Did you know that the average pay of entry-level professionals is $124,300?

If one thing is certain in IT, it’s never too late to cash in on the cloud. As the cloud becomes more critical to IT and the business at large, demand for cloud skills will only grow. But proving you have the right skills and knowledge in a competitive job market can be difficult. If you’re looking for an extra edge in landing a new job or promotion, cloud certification can be a great option.

A Forbes article on cloud computing forecasts summarizes key statistics regarding the current cloud computing landscape and also includes a look to the future. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the dominant cloud computing player and achieved an incredible 43 percent year-over-year growth. According to Wikibon predictions, AWS revenue should top $43 billion by 2022. AWS is followed closely by Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud Platform.

A close examination of what's available to IT professionals by way of cloud-related certifications shows a large and growing number of credentials. For 2019, the best cloud certifications include both vendor-neutral and vendor-specific certification options from some top players in the market. However, certification providers watch technology areas carefully, and seldom jump into any of them until clear and strong interest has been indisputably established.

The big question is... What Cloud Certification track should you start with?

No matter which direction you choose, cloud certifications are sure to take your career to the next level. Here’s my round-up of the most sought after cloud computing certifications you should consider.