premium of 16.7 percent over the last 12 months to individuals with this certification under their belt.

Vendor: Open Group

Certification: Open Group Certified Architect (Open CA)

Prerequisite: The program is based upon four key documents:

• The Certification Policy, which sets out the policies and processes by which an individual may achieve certification.
• The Conformance Requirements, in which the skills and experience that a Certified Architect must possess are documented
• The Accreditation Requirements

Conformance requirements for the Open Ca program can be found here

Another vendor-neutral certification from the Open Group, this is the 2nd level of architect certification it offers. Business and enterprise architect certifications are in development but currently the focus is on IT architecture.

Premium pay for this architect certification is up 14.3 percent in the last 12 months and is forecasted to grow in the next three-six months.

Vendor: Open Group

Certification: Open Group Master Architect

Prerequisite: Candidates must meet experience and skills requirements, Certification Policy, either from the Open Group or an ACP.

The Open Group Certified Architect (Open CA) program requires candidates to submit a comprehensive certification package detailing their skills and experience gained on working on architecture related projects, followed by a rigorous peer review process.

This certification was formerly known as MySQL Cluster Database Administrator (SCMCDBA). IT pros with his certification are experts at administrating designing, deploying, configuring and maintaining databases that utilize MySQL cluster technology and they are in demand in the enterprise according to Foote Partners 2013 IT Skills Demand and Pay Trends Report. Premium pay for this certification is up a 37.5 percent over the last 12 months.

Vendor: Oracle

Certification: Oracle Certified Expert MySQL 5.1 Cluster Database Administrator

Prerequisite: You must have one of the certifications below first:

• Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5 Database Administrator

OR

• Sun Certified MySQL Database Administrator (SCMDBA)
• Then you need to pass the exam

IT pros awarded this IT certification have mastered all Oracle server related issues. Premium pay/demand for this certification is up 12.5 percent over the last six months.

Vendor: Oracle

Certification: Oracle Certified Professional MySQL 5 Database Administrator

Prerequisite: You must pass these two exams to get certified: 1Z0-873 MySQL 5 Database Administrator Certified Professional Exam, Part I 1Z0-874 MySQL 5 Database Administrator Certified Professional Exam, Part II

Oracle’s master level certification has risen 8.3 percent in value/demand over the last 12 months. Database certifications are another area that, according to Foote, is a headline. These certifications have been declining for years but recently the pay premium for them has risen. “What’s driving this is not the relational database stuff but the non-relational database stuff. It’s the NoSQL stuff. We’re seeing a lot of spending in data analytics, but we don’t see companies getting a lot out of it,” says Foote.

Vendor: Oracle

Certification: Oracle Database Administrator Certified Master

Prerequisite: There are several paths to this certification.

The PMI-RMP certification ensures that the holders are capable risk management professionals schooled in international best practices for managing project and operational risks. Premium pay for this certification has risen 9.1 percent over the last year.

Vendor: PMI

Certification: PMI Risk Management Professional

Prerequisite:

• A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent), with at least 4,500 hours of project risk management experience and 40 hours of project risk management education.

or

• A four-year degree (bachelor’s degree or the global equivalent), with at least 3,000 hours of project risk management experience and 30 hours of project risk management education.

The vendor-neutral program management professional certification from PMI is a way to demonstrate your ability to oversee several projects and programs. Premium pay is up 7.7 percent in the last 12 months and is expected to continue upward, according to Foote Partners research.

Vendor: PMI

Certification: Program Management Professional (PgMP)

Prerequisite:

• A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree, or the global equivalent), with at least four years (6,000 hours) of project management experience and seven years (10,500 hours) of program management experience.

or

• A four-year degree (bachelor’s degree or the global equivalent), with at least four years (6,000 hours) of project management experience and four years (6,000 hours) of program management experience.

The RHCA is Red Hat’s highest level of certification and recipients must hold the RHCE as a prerequisite. From deployment to systems management in larger enterprise environments this is the top tier. This certification has grown 25 percent in the last three months and is expected to trend upward in the next 3 to 6 months according to Foote Partners.

Vendor: RedHat

Certification: Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)

Prerequisite:

• RHCE certification must be current in order to be eligible.
• Earn the following Red Hat Certificates of Expertise:
• Deployment and Systems Management
• Directory Services and Authentication or Red Hat Certified Virtualization Administrator
• Clustering and Storage Management
• Security: Network Services or Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Server Hardening
• Performance Tuning

Premium Pay for this architect certification is up 11.1 percent over the last 12 months. It’s made gains in the last three quarters and is expected to continue to grow. IT pros with this advanced certification will have an advanced knowledge of Teradata fundamentals such as SQL, design and implementation. It’s associated with data warehousing and big data.

Vendor: Teradata

Certification: 12 Certified Enterprise Architect

Prerequisite:

• Candidate must currently hold one of the certifications below. Teradata 12 Certified Technical Specialist Teradata 12 Certified Database Administrator Teradata Certified Solutions Developer Teradata 12 Certified Enterprise Architect
• Candidate must be in good standing with the TCPP program and not have violated security policies and procedures on the previous certification track.