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How Much is a Degree Worth to You?

You’ve heard that your base salary is largely determined by your education level – but did you ever wonder exactly how much education matters? If you’ve got enough smarts, it shouldn’t matter whether or not you have formal training – right?

Wrong. Or at least, it’s not always that simple. As job scarcity continues to drive more competition to each open position, tech firms are hiring more employees with strong educational backgrounds. The right degree or certification can really help you stand out from the crowd. And because employees with formal training are increasingly preferred, the relationship between compensation and education is becoming even more prominent across different sectors of the economy.

Why Degrees Matter

• Depending on industry and specialty, pay increase per degree will range from 10% – 82%
• Return on investment of tuition within 3 to 5 years

Education and certification requirements in the IT industry vary depending on the job title you’re pursuing. In general, a bachelor’s in information technology, computer science, or computer information systems (CIS) is beneficial in securing any entry-level to middle-level IT career. A CS degree is particularly important if you’re looking for a job as a programmer or Web developer. Core IT jobs, such as network and system administration, often make some sort of certification (Cisco’s CCNA is one example) a job requirement, and if such certifications aren’t required, they’re often a great way to solidify your skills and gain a boost in pay. As you continue to move up the ladder, advanced degrees become more and more important. Many software engineers hold master’s degrees in computer science. IT and project managers, as well as CEOs, CTOs, and CSOs usually hold an MBA or a Master of Information Science degree.

Median Salary by Degree/Major Subject – People with Jobs in Network Administration/IT/Information Systems (United States)

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