Online Certification Ups Salaries by 20 to 40 Percent Study Finds

Simplilearn, a provider of professional online certification courses, released results last week from the company’s first ever Career Impact Survey. Focusing on salary increases among its 400,000-person user base, the global survey detailed the first three to six months following completion of Simplilearn certification courses across several industries. Most notably, more than three quarters of respondents both globally (76 percent) and in the US (77 percent) reported a salary increase or promotion after completing at least one course/certification combination.

“Employees today are focused on beating out the competition and are seeking new ways to get ahead in their careers. Today’s technical careers in IT, marketing and computer science require additional skillsets and knowledge to stay ahead of incoming recruits and other colleagues,” Michael Stebbins, Chief Innovation Officer, said. “The first ever Career Impact Survey highlights this and found that employees who go the extra mile to continue to build on their college degrees, particularly in areas that are in most demand by their employers, do receive upticks in salary, promotions, quality of work done and quality of work assigned, across several fields and industries.”

Specifically, the Simplilearn Career Impact Survey found:

• Completion in digital marketing, IT service and architecture, project management and big data analytics certifications were more than twice as likely to receive an increase in salary or a promotion within six months versus those that have not received certification (67 percent versus 33 percent).
• Of respondents who benefitted from certifications in terms of an increase in salary, 64 percent received an increase of more than 15 percent within six months of certification.
• Sixty-five percent of respondents who completed certification within the last six months believed they were well placed for a promotion versus those who did not seek upskilling opportunities.
• Of all the respondents who achieved a minimum 20 percent and up to 40 percent increase in their salary, 70 percent had completed a certification course.

To see an infographic on the study’s findings, click here.

The impact of a certification is more pronounced in emerging fields like Big Data, Digital Marketing and related areas.

“These results are not surprising,” said Sarah Fraser, SVP and Global Director of Learning and Performance, Team Detroit – BlueHive – Hudson Rouge. “Continued professional development is central to ensuring that our team members stay at the top of their game and have the latest skills, specifically in the digital marketing space, which is critical to our business to continually evolve and innovate to meet our clients' ever changing needs. Our organization encourages team members to seek out growth opportunities through online certification courses… and we find they're increasingly confident in understanding the broader business issues, value development opportunities, and are more engaged and prepared to make an impact.”