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 These posts contain previously unpublished Salary Survey data.

A leader in the fields of business process management (BPM) and customer relationship management (CRM), Massachusetts-based Pegasystems has only been in the certification game since 2014. The Pega Certified System Architect (PCSA) credential (No. 39 on our most recent Salary Survey 75 list) is the cornerstone credential for developers interested in Pegasystems technology.

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

All U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $111,310
Median Annual Salary: $107,500
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 11.1 percent
Very Satisfied: 22.2 percent
Satisfied: 26 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 37 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 3.7 percent

All Non-U.S. Respondents
Average Annual Salary: $35,610
Median Annual Salary: $20,470
How satisfied are you with your current salary?
Completely Satisfied: 4.3 percent
Very Satisfied: 10.2 percent
Satisfied: 30.8 percent
Not Very Satisfied: 35.9 percent
Not At All Satisfied: 18.8 percent

Here's something we almost never say in our Deep Focus articles: The largest single body of PCSA holders to participate in the survey is made up certified professionals from India (36.8 percent of respondents), followed by a less-robust-than-usual contingent of U.S. residents (31.6 percent). We also heard from credential holders in 19 other countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Here's another thing we almost never say: While the majority of PCSA holders who participated in the survey are men, a shade more than one-fifth — 20.4 percent, to be exact — are women. That's a significant number in a male-dominated industry. The range of ages among PCSA holders is also much more heavily skewed toward youth than is the norm, with 65 percent (!!) of those surveyed either between the ages of 25 and 34 (50.3 percent) or between the ages of 19 and 24 (15.2 percent). A further 24 percent of those surveyed are between the ages of 35 and 44, with just barely more than 10 percent of respondents age 45 or older,  either between the ages of 45 and 54 (7.6 percent) or between the ages of 55 and 64 (2.9 percent).

Nearly 95 percent of the PCSA 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 CIPP holders is either a bachelor's degree (62 percent of those surveyed), master's degree (28.7 percent), associate's degree (1.7 percent), doctorate (1.2 percent), or professional degree (also 1.2 percent). The outliers are the 5 percent of respondents who either topped out after completing some level of post-high school technical training (0.6 percent), left the realm of formal education after completing high school (3.5 percent), or are currently students (1.1 percent).

An impressive 98.3 percent of the PCSA holders we surveyed are employed full-time, with the remaining 1.7 percent either employed part-time (1.2 percent), or fitting in some level of work while in school full-time (0.5 percent). Among those with full-time jobs, most either put in between 41 and 50 hours per week (48.5 percent of respondents) or have a standard 40-hour work week (33.3 percent). The rest are either logging more than 50 hours per week (9.4 percent of those surveyed) or are clocking in for between 31 and 39 hours (7.6 percent) or between 20 and 30 hours (1.2 percent).

In terms of workplace standing, the largest single group of PCSA holders we heard from (35 percent of those surveyed) are at the senior specialist level. The rest, in descending order, are either rank-and-file employees (32.7 percent), specialists (20.3 percent), managers (5 percent), senior managers (2.8 percent), directors (also 2.8 percent), or executives (1.4 percent).

Nearly half (42.9 percent) of the PCSA holders who participated in the survey are tech newcomers, having worked in a role that directly utilizes one or more of their certified skills for either between zero year (1 to 11 months) and 2 years. The rest have been plying their certified skills for either between 3 and 5 years (31.8 percent of respondents), between 6 and 8 years (12.4 percent), between 9 and 10 years (3.7 percent), or for more than a decade (9.2 percent).

Finally, here's the view of PCSA 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: 64.5 percent
Several times a week: 19.8 percent
Several times a month: 5.1 percent
Occasionally: 8.3 percent
Rarely: 2.3 percent

Since becoming certified, I feel there is greater demand for my skills.
Strongly agree: 43.3 percent
Agree: 37.3 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 13 percent
Disagree: 3.7 percent
Strongly Disagree: 2.7 percent

Becoming certified has increased my problem-solving skills.
Strongly agree: 23 percent
Agree: 43.9 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 19.8 percent
Disagree: 7.9 percent
Strongly Disagree: 5.5 percent

Becoming certified has increased my workplace productivity.
Strongly agree: 27.2 percent
Agree: 38.7 percent
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 21.7 percent
Disagree: 7.4 percent
Strongly Disagree: 5 percent

PAST PCSA DEEP FOCUS FEATURES

2017