There’s undeniable good news for Citrix-certified IT professionals this year. Pursuing at least one Citrix certification has the potential to unlock a host of benefits ranging from above average salaries to greater prestige in the workplace thanks to improved knowledge and capabilities resulting from certifications. Simply put: Citrix certifications pay big dividends according to the Global Knowledge 2017 IT Skills and Salary Report.
Certifications translate to salaries above the market average
Of the 12,520 IT professionals or decision-makers who participated in our annual salary and skills survey, one in eight held a Citrix certification, which accounted for roughly 12 percent of participants. Their skills were above average in North America as well as global markets. Compared to other certification pathways, the mean salaries aligned with Citrix certifications were seven percent higher than the market average, which is good news for those currently holding these credentials.
In terms of dollars and cents, salaries for Citrix-certified personnel in North America were impressive when compared to the mean coming in at $96,194 as opposed to $90,521; average global market salaries were also notable for being higher than the norm at $50,780 to $46,337. Specific roles thrive as do Citrix-credentialed professionals’ dedication to extended training and knowledge pursuits.
More specifically, big paychecks for infrastructure engineers, analysts and technicians
A deeper dive into these salary details reveals those working as infrastructure engineers, analysts or technicians see a significant improvement in compensation compared to their peers without Citrix certifications or who are uncertified. These roles have mean salaries of $90,541, $75,786 and $76,189, respectively; that translates to making roughly $14,000 more on average than their peers who lack Citrix credentials. That’s a sizeable difference in take-home pay and worth calling attention to.
While solutions architects appeared to hover roughly around $120,000 regardless of certification possession and certified systems administrators made a negligible amount more than their peers, system engineers holding Citrix certifications experienced a bump in mean salary ranging from five to eight percent. In this area, compared to non-Citrix certified or uncertified peers, average salaries were $101,430, $93,889 and $96,266, respectively.
Justifying the numbers
IT professionals with Citrix certifications don’t shy away from professional growth, and this is partly why their salaries are above market averages. Nearly 80% of Citrix-certified respondents are either in training programs geared toward certifications or have plans to pursue some form of training or certification in the remaining months of 2017.
According to the Report, Citrix-certified professionals are keenly invested in timely training. Over 85 percent of Citrix-certified respondents trained in the previous year. On top of that, 63 percent obtained a certification, regardless of vendor or classification, within the last year, and 41 percent of respondents are currently working on a certification. To this group, certifications matter in a big way.
In terms of future growth, an astounding 80 percent of the Citrix-certified IT professionals have plans to start a new certification in 2017. This is 10 points higher than the norm for all certified IT respondents and demonstrates this group’s understanding of the value of training, certifications and continuing education. The pursuit of new skills and knowledge benefits the individual as well as drives change within organizations.
But why do they train?
Citrix-certified professionals know that training is the key to professional growth on both an individual and organizational scale. Nearly 75 percent of those who took training with the goal of certification noted at least one key benefit to receiving a new credential. Respondents were quick to note their supplemental training resulted in increasing speed at task performance, feeling more frequently sought out due to expertise, and the ability to implement system efficiencies.
The desire to reap these benefits has driven this demographic to pursue opportunity for skills growth. Across the globe, Citrix-certified professionals are carving out time to participate in training as demonstrated by the nearly 65 percent of respondents reported self-paced e-learning as their preferred learning method.
If you’re an IT decision-maker or manager, don’t be surprised if your Citrix-certified employees ask you to allocate funds for training. They’re clearly looking to have the credentials to back up their in-demand skills, which is great for you since it validates their ability to increase efficiency in your organization and make big things happen.
Looking to learn more about harnessing the potential of a Citrix certification? Take a look at our portfolio or contact us today to learn how we can help.