MCSE's Thriving Despite Economic Uncertainty

According to a recent salary survey conducted by Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Magazine, Windows 2003 skills are an absolute must in today's IT job market. And in order to move higher in the compensation pile, IT professionals must get the right training to achieve MCSE Windows 2003 certification.

Despite reports of a gloomy economy, salaries are holding strong and even continue to rise for MCSE certified professionals. In fact, the recent salary survey by MCP Magazine indicates that MCSEs are the big winners this year in the IT industry when it comes to salary increases.

Other recent IT studies seem to find the same results - salary requirements for the IT industry are driven by a strong demand for certified professionals. In a study done in January by Internet Week magazine, 63 percent of companies worldwide indicated that they can't fill IT positions with skilled employees. And the Information Technology Association of America released a study in June indicating that over 425,000 IT jobs will go unfilled this year. This lack of skilled workers continues to drive up salaries for IT professionals over 60 percent from last year, with salaries for MCSE certified professionals leading the pack.

Recent finding show that salaries for MCSEs are up four percent, from a base salary last year of $65,100 to $67,800 this year. In fact, 25 percent of MCSEs reported a salary increase of up to 10 percent after certification. An additional 41 percent reported that certification brought salary increases of 11 to 25 percent.

In order to achieve MCSE certification, you must pass five core exams and two elective exams that are designed and approved by Microsoft. Preparing for these exams with the right IT training materials gives MCSE hopefuls a better chance of passing the exams on the first attempt.