Our IT recruitment specialists are seeing a strong increase in demand for candidates with advanced skills and certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) from several of our clients. An increase in demand for various skills and certifications can often mean an increase in career opportunities, and in this case is also signaling an increase in salaries for those professionals who have these in-demand certifications.

According to the Global Knowledge Annual Salary Survey, the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification is expected to be the #1 highest-paying certification for professionals within the industry in 2013. Although a variety of factors like geography, industry, and experience play a major role in determining salaries, the certification of PMP is expected to average $105,750 annually.

The PMP certification, obtained through the Project Management Institute (PMI), requires rigorous, hands-on training and testing processes that display a strong working knowledge of project leadership methodologies. It’s broken down into five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing, each of which must be dutifully mastered to achieve the certification. As a result, the PMP certification has earned wide respect in the industry and ensures that its holder has the appropriate knowledge and experience to excel in numerous Project Management tasks.  “Taking the time and effort to obtain your PMP Certification, tells a potential interviewer or hiring manager that you are not only dedicated to Project Management as your chosen career path, but also, proves you have taken the initiative to study the craft to its fullest extent,” explains Lisa Samson, a Director at ES Technology, a division of The Execu|Search Group. “Showing that you are always willing to take the extra step to keep your skills current and learn new technologies is extremely important in today’s job market and goes a long way with potential employers.”

For those not in the Project Management field, the survey also outlined these 5 certifications as offering the highest earning potential in 2013:

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is the top certification for information security as well as the very first available in the field. Security managers and professionals who earn this certification can find a number of new jobs open to them, including positions in the government and military, and earn an average of $103,299 per year.
2. Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) is a new certification offering improved and up-to-date training in application solutions design within the Microsoft framework. There are three separate tracks available– MCSD: Windows Store Apps, MCSD: Web Applications, and MCSD: Application Lifecycle Management—with an average salary of $97,849 for certified professionals.
3. Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA®) earns an average salary of $94,799 and shows that a professional has mastered the essential knowledge of Cisco network design technology. At the culmination of the training and testing for CCDA, certified professionals will have learned and practiced all the necessary skills to design network infrastructures involving a number of platforms.
4. Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) is a credential acknowledging skill and working knowledge in the building of powerful applications using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Web services. On average, professionals with this certification earn around $93,349 per year and are responsible for building, testing, and maintaining professional applications that can be crucial to today’s tech-savvy companies.
5. VMware Certified Professional Datacenter Virtualization (VCP-DV) affords the certified professionals the skills and tools necessary to set themselves apart in the exponentially-growing virtualization industry. The high demand for these skills harbors a promising $92,400 salary on average to those who are certified in virtual infrastructure.