Top 15 Tech Certifications in Today’s Market

The perceived value of IT certifications is a perennially hot topic, but it heats up even more in a tight economy. The current economy appears to be loosening somewhat, with tech hiring picking up. Yet in a recent post about hiring trends, Ann All cited a worrisome statistic from a Robert Half Technology survey. Forty-three percent of CIOs said it was tough to find skilled IT pros. So is getting a certification in a sought-after skill a way for IT job seekers to get an edge on the competition?

This slideshow highlights the top 15 certifications, based on the number of times each is mentioned in job openings posted at Dice.com as of Nov. 1. You also can see how demand has grown over the past year.

Click through for the top 15 tech certifications according to Dice.com.

PMP (Project Management Professional) – Postings grew from 1,028 on Nov. 2, 2009 to 1,887 as of Nov. 1 this year, an increase of 84 percent.

CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) – Mentions grew from 723 to 1,241 over the past year, a rise of 72 percent.

MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) – Postings grew 31 percent, from 884 to 1,154.

CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) – Listings increased from 723 to 913, a 26 percent gain.

CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) – Postings increased from 486 to 690, growth of 42 percent.

CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) – Mentions grew by 50 percent, from 379 a year ago to 567.

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) – One of the fastest-growing certifications, mentions of it grew by 191 percent from 185 to 538.

MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) – Listings grew from 281 to 338, a rise of 20 percent.

MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) – Postings increased from 175 to 230, an increase of 31 percent.

MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) – This certification topped the list in growth at 227 percent, from 70 postings a year ago to 229 on Nov. 1.

VCP (VMware Certified Professional) – Another fast-growing certification at 125 percent, postings increased from 89 to 200 in the past year.

CCVP (Cisco Certified Voice Professional) – Postings rose from 89 to 180 over the past year, a rise of 102 percent.

GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) – Listings rose by 57 percent, from 110 a year ago to 173.

MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) – Postings grew by 86 percent, from 97 to 160.

CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) – Mentions rose from 97 to 154, an uptick of 59 percent.