April 28, 2026 - Q1 2026 saw a sharp surge in cash pay premiums for 663 IT certifications—the strongest quarterly jump in ten years. Meanwhile the average market value for 746 noncertified IT skills in Q1 did just the opposite, posting its fourth consecutive quarterly decline and biggest quarterly loss since 2002. Still, 134 noncertified IT skills are earning workers median bonuses equivalent to between 15% and 24% of base pay on average, and 44 IT certifications are averaging a much lower 10% to 15% cash bonuses. Is pay volatility a factor? It’s been spiking. Findings from our IT Skills and Certifications Pay Volatility Index show 417(of 1,409, or about 30%) skills and certifications changed market value in 1Q 2026, the highest pay volatility since later in 2024.
This is according to Foote Partners' long-running IT Skills and Certifications Pay IndexTM (ITSCPI) of cash pay premiums for 1,409 certified and non-certified IT skills.