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Best developer certifications
The best certifications for a developer are Certified Web Professional - Web Developer, Java Development Certified Professional, and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD).
Developer certifications demonstrate your competency as a developer to employers. However, not all developer certifications provide the same value.
Below is a list of the best developer certifications. Obtaining a developer certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.
15 best certifications for developers
| Rank | Developer certification | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Web Professional - Web Developer | IWA |
| 2 | Java Development Certified Professional | Learning Tree... |
| 3 | Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) | Global Knowle... |
| 4 | Sun Certified Business Component Developer (SCBCD) | Sun Microsyst... |
| 5 | Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) | Global Knowle... |
| 6 | Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) | IEEE |
| 7 | Certified Application Developer | ICCP |
| 8 | Teradata 14 Certified Master | TDC |
| 9 | Oracle PL/SQL Application Developer - Associate (OCA) | Oracle |
| 10 | AWS Certified Developer - Associate | AWS |
| 11 | Sun Certified Web Component Developer for Java 2EE (SCWCD) | Sun Microsyst... |
| 12 | Oracle Certified Expert Database SQL | Oracle |
| 13 | Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) | IEDC |
| 14 | HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals | MS |
| 15 | E-Commerce Developer (ECD) | ETA |
15 best developer certifications
1. Certified Web Professional - Web Developer
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
2. Java Development Certified Professional
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
3. Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD)
Microsoft Certified Solution Developers (MCSDs) can actively design and develop leading-edge business solutions with the latest development tools, technologies, platforms, and architectures.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
4. Sun Certified Business Component Developer (SCBCD)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
5. Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD)
Microsoft Certified Application Developers (MCADs) use Microsoft technologies to develop and administer applications and deploy and implement web back-end data solutions. Join the community of developers who are leveraging the power of .Net.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
6. Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)
The IEEE Computer Society is proud to offer professional certification for software development professionals. The program is intended for experienced software development and software engineering professionals.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
7. Certified Application Developer
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
8. Teradata 14 Certified Master
Teradata Certified Masters V2R5 have important knowledge and skills necessary to define (DDL) and retrieve/manipulate (DML) data with Teradata Structured Query Language (SQL) using both ANSI standard conventions and Teradata extensions to the language.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
9. Oracle PL/SQL Application Developer - Associate (OCA)
Oracle offers a complete, integrated set of application development tools that support any development approach, technology platform, or operating system.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
10. AWS Certified Developer - Associate
The AWS Certified Developer - Associate (Released June 2018) exam is intended for individuals who perform a Developer role. It validates an examinee's ability to: Demonstrate an understanding of core AWS services, uses, and basic AWS architecture best practices. Demonstrate proficiency in developing, deploying, and debugging cloud-based applications using AWS.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
11. Sun Certified Web Component Developer for Java 2EE (SCWCD)
This certification is for developers specializing in the application of JavaServer Pages and servlet technologies used to present Web services and dynamic Web content.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
12. Oracle Certified Expert Database SQL
Oracle Database SQL Certified Experts demonstrate the complete set of skills required for working with the powerful SQL programming language and have mastered the key concepts of a relational database. SQL Experts understand how to use the advanced features of SQL in order to query and manipulate data within the database, control privileges at the object and system level, and use advanced querying and reporting techniques. They are able to manipulate large data sets and understand storing and retrieving dates according to different time zones. They are also knowledgeable about the concepts of controlling access and privileges for schema objects.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
13. Certified Economic Developer (CEcD)
Economic development organizations need professionals who possess the expertise to combat new challenges that emerge in a constantly changing industry. The CEcD designation represents demonstrated competency in economic development wilth a high degree of knowledge, significant skills and considerable experience in the field.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
14. HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals
Candidates for this exam are seeking to prove core HTML5 client application development skills that will run on today's touch-enabled devices (PCs, tablets, and phones). Although HTML is often thought of as a web technology that is rendered in a browser to produce a UI, this exam focuses on using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to develop client applications.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? No
15. E-Commerce Developer (ECD)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
What is the best certification for a developer?
The best developer certification is Certified Web Professional - Web Developer. The Certified Web Professional - Web Developer is awarded by the International Webmasters Association. This certification corresponds to a specialty within a recognized occupation.
Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this developer certification:
- To become a certified Certified Web Professional - Web Developer, you need to pass the exam.
- This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
- Renew certification every year.
What are some of the most in-demand certifications for developers?
The most in-demand developer certification is Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer based on all active job postings. Having this developer certification will give you access to more developer jobs with higher salaries.
What certifications can impact a developer career and salary?
The Sun Certified Business Component Developer certification will help you to secure a java developer position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A java developer's average salary is $79,217 whereas developers make an average salary of $100,076.
The most common combination of developer certifications include: Certified Web Professional - Web Developer, Java Development Certified Professional, and Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD).
Online courses for developers to earn certifications
1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)
Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...
2. Data Science Immersive (Full-time)
Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...
3. Programming for Data Science with R
Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...
4. Full Stack Web Developer
Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...
5. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC
Web development with C#, ASP.NET MVC, MS SQL, C# OOP. All gathered for full stack web development in one course!...
6. Single-Page Application with ASP.NET & jQuery Hands-On
Learn how to build a single-page application from start to finish with ASP.NET Web API 2, Entity Framework and j Query...
7. Data Science (Part Time)
Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
8. Python Programming (Part Time)
Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
9. Android Kotlin Developer
Master Android app development with Kotlin, a modern programming language that enables developers to be more concise and productive. Build professional apps for the world's most popular mobile platform using Android Studio and Kotlin...
10. Artificial Intelligence for Trading
Complete real-world projects designed by industry experts, covering topics from asset management to trading signal generation. Master AI algorithms for trading, and build your career-ready portfolio...
11. Ultimate ASP.NET Core Web API Development Guide
Learn how to create a maintainable Web API using ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework and Enterprise Level Design Patterns...
12. C# Console and Windows Forms Development w/ Entity Framework
C# .NET Core Console Programming Windows Forms Data-driven development OOP Git Hub SQL Entity Framework...
13. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)
Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
14. JavaScript Development (Part Time)
Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
15. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
16. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
17. Web Development HTML CSS JavaScript jQuery NodeJS
Full Stack Web Development Bootcamp HTML Project HTML 5 CSS 3 Java Script Bootstrap ES6 j Query Node JS...
18. C#.NET Core 7 with MS SQL Complete Beginner to Master 2023
Learn API Development with C# .NET Core 7 and MS SQL Server from Mac, Linux or Windows!...
19. React Development (Part Time)
Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
20. Intro to Coding
Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...