IT certification holders earn around 20% more than their non-certified peers. I learned that from experience when, a few years ago, I was working at a large ISP and discovered that colleagues I was working with were making less than me (much to their chagrin).
IT is a very competitive industry, and I regularly blog and make videos about the best paths to take depending on your goals and personal interests, be it security, networking, coding, project management, or something else. There is a niche for almost everybody in IT, no matter what you find appealing. With this in mind, I’ve curated a list of what I consider to be the top 10 IT certifications to consider in 2025.
There are so many upsides to IT certification, but there are no downsides whatsoever. Getting a recognised certification:
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- Increases your visibility
- Improves your understanding of the technology
- Allows you to command higher salaries
- Gets you more rewarding work
- Validates your skills
- Raises your profile with your peers
- Protects you from redundancy
Here’s the list of most in-demand certifications this year with details:
CompTIA A+
This certification is aimed at helpdesk or desktop support engineers. Other roles you could consider include small office support, wireless engineer, or installer for servers and routers, although you may not be able to configure them without extra training.
The A+ is a great stepping stone for more advanced careers, including network or cybersecurity engineer, but as I’ve said before, you could skip it altogether if you have big goals to become a cloud engineer or senior project manager.
Pros: Widely recognized and a ton of study materials available.
Cons: Expensive to pass due to two exams and a high failure rate.
CompTIA Security+
Now the CompTIA Security+ I consider to be one of those must-have IT certifications.
Security sits at the cornerstone of every company and the Security+ gives you a solid understanding of threat types, detection and prevention as well as standards and auditing. You certainly won’t be an expert in any area but you can leave security behind at this point or launch into a full blown career as an IT security professional be it technical, management or auditing.
Typical Security+ careers include cybersecurity helpdesk, IT manager, or policy advisor.
Pros: Very wide-ranging number of topics covered.
Cons: You have no practical ability or experience once you pass.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
The CCNA has been around for decades now, and there is no sign of it losing significance. This is probably because Cisco now updates it yearly to keep current with new trends and technologies in the world of networking.
The CCNA covers TCP/IP, routing, switching, and intent-based networking as well as wireless and security. Each category is actually covered in quite some depth, meaning that even the CCNA is not an entry-level certification. Cisco offers the CCENT for this, but even that isn’t easy.
After passing, you can consider careers such as network engineer, router and switch installer, wireless network engineer, or even network manager. Unlike the A+, you don’t really need to progress past the CCNA certification unless you want to go into network design or senior support.
Pros: Lots of study materials available and well respected
Cons: Hard to pass, requiring at least 2-3 months of dedicated study and practical lab time
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Amazon went from a relative newcomer in cloud networking to one of the top three. Their global coverage and scalability make them the first choice for small to huge companies that want security and reliability.
The AWS Associate exam is considered their entry-level and requires a good working knowledge of the platform. This means you must spend time using it and trying out all the features listed in the exam syllabus. The learning curve is steep, but the user interface is easy to navigate and learn as you go along on a trial account, although some features will require payment if you want to use them for exam prep.
Pros: Lots of job opportunities and easy to get plenty of hands-on practice.
Cons: Hard to learn via study guides and video courses, which can go out-of-date quickly. Requires an account to access.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Of course, you have heard of Microsoft for desktops and servers, but they are also a major player in cloud networking. They are just short of a 20% market share, which is behind Amazon.
Azure cloud engineers will perform the same role as Amazon but use the Azure platform, which works well with Microsoft apps and services. The cloud certification goes from beginner to advanced and specialization, meaning you can explore several opportunities. Many entry-level roles are available if you want to take the cloud networking route.
Pros: Easy to get a trial account, and spent time learning the platform—lots of well-paid job openings.
Cons: Book study won’t help; few practice exams are available online.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
The CISSP can be considered an elite-level certification and a long-term goal for any security professional. It’s an advanced cybersecurity certification for security management and architecture, so it’s not necessarily a technical qualification, although tech know-how is required to pass.
The most significant barrier to passing isn’t necessarily the knowledge you need, but proving five years of on-the-job experience. If you don’t have it yet, you can take a lower-level certification or become an affiliate until you get the five years on your resume.
Pros: Prestigious, high salary, global recognition.
Cons: are that it requires 5 years of experience and passing a challenging exam, and study materials can cost upwards of USD 2000.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
The PMP is considered to be the learning project management certification for IT and other fields. PMP-certified individuals are in high demand, but you do need to demonstrate between three and five years of experience, depending on other degree-level certifications. You can take their junior certifications in the meantime.
Pros: High pay and high prestige certification that will take you far.
Cons: High bar to qualifying for the exam, and training materials can be costly.
Google Professional Cloud Architect
This certification is aimed at those designing and managing Google Cloud solutions.
Google is a major player in cloud networking but falls behind Microsoft at 12% market share, although its AI and Machine Learning is considered superior. It might not be suitable for companies that rely heavily on Microsoft apps.
Pros: Niche but growing, strong focus on modern cloud tech. Easy to use GUI to learn features.
Cons: Fewer job roles available and fewer training materials.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
The CEH is a world-famous cybersecurity cert for penetration testing and ethical hacking. It demonstrates you have the skills to defend networks and produce comprehensive reports for management to use to harden the network.
The exam is very rigorous, requiring four hours to complete multiple choice questions. There are barriers to taking the exam including a very high cost and having to prove experience.
Pros: Hands-on, exciting field, high demand. High-paying roles after qualifying.
Cons: Specialized, requires a technical background.
ITIL 4 Foundation
The IT Infrastructure Library exams are aimed at best practices for IT service management (ITSM). ITSM is a structure your organization can follow to streamline all IT functions and make the process more efficient and orderly.
ITIL certifications range from foundation to master level and require substantial experience to qualify. The foundation certification will benefit any IT professional.
Pros: Broad applicability, improves operational efficiency. Careers to consider are IT service manager and process analyst.
Cons: Less technical, more process-focused. Many companies don’t see the value unless they are large or very large.
How to Choose the Right Certification for You
Firstly, please don’t research what pays the most and go for that. I did this many years ago, and I regretted it because I didn’t enjoy studying advanced IP routing at all. Think about what you enjoy doing, where your passion is, and, of course, consider what pays well as another factor.
The best routes allow you to take entry-level exams so you get a good idea of the technology and then progress to advanced levels if you wish. If the junior cert leads to a job, then all the better.
I would avoid learning the basics of all technologies because passing even associate-level exams for routing, security, cloud, and project management will take a year or more. Consider the CompTIA Network+, which covers a bit of everything, and then start to take a specialist path towards your end goal, whatever it may be.
