HIGH PAYING

CERTIFICATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction

2. The Top 11 High Paying Certifications of 2016

i. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

ii. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) credential

iii. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

iv. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

v. Project Management Professional (PMP)

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vi. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

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vii. Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Routing and Switching

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viii. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center

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ix. Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)

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x. Certified Ethical Hacker

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xi. Six Sigma Green Belt

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3. The Simplilearn Advantage

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Professional certifications have taken centerstage in today's job market. Over 91% of hiring
managers worldwide consider a professional certification an essential criterion for hiring.
So, which certification should you invest in? Does it pay well? Will the returns be worth
the investment? A Global Knowledge survey identified the highest paying certifications
for 2016. Here's more on the 11 top certifications on the list and how you can give your
salary package a massive boost with one!

THE 11 HIGHEST PAYING CERTIFICATIONS OF 2016

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Routing and Switching
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center
Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)
Certified Ethical Hacker
Six Sigma Green Belt

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THE AWS CERTIFIED SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT ASSOCIATE

An Overview
This certification is intended for individuals who have experience in designing distributed systems and applications on the AWS platform.
Each of the five AWS certifications brings in an average salary of more than $100,000.
The exam is administered by Amazon Web Services

Salary
The salary of an AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate is $125,871.

Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must have 1 or more years of hands-on experience designing
cost-effective and scalable distributed systems on AWS.
Candidates must have the ability to identify and define the requirements for an
AWS-based application.
Candidates must bring to the table knowledge of best practices for building reliable
and secure applications on the AWS platform.

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Candidates must possess in-depth knowledge of at least one of the high-level

programming languages.
Candidates should be experienced with deploying hybrid systems with the on-premises
and AWS components.

Examination Format
The paper has multiple-choice based questions.
The duration of the exam is 80 minutes.
The exam is offered in English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, German, Korean, Spanish,
Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.

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CERTIFIED IN RISK AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

CONTROL (CRISC) CREDENTIAL

An Overview
CRISC is the most rigorous and current assessment available to evaluate risk
management proficiency of IT professionals and other employees within a financial
institute or enterprise.
It is the one certification that thoroughly prepares and enables IT professionals for the
unique challenges that lie in IT and enterprise risk management, and positions them to
become strategic partners to the enterprise.
The exam is administered by ISACA.
Those who earn the CRISC credential help enterprises understand business risk, and
have the technical knowledge to implement appropriate IS controls.
The certification will give candidates access to ISACAs global community of knowledge
and the most up-to-date thinking on IT risk management.

Salary
The salary of a CRISC certified professional is $122,954 per year.

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Eligibility Requirements
The exam is open to all individuals who have an interest in business and technology
risk management as well as in the development and implementation of IS controls.
Candidates must have a minimum of 6 years of cumulative work experience across all
5 of the CRISC domains.
Candidates must have a minimum of 3 years of cumulative work experience in
CRISC risk domains 1-3.

Examination Format
The exam paper consists of 150 questions.
The duration of the exam is 4 hours.

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CERTIFIED INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGER (CISM)

An Overview
The CISM certification is a certification for Information Security managers and is
awarded by ISACA.
This certification focuses on information risk management as the basis of information
security.
More than 27,000 people have been certified since its introduction in 2002, of which
23,220 are currently certified, making this a highly sought-after area with a relatively
small supply of certified individuals.

Salary
The salary of a certified CISM professional is $122,291 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must have at least 5 years of information security experience with
a minimum of 3 years of information security management work experience in
specific fields.

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Examination Format
The exam consists of 200 MCQs.
The time allocated for each exam is 4 hours.
The exam is administered three times a year - in June, September, and December

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CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY

PROFESSIONAL (CISSP)

An Overview
Backed by the (ISC)2, the CISSP is the first credential in the field of information
security to meet the stringent requirements of the ISO/IEC Standard 17024.
It is an ideal certification for those with proven deep technical and managerial
competence, skills, experience, and credibility, to design, engineer, implement, and
manage their overall information security programs to protect organizations from
attacks that are becoming more sophisticated.
CISSP credential holders are the decision-makers who possess the expert knowledge
and technical skills necessary to develop, guide, and manage the security standards,
policies, and procedures within their organizations.
The CISSP certification continues to be a highly sought-after certification by
IT professionals and recognized by organizations.

Salary
The salary of a certified CISSP professional is $121,923 per year.

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Eligibility Requirements
Candidates require a minimum of 5 years of experience in at least two of (ISC)2s eight
common body of knowledge domains or,
Four years of experience in at least two of the (ISC)2s CBK domains as well as a
college degree.

Examination Format
The exam is a multiple-choice and advanced innovative question paper.
The paper contains 250 questions.
The time given to finish the paper is 6 hours.
The exam is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese,
Simplified Chinese, Korean, as well as a version for the visually impaired

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL (PMP)

An Overview
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is one of the industrys most
important certifications for project managers.
The PMP certification also increases earning potential. PMP certification holders earn 17
percent more than their non-certified peers according to the Project Management
Salary SurveyEighth Edition.
The PMP signifies that you understand and speak the global language of project
management and in turn connects you to a community of professionals, organizations,
and experts worldwide.
The exam is administered by PMI.

Salary
The salary of a certified PMP professional is $116,094 per year.

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Eligibility Requirements
Secondary degree (a high school diploma, an associates degree, or the global
equivalent)
7,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education
Or
Four-year degree
4,500 hours leading and directing projects
35 hours of project management education

Examination Format
The exam has 200 MCQs.
The time allocated for the exam is 3 hours.

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CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS AUDITOR (CISA)

An Overview
The Certified Information Systems Auditor or CISA is a globally recognized
certification in the field of audit, control, and security of information systems.
The CISA is awarded by ISACA.
Being CISA certified showcases a candidates audit experience, skills and knowledge,
and demonstrates that they are capable to assess the vulnerabilities, report on
compliances, and institute controls within the enterprise.

Salary
The salary of a certified CISA professional is $113,320 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must have at least five years of professional experience.
The candidate must comply with the auditing standards of ISACA in the exercise of
audits and adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics.

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Examination Format
There are three exams that are conducted in a year June, September, and December.
The exam consists of 200 multiple-choice based questions.
The time allocated for the exam is 4 hours.

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CISCO CERTIFIED INTERNETWORK EXPERT (CCIE)

ROUTING AND SWITCHING

An Overview
The most sought-after of all CISCO certifications, the CCIE or Cisco Certified
Internetwork Expert, is an expert level CISCO certification.
The certification validates a professionals skills at an expert-level in planning,
operating, and troubleshooting converged, complex network infrastructure. This
certification puts an individual on top of their field with their knowledge and abilities.
Among all the professionals who hold CISCO certifications, only 3% have successfully
attained the CCIE certification.

Salary
The salary of a certified CCIE professional is $112,858 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
There are no formal prerequisites but it is preferred if the professional has 2 3 years
of work experience.

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Examination Format
This is a 120 minute qualification exam.
The paper contains 90 100 multiple choice questions.
The exam is only offered in English.

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CISCO CERTIFIED NETWORK ASSOCIATE (CCNA)

DATA CENTER

An Overview
An IT certification offered by CISCO, Cisco Certified Network Associate is an associate
level certification under Routing and Switching. Attaining this certification will help
you escalate investment in foundational networking and heighten the value of your
employers network
The certification will validate your ability to install, operate, configure, and troubleshoot
medium-sized switched and routed networks.
Because the certification opens the door to the world of IT networking, it is considered
one of the best certifications offered by the company.

Salary
The salary of a certified CCNA professional is $107,045 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
There are no prerequisites for this certification.

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Examination Format
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (200-120 CCNA)
Or
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (100-101 ICND1) + Interconnecting
Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (200-101 ICND2)
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (200-120 CCNA)
The time allocated for the exam is 90 minutes.
There are 50-60 questions asked
The exam is offered in English and Japanese.
The exam lasts 90 minutes
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 100-101 ICND1
The time allocated for the exam is 90 minutes.
The paper consists of 45-55 questions.
The exam is offered in two languages English and Japanese.
Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 200-101 ICND2
The paper consists of 50-60 questions.
The time allocated for the exam is 75 minutes.
The exam is offered only in English.

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CISCO CERTIFIED DESIGN PROFESSIONAL (CCDP)

An Overview
The Cisco Certified Design Professional certification by CISCO is a professional level
certification.
The certification is aimed at professionals who design and create advanced addressing,
security, routing, data center, security, and IP multicast multi-layered architectures and
enterprise.

Salary
The salary of a certified CCDP professional is $105,008 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
A professional must have a valid
Cisco CCDA and CCNA Routing and Switching certification
Or
Any Cisco CCIE certification

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Examination Format
Implementing Cisco IP Routing 300-101 ROUTE
The time allocated for the exam is 120 minutes.
The paper consists of 45 65 questions.
The exam is offered in English.
Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks 300-115 SWITCH
The time allocated for the exam is 120 minutes.
The paper consists of 30 - 40 questions.
The exam is offered in English.
Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures 642-874 ARCH
The time allocated for the exam is 75 minutes.
The paper consists of 50 - 60 questions.
The exam is offered in English and Japanese.

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CERTIFIED ETHICAL HACKER

An Overview
The Certified Ethical Hacker certification is a qualification allows professionals to
assess the security of computer systems, using penetration testing techniques.
The certification serves as the catalyst to enter the field of information security and
certifies individuals in various information security skills.
Many organizations have made the CEH certification a compulsory qualification for
security related posts
This exam is administered by the EC-council.

Salary
The salary of a Certified Ethical Hacker is $103,297 per year.

Eligibility Requirements
Candidates require 2 years of relevant information security work experience.
Those without work experience can request consideration of education background.
Candidates must also have strong knowledge of TCP/ IP

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It is necessary that candidates have an educational background demonstrating

specialization in information security.

Examination Format
The exam has 125 MCQs.
The time allocated for the exam is 4 hours.

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SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT

An Overview
The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt is a popular business management strategy that is
widely used across industries for quality and process improvement.
Six Sigma is basically a set of techniques and tools that focus on customer requirements
thoroughly while minimizing variability in manufacturing and improving process quality.
Six Sigma Green Belt lays emphasis on improving the capability of a process rather than
controlling the product quality.
According to Villanova University, employers such as UnitedHealth Group, Honeywell,
GE and Volkswagen have been actively seeking professionals with the Six Sigma
certification to fill a variety of positions.
This exam is administered by the IASSC.

Salary
The average salary of a certified Six Sigma Green Belt professional is $102,594 per
year.

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Eligibility Requirements
3 years of work experience in one or more areas of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of
Knowledge.
The work experience must be paid and full time.

Examination Format
The paper consists of 100 MCQs.
The time allocated for the exam is 4 hours.
The exam is offered only in English.

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THE

ADVANTAGE

Getting a certification is the first step to advancing your career. However, it is also
important to find the right training provider for yourself. Some may have long hours at
work, some may have a preferred method of training. It is important that the training
provider you choose addresses all your needs. Simplilearn offers training courses in CISM,
CISSP, PMP, CISA, CCNA, CEH, and Six Sigma Green Belt that are delivered in two
convenient modes self-paced learning and instructor-led training with the Flexi-pass
product- to suit your every need. You can thus study at your pace and your place.
With high-quality eLearning content that is regularly updated with input from experts
and live industry projects, you get the perfect start to accelerate your career.

What are you waiting for?

Get out there and GET CERTIFIED, today!

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