How AI certification can help employees climb the career ladder

As AI continues to rewrite job roles, an increasing number of employers are encouraging their employees to gain AI certification.

Back in April, Korean media and network services provider SK Broadband announced plans to train its staff as AI natives. It comes on the back of an AI proficiency certification program last year.

"We will establish a culture where employees independently develop AI agents to transform productivity and create real business value,” an SK Broadband spokesperson told The Korea Times.

More than a third of employees (35%) are interested in gaining AI certification, according to Pearson’s annual Value of IT Certification report released in April, which surveyed 505 IT and HR leaders. This figure is up from 17% in 2025.

The rising interest in AI certification should come as no surprise, according to Imran Akhtar, head of academy at talent and training partner, mthree.

“Many employers are looking for existing talent who can say they understand AI by spotting problems clearly, questioning its outputs, applying their own judgement, working safely with data, and using it effectively to improve how work gets done," Akhtar explains.

For employees, the value of AI certification is that it gives them ”a recognized way to evidence their knowledge of AI”, Akhtar adds. Certification helps to put theory into practice by testing employees’ knowledge in real-world scenarios.

The AI certifications to choose from

With so many AI certifications available, it may seem hard to know where to start. The right certification, however, is going to depend on an employee’s job role and which AI tools they need to perform that role more efficiently.

Another factor is an employee’s career plans and what AI knowledge and skills they may need as they climb the career ladder.

“Some jobs may demand certification because the role directly involves AI systems, data, risk, or governance. For others, it supports broader AI literacy and bolsters day-to-day work more holistically,” says Akhtar.

Here are a few starter AI certifications to choose from.

AWS Certified AI Practitioner

Structure: Online, 65 questions

Price: $100

Valid for: 3 years

AWS Certified AI Practitioner covers the basics of AI, genAI and machine learning (machine learning) concepts and use cases. The certificate is ideal for business analysts, IT managers and IT support, as well as product and project managers.

Google Generative AI Leader

Structure: Online, 50-60 multiple-choice questions

Price: $99

Valid for: 3 years

Google Generative AI Leader is for anyone looking to boost their business-level knowledge of generative AI (GenAI). The exam covers the fundamentals of genAI, Google’s genAI offerings, techniques for improving genAI output, and business strategies for successful genAI deployment.

Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate

Structure: Online, 45 multiple-choice questions

Price: $200

Valid for: 2 years

Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate is for anyone who wants to validate their ability to design and implement large language model (LLM) solutions using Databricks. It’s recommended that those taking the certification have at least six months of hands-on experience performing genAI tasks outlined in the exam guide.

Nvidia Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs

Structure: Online, 50-60 multiple-choice questions

Price: $125

Valid for: 2 years

Nvidia Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs is aimed at those who are looking to build on their basic understanding of AI and LLMs and learn how to develop and integrate AI applications using AI and LLMs with Nvidia solutions. It covers data visualization, neural networks, prompt engineering, and Python libraries.

These four certifications are considered foundation-level, but there are next-step certifications that employees can take to advance their knowledge and skills further.

For example, AWS suggests that those pursuing careers in AI, data and machine learning (ML) gain the AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate. Those going down the cloud path could take the Certified Solutions Architect - Associate.

Certification can boost career and salary prospects

Research published by Revelio Labs last month found that the average salary for workers who had gained a foundation-level certification in AI or generative AI is $79,800. For comparison, the average for workers who hadn’t gained one is $72,300.

The data also showed that certification gainers were more likely to be hired for a more senior role for their next position (38.9% had received one) than non-certification takers (32.5%).

Given the tight job market, employees are looking for anything that can give them an advantage. AI certification can improve their job mobility and help them to stand out from the competition, Faye Ellis, principal training architect at tech skills provider Pluralsight, tells ITPro.

“Certifications demonstrate a commitment to continuous development and validate that skills are up to date and workplace-ready. For many, this can provide a route to new opportunities or higher-paid roles,” says Ellis.

To mandate or not to mandate

The question employers may be asking themselves is whether they should mandate AI certification.

Ellis explains that while every employee “needs a baseline level of AI literacy, mandatory certification will depend on the role and technical depth required.

She cites the example of software developers. Companies should be more inclined to make certification mandatory for them because they’re involved in building and governing AI systems. For employees whose roles are less technical, certification needn’t be mandatory, but they should be encouraged to “support a foundation in responsible AI use, prompt quality and output validation”.

Akhtar agrees, but cautions that certification doesn’t always guarantee future career success.

“Certification can boost a career, but only when it builds the capability an employee can apply in their role,” he says.

“It’s unlikely to support career progression if AI training doesn’t reflect the core business objectives.”