A 2025 CompTIA survey found that 91% of hiring managers use IT certifications as a screening criterion during recruitment — yet fewer than half of job seekers hold even one. That gap is where careers get made or missed.
If you're deciding which certifications to get, the challenge isn't motivation — it's signal versus noise. There are hundreds of options, vendors market aggressively, and "just get CompTIA A+" advice ignores whether that cert actually moves the needle for your specific goal. This guide cuts through it.
We've ranked the IT certifications to get based on three factors: employer demand (how often they appear in job postings), salary delta (how much pay increases post-certification), and time-to-hire (how quickly certified candidates land roles).
Which Certifications to Get First: Tier by Career Stage
Not every cert is worth the same investment at every stage of your career. Here's how to think about sequencing:
Entry-Level (0–2 Years Experience)
The goal here is employability, not specialization. Employers at this level want proof that you can do the basics unsupervised. The certifications to get are:
- CompTIA A+ — Still the de facto baseline for IT support roles. ~$40K–$55K starting salary. Required by many managed service providers (MSPs) before they'll consider an application.
- CompTIA Network+ — Pairs naturally with A+. Opens doors to network technician and NOC analyst roles.
- Google IT Support Professional Certificate — Lower exam cost, faster to complete, and increasingly accepted by employers who've hired from the Google program. Good if you want to move quickly.
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — A low-barrier cloud entry point. Demonstrates awareness of cloud concepts without the depth of associate-level exams.
Mid-Level (2–5 Years Experience)
At this stage, certifications to get should demonstrate specialization and command significantly higher pay:
- AWS Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) — The single most in-demand cloud cert on job boards. AWS holds ~31% of the cloud market and SAA-C03 appears in an enormous share of mid-level DevOps, cloud engineering, and sysadmin postings. Average salary: $115K–$145K.
- Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) — Microsoft's enterprise footprint means this cert is often mandatory in corporate IT departments. Pairs well with existing Windows/Active Directory experience.
- CompTIA Security+ — The baseline for DoD 8570 compliance and one of the most portable security certs across industries. If cybersecurity is your direction, this is the non-negotiable first step.
- Cisco CCNA — For networking-focused paths, CCNA remains a reliable signal. Still widely required for network engineering roles at enterprises and telcos.
Senior / Specialist Level (5+ Years)
At this tier, the certifications to get are harder to pass, more expensive, but also the ones that move salary into $160K+ territory:
- AWS Solutions Architect – Professional
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Google Professional Cloud Architect
Cloud Certifications to Get for Maximum ROI
Cloud remains the single highest-return certification category in IT. A 2024 Global Knowledge report found cloud-certified professionals earn an average of $11,000 more annually than non-certified peers doing equivalent work.
The three dominant cloud ecosystems — AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — each have structured certification tracks. Which one to pursue depends heavily on where you want to work:
- AWS: Dominant in startups, tech companies, and companies that built cloud-native infrastructure after 2012. If you're targeting FAANG-adjacent employers or any SaaS company, AWS certifications are the highest-demand choice.
- Azure: Dominant in enterprises with existing Microsoft stacks (Office 365, Active Directory, SQL Server). Financial services, healthcare, and government agencies lean heavily Azure. If you're in corporate IT, Azure certs will be more directly applicable day-to-day.
- Google Cloud: Smaller market share (~11%) but premium salary — GCP-certified professionals tend to earn slightly more than AWS or Azure peers, likely because demand outstrips supply. Strong fit if you're targeting data engineering or ML infrastructure roles.
If you can only pick one cloud certification to get this year and you don't have a specific employer in mind, AWS SAA-C03 wins on raw job posting volume.
Cybersecurity Certifications to Get (Demand Is Outpacing Supply)
Cybersecurity job postings have grown faster than any other IT category for three consecutive years. The talent shortage is real: ISC² estimates a global shortfall of 3.4 million security professionals as of 2024.
The sequencing of security certifications to get:
- CompTIA Security+ — Start here. It's the baseline required for U.S. federal contractor and DoD positions under 8570/8140 mandates, and broadly accepted by private sector employers as a hiring minimum for junior security roles.
- CompTIA CySA+ or CEH — Mid-level options for SOC analysts and threat hunters. CySA+ is more defensive and analytics-focused; CEH leans toward offensive/pen-testing knowledge.
- CISSP — The senior-level benchmark. Requires 5 years of paid security experience to sit the exam (4 with a qualifying degree). It's what security managers and CISOs typically hold. Median salary for CISSP holders: $130K+.
- OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) — For penetration testers specifically. Highly respected because it requires passing a 24-hour hands-on exam. Employers who care about red-team skills treat OSCP as a hard requirement.
Top Courses to Prep for the Certifications to Get
The fastest path from "studying" to "passing" is structured exam prep. These courses are specifically built around the exams, not just the technology.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified – 4 Certifications!
A comprehensive Udemy course covering four AWS certification tracks in a single bundle. Ideal if you're planning to stack AWS credentials over 12–18 months — buying once is significantly cheaper than paying for separate courses per exam.
Microsoft Azure Certifications | Complete Preparation Exam Course
Covers the Azure exam lineup from AZ-900 through AZ-104 with practice tests mirroring the actual question format. Strong choice for anyone targeting corporate IT roles where Azure is the dominant platform.
Microsoft Azure Certifications Renew Mock Exam – PL Series
Focused specifically on the PL (Power Platform) series — useful for IT professionals working in Microsoft ecosystem environments who need to renew existing credentials or add a Power Platform specialization.
Preparing for and Passing Technical Certifications
A Coursera course that addresses the meta-skill many people miss: how to actually study for and pass certification exams. Covers study strategies, test-taking techniques, and how to navigate exam anxiety — particularly useful for first-time certification candidates.
Circular Product Design Frameworks and Certifications
A more specialized option for IT professionals working in sustainability, product lifecycle management, or green IT — a growing certification niche as ESG requirements become embedded in enterprise tech purchasing.
How Long Does It Take to Get IT Certifications?
Timeline varies significantly by certification level and your existing background:
| Certification | Study Time (Avg) | Exam Cost |
|---|---|---|
| CompTIA A+ | 3–4 months (part-time) | ~$246 per exam (2 exams) |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate | 2–3 months (part-time) | $150 |
| AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) | 2–4 weeks | $165 |
| AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) | 2–3 months | $165 |
| CompTIA Security+ | 2–3 months | $392 |
| CISSP | 4–6 months | $749 |
| OSCP | 3–6 months (lab time) | $1,499 |
Most people underestimate study time by 30–50%. Budget realistically — rushing an exam and failing costs you both the retake fee and another 4–6 weeks of delay.
FAQ
What are the most valuable IT certifications to get in 2026?
By salary impact and job posting volume: AWS Solutions Architect Associate, Microsoft AZ-104, CISSP, and CompTIA Security+. AWS SAA-C03 has the highest raw demand; CISSP has the highest salary ceiling. For entry-level, CompTIA A+ and Google IT Support remain the most employer-recognized starting points.
How many IT certifications should I get?
Depth beats breadth in most hiring decisions. Two or three relevant, well-respected certifications in a coherent specialization (e.g., cloud infrastructure, or cybersecurity) will outperform a scattered collection of six or seven unrelated certs. Stack certifications within a track — AWS Associate → Professional, or Security+ → CISSP — rather than jumping across vendors.
Do IT certifications expire?
Most do. CompTIA certs require renewal every 3 years via continuing education or re-exam. AWS and Azure certs expire after 3 years and require a renewal exam. CISSP requires 120 CPE credits over 3 years. Factor renewal into your long-term certification planning — letting a cert lapse can hurt more than not having it.
Are IT certifications worth it without a degree?
Yes, and increasingly so. Many major employers — including Google, IBM, and Apple — have dropped degree requirements for a range of IT roles. Certifications paired with demonstrable hands-on experience (home labs, open-source contributions, freelance projects) are widely accepted as equivalent to a degree for non-management IT positions.
Which cloud certification should I get first — AWS or Azure?
Depends on your target employer. If you're aiming at startups or cloud-native companies, AWS has higher job posting volume overall. If you're targeting corporate enterprise IT (finance, healthcare, government), Azure is more likely to match what those employers actually run. When in doubt, check the job postings for companies you actually want to work at — they'll tell you exactly what they require.
Can I self-study for IT certifications or do I need a bootcamp?
Self-study with structured online courses is the most common and cost-effective path. Official vendor study guides, Udemy/Coursera prep courses, and platforms like A Cloud Guru or TryHackMe (for security) are used by the majority of successful candidates. Bootcamps add cost without adding proportional pass-rate improvement for most people — they're most useful if you need accountability or have a very compressed timeline.
Bottom Line
The certifications to get depend entirely on where you are in your career and where you want to be in 12 months. Here's the short version:
- Starting out? CompTIA A+ or Google IT Support. Get employed, then specialize.
- Want the highest salary ceiling in cloud? AWS Solutions Architect Associate first, then Professional.
- Corporate enterprise IT? Azure AZ-104 is likely more immediately applicable than AWS.
- Moving into cybersecurity? CompTIA Security+ is non-negotiable as a first step, then decide between analyst (CySA+) or pen-testing (OSCP) tracks.
- Long-term security leadership? CISSP is the target — start building toward the 5-year experience requirement now.
Don't collect certifications randomly. Pick a specialization, map the 2–3 certs that top employers in that niche consistently require, and work through them in sequence. That approach will move your career and salary faster than any other strategy in this list.