Almost two thirds of cybersecurity professionals (63%) currently are pursuing, or planning to pursue, security-related certifications, according to the (ISC)² 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study . Certifications deliver multiple benefits, including increased earning power and better career opportunities.

The study found that security certifications on average boost salaries by $18,000, from an average of $67,000 to $85,000. That alone is a significant motivator, although cybersecurity professionals typically don’t limit their choice of employment to earning potential alone. They tend to value attributes such as career advancement opportunities and work/life balance as much or more.

Of course, certifications are about more than boosting pay. They make job seekers more marketable by demonstrating levels of proficiency that otherwise would be harder to prove.

Typically, cybersecurity workers earn multiple certifications, which makes them even more attractive in the eyes of recruiters and employers.

Recruiters and hiring managers gravitate to candidates holding certifications because they see a link between certifications and a stronger security posture. “Employers value certified cybersecurity professionals for a number of reasons, from having increased confidence in strategies and practices (37%) to communicating and demonstrating that confidence and competence to customers (32%),” according to the study.

The Value of Certifications

Currently, 70% of U.S. cybersecurity professionals say their employers require them to have certifications, and the number is even higher worldwide (78%). The most popular certification is (ISC)²’s own CISSP , which 43% of respondents say they have earned, followed by the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (23%) and CISSP with concentration (20%).

(ISC)² certifications are vendor neutral. In the study, 47% of respondents say their employers require vendor-neutral security certifications, just two percentage points shy of the number (49%) of respondents who say their employers mandate vendor-specific certifications.

These corporate mandates seem to be a reflection of how leadership feels about certifications: 43% of C-suites consider them very valuable and 41% somewhat valuable. This compares to 35% of team managers who consider them very valuable and 60% who view them as somewhat valuable. Among team members, 32% view them as very valuable and 63% somewhat valuable.

The numbers are encouraging, although somewhat surprising. It would be reasonable to expect team members would value certifications the most, considering how they directly benefit from them.

Who Pays for Certifications

One of the biggest barriers cybersecurity professionals have faced regarding certifications is cost. Although most employers require certifications, they aren’t always willing to pick up the costs of certifying employees.

At most, only half of employers agree to pay for certifications. The highest level of employer support, according to the study, is in Europe, where 50% of respondents say their companies pay for certification courses.

Paying for employee certifications, however, helps with retention: 72% of respondents whose employers pay for certifications say they are either very or somewhat satisfied in their jobs, compared to 63% of respondents at organizations that pay for some of the costs of certification or none at all.

To read more of the findings from the study, please visit: https://www.isc2.org/Research/Workforce-Study