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Updated: Jun 7, 2022, 11:56am
The data analytics market is enormous and still growing. The market generated more than $22.99 billion in revenue in 2020 and is projected to grow to at least $346.24 billion by 2030. Every industry is using data analytics to improve revenues and market share, and people with the skills to break down data points are in high demand. If you’re looking to break into the field and make it a career, a certification is a great way to start.
Getting a data analytics certification―or more than one―gives you the tools to succeed in the data analytics field. Certifications don’t just help you hone your craft. They also tell prospective employers that you are capable of doing the job. It helps make you marketable in nearly any sector you desire to be in and helps you earn more in the job of your choice.
Pricing from: $12.42 per month
DataCamp is a one-stop-shop for data analytics professionals to get the right skills and certifications for their field. It has more than 380 courses designed to meet the needs of a data scientist, data engineer, statistician, programmer and data analyst―to name a few. If you already have a head start on your career and are looking for specific skills, DataCamp offers courses tailored to what you are looking for, including structured query language (SQL) fundamentals, applied finance, machine learning (ML) and data visualization.
Test the platform out with its limited free access. This gives you the first chapter of every course for free. You can also choose to take up to six free courses and gain access to the job board with a free professional profile on the site. Most people choose the Premium plan for $12.42 per month, which allows you full access to the entire library of certifications.
To get certified, you must pass a skills test. The test is timed and will go over general skills. You may have a coding challenge as part of the test or be required to make a case study submission.
After certification, you can create a professional profile and gain career help from the career services team. This team guides professionals through a job search and provides interview prep for upcoming meetings.
Pricing from: $165
This Microsoft certification now goes by the name Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate. This certification uses Power BI to unlock insights. Power BI is the scalable platform for self-service and business intelligence (BI) that provides data insights.
This certification is for someone who already has a fundamental understanding of data processes and data repositories, whether on-premises or in the cloud. It makes those with a certification a subject matter expert that works with organizations to maximize the value of data assets. The certification teaches you to build scalable data models, clean and transform data and enable advanced analytic capabilities. The goal is to help the certification holder with the tools to work with team members and executives across the organizational chart to glean relevant insights for the business growth.
To sit for the exam, you must pay USD 165, although prices vary based on the country or region you are in. The exam has a scale of 1 to 1,000, and you must get a 700 to pass the exam. If you fail the exam, you may retake it but have to wait at least 24 hours between retakes.
Pricing from: $300
Cloudera has retired its CCA Data Analyst certification and has replaced it with the new CDP Certification Program. There are three certifications in this program to choose from. You learn the skills of the Cloudera platform―everything from administration to data analysis.
The CDP Generalist certification ensures that candidates have a broad knowledge of the platform and how to use the system. The CDP Administrator―Private Cloud Base works with candidates so that they can manage and maintain the platform properly. The CDP Data Developer certification works through the skills and knowledge needed to create applications and data pipelines.
Each certification is $300 and has its own exam. The Generalist exam has 60 questions and you are given 90 minutes to complete it. It covers the components of CDP architecture, compares the security between the public and private cloud base, describes analytic experiences and reviews the requirements to deploy on major cloud infrastructure providers. Applicants who fail the exam must wait 30 calendar days before retaking the exam. The certification is good for two years.
Pricing from: Free
As an introduction to data science, the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate will get you started. This certification will teach you the basics of data science, job functions and how to think like a data scientist. It provides hands-on skills using the languages and libraries used in the professional atmosphere. As part of your work, you will import and clean data sets to then analyze and visualize data. You then evaluated ML and models using Python, all with the goal of being able to publish project reports.
The certification consists of nine courses:
As you work through each course, you gain more knowledge and tools that are needed in the professional environment. Additionally, you will create a portfolio of data science projects that demonstrate your ability to handle complex project details. On top of the course certificate, you will also receive a digital badge from IBM that recognizes your proficiency in data science.
Enrollment is currently free on Coursera, with start dates scheduled throughout the year. To test and gain the certification, you’ll need to register with Coursera for $39 per month.
Pricing from: $300
The Amazon AWS Certified Big Data certification is for those with at least two years of experience using Amazon Web Services (AWS) technology. Completing the certification demonstrates that you are proficient in AWS big data services. This helps you build, deploy and manage websites. Learn the fundamentals of web analytics. Learn how to mine data lakes for information and understand log analytics, streaming analytics and ML.
You are given 180 minutes to complete the exam, which is 65 questions of multiple choice and multiple response questions. The exam is broken down into five sections:
Pricing from: $6,900
The CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program is an eight-month certification that takes beginners through all the necessary steps to become proficient as a data analyst. It is one of the most comprehensive programs in data analytics that you’ll find.
The program is more than a certification. It is a job guarantee program that offers mentorships to students. Students are assigned a mentor and a tutor from day one that provide feedback and assistance in the studies and job process. At the end of the program, you’ll have a complete portfolio of work to demonstrate your skills to employers.
The program is comprehensive and can be completed with full-time application in five months of 40-hour study weeks. Part-time students can complete the program in eight months, putting in 15 to 20 hours each week.
The first part of the program is one month devoted to an introduction to data analytics. From there, you spend the rest of the program in data analytics immersion. In this part of the program, you’ll design a research project, source data, perform data profiling and integrity and implement quality measures. Ultimately, the goal is to consolidate analytical insights into a usable report and model.
Pricing from: $6,600
The Springboard Data Analytics Career Track is a six-month mentor-based program that takes critical thinkers and develops them into problem-solvers for data analytics. This program also comes with a job guarantee, so you can be confident you’ll be learning valuable and marketable skills in the program.
In this program, there are five areas of concentration:
Working with your mentor, you’ll choose an industry data set, then create an end-to-end analysis. From there, you’ll synthesize insights into a deck for presentation.
Getting a data analytics certification should be on your list of priorities if you plan on growing a career in data science. There are ample opportunities with many certifications that can help make you more marketable. Choose a certification that meets your budget and professional goals.
The best data analyst certification meets your career goals and budget. Some of the industry’s most respected are:
Google Analytics is a skill set valued in the data science industry. Being proficient in Google Analytics can improve job prospects and salary opportunities.
Kimberlee Leonard has taken her professional experience as an insurance agency owner and financial advisor and translated that into a finance writing career that helps business owners and professionals succeed. Her work has appeared on Business.com, Business News Daily, FitSmallBusiness.com, CentsibleMoney.com, and Kin Insurance.
Rob is an SMB writer and editor based in New Jersey. Before joining Forbes Advisor, he was a content producer at Fit Small Business. In that role, he was responsible for writing, editing, and strategizing content geared toward small business owners. Before that, he worked at PCMag as a business analyst.
