Built on real data

The honest read on which certifications are worth it.

We rate professional certifications on three measured facts: how often employers require them, what the matching jobs pay, and where the field is heading. Every number traces to job postings or the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. No hype, no pay-for-placement.

Browse 13 reviews Compare two certs

13 certifications across 6 fields. Every figure traces to a dated source.

A review at a glance

Security+

Broadly required

CompTIA Security+

54% / 27%

req / pref

$124,910

median (BLS)

+29%

field, to 2034

See the full review ›

What we measure

How often it is required

We read thousands of job postings and separate required from preferred, because a cert an employer prefers is not one you actually need.

What the role pays

We anchor on the median for the closest Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation, then show what postings actually state, gaps included.

Where the field is heading

BLS projects each occupation a decade out, so you can tell a growing field from a shrinking one before you commit.

What the data turned up

A few findings that the marketing will not tell you. Each one is sourced in the full review.

Security+

Security+ is the one cybersecurity cert here that employers require more than they prefer. The defense sector's DoD mandate makes it the baseline.

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CEH

CEH is named Certified Ethical Hacker, yet only about 10% of its postings are offensive-security roles. Most are defensive SOC work.

Read the review ›

AZ-104 vs GCP

AZ-104 maps to a job BLS expects to shrink 4% by 2034. GCP's maps to one growing 12%. Same field, opposite directions.

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CFP

CFP advisor postings show a median near $77,600, but the BLS median is $102,140. The gap is commission income the postings leave out.

Read the review ›

A tier, not a score

We do not invent a number out of thin air. Each cert is banded on the three facts against published thresholds, and the tier is the result. You can see exactly where every line sits.

See the exact thresholds ›

Broadly required

Required across the field

Well established

Widely valued

Situational

Depends on the role

Niche

Narrow demand

Browse by field

Deciding between two?

How we stay honest

The whole site is worthless the moment you cannot trust a number on it.

Sources over claims

Every requirement rate, salary, and growth figure links to where it came from. If we cannot source it, we do not print it.

We will talk you out of it

If a cert is overpriced, misunderstood, or not required for your goal, the review says so. If two certs are not really comparable, we tell you instead of forcing a contest.

Read the full methodology