The Average Salary for the PMP Certification

Project management is a white-hot field at the moment, and it’s even more rewarding for workers who are Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. This in-demand credential demonstrates certified education, experience and competency in project management. It also usually increases the holder’s salary by 6-30 percent. With more and more companies requiring PMP certification for their project managers, keep reading to find out exactly how certification can give your career a major boost while turning your salary up another well-deserved notch.

According to the July 14, 2011 information available on the website simplyhired.com, the average salary for a project manager in the U.S. is $75,000. The average salary for a PMP certified project manager is $103,000—an increase of well over 30 percent. Even though seniority plays a large role in determining salary and more senior project managers are more likely to be certified, these numbers still clearly show that project managers with PMP certification make more money.

Exactly how much more money varies from city to city. Salaries for project managers in Atlanta and Houston shoot up around 25 percent after certification but less than 10 percent in Chicago and New York. Project managers in Los Angeles make about 25 percent more after becoming Project Management Professional certified and those in Seattle enjoy a 20 percent salary increase. Still, no matter what the exact numbers, even a 5 percent increase in salary is substantial and PMP certification can give holders major leverage in salary negotiations for a new job.

To apply for PMP certification, you need to have either a four year degree and three years of project management experience or a high school degree and seven years of project management experience. After your application is accepted, you become eligible to take the PMP exam, which is offered through the Project Management Institute (PMI). Putting in some serious study time for this exam is highly recommended, and a variety of online and hardcopy study guides are available. After you pass the exam, you’ll need to chalk up 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) per year through PMI to keep your certification.

Since the PMP title is industry neutral, it’s desirable to companies across the board. A good project manager can save vast amounts of time and money, so most companies are on the lookout for managers with refined skills and an intelligent approach. PMP certification proves that you’ve got the education, ability and experience that it takes to be an exceptional project manager and can push your career in exciting new directions. If you want to increase your salary and secure your future in the project management industry, put in the time to study for the PMP and reap its benefits for the rest of your career.

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Average Salary of a Person with the CCNA Certification

The Cisco Certified Network Associate certification, otherwise known as the CCNA certification, is an entry-level certificate designed for IT professionals working in small to medium-sized networks. It shows that the certified individual can install, organize, manage and troubleshoot these networks as well as handle minor security threats and understand basic IP terminology. This certification helps individuals gain a foothold in the prestigious IP community, gains them more credibility with employers, and gives them a greater chance to get a job at a large, respectable IP company. In addition, the CCNA certification is one of the most sought-after certifications by employers in the computer networking field.

The CCNA certification can also result in salary increases of as much as 20 percent. In the U.S., the salary of a person who possesses this certification can run anywhere from $30,000 to $90,000, depending on factors such as experience, workplace and additional education. Certified individuals with experience generally earn much more than those without; however, it is still possible to earn as much as $30,000 per year with this certification even with less than a year of experience. According to a survey done by Certification Magazine in 2009, the average salary of a CCNA-certified person in the U.S. is $87,790. Cisco's Global Knowledge 2010 Salary Survey places this number a little lower, at $79,695.

Common jobs held by an individual with CCNA certification include IT network administrator, systems engineer, network engineer, IT manager and IT director. Each of these jobs has a different salary, with IT network administrator being the lowest and IT director being the highest. On average, a network administrator earns about $50,268 a year, a systems engineer earns $61,958, a network engineer earns $62,964, an IT manager makes $76,250 and an IT director is worth $90,862 a year. Senior IT engineers can earn more than engineers who don't hold this position; a senior systems engineer makes around $83,741 per year and a senior network engineer earns about $85,506.

A person's income after CCNA certification can also be influenced by the city they live in, the company they work for and even the school they graduate from. In Atlanta, Georgia, the salary range with this certification is between $38,605 and $112,625, whereas in New York, it starts at $44,674 and can reach as high as $122,960. As far as employers go, the U.S. Army pays the least for this certification, with a salary range from $30,000 to $87,000, and Cisco System, Inc. has the highest salary range at $56,782 to $117,906. In addition, graduates of ITT Technical Institute tend to earn the least, and those with a certificate from Strayer University tend to earn the most.

Another factor that can affect a person's salary is the exact type of CCNA certification they hold. There are five levels of CCNA certification available, including entry, associate, professional, expert and architect. A person with an entry-level CCNA certification usually earns far less than someone with a certification at the architect level. In addition, Cisco offers three different specializations under the CCNA certificate: security, voice and wireless. As a general rule, specializations help a person make more money. According to Cisco, a person with a security specialization averages $89,911, someone who specializes in voice makes $88,020, and a wireless specialization can earn a person as much as $94,323.

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