That MCP salaries remain strong is no surprise, given the increasing need for skilled IT professionals and developers.
What do the Numbers Really Mean—For You?
That MCP salaries remain strong is no surprise, given the increasing need for skilled IT professionals and developers.
You wouldn’t sign a new contract without reading the
fine print, nor pick up a new cold medicine at the drugstore
without first looking at its ingredients and warnings.
And you shouldn’t look at MCP Magazine’s latest
salary survey with any less care.
We live in a competitive society and many of us are curious
about how we fare next to our colleagues and competitors.
The salary survey makes comparisons easy. But “easy” and
“meaningful” are different things. The averages, both
for the U.S. and for the many countries included in the
online international survey, may be of academic interest,
but probably won’t reflect your specific salary. Many
factors beyond certification determine salary levels,
such as experience, job role, industry, and region, and
even your metropolitan area.
The MCP program wasn’t designed to lift salary levels
per se. It was meant to provide individuals with a tool
to allow them to make their existing skill levels more
visible. However, MCP certification works hand-in-glove
with your experience to propel you to better salaries
and positions in the industry. So be sure to consider
the experience level when you look for meaningful comparisons.
What you’ll find is that—factoring in location and experience—MCP
salaries remain strong and are rising. That’s no surprise,
given the increasing need for skilled IT professionals
and developers. With the new Windows 2000 certification
track of the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification
raising the bar with tests that measure your practical,
hands-on skills, this trend is likely to continue.
With our enhancements to the testing process, certification
is an increasingly effective way for businesses to identify
people who have the abilities to help them compete and
take advantage of Microsoft technologies and products.
And companies are looking for more of these people than
ever before, helping to keep salaries strong. In one report,
GartnerGroup predicts Windows 2000 will be the most prevalent
network operating system by 2001. A million and a half
copies of the upgraded operating system sold within the
first two months of its February release, not including
corporate enterprise agreements. That’s four times the
early run rate of Microsoft Windows NT 4.0.
Microsoft created the MCP program to provide a credential
to systems engineers and developers that acknowledges
their skills with Microsoft products. Beyond its value
for certified professionals, a MCSE or MCSD certification
can also be of help to hiring professionals. It can help
them to identify the most highly motivated, trained, and
skilled candidates. It’s also a tool for organizations
to identify leading IT professionals who are up to date
on the most advanced technology available. It’s a crucial
yardstick—provided managers also keep a candidate’s experience
in mind.
Certification isn’t an end in itself for IT professionals
or employers. But when it’s teamed with experience, certification
becomes a win-win for both MCPs and those who hire them.
About the Author
Donna Senko is the Director of Microsoft’s Certification and Skills Assessment Group.