Should You Certify Your Skills?

• The share of the US workforce getting certifications surged during the pandemic as remote work and the subsequent competitive labor market gave many workers the flexibility and motivation to upskill or switch careers.

• Tech and data-related fields—particularly cybersecurity, data science & AI, and enterprise data systems—as well as business-related certifications in HR and business operations, have seen the largest growth in the number of certifications issued over the past 5 years.

• While tech certifications are growing quickly in number, the largest gains in salaries come from certifications in topics such as HR and SEO & Digital Marketing. Organizations like Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, and ADP are helping drive this growth by expanding their offering of programs that shape which skills are developed and valued in the labor market.

As skills-based hiring becomes more prominent in today’s labor market, certifications are playing a larger role in the hiring process. For workers, they offer a way to signal their proficiency in different skills without relying on traditional university degrees. For employers, they serve as a tool to evaluate talent beyond academic credentials. Last week, we showed that social sciences and humanities degrees have been declining, but for job-seekers who hold these degrees, certifications can provide a pathway into careers unrelated to their field of study. Revelio Labs obtains data on certifications listed by workers on their professional profiles. After standardizing this information, we analyze how certifications have grown over time and the impact they have on careers.

The share of U.S. workers starting a certification increased notably in 2019 and 2020, as the pandemic reshaped how people worked and thought about their careers. With many employees working from home, some found themselves with greater flexibility and more time to pursue credentials they had previously put off. At the same time, the Great Resignation led many workers to question their current paths and prepare for career changes. This pattern reflects a broader historical trend: During recessions or labor market slowdowns, more people tend to invest in education and training, as the opportunity cost of time spent in school declines and the relative return to skill-building rises. This countercyclical pattern of human capital investment positions them for better prospects when the economy recovers. Certifications offer an affordable and accessible way to do so, enabling workers to upskill and signal proficiency in high-demand skills. While the initial surge during the pandemic was sharp, the trend has since stabilized, suggesting the boom in obtaining certifications was tied to the unique conditions of the labor market at the time.

From 2019 to 2024, the number of workers starting certifications more than doubled across many fields, most notably in tech–in topics such as cyber and information security, AI & data science, and enterprise data systems. The other major area of certification growth has been in business, including HR, business operations, and finance. The surge in cybersecurity certifications, such as CISSP, CISM and CCSP, reflects growing concerns over digital threats and a heightened demand for security roles across industries. Meanwhile, many workers are pivoting into data science, machine learning and AI fields, which now span nearly every sector. Data scientists don't necessarily come from math or computer science backgrounds; many have degrees in business or other fields. Certifications offer a practical way to gain the technical skills required for these roles and offer a way to prove proficiency to some extent. While bootcamps and certifications may not necessarily guarantee higher pay, they can still provide pathways for workers looking to upskill or transition into data-heavy roles. Other non-tech areas that saw notable growth of certifications since 2019 include HR, supply chain, and business operations certifications. Popular examples include the SHRM Certified Professional and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) in HR, and Project Management Professional (PMP) for operations management. The growth in these certifications reflects the broader trend of workers seeking formal, recognized pathways to build expertise and credibility.

While certifications can help workers pivot careers or build new skills, their financial returns vary significantly by field. Although tech and data-related certifications have seen the highest popularity growth in recent years, the financial return from these certifications is not as high as in other fields. To determine the salary premium associated with each field, we compare the salaries of workers before and after obtaining different types of certifications. After controlling for individual-specific characteristics, we find that certifications in HR and Civic Programs, as well as SEO and Digital Marketing, deliver the largest salary increases after workers obtain these credentials. This may reflect the high value employers place on strategic leadership skills, organizational management expertise, and the ability to drive online visibility and customer acquisition. In contrast, many tech certifications, while critical for skill development and career progression, tend to offer more modest gains of 5 to 8% increases in salary. These estimates should not be interpreted as the true causal effect of certifications, since we are measuring the change in salaries for workers who choose to pursue them. Workers who seek out certifications may already differ from others in motivation, experience, or career trajectory, which can influence their earnings regardless of the certification itself.

The growth in certifications is not just a result of workers’ demand. It is also shaped by which organizations are offering these certifications. Between 2019 and 2024, the biggest increases in certifications came from those issued by Google’s Skills Boost platform, Booz Allen Hamilton, and ADP. These companies appear to be playing a more active role in workforce development, either by upskilling their own employees or expanding public-facing learning programs. Google’s growth reflects the rising popularity of tech-adjacent credentials, while Booz Allen and ADP’s expansions suggest growing interest in business operations and compliance.

In a market where employers increasingly talk about embracing skills-based hiring, certifications have become essential as they offer a way to formalize and verify expertise, signal proficiency, and navigate nontraditional career paths, beyond formal university degrees. But not all certifications carry the same weight. For workers, the challenge is to choose credentials that align with in-demand skills and real opportunities for mobility. For employers, it is crucial to consider how certifications factor into hiring and promotion decisions. If skills-based hiring is the goal, recognizing and rewarding certified skills will be key to making that vision a reality.