8 Certifications That Can Boost Your Tech-Based Side Gig
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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The gig economy runs so strong, some people make livable incomes working part time. The average side gig brings in about $688 per month, according to Self Financial, but the potential for more income increases with the more training you have.
Now more than ever, tech-based side gigs are in demand as companies across industries rely increasingly on tech to run, manage and scale their businesses.
For anyone who wants to boost the income they earn through a tech-based side gig, here are eight certifications you may want to consider.
CompTIA Security+
For those looking into tech support, IT consultancy or cybersecurity gigs, the CompTIA Security+ certification is “a game changer,” according to Paul DeMott, the chief technology officer at Helium SEO.
“It’s recognized globally and demonstrates to potential clients that you understand network security, risk management and incident response,” he said.
You can expect to pay from $349 to $473, depending on where you take the exam, DeMott said, but it enables you to offer services like security audits, advising on compliance or even helping small businesses secure their networks.
“The demand for cybersecurity professionals is high, so you could command higher rates, potentially into the hundreds of dollars per hour or per project, depending on the scale and complexity of what you’re tackling.”
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
A certification that’s a bit more tech-heavy but equally lucrative is the AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification, DeMott said. “If your side gig involves anything to do with cloud computing, this certification is gold. It proves you can design and deploy scalable, efficient systems on Amazon Web Services, which is pretty much the backbone of many modern tech infrastructures.”
This certification is around $150 per attempt, but DeMott said, with it, “You could be looking at project fees in the thousands or hourly rates well above the standard for non-certified professionals.”
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
This certification is ideal for IT support jobs, according to Arvind Rongala, CEO of Invensis Learning. It gives you practical experience with network infrastructure, security and troubleshooting.
The cost comes to $39 per month on Coursera, which is a modest investment for a reliable source of added freelancing income, he explained. “One former retail employee I supervised, for example, utilized this certification to get steady $30/hour jobs on Upwork, assisting small businesses with remote tech support.”
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals
If you want to dip your toe into AI-driven services like chatbots or machine learning projects, this entry-level certification, which costs about $99, is ideal, Rongala said. “For a nearby bakery, one of my students created a simple AI-powered chatbot, earning $1,000 while gaining priceless practical experience.”
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
This certification is good for people who work in an “agile environment” and for freelance project managers, according to Damien Filiatrault, the CEO of Scalable Path, a software staffing agency.
“[CSM] helps to refine the skills of team coordination, sprint planning and backlog management, which makes one employable in management positions involving software development,” he said.
This certification can cost between $500 and $1,500, depending on the service provider, however, “earning potential is huge,” Filiatrault said. “Freelancers with experience charge between $50 to $150 per hour as Scrum Masters, depending on the scale of the project.”
Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
The savvier you can become in AI, the better, according to Suriel Arellano, an executive consultant in digital business transformation and an expert on AI in corporate America.
“This certification is all about proving you have the chops to design, develop and deploy machine learning models on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using TensorFlow, among other things,” Arellano said.
This is useful if you want to work as a machine learning engineer or in jobs that put you on those platforms for AI. It costs around $200, but can lead to positions that draw six figures, he said.
AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty
This certification focuses on the building, training and deploying of machine learning models using AWS, Arellano said. It’s meant to level up existing ML solutions on AWS. At around $300, it’s worth it, he said, even if you’re not a cloud computing whiz, as AWS skills are in demand. To give you a sense of how this translates to income earned, he pointed out that ML architect jobs pay around $120,000 on average.
Google Professional Data Engineer Certification
This is a great certification for someone looking to kickstart a career in data engineering, find side gigs as a data engineer or add more credibility to their existing profile according to Siddharth Parakh, an SaaS (software as a service) and web product developer for e-commerce, fintech and health tech companies.
“Some examples include helping streamline and organize data for small businesses, helping them migrate their data from small servers to the cloud, designing analytics dashboards, etc.,” he said.
You can register for this course for around $200 and you’ll learn multiple topics related to running data engineering pipelines on Google Cloud, data system designing, managing data workloads, data analytics and so on, Parakh explained.
You could earn side gigs that pay anywhere between $20-$50/hour to start, he said, and build from there.
Tips for Maximizing Your Certifications’ Impact
Parakh suggested that beyond just obtaining certifications, if you want to be successful at a side gig, you should also do the following:
- Build your brand: Create a professional website and maintain active social media profiles.
- Network: Engage with business groups or online forums to connect with potential clients.
- Upsell services: Offer complementary services to increase your value proposition.
By choosing the right certifications based on your interests and career goals, you can effectively enhance your skills and increase your earning potential in the tech industry.
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