4 Most Valuable Certifications for a Wireless Career

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Wireless engineering is everywhere. Internal engineers and IT consultants worldwide deploy wireless solutions every day for companies. Few professionals, however, have the skills and resumes to land these high-paying roles. The difference between a wireless generalist and a wireless engineer is certifications.

Certifications prove that you know your stuff, understand best practices and can deliver great solutions. The four best certifications to advance your wireless career are CWNA (Certified Wireless Network Administrator), CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional), CWDP (Certified Wireless Design Professional), and CWNE (Certified Wireless Network Expert).

Let's examine what it takes to get certified and explore these four certifications and the skills they validate.

How to Get Certified in Wireless

If you are considering expanding your credentials as a wireless engineer, the first certification you should work on is the CWNA certification from Certified Wireless Networking Professionals (CWNP). This certification is the foundation for other professional certifications, such as CWSP, CWDP, and CWNE. The certification lasts for three years, at which point the CWNP requires that you retake the CWNA exam or, preferably, take one of the professional certification exams to renew.

You must pass the exam with a 70% score or better (80% for instructors), and the CWNP recommends having professional wireless experience or achieving either the Certified Wireless Specialist (CWS) or Certified Wireless Technician (CWT) certifications, though this is not strictly required.

You can do this even if you don’t have a job in IT or wireless technologies specifically. You can experiment with many of the concepts and protocols in the study materials using your own home wireless network or by offering to help with a wireless project for a local nonprofit organization.

The exam you must pass to achieve the CWNA certification costs $225.00 (USD) and is administered by Pearson Vue. You can take the exam at a local testing center that is Pearson Vue-approved or online via your home PC. Once you have achieved the CWNA certification, you can study for and take exams for the CWSP, CWDP, and CWNE certifications.

The Benefits of Wireless Certification

Most people consider the primary benefit of certifications to be increased salaries and faster career progression, which is true (we’ll talk about that later). However, one of the most overlooked benefits of earning certifications is the knowledge and deeper understanding of the technology you'll gain.

Many people go to school, graduate, get a job, and stop learning. They learn what they need to get their job done, but because they are not in an environment of continuous learning, they are not pushed to learn new technologies and practices.

Studying for certifications is one way to create a continuous learning environment without spending as much money on returning to school. Certification aims to prove that you understand a common set of concepts and skills, which makes the content very structured.

Studying for any certification will undoubtedly introduce you to new technologies and skills. I have found that studying for and achieving certifications has improved my technical troubleshooting, ability to explain concepts to business stakeholders, and decision-making regarding new technology deployments.

CWNA: Pay and Career Progression

The CWNA certification is an industry-standard and widely recognized certification that will prove that you understand wireless technologies — and are capable of delivering quality wireless solutions. Certifications can make the job search and networking experience much easier. They provide everyone with a common language around skills, technical concepts, and best practices. The result is better pay and more opportunities for growth in your career path as a wireless engineer.

Certifications from the CWNP are also highly valued in general network engineering roles, and companies often seek candidates with these certifications. Based on CWNP data, here are estimated salary ranges for each level of certification.

• CWNA:  $71,000 – $105,000

• CWSP: $99,200 – $138,000

• CWDP: $115,000 – $165,000

• CWNE  $157,000 – $262,000

When to Earn the CWNA

The CWNP certifications and their corresponding exams cover many areas of wireless networking. The CWNA exam tests the basic understanding of wireless local area networks (WLANs). It covers topics such as radio frequency theory, antennas and intentional radiators, and hardware and software used in WLAN deployments. The exams also cover networking basics, including network design and management, wireless standards, security, and site surveys.

When to Earn the CWSP

CWSP certification focuses specifically on security and covers WLAN discovery methods, wireless intrusion prevention (WIPS) systems, Layer 2 and 3 VPNs over 802.11 networks, fast and secure roaming technologies, and wireless network management systems.

When to Earn the CWDP

The CWDP certification builds on the concepts covered by the CWSP, focusing on BYOD policies, location services like RTLS, voice-over WLAN (VoWLAN) technologies, building and infrastructure requirements, and standard deployment architectures.

Those who earn CWDP certification should be able to design vastly different types of wireless architectures — from small indoor spaces to large outdoor venues and point-to-point backhaul networks.

When to Earn the CWNE

Finally, the CWNE certification rounds out all of the focus areas within the wireless engineering field in one master certification. It is the most difficult to achieve and requires obtaining the CWNA, CWSP, CWAP, CWDP, and CWISA certifications. To qualify, you must also have obtained one other professionally recognized networking certification focusing on VoIP, routing and switching, security, or network design.

But wait, there are more requirements. CWNP has a defined code of ethics to be adhered to by anyone achieving the CWNE certification. Application for this certification also requires three recommendations and a peer review by the CWNE board of advisors. While these requirements are strict, the certification itself is very valuable. There are only 299 CWNE certification holders in the United States and 429 worldwide. So, if you earn the CWNE, your career opportunities and salary will be lucrative.

How to Study for Wireless Networking Certification Exams

The CWNP website is one of the best resources for studying for the CWNP. It contains a full list of certifications, their respective topics of coverage, and various study materials.

One of the best ways to absorb and retain much technical information is to handwrite notes as you read textbooks and other study materials. This kinesthetic and visual practice seems to engrain the knowledge in your thinking more deeply. In time, you will find that you can refer to best practices and technical standards by memory, making passing the exams straightforward.

Final Thoughts

No wireless networking professional is quite as detailed, professional, and capable as a CWNP-certified wireless engineer. Achieving any one of these four certifications will accelerate your growth and career journey. Investing in good training, practicing with labs, and testing and reviewing your work will help you pass these exams — and ultimately change your future for the better.