Big data and data technology are dominating all major technology, business, and health sciences sectors. Big data certifications are a great way to forge your career in this growing industry. Whether you are an aspiring data scientist, business analyst, database developer, or data engineer, the top certifications for big data will help your career skyrocket.
In this guide, we’ve put together a list of the highest-paying big data certifications that can help you advance your career. We’ve also broken down the importance of big data certifications and offer tips on how you can choose the best certification while taking your goals and preferred learning methods into consideration.
What Is a Professional Certification?
A professional certification is a formal, standardized proof of your competency in a specific area that is typically issued by a non-profit and highly-recognized organization. Professional certifications use assessments and parameters to gauge a professional’s understanding and abilities in a particular subject area.
The industry’s standards for professional certifications are set to properly evaluate a person’s mastery of the in-demand skills needed to work in the field. Certifications have a wide range of eligibility requirements including having certain core skills, having completed specific training courses, having a certain amount of professional experience, and meeting education qualifications.
What’s the Difference Between a Certification and a Certificate?
The difference between a certification and a certificate lies in their credentials, learning path, and industry relevance. Certificates are instructor-led educational courses typically offered by higher education institutions that showcase your understanding of introductory to advanced topics within a specific subject area. They are great portfolio boosters and provide a competitive edge in the job market.
Certifications are a more established and formal proof of your competency in a specific industry skill. Certifications often have several requirements that need to be met for eligibility purposes and their assessment parameters follow standards set by the industry. Certifications are useful for professionals looking to showcase their expertise in a particular subject area.
Why Is Certification in Big Data Important?
A certification in big data is important because it can help accelerate your career path across a wide range of data professions. Big data certifications can cover topics such as deep learning, business intelligence, complex machine learning models, or data management tools. They can help you solidify your expertise in different areas of data science and master several in-demand tools.
Certifications are highly respected accolades that formally display your expertise in core data science and advanced analytics areas, increasing your likelihood of being hired and opening you up to more opportunities for growth. According to PayScale, the average salary for people with big data analytics skills is $117,000. Big data certifications are one of the best ways to increase your earning potential.
Best Big Data Certifications by Salary
| Certification | Provider | Average Salary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate | AWS | $118,000 | $150 |
| Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification | Oracle | $113,000 | $245 |
| AWS Certified Big Data- Speciality | AWS | $108,079 | $300 |
| Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM | Society for Clinical Data Management SCDM | $103,000 | Member: $250; Non-Member: $325 |
| NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP | NetApp | $102,000 | $150 |
| SAS Certified Predictive Modeler 14 Certification | SAS | $101,000 | $250 |
| Certified Data Management Professional Associate CDMP | The Global Data Management Community DAMA | $96,000 | $311 |
| Certified Business Analysis Professional CBAP | International Institute of Business Analysis IIBA | $93,000 | Application Fee: $145; Exam Fee: Member: $350, Non-Member: $505, Corporate Member: $305 |
| Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification | Oracle University | $91,000 | $245 |
| Tableau Certified Data Analyst | Tableau | $82,000 | $250 |
Best Big Data Certifications to Further Your Career
How to Choose the Best Big Data Certification for Your Career
Choosing the best big data certification for your career depends on your professional experience, specialization, and career goals. Big data is a field that incorporates a wide array of data science subject areas. Choosing a big data certification that complements your expertise is essential to accelerating your career. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best big data certification for your career.
Find a Certification Relevant to Your Career Goals
Big data skills are relevant to a wide range of industries and available professional certification options come in all shapes and sizes. You need to find certifications that are relevant to your career goals. For example, a clinical data certification is best for entering the healthcare industry, while a business analytics certification is better for someone in the business sector.
Choose a Big Data Certification that Matches Your Professional Background
Each professional certification will have specific eligibility criteria that require you to have a certain professional, educational, and skillset background. To increase your chances of successfully passing certification exams, you should choose certifications that match your professional and educational background.
Attend Career Fairs or Online Forums to Find the Most In-demand Certifications
If you want to get a job in big data, your need your skills and portfolio to match the current industry standards. As big data software and technologies continue to evolve, so do the industry requirements. By attending career fairs or big data discussion forums, you can find which professional certifications are most in demand.
Which Big Data Certifications Pay the Most?
The big data certifications that pay the most are the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate and Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification. Other high-paying certifications include the AWS Certified Big Data – Speciality, Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM, and NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP.
Highest-Paying Big Data Certifications
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate: $118,000
- Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification: $113,000
- AWS Certified Big Data- Speciality: $108,079
- Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM: $103,000
- NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP: $102,000
Which Big Data Certifications Are the Best for Beginners?
The big data certifications that are best for beginners are the Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification, and Tableau Certified Data Analyst certifications. These are great for entry-level database administrators or data science professionals learning databases thanks to their free preparation resources and low eligibility requirements.
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Best College Certificate Programs
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How to Prepare for Your Big Data Certification Exam
There are several ways to prepare for your big data certification exam including online courses, books, and other resources. Below are some of the best big data exam prep resources you can use to increase your chances of acing your certification exam.
Best Courses to Prepare for Big Data Certification Exams
Below is a list of the best courses to help you with your big data exam prep. All are offered by massive open online course platforms and are quite affordable, no matter what level of certification you’re looking to prepare for.
Other Resources to Prepare for Your Big Data Certification Exams
Along with online courses, there are many other resources available that can help you with your big data exam prep. From books to online communities to websites, here are some of the best resources you can use to prepare for your big data certification exam.
Big Data For Dummies: 1st Edition by Alan Nugent, Fern Halper, Judith S. Hurwitz, Marcia Kaufman
This big data book can serve as a great introduction to the topic for aspiring business data professionals. The book provides a foundational overview of the incorporation of big data and data science technologies in the business sector at an extremely affordable price point.
Big Data For Dummies: 1st Edition by Alan Nugent, Fern Halper, Judith S. Hurwitz, Marcia Kaufman Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $18.29
- Ideal For: Big data and data science newbies looking to learn about the use of big data in the business sector
Learning Amazon Web Services (AWS): A Hands-On Guide to the Fundamentals of AWS Cloud by Mark Wilkins
This book about the AWS Cloud is most useful for individuals who want a complete overview of the AWS ecosystem. By reading it, you’ll develop a better understanding of the platform’s databases, storage systems, security elements, and networking services.
Learning Amazon Web Services (AWS): A Hands-On Guide to the Fundamentals of AWS Cloud by Mark Wilkins Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $34.63
- Ideal For: Individuals new to the platform who want to master the AWS Cloud and its system
Tableau Community
Tableau’s online community is a great free resource where you can hone your data visualization, data mapping, and data analytics skills. You can use this resource to find data projects to work on so that you can enhance your portfolio.
Tableau Community Overview
- Type of Resource: Online Community
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Data science and data visualization professionals and beginners
Dataleaders.net
Dataleaders.net is a free online resource that can help you stay up to date on the newest developments in the data science and data analytics industry. The website’s Knowledge Centre is home to hundreds of videos and articles offering data analytics advice and information on new data-driven technologies.
Dataleaders.net Overview
- Type of Resource: Website
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Data science and data analytics professionals and learners
Kaggle
Kaggle is a fantastic online resource where you can access a large variety of free datasets you can use for projects to boost your portfolio. You can find datasets you can use for machine learning, data visualization, data analytics, or data science projects on the website, making it useful no matter your specialty.
Kaggle Overview
- Type of Resource: Website
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Machine learning and data science professionals who want free datasets to use for projects
Best Online Courses
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Big Data Job Outlook and Average Salary
The job outlook and average salary for big data professionals vary depending on their specialization, position, and skillset. According to ZipRecruiter, the average big data engineer salary is $130,238. By getting a big data certification, you can help increase your earning and career growth potential significantly.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, the job outlook for operations research analysts, under which big data jobs are categorized, is projected to grow by 25 percent from 2020 to 2030. With a large number of job opportunities available, getting a certification in big data is one of the best career moves you can make.
Best Big Data Jobs After Certification
Below are some of the best big data jobs you can get after earning a professional certification in big data. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification is one of the best you can get to earn a high salary. Your eligibility for the jobs listed depends not only on the certifications you have but also on your work experience and education.
Best Big Data Associations
Big data associations are reputable accrediting bodies and communities that help accelerate the professional development of workers across the different sectors of the data science industry. Joining these associations can help you stay up to date on new developments in the big data industry and allow you to more easily find lucrative job opportunities in the field.
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
Becoming a member of the IIBA is a great choice for business intelligence or business analytics professionals. This association offers its members a wide range of helpful insights into the industry as well as certifications you can use to formally showcase your business and data analytics skills.
Digital Analytics Association
If you want to advance your career in data analytics across the business, IT, or healthcare industry, becoming a member of the Digital Analytics Association is worth looking into. Members get discounts on analytics summits as well as access to plenty of career resources, online communities, and mentorship programs.
Data Science Association
The Data Science Association is a great community data science professionals can use to stay informed about current trends in the data science industry. The association offers professional advice, data science resources and tools, and educational advice to its members to help them succeed.
Are Big Data Certifications Worth It?
Yes, big data certifications are worth it because they can help you advance your career and increase your earning potential. Earning a big data certification allows you to showcase your expertise in specific areas of data analysis to potential employers, giving you a leg up over other candidates when applying for specialized and technical positions.
Additional Reading About Big Data
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Big Data Certifications FAQ
The jobs you can apply to with big data skills include data scientist, data analyst, business analyst, data engineer, cloud architect, or data manager positions.
The best certifications for big data jobs are the AWS Certified Big Data- Speciality, AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate, Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification, and SAS Certified Predictive Modeler 14 Certification.
The places where you can find big data courses online are massive open online course platforms such as Udemy, edX.org, Pluralsight, and Coursera. These platforms offer a wide selection of specialized courses at an affordable price.
Yes, a career in big data is worth it for anyone wanting to enter an industry with a high job outlook and countless job opportunities. Big data is one of the highest growing sectors where you can establish a career across the fields of tech, business, education, research, or healthcare.
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