Do SAS Big Data credentials equal big professional value?

Here is a link to the full article, with no subscription required.

When I first wrote this blog post in early May 2017, it was to ask SAS users holding SAS “Big Data” certifications to participate in the CertMag Salary Survey Plus Big Data Edition. The response was overwhelming and thanks to all of you that participated. Now that the results are in, I wanted to share them with you, and ultimately, answer the question posed in the title of this post.

The CertMag Summer “Big Data” Issue has been published and there is some great insight on certifications in the big data space, as well as some good news for those holding SAS Certifications and those who may be considering them. If you’d like to see the full write up on the survey results, you’ll have to subscribe, which I’d suggest you do if you are a certification junky or plan on getting any certifications in the next year. (They do, however, post articles and information periodically from these surveys, which is available for free at www.certmag.com.)

But, if you don’t want to shell out the dough, I understand, so here are the Cliffs Notes:

First off, if you have certified big data skills, the general consensus is that you will find a “competitive and thriving market.” That’s good news.
The most compelling statistic for SAS certification holders is that SAS grabbed two of the top 5 spots out of 60+ certifications surveyed. A full list hasn’t yet been released, but often follows the survey by a few weeks.

Over 730 certified individuals were surveyed and more than 40% hold two or more active big data certifications.
In the US, 52% of the respondents reported receiving a raise within a year after earning their first certification. The same goes for 35% of international respondents.
40% of respondents say they use the skills learned or enhanced through certification every day.
When asked “What was the first Big Data Certification you earned?,” 15% answered SAS Predictive Modeler, while 13% said SAS SBA Certification.

If you want more information, there is plenty more rich data in the survey, including likely job titles for big data professionals, industries in which to find work, hours spent working at home, etc. As subsections of the survey are released, I’ll post links in the comments on this blog. If you just can’t wait, I’ll again recommend a subscription. Later in the year, we will see the Certmag Annual Salary Survey covering all IT certifications across all industries so stay tuned, and please remember to participate if you hold SAS certifications.

Remember: The list of SAS credentials keeps growing every year, as more and more SAS users want to validate their application of SAS skills in different business topic areas, such as SAS Data Management, SAS Administration, and more.

The field of Big Data is no exception, and the SAS Global Certification program now offers multiple certifications if you’re interested in differentiating yourself in the Big Data arena.

One way you can tackle SAS Big Data certifications is through participation in the SAS Academy for Data Science, or, you can take the exams at your own pace, one at a time. Check out our complete list of SAS Advanced Analytics credentials.

Editor's Notes

This blog was revised on 7/20/2017
On June 30, 2017 SAS added the SAS Certified Visual Modeler Using SAS Visual Statistics 7.4. to the SAS Certification Portfolio.