Certificates from vendors and industry organizations allow IT professionals in America to earn six-figure salaries as the need for skilled workforce has skyrocketed amid the pandemic.

According to a new report by Robert Half Technology, HR consulting at recruiting firm Robert Half International Inc., the most sought-after certifications today are AWS, Cisco and Microsoft for key cloud, privacy and data security skills. The salaries of specialists with such certificates can be 5-10% higher than without them.

Rising unemployment and skills development in the course of the digital transformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the pool of potential candidates, and having a certification is a real advantage when applying for a job.

CRN / USA lists the 15 most in-demand IT certifications in the market from the Robert Half report in 2021.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
As its cloud services continue to expand, Amazon Web Services offers a range of certifications for IT professionals. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional certification is for solution architects, solution engineers, and technicians who want to develop applications and systems on the AWS platform. This certificate is one of the most demanded in the field of cloud technologies today. He validates the ability to design and deploy dynamically scalable, highly available, resilient and reliable applications running in the AWS Cloud, as well as the skills to migrate complex multi-tier applications to AWS and design and deploy enterprise sales to Amazon.

Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
This certification for information security professionals confirms expert-level skills and the ability to apply best practices in architecture design and cloud security development, deployment and orchestration of services. This certification is globally recognized and represents the highest standard for cloud security expertise. Founded by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC) 2 in conjunction with the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), it demonstrates knowledge and skills in designing data protection, applications and IT infrastructure and managing security in the cloud.

Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE)
Amid the exponential growth of data volumes, this certification opens up a world of possibilities, confirming that its holder understands the ever-increasing complexities of data security and privacy. This is the first IT certification of its kind to be offered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

The certification validates the analyst's ability to manage the data lifecycle and advise developers on privacy and data best practices, while adhering to a common data methodology to improve user experience while maintaining privacy and trust.

Certified Data Professional (CDP)
This certificate includes several levels and opens up opportunities for different job positions. Its holder can specialize and be certified in several areas, including business intelligence, data warehousing, data management, data integration and interoperability, information management, and enterprise data architecture.

More than half of CDP certification holders have at least 10 years of industry experience. Certification is carried out by the Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP).

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