Certification reviews

Every certification rated on three measured, sourced facts: how often employers require it, what the matching role pays, and where the field is heading. Each card shows those three at a glance. The tier is a summary of published thresholds, not a score, and every figure traces to job postings or the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

13 reviews across 6 fields|Deciding between two? See head-to-head comparisons ›
Field
Tier
Healthcare3 certs
Clinical and support credentials. Hard-gated by employers.
ACLS
Broadly required
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
71% / 14%
req / pref
$93,600
median (BLS)
+5%
field, to 2034
BLS
Well established
Basic Life Support
70% / 16%
req / pref
$39.5k–93.6k
median (BLS)
+5%
field, to 2034
CNA
Situational
Certified Nursing Assistant
63% / 8%
req / pref
$39,530
median (BLS)
+2%
field, to 2034
Engineering1 cert
Licensure-track credentials for engineers.
EIT
Well established
Engineer in Training
41% / 32%
req / pref
$99,590
median (BLS)
+5%
field, to 2034
Cloud computing2 certs
Provider certifications for cloud and infrastructure roles.
AZ-104
Situational
Microsoft Azure Administrator
23% / 54%
req / pref
$96,800
median (BLS)
-4%
field, to 2034
GCP Professional
Well established
Google Cloud Professional
20% / 52%
req / pref
$130,390
median (BLS)
+12%
field, to 2034
Cybersecurity4 certs
Security credentials, from entry baseline to senior standard.
Security+
Broadly required
CompTIA Security+
54% / 27%
req / pref
$124,910
median (BLS)
+29%
field, to 2034
CISSP
Well established
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
38% / 36%
req / pref
$124,910
median (BLS)
+29%
field, to 2034
CISM
Well established
Certified Information Security Manager
31% / 45%
req / pref
$124,910
median (BLS)
+29%
field, to 2034
CEH
Well established
Certified Ethical Hacker
35% / 41%
req / pref
$124,910
median (BLS)
+29%
field, to 2034
Project management1 cert
The cross-industry project-management credential.
PMP
Well established
Project Management Professional
30% / 47%
req / pref
$100,750
median (BLS)
+6%
field, to 2034
Finance2 certs
Multi-year programs for investment and planning careers.
CFA
Well established
Chartered Financial Analyst
37% / 39%
req / pref
$101,910
median (BLS)
+6%
field, to 2034
CFP
Well established
Certified Financial Planner
48% / 18%
req / pref
$102,140
median (BLS)
+10%
field, to 2034
Pay shown is the median for the closest Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation, the stable anchor each review leads with. Postings often state different (and for advisor roles, lower) figures, which each review breaks down. Requirement and preference rates come from a Q1 2026 snapshot of job postings. How we measure this ›