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 These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

Cloud computing has come to dominate the long-range forecast for the entire IT industry. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM are just the heaviest of the heavyweights slugging it out for control of cloud computing market. Cloud computing skills and knowledge are at a premium.

If you're an IT free agent who would like to join someone's cloud team eventually, but you currently need a solid foundation in basic cloud computing knowledge, then the CompTIA Cloud+ credential (No. 53 on our most recent Salary Survey 75 list) is a good place to turn. You'll learn everything you need to know about the basics before deciding where to specialize.

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

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $99,200
Median Annual Salary: $93,250
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: [No responses]
Very Satisfied: 25 percent
Satisfied: 53.6 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 17.8 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 3.6 percent

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $93,090
Median Annual Salary: $81,250
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: [No responses]
Very Satisfied: 14.4 percent
Satisfied: 42.9 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 28.6 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 14.1 percent

The largest single body of Cloud+ holders to participate in the survey is made up of U.S. residents: 80 percent of those surveyed. CompTIA, while based in the United States, however, has a global brand and we also heard from credential holders in 5 other countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Most of the Cloud+ holders who participated in the survey are men, but women, who accounted for 11.4 percent of those surveyed, made a relatively strong showing.  While cloud computing is relatively new, a surprising number of those in our pool of Cloud+ holders are not exactly spring chickens: just 8.6 percent of respondents are between the ages of 25 and 34, and those are the youngsters. Everyone else is either between the ages of 35 and 44 (34.3 percent of respondents), between the ages of 45 and 54 (22.9 percent), or between the ages of 55 and 64 (34.2 percent).

Most of the Cloud+ holders who participated in the survey have an educational background that includes time spent at a college or university. The highest level of formal education completed by the lion's share of Cloud+ holders is either a master's degree (40 percent of those surveyed), bachelor's degree (20 percent), or associate's degree (17.2 percent). The rest are either currently in school (2.8 percent of respondents), or stepped away from the formal education realm after completing some level of post-high school technical training (17.1 percent), or after obtaining a high school diploma (2.9 percent).

A rock-solid 94.7 percent of the Cloud+ holders in our survey pool have full-time jobs, with 2.7 percent employed part time, and 2.6 percent currently on sabbatical. Among those who have regular full-time jobs, most either put in the standard 40 hours per week (34.3 percent of those surveyed) or find themselves at work for between 41 and 50 hours each week (40 percent). The rest are either nose-to-the-grindstone types working more than 50 hours per week (11.4 percent of respondents) or are sliding by with a weekly schedule of between 31 and 39 hours.

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of Cloud+ holders who participated in the survey are at the senior specialist level (28.4 percent). The rest, in descending order, are either specialists (17.9 percent), directors (15.3 percent), managers or rank-and-file employees (both 12.8 percent), senior managers (7.7 percent) or executives (5.1 percent).

A substantial 66.7 percent of the Cloud+ holders we heard from 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 (5.1 percent), between 3 and 5 years (12.8 percent), between 6 and 8 years (5.1 percent), or between 9 and 10 years (10.3 percent).

Finally, here's the view of Cloud+ 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: 46.1 percent
Several times a week: 38.5 percent
Several times a month: 5.2 percent
Occasionally: 5.1 percent
Rarely: 5.1 percent

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 48.8 percent
Agree: 33.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 12.8 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: 5.1 percent

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 43.6 percent
Agree: 35.9 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 12.8 percent
Disagree: 2.6 percent
Strongly Disagree: 5.1 percent

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 38.5 percent
Agree: 28.2 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 25.6 percent
Disagree: [No responses]
Strongly Disagree: 7.7 percent