What IT certification should I get to change careers?

Start with CompTIA A+ if you have no IT background, then CompTIA Security+ or AWS Cloud Practitioner depending on whether you want to go into security or cloud. A+ takes 2–4 months to prepare and costs $358 per exam (two exams required). Security+ costs $404 and is the most requested entry-level cert for security roles. AWS Cloud Practitioner costs $100 and opens the door to cloud roles paying $85,000–$110,000. For career changers from non-tech fields, this A+ → Security+ path gets you into IT in under 12 months for under $1,500 total.

Can I get an IT job without a college degree using certifications?

Yes, at many companies. IT support, help desk, cloud infrastructure, networking, and cybersecurity operations roles hire cert-holders without degrees regularly. The sectors most open to cert-only candidates: government contractors (DoD 8570 requires Security+ specifically), managed service providers, cloud-native startups, and small-to-mid IT shops. FAANG and large financial firms still screen for degrees more heavily. CompTIA Security+ is the single cert with the most degree-substitution power because it's explicitly listed in DoD job requirements.

How long does it take to get certified for a career change?

CompTIA A+: 2–4 months studying nights and weekends. Security+: 2–3 months if you already have A+. AWS Cloud Practitioner: 4–8 weeks. AWS Solutions Architect Associate: 3–4 months. The fastest path into IT from zero: AWS Cloud Practitioner (6 weeks, $100) gets you hired into cloud support roles. The most durable path: A+ then Security+ over 6–8 months puts you in cybersecurity support at $55,000–$75,000.

Which certifications have the best payback for career changers?

Google Data Analytics Certificate: $300 total, helps transition from admin roles to data roles paying $65,000–$80,000. Salesforce Administrator: $350 total, pivots CRM/sales background into Salesforce admin roles at $70,000–$95,000. AWS Cloud Practitioner: $200 total, entry to cloud support roles. These three have the lowest barriers for people with no prior IT experience. AWS Cloud Practitioner is the most versatile — cloud skills are in demand across every industry.

What salary can I expect after a career change into IT with certifications?

Entry-level after A+ and Security+: $50,000–$70,000 in help desk or security support. Entry-level cloud roles after AWS Cloud Practitioner: $60,000–$85,000. After AWS Solutions Architect Associate: $100,000–$130,000 for mid-level cloud roles, but this usually requires 1–2 years of experience after the entry cert. The realistic first-year salary for a career changer with certs and no prior IT experience is $50,000–$75,000. Year two to three: $75,000–$100,000 if you keep adding certs and experience.

Best IT Certifications for Career Changers

No IT background required. These certs have the lowest barriers to entry and the most job postings that don't require a CS degree. Total cost under $1,500 for a career-changing stack.

Certification	Total Cost	Study Time	Starting Salary	Payback
AWS Cloud Practitioner Best first cert for cloud	$200	4–8 weeks	$72,000–$89,000	1.4 mo
CompTIA A+ Foundation for all IT paths	$816	2–4 months	$42,000–$55,000	7.5 mo
CompTIA Security+ DoD 8570 approved, high demand	$554	2–3 months	$68,000–$88,000	3.3 mo
Salesforce Administrator Best for sales/marketing background	$350	2–3 months	$65,000–$90,000	1.7 mo
Google Data Analytics Best for admin/finance background	$300	6 months	$55,000–$74,000	2.1 mo
Azure Administrator Microsoft ecosystem roles	$315	2–3 months	$90,000–$118,000	2.0 mo

Payback calculated using salary lift ÷ monthly income gain. Salary data: BLS OES and CompTIA IT Industry Outlook 2025. Study time is self-study estimate for career changers with no prior IT background.

Paths by Background

From sales, marketing, or CRM work

Salesforce Admin is the obvious pivot. If you've used Salesforce on the sales side, you already know how users interact with it. The admin cert teaches you to configure and manage it. The jump: from $55,000 in sales support to $75,000–$90,000 in Salesforce admin. Total cost: $200 exam + $150 study materials. Done in 2 months.

After Salesforce Admin, Salesforce Platform Developer I is the next rung. That path goes to $100,000+ but requires learning Apex (Salesforce's coding language).

From finance, accounting, or data work

Google Data Analytics Certificate first. Six months on Coursera for $300 total. Gets you out of spreadsheets and into actual data roles. Entry data analyst salaries run $60,000–$80,000. If you already know Excel well, this is the fastest possible pivot.

After that: learn SQL (free, 2 weeks), then AWS Cloud Practitioner for cloud data exposure. The combination of Google DA + AWS CP puts you in consideration for cloud data support roles at $80,000+.

From administration, operations, or no tech background

CompTIA A+ first. This is the generalist foundation — hardware, software, troubleshooting, operating systems. It's the credential that says "I can work a help desk." Starting salary with A+ alone: $42,000–$55,000. Not great, but it's the foot in the door.

Then Security+ immediately after. Security+ on top of A+ takes you from help desk to security support at $68,000–$88,000. The two-cert stack costs about $1,300 total and takes 6–9 months of evenings and weekends.

If government contracting is the goal, Security+ is DoD 8570 compliant. That's the specific requirement for federal IT and defense contractor positions. With a clearance application in progress and Security+, entry positions start at $70,000–$90,000 depending on location.

From any background, aiming for cloud

AWS Cloud Practitioner is the fastest on-ramp. $100 exam, $100 in study materials, 4–6 weeks of studying. Cloud Practitioner alone doesn't get you into cloud engineering, but it does get you into cloud support, cloud sales engineering, and solutions consultant roles at $72,000–$89,000.

AWS Solutions Architect Associate is the real target — that's the cert that opens $110,000–$130,000 doors. But it requires 3–4 months of serious study and is much harder without prior IT experience. Cloud Practitioner first, then a year of hands-on AWS work, then SA Associate.

What to skip

CISSP requires 5 years of documented security experience before you can even sit for the exam. It's not for career changers.

PMP requires 36 months of project management experience. You can't fake your way to the eligibility requirement.

Cisco CCNA is a solid networking cert, but networking is a narrower field than cloud or security. Unless you specifically want to work in networking infrastructure, the cloud certs have more job postings and better salary trajectories for career changers.

Common Questions

What's the fastest cert path to a new IT job?

AWS Cloud Practitioner: 4–6 weeks, $200 total. Gets you eligible for cloud support and cloud sales roles at $72,000+. If security is the goal: Security+ in 2–3 months for $554 total. Security+ has the most job postings explicitly requiring it, which means faster time-to-hired.

Do I need CompTIA A+ before Security+?

CompTIA recommends A+ before Security+ but doesn't require it. If you already have basic tech literacy (you can troubleshoot your own computer, understand what an IP address is), you can go straight to Security+. A+ is worth it if you have zero IT background and need the foundation. Skip it if you have any IT exposure at all.

Will employers overlook no degree if I have certs?

At many companies, yes. Managed service providers and small IT shops routinely hire cert-holders without degrees. Government contractor roles often prefer Security+ over a degree for certain positions. The companies where degree matters most: FAANG, large banks, and companies with formal HR screening. The companies where it matters least: startups, MSPs, cloud-native companies, and government contractors where DoD 8570 compliance matters more than pedigree.

How much can I realistically earn in year one after a career change?

$50,000–$70,000 for help desk and entry IT support with A+ and Security+. $65,000–$85,000 in cloud support roles with AWS Cloud Practitioner. $65,000–$90,000 in Salesforce admin with SF Admin cert. Year two to three, once you have experience plus another cert, these numbers move to $80,000–$100,000 for most paths. The jump past $100,000 usually requires AWS Solutions Architect Associate or equivalent mid-level cert plus 2 years of experience.

Best Certs for $100K Salary

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Updated March 2026. Salary and payback data from BLS OES, CompTIA IT Industry Outlook 2025.

Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Official Certification Body Fee Schedules, O*NET Occupation Data

Last updated: January 2025

How we calculate this · Payback calculations assume you qualify for and secure a role that values the certification. Outcomes vary by employer, region, and experience level.