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.
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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
AWS, which stands for Amazon Web Services, is a highly recognized organization with many different cloud and data science certifications. If you want to build a career in database systems or system solutions, then this certification is for you. With it, you’ll get to showcase your in-depth knowledge of AWS database systems, network storage, and data management skills.
This certification is a great choice for big data engineers, cloud engineers, database administrators, or network engineers, who want to impress their potential employers and advance their careers. It’s recommended that you already be somewhat familiar with AWS technologies before scheduling your exam.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate Overview
- Average Salary: $118,000
- Cost: $150
- Requirements: No prerequisites but strong AWS experience recommended
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 130 minutes
- Best Suited For: Professionals with one or more years of experience with AWS technology as well as designing scalable and cost-efficient distributed systems using AWS
Potential Careers With AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate
This certification allows people with strong database administration skills to showcase their core skills with relational databases and Oracle database technology. According to Statista, Oracle is the most popular database management system used worldwide. This professional certification can help you advance across database management professions.
Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $113,000
- Cost: $245
- Requirements: Complete the Oracle Database 10g, 11g, 12c, or 12c R2 Administrator Certified Professional exam or the Oracle Database 10g, 11g, 12c, or 12c R2 Certified Associate exam
- Valid For: 12 months
- Exam Length: 150 minutes
- Best Suited For: Database administrators who want to become Oracle Professional certified
Potential Careers With Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification
If you have significant hands-on experience with building applications and big data analytics processes, then this AWS certification is worth looking into. Before taking the exam, you’ll need a background in big data services, logistic regression, analytics lifecycle, and cloud enterprises. This certification is best suited for experienced senior database administrators or cloud architects.
AWS Certified Big Data- Specialty Overview
- Average Salary: $108,079
- Cost: $300
- Requirements: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or another AWS associate-level certification recommended, background in AWS Big Data services; minimum five years of experience in data analytics, database design, and database architecture
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 170 minutes
- Best Suited For: Big data analysis professionals with two years of experience or more with AWS technology looking to formally prove their competency using AWS big data and technology
Potential Careers With AWS Certified Big Data- Specialty
If you want to become a research analyst, a clinical data manager, or work in the field of health analytics, then this certification is for you. Completing it will showcase your expertise in data analytics solutions, database management, health analytics, and statistical analytics. The SCDM offers webinars and exam preparation resources you can use to prepare for the exam.
Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM Overview
- Average Salary: $103,000
- Cost: Member: $250; Non-Member: $325
- Requirements: A bachelor’s degree with two or more years of CDM experience, an associate’s degree with three years of full-time CDM experience, four or more years of full-time CDM experience, or part-time work experience equal to or surpassing the full-time equivalent for the criteria above
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 3.5 hours
- Best Suited For: Professionals with CDM experience wanting to formally prove their clinical data abilities
Potential Careers With Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM
This entry-level certification is best suited for professionals with database administration experience who want to work with the NetApp database and cloud systems. The certification allows you to demonstrate your competency with data storage solutions, rapid data recovery, and data administration.
NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP Overview
- Average Salary: $102,000
- Cost: $150
- Requirements: Six to 12 months of NetApp administration and implementation field experience; an in-depth understanding of the implementation of HA controller configurations, data recovery software, Syncmirror, or ONTAP solutions
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Best Suited For: Data administrators with data storage and performance management abilities who want to formally prove their NetApp data admin skills
Potential Careers With NetApp Certified Data Administrator, ONTAP
Adding SAS certified data certifications to your portfolio will help you accelerate your career growth in the business intelligence, deep learning, advanced analytics, or machine learning industries. This certificate serves as proof of your mastery of predictive modeling techniques, data source tools, pattern analysis, methodology selection, and model implementation.
SAS Certified Predictive Modeller 14 Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $101,000
- Cost: $250
- Requirements: Working knowledge of SAS OnDemand and SAS Enterprise Miner; recommended SAS tutorials; understanding and experience with machine learning, predictive modeling, and pattern analysis
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: 165 minutes.
- Best Suited For: Data scientists with predictive modeling and pattern analysis skills who want to establish themselves as SAS academy-certified data scientists
Potential Careers With SAS Certified Predictive Modeller 14 Certification
This associate data certification is a great career booster for junior and intermediate data administrators with six months to five years of industry experience. Background knowledge in data management, big data, data governance, and data architecture is needed to pass the exam. The certification showcases your proficiency in using databases, big data, and advanced analytics technologies.
Certified Data Management Professional Associate CDMP Overview
- Average Salary: $96,000
- Cost: $311
- Requirements: Six months to five years of relevant industry experience and a minimum score of 60 percent to pass the data management fundamentals exam
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 90 minutes
- Best Suited For: Junior data management professionals with field experience who want to formally demonstrate their data management and big data skills
Potential Careers With Certified Data Management Professional Associate CDMP
If you want to become a business intelligence analyst or accelerate your data analytics career trajectory, then this advanced certification is worth it. Professionals with ten years of business analytics experience can use it to showcase their expertise in professional development, business intelligence, and business recommendations to impress prospective employers.
Certified Business Analysis Professional CBAP Overview
- Average Salary: $93,000
- Cost: Application Fee: $145; Exam Fee: $350 (member), $505 (non-member), $305 (corporate member)
- Requirements: A minimum of 7,500 hours of business analysis experience within the last ten years including a minimum of 900 hours completed in 4 of 6 BABOK Guide Knowledge Areas (total of at least 3,600 hours), 35 hours or more of professional development work experience within the last four years, and two references
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 3.5 hours
- Best Suited For: Individuals with ample business analysis experience; CCBA designation; or professionals who are product managers, non-BA consultants, trainers, or hybrid business analysts who want to formally prove their business analysis skills
Potential Careers With Certified Business Analysis Professional CBAP
Having an Oracle professional certification is a great portfolio booster for data science professionals. This administration certification is great for professionals with intermediate-level experience using relational databases, MySQL, and data science technologies. Oracle offers many preparation courses and a practice exam to prepare for the certification process.
Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $91,000
- Cost: $245
- Requirements: 58% minimum passing score, MySQL Database Admin Certified Professional Credential (optional)
- Valid For: 12 months
- Exam Length: 120 minutes
- Best Suited For: Database administrators who want to add formal MySQL and Oracle certifications to their portfolio
Potential Careers With Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification
If a career in data visualization, data analytics, or data mapping is your goal, then a Tableau certification is a must-have. This data analyst certification will showcase your competency using the Tableau platform for data analytics. It’s the perfect certification for entry-level data analysts who have a solid understanding of data connections, mapping, analytics, and dashboards.
Tableau Certified Data Analyst Overview
- Average Salary: $82,000
- Cost: $250
- Requirements: Six months of Tableau experience recommended
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: Two hours
- Best Suited For: Professionals with five or more months of experience in Tableau Desktop looking to formally prove their skills
Potential Careers With Tableau Certified Data Analyst
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.
- Cost: $39 per month
- Duration: 11 months at 4 hours/week
- Best Suited For: Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification, Tableau Certified Data Analyst
This IBM certification is best suited for computer science and data science newbies looking to gain an understanding of deep learning, Python, data mining, and other data science topics. This popular certificate course has had around 107,600 enrollees and a rating of 4.6 out of five.
- Cost: $49 per month
- Duration: 15 months at 3 hours/week
- Best Suited For: AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate, Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification
This IBM certificate is designed for professionals with a basic to intermediate understanding of operating systems, programming, and databases. It’ll help you master relational databases, SQL, Python, data analysis, data pipelines, and big data. With a rating of 4.6 out of five, this certification can be a great addition to your database management or data engineering portfolio.
- Cost: $149 for the verified track
- Duration: 6 weeks at 1 to 2 hours/week
- Best Suited For: SAS Certified Predictive Modeler 14 Certification
If you want to establish your career in AI or machine learning, then this big data course is for you as it’ll help you ace machine learning, predictive modeling, and data science certification exams. You’ll get to learn about AI principles, data ethics, and business intelligence technologies. The course can also be completed for free if you don’t want a certification.
- Cost: $109.99
- Duration: 16 hours of on-demand video
- Best Suited For: AWS Certified Big Data - Speciality
This Udemy course serves as a great preparatory course for the AWS Certified Big Data- Speciality certification exam. With a rating of 4.6 out of five, it offers plenty of hands-on exercises covering AWS data analytics, the Hadoop ecosystem, and more. The course also includes a practice test to help you maximize your likelihood of passing the exam.
- Cost: $45 per month
- Duration: 3 hours 34 minutes
- Best Suited For: Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification, Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.7 Database Administrator Certification
This beginner's Oracle data architecture course is a great way to acquaint yourself with the Oracle ecosystem. Offered in a video-on-demand format, you’ll get access to lectures covering topics such as the Oracle environment, data integration, big data, SQL, data connection, and data analytics.
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.
Machine learning engineers are responsible for designing and programming AI systems and interfaces used in predictive modeling. These professionals require a mastery of deep learning, predictive modeling, AI, and data science skills.
Best Certification for the Job Role
SAS Certified Predictive Modeler 14 Certification. This SAS certification will serve as proof of your predictive modeling, data science, and machine learning skills.
A data scientist uses their knowledge of data analysis, data processing, data storage, and data management to derive useful insights from datasets in order to make data-driven decisions. This job requires a wide range of skills in areas such as machine learning, data visualization, data analytics, and Python programming.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Data Management Professional Associate CDMP. This professional certification demonstrates your capabilities in the areas of data management, data analytics, and data science.
Clinical data managers work in the healthcare data sector and conduct data analytics and processing using datasets derived from medical research. Working in this field requires strong statistics, data analytics, health analytics, and data science skills.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Clinical Data Manager CCDM. This clinical data certification displays your experience and knowledge of data analytics for the purpose of clinical research.
Database administrators assist database managers in maintaining, troubleshooting, and processing database systems for a company. To work as a database administrator, you need to have mastered the use of relational database systems, data management, and data storage systems.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Oracle Database Administration 2019 Certified Professional OCP Certification. Oracle’s database administration certification is a great way to showcase your ability to manage relational databases effectively.
A data analyst is responsible for analyzing a company or individual’s raw datasets and deriving valuable data-driven insights from them. These professionals require a solid understanding of databases, data visualization, data mapping, and data science.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Tableau Desktop Certified Associate. This Tableau certification will help you get acquainted with the Tableau data system, one of the most commonly used tools in the field.
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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