Every year, Certification Magazine conducts a survey to determine the effect of technical certifications on an IT professional's salary and career. During the economic boom, certified professionals could boast of huge salary gains that were higher than their noncertified colleagues. Salary disparities between the "haves" and "have nots" often reached 20% and more. It was easy to say, then, that attaining a technical certification was worth the time, cost and effort.

But what about today? The economy has soured, IT spending has slowed to a crawl, and many IT professionals have experienced or witnessed massive layoffs. Those who have been laid off are having trouble finding jobs. Is there still any value in getting a technical certification?

The answer is a resounding yes, according to the nearly 10,000 people who responded to Certification's 2002 survey. Despite the gloomy economic news and flat IT spending throughout 2002, certified professionals still had good things to say about the value of being certified. Nearly 80% of the survey respondents plan to pursue additional certifications during the current year.

They are doing so primarily for job security. These people - your peers - believe that certification plays an important role in keeping their jobs in these uncertain economic times. And not only do they feel more confident about maintaining their jobs, they also feel more confident about performing their jobs. Certifications verify your skills and knowledge for analyzing, designing, installing and supporting complex computing environments, and employers take notice.

Some employers even make certification training a formal step in their workforce development programs. This is sound reasoning on the employer's part; the Certification survey points out that employees feel that technical certification improves their problem-solving skills and overall job productivity.

But you don't get certified just to be more productive. You're in it for the money! Well, there's good news on that front as well.

Even though the tough economy has slowed the pace of raises and promotions, holding at least one technical certification increases your prospects of a better raise or promotion. Of the 2002 survey respondents, 31% received a job promotion within a year of attaining their primary technical certification. I interpret this as a sign that employers appreciate the increased knowledge, broader range of skills, and enhanced confidence and productivity that accompany the attainment of a certification.