Can doing ITIL® Certifications increases my Salary?

The hike in salary is one of the top most motivations for the IT professionals along with continuous career growth. The continued growth of Information Technology provides thriving careers for IT Professionals. IT industry employs large quantum of work force. IT professionals are top paid among all industries. Yet, candidates are often found unsure about choosing the right path to grow their careers as the growth is not fully visible in the beginning. One needs an experienced guide and mentor to make them aware of their potentials, right career plan to fulfil their aspirations and life goals.

1worldtraining.com – a group of experienced professionals in IT industry offers many insights on evolution of IT, career growth plans, in demand skills, Industry standards etc., to help IT professionals, globally.

1worldtraining.com advises IT professionals to realize that the combination of experience, continuous upgradation of knowledge & skills is the right path to rapidly grow their careers.

1worldtraining.com advocates IT professionals to take up Professional Certification programs to speed up their career growth. The professional certification programs will offer higher salary for less experienced candidates because; these programs will build your ability with skillsets to demonstrate your knowledge. ITIL 4 certification programs are one of the top programs in IT service management.

“ITIL certification programs ranks among top 5 paid IT Certifications” – survey by The Global Knowledge on IT Skills & Salary report.

ITIL Certification Salaries – source: itcareer

Salaries for ITIL professionals may be impacted by a variety of factors such as experience, the type of ITIL certification held, the role performed, or geography. By way of example, ZipRecruiter reports average earnings for ITIL Foundation credential holders at $88,108 annually with the top 10 percent earning up to $148,500. On the other hand, ITIL Master Credential holders can expect average annual earnings around $94,482 with top earnings up to $162,000. Pay scales in certain geographies can vary significantly. Foundation credential holders in Sunnyvale, CA can expect to earn at least 23 percent more than the national average. ITIL Master Credential holders in San Mateo, CA typically earn 25 percent above the national average.

Roles also play a factor in compensation. Glassdoor reports average earnings for an ITIL Service Management Analyst at $62,200 while an ITIL manager averages $103,847 annually.

The above findings clearly indicate ITIL Certified professionals are among top paid professionals, worldwide.

ITIL certifications will increase salaries of IT Professionals along with assured career growth plan.

The chart shows various ITSM career paths:

Why ITIL Certifications fetch high salary?

ITIL certifications benefit both IT pros and businesses. For IT professionals, ITIL certifications provide employers with assurance that you possess the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully implement ITIL framework solutions across the ITSM lifecycle, improve quality and drive value for their organizations. Certifications also establish a minimum level of professional competency which employers can rely on when screening prospective employees.

In addition to providing assurances regarding the quality of skills and expertise of ITSM team members, ITIL certifications also provide numerous other benefits to organizations that choose to adopt ITIL. The ITIL ITSM framework creates integration between IT departments and other teams within organizations. Utilizing the ITIL framework allows organizations to build established best practices into their organizational structure which saves both time and money leaving more time for creating IT solutions. ITIL is compatible with other quality frameworks such as agile, Prince2, ISO® standards, COBIT®, and PMBOK®. In addition, businesses find that ITIL enables them to plan better for and manage service disruptions and other risks, improves system costs, and supports an environment of continuous change allowing organizations to respond with agility.

As the usage of ITIL by organizations of all sizes, across the world is increasing, the demand for ITIL certified professionals is growing along with the highest possible pay packages. Today, an ITIL 4 foundation certified professional with just 2 years of IT experience can have a jump start to his career by 10% – 12% of hike in salary as compared to contemporary colleagues.

As per the survey conducted by PeopleCert, organizations now encourage North American professionals to get certified in ITIL 4. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Help your learners fast-track their way to leading tech roles with high-paying salaries and organizations build resilient, top-performing teams!   

How ITIL Certifications increase your salary and grow your career?

The experience and continuous upgradation of knowledge & skills are very important for an individual to rapidly grow his/her career in IT industry. The professional certification programs will offer higher salary for less experienced candidates because; these programs will build your ability with skillsets to demonstrate your knowledge. ITIL 4 certification programs are one of the top programs in IT service management.

Step 1: Begin with Training on ITIL certification programs:

Irrespective of your number of years of IT experience, one should start from ITIL Foundation certification and continue to evolve with higher levels of certifications for a successful career growth.

There are 4 levels of certifications in ITIL:

• ITIL Foundation level.
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional.
• ITIL 4 Strategic Leader.
• ITIL 4 Master level.

Click here for massive discount on ITIL 4 trainings and complete course schedule.

Step 2: Choose a right training company: Choosing a right training provider is easier said than done,

• Select Accredited, Authorised training partner by the ITIL governing body – Axelos.
• Request for a schedule to discuss your ITIL journey with co-ordinator / counsellors etc.,
• Know your trainer, training methods and mode preferred.
• Enrol for the ITIL 4 training Program.

Click here to book a free discussion with the ITIL experts!!!

Step 3: Take the Certification exams:

Once certified as ITIL 4 professional present your credentials to HR, Project teams, upload your ITIL 4 certification credentials in Job Portals, Social Media platforms.

How to get high earning ITIL Certifications?

Let us understand the ITIL 4 certification programs, Axelos the governing body of ITIL frameworks explains the ITIL certification levels more specifically as:

The ITIL^® certification scheme provides a modular approach to the ITIL framework, and is comprised of a series of qualifications focused on different aspects of ITIL best practice to various degrees of depth and detail. The tiered structure of the qualification offers candidates flexibility relating to the different disciplines and areas of ITIL and the ability to focus their studies on key areas of interest.

ITIL has recently evolved from ITIL v3 to ITIL 4 with a clear transition journey from one scheme structure to the other. ITIL v3 Foundation qualified candidates are encouraged to move straight to ITIL 4 Foundation to keep their skills up-to-date. Intermediate candidates can decide to collect 17 v3 credits to enable them to transition to ITIL 4 with one course and one exam.

ITIL 4 Certification Scheme

The certification scheme below is aligned with ITIL v3 and has been streamlined to provide clear paths for practitioners to continue their ITIL journey.

There are four certification levels within the ITIL 4 scheme:

• Foundation
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional
• ITIL 4 Strategic Leader
• Master.

ITIL 4 Foundation Level

ITIL 4 Foundation is designed as an introduction to ITIL 4 and enables candidates to look at IT service management through an end-to-end operating model for the creation, delivery and continual improvement of tech-enabled products.

As an ITIL 4 Foundation Certified professional you can expect a minimum salary hike of 10%-12%.

Visit our ITIL Foundation Level page for further details about the certification and exam format.

ITIL 4 Managing Professional

ITIL 4 Managing Professional (MP) stream provides practical and technical knowledge about how to run successful IT enabled services, teams and workflows. It is aimed at IT practitioners working within technology and digital teams across businesses.

As an ITIL 4 Certified Managing professional you can expect a minimum salary hike of 15%-18%.

Visit our ITIL 4 Managing Professional page for further details about the certification.

ITIL 4 Strategic Leader

ITIL 4 Strategic Leader (SL) recognizes the value of ITIL, not just for IT operations, but for all digitally-enabled services. Becoming an ITIL 4 Strategic Leader demonstrates that you have a clear understanding of how IT influences and directs business strategy.

As an ITIL 4 Strategic Leader Certified professional you can expect a minimum salary hike of 20%-25%.

Visit our ITIL 4 Strategic Leader page for more information about the certification.

Master Level

To achieve the ITIL Master certification, you must be able to explain and justify how you have personally selected and applied a range of knowledge, principles, methods and techniques from ITIL and supporting management techniques, to achieve desired business outcomes in one or more practical assignments.

As an ITIL 4 Master Level Certified professional you can expect a minimum salary hike of 35%-40%.

Visit our ITIL Master page for more information.

1worldtraining.com a leading training & certification provider for all level of ITIL 4 certification programs.

ITIL (Version 5) Certification Scheme

The ITIL (Version 5) Certification Scheme begins with ITIL Foundation and progresses through eight advanced modules and one extension module. These advanced modules are organized into three learning streams, each leading to a professional designation:

• ITIL Practice Manager (Version 5)
• ITIL Managing Professional (Version 5)
• ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5)

Public launch schedule for ITIL® (Version 5) Courses:

1. ITIL® 5 Foundation: 12 February 2026
2. ITIL® 5 Foundation Bridge: 26 February 2026 
3. ITIL® 5 Product, ITIL® 5 Service, ITIL® 5 Experience: 12 March 2026 
4. ITIL® 5 Strategy: 9 April 2026 
5. ITIL® 5 Transformation: 9 April 2026 
6. ITIL® 5 Managing Professional (MP Transition): 14 May 2026

Completing the required modules within a stream grants the corresponding designation. Learners who complete all three designations achieve the highest level of recognition: ITIL Master.

The four designations together create a clear and comprehensive pathway for developing mastery in digital product and service management.

ITIL Foundation (Version 5): ITIL Foundation is the entry point for all learners. It introduces the shared language, core concepts, and unified lifecycle for managing digital products and services. It establishes a foundational understanding of value creation, collaboration, governance, and continual improvement.

ITIL Practice Manager (Version 5): To earn the Practice Manager designation, candidates complete ITIL Foundation and choose one Practice Specialization Module. Each specialization includes five defined practices.

Monitor, Support and Fulfil (MSF)

Service Desk
Incident Management
Problem Management
Service Request Management
Monitoring and Event
Management

Plan, Implement and Control
(PIC)

Change Enablement
Deployment Management
Release Management
Service Configuration
Management
IT Asset Management

Collaborate, Assure and
Improve (CAI)

Relationship Management
Supplier Management
Service Level Management
Continual Improvement
Information Security
Management

To complete the Practice Manager designation, candidates must also complete ITIL Transformation and pass the related exam.

ITIL Managing Professional (Version 5): The Managing Professional designation requires completion of ITIL Foundation and the following modules: ITIL Product, ITIL Service, ITIL Experience, and ITIL Transformation. This stream develops advanced capability in product delivery, service management, experience management, and organizational improvement.

ITIL Strategic Leader (Version 5): The Strategic Leader designation requires completion of ITIL Foundation, ITIL Strategy, and ITIL Transformation. This stream focuses on the alignment of digital strategy, governance, investment, and leadership within the modern enterprise.

ITIL Transformation (Version 5): ITIL Transformation is a core module in the ITIL (Version 5) qualification scheme. It is required for the Practice Manager, Managing Professional, and Strategic Leader designations. This module equips professionals to design, plan, and manage improvements across the service value system. ITIL Transformation only needs to be taken once, and the achievement applies across all designations.

ITIL AI Governance (Extension Module): AI Governance is the extension module within the ITIL (Version 5) qualification scheme. It focuses on responsible, ethical, and compliant adoption of artificial intelligence. The module addresses risk management, transparency, accountability, and regulatory considerations. The previous ITIL 4 extension modules are not included in the ITIL (Version 5) scheme.

ITIL Master: ITIL Master is the highest designation within ITIL (Version 5). It is awarded to professionals who successfully complete the Practice Manager, Managing Professional, and Strategic Leader designations. ITIL Master recognizes deep expertise and the ability to adopt and adapt ITIL in complex and diverse real-world environments, positioning professionals as strategic contributors to digital transformation.

Transition from ITIL v3 to Version 5

Transition from ITIL 4 to Version 5

NOTE: ITIL (Version 5) is an evolution. Existing certifications retain value. Transition guidance is subject to confirmation following testing.