Salary Survey Extra is a series of periodic dispatches that give added insight into the findings of our most recent Salary Survey. These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

We've already turned the Deep Focus spotlight on the sole Cisco certification that will still be in the Cisco certification lineup at this time next year. Every Cisco credential we turn to from here on out is just marking time. Today, we're bidding a fond farewell to Cisco's old baseline, welcome mat, enter-here certification, the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT), which checked in at No. 56 in its final Salary Survey 75 appearance.

Here's what the salary picture looks like for CCENT holders who responded to the Salary Survey:

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $97,180
Median Annual Salary: $97,500
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 4.7 percent
Very Satisfied: 25 percent
Satisfied: 32.8 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 31.3 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 6.2 percent

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $59,960
Median Annual Salary: $58,130
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 4.3 percent
Very Satisfied: 8.7 percent
Satisfied: 43.5 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 26.1 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 17.4 percent

The largest single body of CCENT holders to participate in the survey is made up of U.S. residents (74.7 percent), but we also heard from credential holders in 20 other countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.

All but a bare handful of the CCENT holders we heard from are men (96.6 percent).  Most of those in the survey group are on the youngish side of middle age, which 41.4 percent of those surveyed between the ages of 35 and 44, and 20.7 percent between the ages of 25 and 34. The greybeards (and graybuns) are either between the ages of 45 and 54 (26.4 percent of respondents), or between the ages of 55 and 64 (11.5 percent).

A bit more than 85 percent of the CCENT holders who responded to the survey have an educational background that includes time spent at a college or university. The highest level of education completed by most CCENT holders is either a bachelor's degree (43.7 percent of those surveyed), master's degree (28.7 percent), associate's degree (12.7 percent), or doctorate (1.1 percent). The only outliers either completed some level of the post-high school technical training (9.2 percent of respondents), left the realm of formal education after completing high school (2.3 percent), or are currently in school (also 2.3 percent).

A notable 95.6 percent of CCENT holders who participated in the survey are employed full-time, with the remaining 5-ish percent either employed part-time (1.1 percent), in school (also 1.1 percent), or out of work (2.2 percent). Among those who have full-time jobs, most are punching the clock either for the standard 40 hours per week (42.5 percent of respondents) or between 41 and 50 hours per week (43.7 percent). The rest are at the office either more than 50 hours per week (8 percent of those surveyed) or between 31, and 39 percent (5.7 percent).

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of CCENT holders we heard from are employed at the senior specialist level (45.5 percent of respondents). The rest, in descending order, are either specialists (17.5 percent of those surveyed), managers (14.4 percent), rank-and-file employees (8.3 percent), directors (7.2 percent), senior managers (6.2 percent), or executives (1 percent).

Nearly half (48.5 percent) of the CCENT holders who responded to the survey are IT veterans, having worked in a role that directly utilizes one or more of their certified skills for more than a decade. The rest have been plying their certified skills for either between zero years (1 to 11 months) and 2 years (13.4 percent of respondents), between 3 and 5 years (11.3 percent), between 6 and 8 years (19.6 percent), or between 9 and 10 years (7.2 percent).

Finally, here's the view of CCENT holders on key questions from the survey about how certification impacts job performance:

At my current job I use skills learned or enhanced through certification:
Several times a day: 54.6 percent
Several times a week: 25.8 percent
Several times a month: 9.3 percent
Occasionally: 6.2 percent
Rarely: 4.1 percent

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 33 percent
Agree: 44.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 15.5 percent
Disagree: 5.2 percent
Strongly Disagree: 2 percent

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 33 percent
Agree: 47.4 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 16.6 percent
Disagree: 2 percent
Strongly Disagree: 1 percent

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 33 percent
Agree: 41.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 21.7 percent
Disagree: 2 percent
Strongly Disagree: 2 percent

PAST CCENT DEEP FOCUS FEATURES

2018