A significant proportion of modern day society has long placed an emphasis on earning degrees. In light of a recent report on the information technology industry, the stress placed on education could be done for a good reason.It has been a well-known yet unproved belief that the only way IT professionals can expect to be paid is to earn “A”s. However, there has been a small shadow of doubt cast upon this claim. With a number of homegrown technology success stories, it is difficult to completely buy into the idea that certificates are the make or break element that shape the trajectory of a tech employee’s career. After all, the college dropout Bill Gates became the richest man in America because he had the know-how to lead his garage-founded Microsoft to success – sans certificate.Don’t bank on startup successAt this point, parents of tech job seekers are probably holding their breath and breaking out into a sweat. One of the latest trends among younger IT professionals appears to entail heading to Silicon Valley and ambitiously founding a risky startup without having much experience or schooling. That said, the glorified success stories that circulate the media are rare instances.More often than not, tech startups are not accruing billions or even millions of dollars worth of revenue like the handful of exemplar companies celebrated by the public.Business Insider explained that Y Combinator, a firm that provides organizations coming out of the gates with seed money and supportive resources to help them succeed, revealed that 7 percent of the companies accepted into its program generate at least $40 million in revenue within five years. Though the remaining proportion of businesses are not failures, these organizations may not be living up to the initial expectations set by their founders.For this reason, older generations may be correct in harping on the importance of acquiring an education and climbing the career ladder from the ground up.Not only has advanced schooling among the world’s youth population benefited tech employees’ brains, but this prolonged stint in school may also be advantageous to their billfolds. In general, having IT skills that are in demand is an asset to job seekers’ résumés, and yet their value increases with the addition of formal certification.Become certified for salary securityAccording to CIO.com, a recent quarterly survey carried out by Foote Partners revealed that when it comes to employment in the IT sector, certain certifications may play an integral role in terms of driving up salaries. The firm explored the take-home pay for IT professionals possessing specific tech skills cultivated through a number of different training programs to see who is raking in the most money.The news source stated that this Foote research found that there is a variety of certifications currently contributing to rapidly escalating IT incomes. As with many aspects of the tech industry, the fastest growing salaries are dependent on certificates that equip professionals with skills to handle the most popular trends in innovation.Wireless could be the way to goLarge portions of the United States are now abundant with wireless Internet networks. From cities providing the public with free service to independent shops enabling paying customers to tap into the Web, wireless accessibility has been expanding quickly. With that, securing these networks has become a main concern for many companies.As a result, Certified Wireless Security Professionals have been rising in value. Job seekers can refine their wireless protection talents through certification programs such as that provided by CWNP. Even if heading back to school and taking exams is not the most tempting proposition for tech employees, the compensation advantages that come with this training could outweigh any hassle. In the past year, the incomes of professionals having this certification under their belt has increased by 35 percent.The available training in the wireless field does not stop there. CWNP also offers a program that allows tech employees to become Certified Wireless Network Experts. This is the topmost tier of certification provided by the company, and IT professionals entering it must also complete other instruction before trying to tackle it. In the end, though, workers who have stuck with the program and made progress in this training have encountered 42 percent gains in their compensation.