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Certifications matter most when a law or target employer requires a specific credential, or when employers in your field recognize it as evidence of relevant skills. Otherwise, their value depends on the exact credential, the work you want, and the time and money it takes to earn and maintain it. U.S. labor data show that requirements vary sharply by occupation; they do not show that an optional certification will automatically improve your pay or job prospects.
What counts as a certification?
The term can refer to different credentials, and the difference matters when you are deciding whether one is worth paying for. In its labor-market analysis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) distinguishes a professional certification, awarded by a nongovernmental certification body, from a license, awarded by government. A license can provide legal authority to work in an occupation; a certification by itself does not. An educational certificate, which records completion of a program, is a separate category. BLS explains these distinctions.
Certifications and licenses in the BLS Current Population Survey framework are time-limited and require renewal. Requirements and terminology can vary by occupation and jurisdiction, so check the rules that apply where you intend to work rather than assuming a credential has the same status everywhere.
How often are credentials actually required?
In 2025, 22.9% of U.S. civilian workers had jobs requiring a license or certification, according to the BLS Occupational Requirements Survey estimates published in 2026. The figure was 93.4% for healthcare practitioners and technical workers. Those estimates show why the answer depends on the occupation: a credential may be a basic entry requirement in one field and uncommon in another. The BLS Occupational Requirements Survey measures credentials required for work, not credentials employers merely prefer or that might help a candidate compete.
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An earlier BLS Current Population Survey analysis found that 84.4% of employed U.S. people who held a certification or license said it was required for their job in 2018. This was a self- or proxy-reported measure that included legal or employer requirements. It is not a count of every optional credential that may have helped someone get hired. In the same analysis, 43.7 million people in the United States held a currently active certification or license in 2018, equal to 16.9% of the civilian noninstitutional population. The BLS analysis describes its definitions and survey measures.
Do certifications lead to higher pay?
BLS reported median weekly earnings of $1,106 for full-time wage and salary workers with a certification or license in 2018, compared with $818 for workers without one—a 35% difference. This is an observed association, not evidence that earning a credential caused the higher earnings. Credential holders and nonholders may differ in education, occupation, experience, and access to credentialed work; the earnings differences also vary by occupation. The figures should not be treated as a likely raise or a promised return on the cost of a particular certification. BLS discusses the earnings comparison and its limits.
When is a certification worth considering?
It is legally required
If a government license or other legally required credential is necessary to perform the work, meeting that requirement is a condition of entering or continuing in the occupation. Verify the current rule with the relevant licensing authority for your location; a professional certification is not automatically a substitute for a license.
Employers in your target field require it
If employers routinely list a specific credential as a requirement for the roles you want, it may be an essential qualification. Look at current job postings for your occupation and region, and distinguish “required” from “preferred” or “desirable.” The BLS requirement estimates exclude credentials that are desirable but not required, so they cannot tell you whether an optional credential improves an individual candidate’s chances.
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It validates skills employers use
A credential is more persuasive when its assessment covers skills that match the job and employers recognize the issuer and credential. The name alone is not enough: check what candidates must demonstrate and whether employers use that credential in hiring, promotion, or compensation decisions.
It fills a specific gap at a reasonable cost
An optional credential may make sense if it helps document a relevant skill you need for a particular next step and the total investment is acceptable. Compare the time, fees, eligibility requirements, and renewal obligations with other ways to demonstrate the same skills. A certificate of program completion, a professional certification, and a legal license may serve different purposes.
Why the field makes a difference
Credentials are not used consistently across industries. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study summary on manufacturing reported that credentials were used unevenly and were not routinely required or a major factor in hiring or promotion. It also said manufacturers saw potential if credentials were better understood and aligned with workplace skills. That is evidence about manufacturing, not a finding that applies to every sector. NIST’s manufacturing study summary illustrates why availability alone does not prove that employers value a credential.
IT provides a different, but qualified, example. In an announcement dated April 22, 2026, Pearson said its tenth Value of IT Certification Employer Report surveyed 505 IT and HR leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and India; 78% chose professional certification as the leading upskilling investment. These are provider-sponsored, IT-specific survey findings about employer views, not independent evidence that certification generally improves an individual’s hiring odds or earnings. Pearson’s president of Assessment and Qualifications described the result as employers valuing certification to build and validate IT skills; that is the publisher’s characterization, not a universal labor-market conclusion. Pearson’s announcement provides the survey context.
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If you are considering more than one option, compare the credentials against the same practical criteria. A credential that is a legal or hiring requirement should be assessed differently from one that is simply available or advertised as desirable.
- Check the rule. Find out whether the credential is legally required or specified by employers for your target job and location. Confirm current licensing rules with the relevant jurisdiction.
- Check recognition. Review job postings and ask people who hire in the field whether employers recognize the exact credential and issuer.
- Compare assessed skills with job tasks. Review the competencies tested and decide whether they match the work you want to do.
- Look for evidence of employer use. Determine whether employers use the credential in hiring, promotion, or compensation—not just whether a provider offers it.
- Calculate the full commitment. Include fees, preparation time, eligibility prerequisites, renewal dates, and any continuing-education obligations.
- Compare alternatives. Consider whether experience, a portfolio, employer training, or another qualification would demonstrate the same capabilities more directly.
For licensing requirements and credential definitions, consult the BLS overview of certifications and licenses. For occupation-level requirements, use the BLS Occupational Requirements Survey as evidence about what jobs require, not as a measure of whether an optional credential is worth buying.
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