Certification guides with real numbers
Every guide on CertSherpa answers the three questions that matter before you spend a dollar: what it really costs, how long it really takes, and what it really pays back. Verified figures, honest verdicts, no training-company sales pitch.
24
Guides, each fact-checked against the issuing body
$25–$1,520
Exam-fee range we track, retakes included
BLS
Salary source of record, labelled when unavailable
7 yrs
Hiring experience behind every verdict
01
CompTIA, AWS, Azure, Google, AI, and cybersecurity certifications — real costs, study timelines, and honest worth-it verdicts.
02
PMP, Scrum, Six Sigma, Salesforce, and HubSpot certifications — which ones move your salary and which are resume decoration.
03
Forklift, CDL, HVAC, welding, and electrical certifications — requirements, real costs, and what these jobs actually pay.
04
Step-by-step career roadmaps: which certifications pay the most, which need no degree, and how to switch careers with them.
Trade Certifications
An AWS welder qualification covers one process, position and thickness range, not you. What the $70 registration, $300-$450 test, and $1,255 CWI exam really cost.
· 8 min read
Trade Certifications
Forklift certification costs $0 when your employer trains you and about $58 to $76 when you pay yourself. Verified 2026 prices from provider pages.
· 7 min read
Trade Certifications
Becoming a licensed electrician takes 4-5 years and about 8,000 on-the-job hours, but you earn wages the entire time. Real state fees, routes, and $63,190 pay.
· 7 min read
IT Certifications
Google sells no SQL certification. It sells a $125 Associate Data Practitioner exam, a $200 Data Engineer exam, and free BigQuery badges. Which is worth it.
· 7 min read
IT Certifications
The Google Analytics certification on Skillshop is free, takes 75 minutes, needs 80% to pass, and expires after a year. Here's who should bother.
· 8 min read
Verified numbers
Exam fees checked against the official certification bodies. Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wherever it exists — and labelled honestly when it does not.
An engineer's eye
Written and reviewed by a systems engineer who has hired and mentored certified — and uncertified — professionals for seven years. Not by a training company selling courses.
Honest verdicts
Every guide ends with a clear recommendation, including “skip this one” when that is the truth. Advertising never buys a verdict, and sponsored placement is not sold.