Certifications Earn Workers More Money

September 5, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Holding a professional certification apparently does more than add to an employee's working knowledge - it also adds to their paycheck.

More than half (52%) of certification and licensure professionals said that certificants in their industry received higher compensation than those without certification. Additionally, 7% noted that certification is required for professionals practicing in certain industries, according to a recent poll conducted by the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA).

Further, the NOCA says that certifications may go further than just the commas and decimal points of the paycheck. As an example, NOCA President Gary Smith says 28% of certification and licensure professionals said compensation was the same for all professionals regardless of their certification status, however, in today’s tight labor market, questions could be raised as to whether or not an employee would have landed a job if they did not hold a certification.

“Certifications give job candidates another avenue to enter the workforce or change jobs and help employees attain the highly valued attributes employers are looking for,” said William Kersten, a member of the NOCA board of directors and senior vice president, operations.

The NOCA polled 271 certification and licensure professionals for the latest study. More information about the organizations is available at www.noca.org .

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