[h=1]5 Top-Paying Certifications for 2015[/h]With each certification, you'll find the average (mean) salary and a brief description.
The IT Skills and Salary Survey is a nationwide survey. Variations exist based on respondents' work location, years of experience, and company type (government, nonprofit, etc.).
1. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
$119,227
The nonprofit group ISACA offers CRISC certification, much in the way that CompTIA manages the A+ and Network+ certifications. Formerly, "ISACA" stood for Information Systems Audit and Control Association, but now they've gone acronym only.
The CRISC certification is designed for IT professionals, project managers, and others whose job it is to identify and manage risks through appropriate Information Systems (IS) controls, covering the entire lifecycle, from design to implementation to ongoing maintenance. It measures two primary areas: risk and IS controls. Similar to the IS control lifecycle, the risk area spans the gamut from identification and assessment of the scope and likelihood of a particular risk to monitoring for it and responding to it if/when it occurs.
2. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
$118,348
ISACA also created CISM certification. It's aimed at management more than the IT professional and focuses on security strategy and assessing the systems and policies in place more than it focuses on the person who actually implements those policies using a particular vendor's platform.
3. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
$110,603
Offered by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2, CISSP is designed to provide vendor-neutral security expertise, similar to the certifications ISACA offers. Launched in 1994, CISSP consists of an exam based around ten different areas in computer security, including risk analysis, cloud computing, security when developing applications, mobile, cryptography, physical security, business continuity and disaster recovery planning, and legal and compliance issues.
CISSP candidates must have at least five years of full-time experience in at least two of the ten areas tested. If you don't have the work experience, you can earn an Associate of (ISC)2 designation while working toward the full certification.
4. Project Management Professional (PMP®)
$109,405
The fourth highest paying and the first that is not security related, the PMP certification was created and is administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). It is the most recognized project management certification available. There are more than 630,000 PMPs worldwide.
The PMP certification exam tests five areas relating to the lifecycle of a project: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. PMP certification is for running any kind of project, and it is not specialized into sub types, such as manufacturing, construction, or IT.
5. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
$106,181
The fifth highest-paying certification is also from ISACA, and this one is for IS auditors. CISA certification is ISACA's oldest, dating back to 1978, with more than 106,000 people certified since its inception. CISA certification requires at least five years of experience in IS auditing, control, or security in addition to passing an exam that is only offered three times per year.
The CISA certification is usually obtained by those whose job responsibilities include auditing, monitoring, controlling, and/or assessing IT and/or business systems. It is designed to test the candidate's ability to manage vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with standards, and propose controls, processes, and updates to a company's policies to ensure compliance with accepted IT and business standards