8/27/2003 -- Computer Reseller News (CRN) this week released the results of its third annual certification study, which rates the importance of various IT certifications for small and large solution providers.

According to the study, the most important certification this year for large VARs ($5 million or more in annual revenue) is Microsoft's Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) title, followed by Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) and Microsoft Certified System Developer (MCSD) for .NET.

The top five most important certifications for smaller service providers (less than $5 million in annual revenue) are, in order, MCSE, Symantec Certified Security Practitioner (SCSP), Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA), Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and Check Point Certified Security Engineer (CCSE).

The study also lists the certifications growing in fastest importance for service providers. For large service providers, the top five are: Symantec SCSE, Jboss Certified Consultant, Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA), Cisco CCIE Voice and MCSD. For smaller providers, the fastest growing came in as Sun Certified Data Management Engineer, Oracle Certified Master, Sun Certified Java Programmer, Oracle Certified Associate DBA, and Oracle Certified Professional DBA.

The study also gives information on average salaries and billing rates for a variety of credentials. For example, large service providers report that Check Point CCSAs, on average, earn $63,000, with an average hourly billable rate of $147.

CRN conducted the study earlier this year via a survey of 200 solution providers selected at random. Solution providers rated the certifications on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "very important" and 1 being "not at all important."

Full details of the report are available on CRN's Web site here. To jump directly to the charts, go here. -Becky Nagel