Study Shows Pay For IT Skills And Certifications On Consistent 3 Year Decline
Foote Partners , Thursday, October 9th, 2025
Extra pay awarded by employers to talented tech professionals for 648 IT certifications reported in Foote Partners' 3Q 2025 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index(ITSCPI) decreased in average market value in 3rd quarter 2025, the eighth decline in the past ten calendar quarters.
Leading this erosion most recently are Database/Data Management, Network & Communications, Applications Development & Programming Languages, and Entry-Level & Training certifications. Average cash pay premiums for 734 non-certified IT skills showed a similar decline in Q3 2025, down 0.7%, the sixth quarterly decrease in the past ten calendar quarters.
Pay erosion was across the board categorically but highest for cash pay premiums in the following skills categories: Systems & Networking, Database, SAP & Enterprise Applications, and Web/E-commerce.