Are IT certifications worth pursuing in 2026? In this video, we break down everything you need to know before investing your time and money into an IT certification — including whether they’ll actually boost your career, how to choose the right one for your goals, and the key differences between vendor-neutral and vendor-specific certifications.

Whether you’re just starting out in IT or you’re a seasoned sysadmin weighing your next move, this is the honest, no-fluff guide to navigating the certification landscape.

Certification Overview

Intro

As system administrators, we regularly face a variety of challenges. A production server might go down and require immediate attention, or we might be asked to fix the printer for the third time in a single week. We deal with outages, user complaints, and sometimes even pushback from management.

But there’s another challenge that has nothing to do with technical troubleshooting: career growth. How do we advance our careers? And how do we measure where we are today so we know what to focus on next?

For those trying to land their very first system administrator job, there’s an even tougher question: how do you gain experience when most job listings require experience already?

One thing that can help is earning technical certifications. Certifications are intended to demonstrate your skills to current or potential employers. But are they actually worth it? And what benefits can they realistically provide?

On Camera

In this article, I want to spend some time talking about IT certifications. Specifically, we’ll discuss their value and what you should realistically expect from them.

This is important because many certification providers claim that getting certified will help you land a job or earn more money. But is that actually true?

Today I want to give you an honest look at certifications. We’ll talk about the value they truly provide and what you can reasonably expect from them.

For some background, before Learn Linux TV became my full-time job, I was directly involved in hiring and building IT teams. As the Director of IT Operations at my previous company, I participated in the hiring process frequently. So in this article, I’ll share my perspective from both sides — as a hiring manager and as a system administrator.

By the end of the article, you’ll have a clearer understanding of whether certifications are worth pursuing and which ones might make sense if you decide to go down that path.

I’ll also explain what hiring managers actually look for. What really makes the difference between receiving a job offer and getting a rejection email? And how much do certifications actually influence that outcome?

In addition, I’ll give a brief overview of several Linux-focused certifications you might want to consider. If you’re looking to cut through the marketing noise and understand the real value of certifications, this article should help.

Before we get into that, though, one thing that can absolutely boost your marketability is your troubleshooting ability. To help with that, I recently created a brand-new ebook designed to improve your troubleshooting skills.

Inside the ebook, you’ll find practical strategies, useful tips, and mindset shifts that can help you troubleshoot more effectively. It also includes several “Linux life hacks” that demonstrate how creative thinking can help you diagnose and solve problems faster.

If that sounds helpful, check out my Linux Troubleshooting Strategies ebook at the URL on the screen.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s dive into certifications and explore what benefits they actually offer.

What Do Employers Want?

Let’s begin with one of the most common career questions I’ve been asked on this channel.

Will obtaining certifications actually help you get a job?

If you’re going to spend time and money earning certifications, it’s only natural to wonder whether you’ll see a return on that investment.

Here’s the honest answer: certifications can absolutely help you get a job — but sometimes they might have no impact at all.

The reason is simple: it depends on the hiring manager.

Think about it this way. As Linux users, we’re all opinionated. We debate which distribution is best, which desktop environment is superior, and whether systemd is helpful or problematic.

Hiring managers are just as opinionated.

Every hiring manager has a different perspective and different priorities when evaluating candidates.

Because of that, the answer to the question “Will certifications help me?” is simply: it depends.

Some hiring managers treat certifications as a requirement and may not even consider candidates who don’t have them. Others believe certifications only demonstrate that someone is good at passing exams, not that they have real experience. These hiring managers might ignore certifications entirely, while others view them as helpful but not essential.

Because of this variability, pursuing certifications solely to increase your chances of getting hired is not the best reason to do it. You never know in advance how much weight a particular employer places on certifications.

The same logic applies to college degrees. People often ask whether earning a degree will help them get a job. The answer is similar: maybe, or maybe not. Some employers value degrees highly, while others care far more about practical experience.

Since hiring managers all think differently, the real question becomes: should you pursue certifications at all?

The Actual Value

The answer is yes — certifications can absolutely be worthwhile. But the real value isn’t simply increasing your chances of getting hired or promoted. That still depends heavily on the company.

Instead, certifications provide value in other ways.

First and foremost, certifications help you grow your skills. Even if your employer doesn’t place much importance on them, preparing for a certification exam can significantly expand your knowledge.

Earlier in my career, I earned a total of nine certifications. I didn’t pursue them because I expected instant career benefits. I did it because studying for certifications helped me develop my skills faster.

One reason for that was accountability. Buying an exam voucher created a deadline. If I didn’t pass the exam before the voucher expired, I would lose the money. That pressure helped keep me focused and motivated.

Studying for certifications also forces you to explore areas you might otherwise ignore. You’ll learn commands you may not have discovered on your own, explore concepts you hadn’t considered before, and gain a broader understanding of how systems work.

However, certifications should be viewed as part of your professional portfolio, not the entire portfolio.

Your portfolio can include many things: certifications, college degrees, articles you’ve written, projects you’ve completed, and more.

One thing that absolutely belongs in your portfolio is your GitHub account. Your activity there can demonstrate how you engage with the community. Maybe you’ve submitted pull requests, contributed documentation, or created scripts that solve real problems.

Your GitHub profile can show employers your passion for technology and how you collaborate with others. When you combine contributions like that with certifications, education, and other achievements, you become a stronger candidate overall.

The key takeaway is that career growth isn’t about one single achievement. It’s about the combination of many different accomplishments.

Certifications can be a valuable addition to your portfolio, but they shouldn’t be your only focus. And even if your employer doesn’t value them directly, the knowledge you gain while preparing for them is still extremely valuable.

What Certifications Should You Pursue?

Now that we understand the value certifications can provide, the next question is: which certifications should you pursue?

Before we look at specific options, it’s important to understand that there are generally two categories of certifications: vendor-neutral and vendor-specific.

Vendor-specific certifications focus on a particular product or platform. For example, Red Hat certifications concentrate specifically on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Vendor-neutral certifications, on the other hand, focus on broader concepts and skills rather than a single platform. The Linux Professional Institute certifications are a good example of this approach.

In my opinion, vendor-neutral certifications are often the best starting point.

The reason is simple: Linux environments vary widely across the industry. If your knowledge is tied too closely to a single platform, your skills may not transfer as easily between companies.

For example, imagine your current organization uses Red Hat exclusively. Earning a Red Hat certification might seem like the obvious choice. But if you later apply for a job at a company that uses a different distribution, that certification may not carry as much weight.

Vendor-neutral certifications require you to understand Linux more broadly, which can make your skills more adaptable.

That said, vendor-specific certifications still have value. Red Hat certifications, for example, are particularly respected because they require you to demonstrate real technical skills rather than simply answering exam questions.

Understanding the difference between vendor-neutral and vendor-specific certifications helps you make better decisions about which ones to pursue.

LPI

The Linux Professional Institute offers vendor-neutral certifications.

These certifications require you to understand Linux concepts and tools across multiple distributions rather than focusing on a single platform.

The most well-known certifications from LPI are the LPIC series: LPIC-1, LPIC-2, and LPIC-3. Each level increases in difficulty and depth.

LPI also offers additional certifications, including Linux Essentials for beginners as well as certifications covering security, web development, and other topics.

CompTIA

Next is CompTIA.

CompTIA offers a wide range of IT certifications across multiple domains, not just Linux.

Their entry-level certifications include A+, which covers hardware, operating systems, and troubleshooting fundamentals. They also offer certifications in networking, security, server administration, and other areas.

CompTIA also offers Linux+, which roughly compares in difficulty to LPIC-1.

Even though CompTIA certifications are not exclusively Linux-focused, they can still provide a strong foundation for a career in IT.

The Linux Foundation

Another excellent option is certifications offered by the Linux Foundation.

The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports and funds many open-source projects, including those related to Linux.

A key difference between Linux Foundation certifications and many others is that they are performance-based. Instead of answering multiple-choice questions, you must demonstrate your skills on a real system.

For many employers, this practical approach makes these certifications particularly valuable.

The Linux Foundation also offers certifications covering adjacent technologies such as DevOps and Kubernetes.

Red Hat

Finally, let’s talk about Red Hat certifications.

Red Hat certifications focus specifically on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and are widely respected within the industry.

Like Linux Foundation certifications, they are also performance-based, meaning you must demonstrate real administrative skills.

However, because they are vendor-specific, they mainly demonstrate expertise with Red Hat’s ecosystem rather than Linux as a whole.

For that reason, it can be beneficial to combine a vendor-specific certification like Red Hat’s with at least one vendor-neutral credential.

My Recommendations

There are many certifications available, but rather than trying to pursue everything, it’s better to follow a thoughtful path.

A good starting point is a beginner-friendly vendor-neutral certification such as Linux Essentials. Even if you already have some experience, it can help you become familiar with the certification process.

After that, you might consider advancing to certifications from LPI or the Linux Foundation.

From there, you can explore additional specialties based on your interests, such as cloud computing, DevOps, or security.

One important tip: avoid trying to collect too many certifications.

Maintaining certifications often requires renewal exams, which means additional time and expense. Instead of collecting dozens of certifications, focus on a small number that align with your career goals.

Finally, be cautious about expensive certification boot camps.

While these programs can help some people, they are not required to earn certifications. The only real requirement is learning the material covered by the exam.

You can achieve that by studying books, watching educational videos, or taking reasonably priced online courses.

Some boot camps cost thousands of dollars — sometimes close to the cost of a college degree. In most cases, you can learn the same material on your own for far less money.