Best IT Certifications for 2024

Earning specialized certifications is a surefire way to advance your career in the IT field, regardless of industry or current career level. The right certification validates your skills and knowledge, which makes you more desirable to future employers who want to attract and retain the best employees. Below, we’ll explore the top IT certifications and share how to examine your goals to choose the right path forward. 

We’ve narrowed IT certifications into specific categories to help IT professionals assess what’s available and pursue the best certifications to show their willingness to learn and develop the in-demand career skills employers want.

Database platforms have changed greatly over the years, but database technology remains important for various applications and computing tasks. Available certifications for IT professionals include those for database administrators (DBAs), database developers, data analysts and architects, business intelligence, and data warehousing specialists, and other data professionals.

Obtaining database certifications demonstrates an understanding of database concepts, design, implementation, administration and security. This can boost your credibility in the job market and show potential employers that you have the skills needed to work with databases. The best database certifications include the following:

SAS is one of the world’s leading firms for business analytics, data warehousing and data mining. Today, the SAS Global Certification Program offers 23 credentials across categories including foundation tools, advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management and administration.

SAS programmers remain in high demand, with a quick search of job boards showing thousands of open positions. Obtaining SAS certification shows employers that you are proficient in the company’s popular suite of tools. Some of SAS’s certification programs include the following: 

Many professionals earn certifications to help navigate their career paths. According to the IT Salary Report, 92 percent of information technology professionals have at least one certification.

Cisco Systems is a market leader not only in networking and communications products, but also storage networking and solutions for data centers. Cisco offers a variety of certifications for IT professionals, ranging from entry level credentials to expert-level exams. 

These certifications prepare professionals for Cisco-related careers. A search of job boards reveals thousands of open positions for Cisco experts, underscoring the continued relevance of these skills. Some of Cisco’s certifications include the following:

Dell Technologies remains one of the world’s leading computing companies. In addition to its well-known hardware lineup, Dell also offers solutions for networks, storage, servers, gateways and embedded computing, as well as a broad range of IT and business services.

Becoming certified in Dell products can help make IT professionals competitive in engineering roles for server, virtualization, networking, systems, integration and data security. Additional roles include consultants, account executives, system administrators, IT managers and deployment managers.

In the mobile era, it has become increasingly important for network engineers to support local, remote and mobile users, as well as provide proper infrastructure. The focus on application and app development now leans more toward mobile environments, requiring security professionals to thoroughly address mobility from all perspectives.

Due to the fast-changing nature of mobile technology, not many mobility certifications have become widely adopted. However, a few of the top mobility certifications can help IT professionals stand out in this rapidly evolving field. 

If part of your job includes selling and implementing an IT solution, you may want to pursue the best sales certifications. You’ll show your organization that you’re willing to go above and beyond to reach sales targets.

As remote and computer-based work has become more common, it’s more important than ever that businesses and individuals be able to maintain their hardware. While discussions about potential computer-related jobs often revolve around software work and coding, jumping into the IT field by becoming a computer technician is an excellent starting point.

Today, thousands of hardware technician jobs are available across the country. Entering this industry becomes more accessible for those who acquire computer hardware certifications. These certifications can showcase your expertise and proficiency in the upkeep of computers, mobile devices, printers and other hardware components.

IT pros with solid cloud computing skills continue to be in high demand as more companies adopt cloud technologies. Today, Google Cloud is one of the market leaders in the cloud computing space. 

Regardless of where you are in your IT career, engaging with certification programs can demonstrate your willingness to keep on top of rapidly evolving cloud technologies. To that end, Google has introduced a host of certifications for its cloud platform, including the following: 

In the fast-changing world of technology, it can help to focus on certifications that have stood the test of time. “Evergreen” refers to certifications that remain popular year after year. 

The top evergreen certifications are based on recent pay surveys in IT, reports from IT professionals about certifications they want or pursue the most, and those that appear most frequently in online job postings. Obtaining these credentials is one step toward ensuring that your skills remain relevant for a long time: 

IT governance provides structure for aligning a company’s IT with its business strategies. Organizations faced with compliance rigors always need experienced IT pros who can see the big picture and understand technology risks. This means certified IT governance professionals are likely to remain in high demand.

Earning one of the following certifications proves a commitment to understanding the role of IT governance and its position in a company’s current and future success. Getting certified can validate your expert knowledge and lead to advanced career opportunities.

An IT system administrator is responsible for managing and maintaining the information technology infrastructure within an organization. The position demands sought-after career skills, ranging from configuring and maintaining servers and clients to managing access controls, network services, and addressing application resource requirements.

If you’re in charge of managing modern servers, there’s a long list of tools and technologies that system administrators must master. Obtaining some of the most prominent system administrator certifications can demonstrate your mastery to potential employers. 

ITIL, or Information Technology Infrastructure Library, was developed to establish standardized best practices for IT services within government agencies. Over the ensuing four decades, businesses of all types embraced, modified, and extended ITIL, shaping it into a comprehensive framework for managing IT service delivery. 

The ITIL framework remains the benchmark for best practices in IT service and delivery management, offering certification programs that cater to IT professionals at all levels. These training and certification courses ensure that IT professionals stay well-prepared for the ongoing evolution in IT service delivery management. There are four certifications in the ITIL certification program:

An IT enterprise architect is responsible for designing and managing the overall structure and framework of an organization’s information technology system. Enterprise architect certifications are among the highest that an IT professional can achieve; fewer than 1 percent ultimately reach this level. 

Enterprise architects are among the highest-paid employees and consultants in the tech industry. These certifications can put IT professionals on a path to many lucrative positions. The average worker earns over six figures annually. Some top enterprise architect certifications are listed below:

To become an enterprise IT architect, you’ll need knowledge of systems deployment, design and architecture, as well as a strong business foundation.

CompTIA is a nonprofit trade association made up of more than 2,000 member organizations and 3,000 business partners. The organization’s vendor-neutral certification program is one of the best recognized in the IT industry. Since CompTIA developed its A+ credential in 1993, it has issued more than two million certifications.

CompTIA certifications are grouped by skill set and focus on the real-world skills IT professionals need. Armed with these credentials, you can demonstrate that you know how to manage and support IT infrastructure. 

A longtime leader in database software, Oracle also offers cloud solutions, servers, engineered systems, storage, and more. The company has more than 430,000 customers in 175 countries. 

Today, Oracle’s training program offers six certification levels that span 16 product categories with more than 200 individual credentials. Considering the depth and breadth of this program — and the number of Oracle customers — it’s no surprise that Oracle certifications are highly sought after. 

Vendor-specific certifications address a particular vendor’s hardware and software. For example, you can pursue Oracle certifications and Dell certifications to become an expert in those companies’ environments.

Business continuity and disaster recovery keep systems running and data available in the event of interruptions or faults. These programs bring systems back to normal operation after a disaster has occurred.

Business continuity and disaster recovery certifications are seeing a healthy uptrend as new cloud-based tools grow in popularity. While business continuity planning and disaster recovery planning have always been essential, they’re becoming more critical than ever — and IT certifications are following suit.

Man who killed two people with Camp Fire dump truck sentenced

OROVILLE — A dump truck driver who killed two people in a four-vehicle crash on Highway 99 south of Chico in 2019 learned Wednesday he’ll spend the next 10 years in state prison.

Thomas Fairhurst, 59, of Antioch, was driving a 26,000-pound dump truck north on Highway 99 when he rammed a subcompact car stopped at a red light at the intersection with Neal Road June 21, 2019, according to a news release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office. Donald Shippen, 53, and Apryl Shippen, 56, both of Chico, were inside the Chevrolet Aveo when Fairhurst’s truck struck them as it was moving at 55 mph.

Investigators found no evidence Fairhurst attempted to brake prior to making impact, according to the release.

Fairhurst’s truck pushed the Chevrolet into a Toyota sport-utility vehicle that was also stopped at the red light, according to the release. The impact pushed the Toyota, in turn, under a semitrailer stopped in front of the Toyota. The Chevrolet and Toyota sustained extensive damage.

Three occupants of the Toyota suffered major injuries, as did the Shippens’ adult son, who was driving the Chevrolet, according to the release. Fairhurst and the driver of the semitrailer were not injured.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said an investigation by the California Highway Patrol Major Accident Investigation Team revealed Fairhurst had engaged in late-night partying and activities in the days prior to the collision, while he was working long days in the Paradise area.

Investigators concluded Fairhurst did not obtain the amount of sleep needed to operate his commercial vehicle safely and attentively, and that he fell asleep as he approached the busy Neal Road intersection, according to the release.

Ramsey said Fairhurst’s case was one of many serious cases on the Butte County court docket that were delayed repeatedly during the COVID pandemic.

Fairhurst initially pleaded guilty Feb. 15 to two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter, but he failed to appear at his sentencing hearing April 20, according to the release. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Ramsey stated his office filed an additional charge for failing to appear.

A Magalia man and suspected cold-case killer admitted in Butte County Superior Court to murdering a woman in 2017.

Dustin Troy Kimball, 49, pleaded no contest Wednesday to a single count of murder for the homicide of Jennifer Coleen Moore, according to a news release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.

Ramsey said Moore was reported missing to the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office June 20, 2017. Friends and family had last seen her a day earlier when she left her Orland home with Kimball, her boyfriend. Moore left her special-needs son at home with her roommate while she went with Kimball to purchase a car for herself, but never returned.

The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office investigated the missing person report, but detectives could not find Moore during the investigation and the case “went cold” for the next three and a half years, according to the release.

Ramsey said the Butte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Jan. 10, 2021, call regarding human remains found in a rural area near Forest Ranch, off Highway 32. Forensic anthropologists from Chico State evaluated the remains, ultimately determining them to be Moore’s.

Ramsey said that at Wednesday’s preliminary hearing that the evidence established Kimball was the last person to be seen with Moore June 19, 2017. After he picked her up from her home, he drove her to the Chico Walmart, which was the last location they were seen together on store surveillance.

Evidence of Kimball’s internet search history revealed that less than an hour before picking up Moore from her home, he was searching topics related to “jugular vein” and “how to cut a jugular vein,” according to the release.

Kimball’s cellular location data revealed that after leaving the Chico Walmart that evening, he spent an hour at the exact area where Moore’s remains would later be found, according to the release. The data also showed Kimball returned to that site the following day.

Kimball’s sentencing is set for Jan. 31, 2024. As a result of the plea, Kimball faces a sentence of 15 years to life in state prison. He is currently being held with no bail in the Butte County Jail pending sentencing.

After listening to seven days of testimony, a Butte County jury took only three hours Thursday to find a Las Vegas man guilty of a murder he committed in Forest Ranch in 2019.

The jury found Robert Anderson, 30, guilty of the bludgeoning death of Gunther “Gunny” Rupprecht, 30, of Forest Ranch, in addition to charges of possession of cocaine for sale and transportation of cocaine, according to a news release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.

Ramsey said evidence revealed Anderson had been partying at a friend’s house in Chico along with Rupprecht. Anderson had brought cocaine to the party and was bragging about his drug dealing, according to the release. When the party ran out of cocaine, Anderson got a ride to where he was staying in Chico to pick up another 47 grams of cocaine along with $1,100 in cash.

As the party wound down, Rupprecht invited Anderson to stay at Rupprecht’s Forest Ranch house, according to the release.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office was called out the next morning, Aug. 27, 2019, to an extremely bloody scene at Rupprecht’s property, according to the release. Rupprecht was discovered dead with 40-50 slashes and gouges to his body, along with massive blunt-force trauma that shattered his skull.

Anderson had attacked Rupprecht with a snow shovel, a butcher knife, a PVC pipe and a massive rock, along with punches, elbows and kicks, according to the release.

Ramsey said Anderson fled the scene, covered in blood, to the neighbors and had offered them money to take him to Chico. The neighbors took Anderson to a local market to call law enforcement officers, who arrived and arrested him.

Anderson testified to the jury that Rupprecht attacked him and hit him in the back of the head for no reason while at the Forest Ranch home, according to the release. Anderson said he then blacked out and defended himself, but could not remember how he did so. The evidence showed no injuries to Anderson when he was arrested.

Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 17, 2024, when he faces 15 years to life in state prison on the murder charge, as well as five years on the cocaine charges.

A Palermo resident contacted Butte County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers Thursday to report a shooting in the 6000 block of Upper Palermo Road. Deputies and detectives arrived and say they found evidence indicating Palermo resident Phillip Moret, 62, had fired a gun, according to a news release from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies and detectives determined Moret had an arrest warrant for a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and a misdemeanor count of vandalism, according to the release. Deputies obtained information that Moret was possibly armed with firearms and was not likely to surrender peacefully. They used a loudspeaker to communicate with Moret from outside the residence; Moret refused to exit the residence.

Members of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and hostage negotiation teams went to Moret’s residence with great caution, believing Moret was armed, according to the release.

Detectives obtained a warrant to search Moret’s residence, according to the release. Hostage Negotiation members used a loudspeaker to address Moret from outside for approximately four hours, though Moret continued to refuse to exit the residence.

After four hours had passed, the SWAT team deployed tear gas into the residence, according to the release. Sheriff’s authorities believed this was necessary, as an entry into the residence to search for Moret without first deploying gas would have been extremely dangerous for the deputies. The gas strategy worked; Moret exited the residence and was placed under arrest without incident.