As skill gaps widen across the industry, IT professionals are looking for any advantage they could get. Cisco certification is increasingly providing that competitive advantage.
For the 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report, Global Expertise polled over 12,200 IT experts, and respondents overwhelmingly cited the direct benefits of authorization. According to decision-makers, certified staff members are better at troubleshooting issues, closing skill gaps, and completing projects more quickly.
Sixteen percent of all IT professionals hold at least one Cisco certification of completion, making it the world’s fourth-biggest certification category. The Cisco or CCNA course is on the lineup of 14 percent of IT professionals in 2019.
A significant focus area for businesses
One-third of North American IT professionals anticipate that Cisco will be a focus for their organization in the coming year. A large part of this is due to reputation—Cisco’s skills and certifications are among the most valuable in the industry. A CCNA certification cost is around USD 300.
However, the topics covered by CCNA certification in Seattle are in high demand. Security and networking are two of their more prominent certification areas, and they are essential concerns for IT professionals.
The top five Cisco certifications are all in security or networking. Individuals who are Cisco-certified are more likely to have the following certifications:
- CCNA Routing and Switching: 71%
- CCNP Routing and Switching: 33%
- CCNA Security accounts for 18% of the total.
- CCENT: Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (15%)
- Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA): 13%
The CCNA Routing and Switching certification is the industry standard for networking professionals. It is the second most popular certification globally, with 1,410 certified individuals, and 11% of survey respondents have these.
Certifications that pay well
According to the IT Skills and Salary Report (minimum of 100 North American responses), the following are the highest-paying Cisco certifications:
Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) — $120,139
The CCDA certification validates the network design skills required to build an enterprise network. It’s ideal for network design engineers, system engineers, and sales engineers who want to learn the fundamentals of Cisco network design.
Preparation for CCDA certification should include the following training:
- CPLL-N – Cisco Platinum Learning Library: Networking DESGN – Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions v3.0
- CPLL-N – Creating for Cisco Internetwork Solutions v3.0
CCNP Routing and Switching — $108,646
After gaining the expertise with the CCNA Routing and Switching certification, this is the next logical step. The CCNP Routing and Switching certification validate the ability to plan, implement, verify, and troubleshoot enterprise networks on a local and wide-area scale.
Preparing for CCNP Security certification requires the following training:
- ROUTE – Cisco IP Routing v2.0 Implementation
- SWITCH – Cisco IP Switched Networks v2.0 Implementation
- TSHOOT v2.0 – Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks
- Cisco Platinum Learning Library: Networking (CPLL-N)
CCNA Routing and Switching — $101,441
CCNA Routing and Switching are for IT professionals who want to develop and validate their Cisco networking fundamentals. It is the most widely held Cisco certification and focuses on fundamental IP networking skills.
The following courses prepare for the Certification:
- ICND1 v3.0 – Part 1 of Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
- ICND2 v3.0 – Part 2 of Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
- CPLL-N – Cisco Platinum Learning Library: Networking
- CCNAX v3.0 – CCNA Routing and Swapping Boot Camp
CCNA Security — $101,411
The CCNA Security certification validates the associate-level knowledge and skills needed to secure Cisco networks. It focuses on core information security such as installing, problem resolution, and monitoring network components to maintain data and device integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
The following courses prepare you for authorization:
- IINS – Cisco IOS Network Security 3.0 Implementation
- CPLL-S – Cisco Platinum Learning Library: Security Cisco
- CCNA Security Boot Camp
Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) — $83,057
CCENT certifies the ability to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small enterprise branch network and enable basic network security. This entry-level credential is the first step toward obtaining CCNA exam certifications.
Preparation for CCENT certification should include the following training:
- ICND1 v3.0 – Part 1 of Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
- Cisco Platinum Learning Library: Networking (CPLL-N)
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Conclusion
Certifications can validate your IT skills and experience, demonstrating to employers that you know to do the job. You can get certified in skills you already have or skills you want to use in your career — whatever your reason, certifications are a great way to boost your resume and stand out from the crowd in a job search.
According to Robert Half’s 2022 IT Salary Report, these are some of the most valuable certifications IT professionals could hold in the coming year. So whether you’re just getting started and building your resume or you’ve been in the industry for 20 years, Cisco certifications can help you advance your salary and career.
