ITIL Foundation Salary Breakdown: What You Can Expect

Digital technology is changing everything from how we interact to how organizations operate. With technology such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and analytics continuing to advance, they are becoming mission-critical. That’s why 93% of organizations (93%) have adopted or have plans to adopt a digital-first business strategy. 

The rapid onset of digital transformation is making IT environments more complex than ever, and organizations are hiring the best training technology professionals to manage them. For IT professionals eager to advance their careers and increase earning potential, securing Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certifications is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s an imperative. 

ITIL is an integrated set of processes and best practices for delivering IT services to customers. It’s a globally recognized framework that is proven to improve IT Service Management and help businesses deliver better value to customers. It’s so effective that today it is the most widely adopted approach to IT Service Management in the world. When you earn your ITIL certification, you demonstrate to current and potential employers you know how to reduce your organization's IT costs, deploy operational processes, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

What is the ITIL Foundation Certification?

If you’re interested in becoming an ITIL-certified IT professional, you’ll have to start by obtaining the ITIL Foundations certification. ITIL Foundations is an entry-level certification that teaches you the guiding principles, dimensions, and practices of the ITIL framework. ITIL foundations introduce IT Service Management through the lens of a Service Value System (SVS), which provides a holistic end-to-end view of how to successfully contribute to business value, and also how to leverage concepts from models such as Lean IT, Agile, DevOps and Organizational Change Management.

ITIL certifications are offered by Axelos and other accredited training organizations. To obtain this credential, you have to complete the ITIL Foundations exam and demonstrate your understanding of the key elements, concepts, and terminology used in ITIL. The Exam is considered to be of moderate difficulty and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions that need to be answered in 60 minutes. The passing score for the exam is 65%, which means that you need to correctly answer at least 26 out of 40 questions.

Learning the material covered in the ITIL Foundations exam will give you a deep understanding of the 7 Guiding Principles, 4 Dimensions of Service Management, 34 ITIL® Practices, and the new Service Value Chain that incorporates the core of ITIL® version 4. Once you earn the ITIL Foundations certification, you can progress to higher levels within the ITIL 4 certification scheme.

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ITIL Foundation Salary: An Overview

The ITIL Foundations certification is for anyone who needs an understanding of IT Service Management to help deliver better value to customers. It is appropriate for all IT staff and management, as well as customers who work closely with IT to support business requirements. 

ITIL is regarded as one of the best IT certifications for raising your compensation. It's also one of the top five highest-paying qualifications. An ITIL Foundation-certified expert can expect to earn approximately $98,000 on average. Of course, the exact amount ITIL Foundation experts earn depends on their location, role, company size and experience level. The top countries where ITIL 4 Foundation certified professionals can earn a competitive salary include the USA, UK, Canada, India, and Australia. 

Today, an ITIL Foundations certified professional with just 2 years of IT experience can earn a salary that is 10% – 12% higher compared to colleagues without the certification.

Benefits of ITIL Foundation Certification Beyond Salary

The increased earning potential that comes with getting the ITIL Foundations certification is clearly a significant advantage. But the benefits of this credential don’t end there.

Enhanced understanding of ITSM (IT Service Management)

By completing ITIL Foundations, you gain a better understanding of how your organization facilitates IT service delivery, including the management of all resources and IT employees, such as IT administrators, service providers, vendors, and customers. You will familiarize yourself with the guiding principles of ITSM and better understand your organization’s overall vision for its IT services and the format of IT services.

Increased job opportunities

IT professionals who have ITIL certifications and who commit themselves to learning it and proving it are going to excel in their roles. They're going to move up in their IT departments, especially if they start learning additional information, additional skills, and knowledge within the framework. Many organizations offer higher compensation to IT personnel with an ITIL certification because it demonstrates that the individual has the requisite knowledge and skills to enable the organization's efficient delivery of IT services.

Enhanced credibility in the field

Organizations around the world recognize ITIL benefits,  so with your credentials, you will be able to put your knowledge and skills to use across industries and work environments. Once you understand how to apply ITIL principles to an organization, you can ensure that IT services align with and meet the needs of the business, manage risk and service disruption, and offer a stable environment to support business changes. Employers and colleagues recognize this when they see you have an ITIL certification and will be confident relying on your expertise.

Breakdown of Salaries by Job Roles for ITIL Certified Professionals

All salaries included below are for ITIL-certified professionals in the United States of America. 

Salaries for ITIL Foundation certified project managers

$98,000 per annum

Salaries for ITIL Foundation certified service managers

$112,500 per annum

Salaries for ITIL Foundation certified consultants

$43 per hour or approx $89,000 per annum

Salaries for ITIL Foundation certified IT directors

$136,000 per annum

Other Positions:

IT Manager: $103,000 per annum

Chief Information Officer (CIO): $186,000 per annum

Vice President, Information Technology: $161,000 per annum

Business Analyst, IT: $72,000 per annum

Regional Variations in ITIL Foundation Salary

Wondering how much an ITIL-certified professional earns? The ITIL-certified salaries in India, USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK are the highest when compared to other countries around the world. Here are the salary ITIL-certified salaries in each of these countries:

Salaries in the United States

$93,388 per year

Salaries in the United Kingdom

40,807 GBP (approx. $51,000) per year

Salaries in Australia

99,739 AUD (approx. $65,000) per year 

Salaries in India

1,010,838 INR (approx $12,000) per year

This salary data is taken from PayScale, which obtains its compensation data from comprehensive salary surveys that span a wide range of industries and geographic locations. Information is voluntarily self-reported by employees, so the data is clean and unbiased. Salary data resides in a real-time online employee salary database built from the millions of curious individuals who want to compare their salary data and understand the market for their skills.

How to Increase Your Salary with ITIL Foundation Certification

The ITIL Foundations certification gives you a powerful vote of confidence with potential employers. It proves your IT Service Management abilities and knowledge, which opens you up to new positions and employment possibilities. Here are three ways you can use your ITIL Foundations certification to increase your salary:

1. Negotiate higher pay

Armed with the compensation data freely available on the internet, you should compare your current salary against what ITIL-certified professionals typically make in your region and with your experience level. If you’re making under the market average, you should report the compensation data to your supervisor as evidence that your certification demands an increase in compensation. 

2. Upskill and continue education

The ITIL Foundations certification is just the tip of the iceberg. You can also pursue the ITIL Managing Professional Certification, which is an ideal next step after ITIL Foundation. The Managing Professional (MP) stream teaches you the technical and practical know-how they need to manage productive IT-enabled services, teams, and workflows. Additionally, by obtaining the ITIL Strategic Leader certification, you will demonstrate a clear grasp of how IT impacts and guides a company's strategy.

These additional certifications impart the necessary knowledge to move into more senior IT positions, which will increase your salary and introduce new career opportunities.

3. Explore new jobs with higher salaries

If you’ve received your ITIL Foundations certification and are ready to put it to use, it’s the perfect time to pursue a new role. Organizations of all sizes and across industries need qualified technology professionals to run IT service management. With your certification and newly acquired skills and knowledge, you should approach finding a new job with confidence. 

Conclusion

Digital transformation efforts across industries make it the perfect time to pursue an ITIL Foundation certification. As the Information Technology field continues to grow, qualified IT professionals are in high demand. By obtaining an ITIL Foundations certification, you signal to employers you are an expert in the industry and can help them thrive in the fast-paced, rapidly changing world of business. With ITIL Foundations, you will learn a flexible and practical approach to support organizations on their journey into the digital transformation era. 

 

To get the IT service management knowledge you need to earn your ITIL Foundations certification and jumpstart your technology career, connect with United Training today.