IT Certs - Not Entirely Accurate Report

thanksajdotcom

So I found this report:
http://www.wgu.edu/blogpost/top-it-certifications-2014

It mentions the top 5 supposed best IT certs to get, and the average salary if you have them. I have 2/5 on the list. I make about half of what I should, according to that report. I don't think that report is accurate, and is quite misleading for new techs. Experience is still needed. Thoughts?

Thanks,
A.J.

IRJ

That report is so far off it isn't even funny.

Maybe if you add in 5-8 years experience with those certs. Its advertising for a school. Many schools are known for lying about job availability, income, and job placement.

thanksajdotcom

Ok, glad to know I'm not crazy @IRJ . It didn't seem right to me at all.

IRJ

Here are some real entry level numbers from Utah

Dashrender

What make a help desk person an analyst?

scottalanmiller

WGU is one if the infamous scam schools.

scottalanmiller

All of those certs listed are super junior. Those are anything but the too certs. They are the "no one cares" certs more than anything.

I have most of those certs listed however, I've never even broke making half of what they list as the average salary. Either I'm severely underpaid or that report is very very wrong. I'm going with the latter.

scottalanmiller

The thing that is tricky about those reports is that they list what people who have those certs make, not what people make because of those certs. They state a fact and let people draw other conclusions.

Same way that colleges make degrees sound good.

You could say that the average kindergarten graduate earns $30K a year and that is true. They leave out that the average kindergarten graduate is 42 years old and also graduated from high school and has some college and has 20+ years of work experience.

IRJ

@scottalanmiller said:

The thing that is tricky about those reports is that they list what people who have those certs make, not what people make because of those certs. They state a fact and let people draw other conclusions.

Same way that colleges make degrees sound good.

You could say that the average kindergarten graduate earns $30K a year and that is true. They leave out that the average kindergarten graduate is 42 years old and also graduated from high school and has some college and has 20+ years of work experience.

That report is still really high for Utah which is below average as far as IT salaries go. Maybe it would be accurate for Silicon Valley or NYC

scottalanmiller

Those numbers are super low for NYC and the Bay Area.

IRJ

@scottalanmiller

Entry level people make more than that?

@scottalanmiller said:

Those numbers are super low for NYC and the Bay Area.

Super low for here too. Normally around mid to high 30k around here for helpdesk jobs. unless it's for a school, then the sys admin don't even make that.

IRJ

@thecreativeone91 said:

@scottalanmiller said:

Those numbers are super low for NYC and the Bay Area.

Super low for here too. Normally around mid to high 30k around here for helpdesk jobs. unless it's for a school, then the sys admin don't even make that.

I am talking about the WGU report not the Indeed.com report

scottalanmiller

@IRJ said:

@scottalanmiller

Entry level people make more than that?

Can, yes. But those aren't entry level titles. Those are mid career titles.

scottalanmiller

The WGY report is not entry level or starting. They are career averages for people holding those certs. So for network+ for example that would include my salary now. Very misleading.

This is how IT people mislead themselves in these studies. It doesn't state anything wrong. Everyone is just reading into it things that it doesn't say or even hint at. Read it carefully, it's useless data.

Bill Kindle

@ajstringham COMPTIA Security+
Average salary: $80,066

Wow, I'm grossly underpaid then...........

I've stopped looking at these "reports" because they are not based in reality.

scottalanmiller

@Bill-Kindle said:

@ajstringham COMPTIA Security+
Average salary: $80,066

Wow, I'm grossly underpaid then...........

I've stopped looking at these "reports" because they are not based in reality.

You aren't average career length or average career market though. You are misreading the stat. It's just an average of people holding that cert. You are much younger than average.

Bill Kindle

@scottalanmiller I've had that cert coming up on 6 years I think. Been working in IT in one capacity or another 10+ years now. I mean, unless 29 still means I'm too young......

Bill Kindle

@IRJ Those look closer to what I see.