Top Certifications for High School Students: A Guide to Jump-Starting Your Career

In today’s competitive academic and professional landscape, high school students can get a significant edge by earning certifications. These credentials enhance college applications and resumes, and equip students with valuable skills and knowledge. Certifications can be viewed as “mini-degrees” that teach real-world skills and help resumes stand out. Employers value certifications on resumes, even for entry-level jobs, because they demonstrate that a candidate possesses practical skills and the initiative to learn something valuable.

Why Certifications Matter

Imagine you’re hiring for a role. Two resumes land on your desk. One shows a certification that demonstrates key skills, while the other has no certifications. Who would you pick? Certifications offer a head start by building real skills, gaining confidence, and exploring different career paths while still in high school.

Certificate programs, often offered by colleges, provide training in specific fields that can help jump-start a career. While certificate programs are typically cheaper than a four-year college degree, the fees can still add up. You might spend $100 per credit, so a 12-credit course to earn a certificate could cost $1,200. However, some certificate programs cost $5,000 or more.

How to Choose the Right Certification

When selecting a certification, consider the following:

Interests and Goals: Choose courses that align with your passions or future aspirations.
Platform Reputation: Opt for certifications from well-known platforms or institutions.
Course Structure: Look for programs with interactive elements, hands-on projects, and clear learning outcomes.
Certificate Accessibility: Ensure that the certificate is easily obtainable upon completion.

Versatile Certifications for High School Students

Versatile certifications are especially valuable because they apply across industries, offering flexibility and adaptability. Whether in healthcare, IT, skilled trades, or administration, these certifications provide foundational skills that prepare students for diverse opportunities.

1. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

A CNA certification teaches students to provide basic care for patients, like taking vital signs, assisting with daily activities, and understanding patient needs. It’s invaluable for students interested in healthcare, as it provides hands-on experience in the field.

Why It’s Versatile: A CNA certification in high school provides foundational skills for various healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and private care. It’s also a stepping stone to advanced careers like nursing or physical therapy. Stories like James Hamm’s-a former soldier now pursuing his dream of becoming a nurse-show just how impactful it can be to take that first step into healthcare.

2. IT Fundamentals+ (ITF+)

The ITF+ certification introduces essential IT skills, like troubleshooting, cybersecurity basics, and understanding hardware and software. It’s ideal for anyone curious about tech careers and serves as a foundation for roles across IT.

Why It’s Versatile: The ITF+ certification provides a gateway to numerous technology-related careers. It lays the groundwork for further certifications, such as CompTIA A+ or Security+, making it ideal for students who want to explore IT in different domains like cybersecurity, software development, or data analysis.

3. Administrative Assistant Certification

Getting certified as an administrative assistant while still in high school gives students a head start in many industries, from corporate offices to nonprofit organizations.

Read also: Job Skills for Students

Why It’s Versatile: Skills like time management and software proficiency are in demand everywhere-from corporate offices to startups. This certification can also open doors to roles like project coordinator or entry-level manager.

4. Welding Certification

Welding certification trains students in skills like fusing and cutting metal, which are essential in industries like construction, manufacturing, and automotive repair.

Why It’s Versatile: Beyond construction and manufacturing, welding opens doors to creative careers like custom metalwork and sculpture. For students not ready to commit to college, it’s a high-paying, practical career option.

5. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification

EMT certification trains students to respond to handle medical emergencies, offering critical care and patient transportation.

Why It’s Versatile: EMT training teaches life-saving skills that can lead to careers in emergency services, firefighting, and law enforcement. High school programs often offer flexible schedules and hybrid learning options, making it easier for students to balance their studies while earning this credential.

Specific Career-Focused Certifications

Here are 20 careers, each paying a median of more than $30,000 annually, that you can enter after completing a certificate program.

1. Computer Programmer

Typical time to earn a certificate: four to 12 months
Median salary: $99,700

Computer programmers write code for software programs. While a four-year college degree is an option, universities and community colleges offer certification for these jobs. Some computer programming certificates, like those at Southern New Hampshire University, can be earned as quickly as four months, while others, like Nashville State Community College's certificate program, take a year.

2. Dental Assistant

Typical time to earn a certificate: Nine months to two years
Median salary: $46,540

Dental assistants handle a range of tasks, including maintaining patient records and helping polish teeth, depending on their certifications. To get a dental assistant certification, you may want to take a course from a dental assisting program approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. You may be able to get a job as a dental assistant before you get a dental assistant certification, but you'll be limited in the duties you perform.

3. Home Health Aide

Typical time to earn a certificate: Typically several weeks
Median salary: $33,530

Home health aides, sometimes referred to as home care aides or personal care aides, monitor people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. They also help people who have trouble with daily living activities. The amount of time it takes to get a certification varies, depending on the state. In Indiana, for instance, you’ll need 75 hours, including 16 hours in a classroom and 16 hours in which you’ll have supervised practical training.

4. Insurance Sales Agent

Typical time to earn a certificate: 20 hours of coursework
Median salary: $59,080

Insurance agents may sell many different types of insurance, including life, health, disability, long-term care and casualty insurance. All states regulate insurance differently, so there is no national standard for insurance certification. But when you get certified to sell insurance, you also receive a license to sell insurance. The more types of insurance you want to sell, the more coursework you’ll have to do to get your license. Your state’s department of insurance can help you locate courses.

5. Landscaper and Groundskeeper

Typical time to earn a certificate: dependent on student
Median salary: $37,360

You don't need a certificate to become a landscaper or groundskeeper, but securing one may help you land the job you want. The National Association of Landscape Professionals offers numerous certifications, including business manager, exterior technician, horticultural technician and lawn care technician. You can earn a certificate through a self-study program and take the exam for certification online.

6. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse

Typical time to earn a certificate: one year
Median salary: $59,730

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses do it all, from installing catheters to delivering medicine and starting IVs. It's an important job, so if you're going to complete a certificate program to be a licensed practical nurse or a licensed vocational nurse (LVN is what the job is called in some states), it needs to be a state-approved certificate program. Generally, you'll find these programs at universities, colleges and nursing schools throughout the country. (Practicalnursing.org is a good resource for research.) You'll want to make sure the school you attend is accredited by national agencies such as the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

7. Massage Therapist

Typical time to earn a certificate: two years
Median salary: $55,310

A massage therapist manipulates patients' muscles to alleviate pain, relieve stress and help heal injuries. If you complete a certification program, you can become a professional and learn more than 80 types of treatment. While you can get a certification in less than two years - and possibly within weeks - you'll probably want to take a fairly rigorous program to do it right. Most programs require at least 500 hours of study, and some require 1,000 or more hours, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For instance, Cuyahoga Community College offers an 810-hour massage therapy post-degree professional certificate. If you already have an associate degree (or a higher degree) from an accredited college or university, you can take a three-semester (one-year) post-degree certificate program in massage therapy. Then you'll be eligible to apply for the State Medical Board of Ohio license (Most states require you to have a license to practice.)

8. Medical Assistant

Typical time to earn a certificate: one year
Median salary: $42,000

If you're interested in being a medical assistant, which involves administrative, clinical and management tasks within health care organizations, there are a lot of certification programs to explore. Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, for instance, offers the Medical Assistant Certificate program. In this program, students complete supervised clinical work, including 160 hours of unpaid practicum experience. After that, they take an exam to become certified medical assistants.

9. Medical Records Technician

Typical time to earn a certificate: one year
Median salary: $48,780

Many community colleges offer medical records technician certificates. This job involves organizing medical records, including taking a doctor's notes and putting them into the patient's medical record. One of the many places you can get the training for this career is Johnston Community College in Smithfield, North Carolina. It offers classes in medical office administration with courses on medical legal issues, medical terminology and records management. This is an 18-credit course taken over two semesters. You’ll receive a certificate as a medical coding specialist, which is another term for medical records technician.

10. Medical Secretary

Typical time to earn a certificate: It varies, ranging from six weeks to two years.
Median salary: $40,640

Medical secretaries manage a doctor’s office. Their duties include meeting patients, collecting co-pays and scheduling appointments. Essentially, medical secretaries set the tone for the doctor’s office and ensure operations run smoothly. This isn’t a career in which you must have a certification, but it could make you more competitive in the job market. A certification course will also teach you the ins and outs of running a medical office. The National Healthcareer Association offers a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant certification. It culminates in a three-hour exam, which covers medical laws, office procedures and clinical patient care procedures.

11. Nursing Aide

Typical time to earn a certificate: four to 12 weeks
Median salary: $38,200

Nursing aides work in nursing homes or hospitals, taking residents’ or patients' blood pressure or temperature as well as completing other tasks. Certifications for this job depend on the state. For instance, Ohio requires 75 hours of classwork in the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program, followed by a state-administered competency evaluation test. Arizona requires 120 hours of training, classroom and clinical experience through the Nurse Aide Registration Program, provided by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, which is followed by an exam. Nursing aides generally have to renew their certification every few years.

12. Ophthalmic Medical Technician

Typical time to earn a certificate: dependent on student
Median salary: $41,780

An ophthalmic medical technician takes a patient's history and performs visual testing, along with other duties, before the eye doctor comes in. Many people learn how to do this on the job, but if you want to advance your career or get training, you may consider a certificate program. For example, the certified ophthalmic assistant certification requires taking a three-hour test with 200 questions. In the longer term, you might want to get an advanced certification, such as certified ophthalmic technician or certified ophthalmic medical technologist. You can learn more from the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology.

13. Paramedic

Typical time to earn a certificate: 18 months
Median salary: $53,180

Generally, to be a paramedic, you first train to become an emergency medical technician. You can often get your EMT training in about six months, but then you can expect paramedic training to take a year. You can get this training without a college degree, although you will need a high school diploma or GED. But to get your license, you’ll likely need your paramedic certification.

14. Pharmacy Technician

Typical time to earn a certificate: a few months to two years, depending on the state
Median salary: $40,300

This is an important job that involves measuring, mixing, counting and labeling medication dosages. Pharmacy techs also communicate with insurance companies and help patients navigate insurance.

15. Phlebotomist

Typical time to earn a certificate: four to eight months
Median salary: $41,810

Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions and donations. Most states don't require certification, but most employers want applicants to complete a phlebotomy certificate program and earn professional certification. You can find these certificate programs throughout the country, often at community colleges, vocational schools or technical schools.

16. Plumber

Typical time to earn a certificate: at least 12 months
Median salary: $61,550

Think of a plumbing certificate as the key that gets you in the front door of this industry. It won’t turn you into a plumber, but it should make you a more attractive candidate to any company hiring plumbers who are just starting in the field. To get your plumbers license, you may need to undergo an apprenticeship program. But some companies will train you for free to help you get your license, and many vocational schools and community colleges offer coursework that can help you get a plumbing certificate.

17. Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Typical time to earn a certificate: a few days to a few months, depending on the course
Median salary: $48,800

This job involves installing solar panels on homes and businesses to help conserve energy. Your local community college or technical school may offer classes that lead to certification. You may be certified and employed within the week, although the more complex the class - like one that lasts a few months - the more likely you’ll find a better-paying job.

18. Surgical Technologist

Typical time to earn a certificate: 12 to 24 months
Median salary: $60,610

Surgical technologists sterilize the operating room and set out tools on the tables for procedures. They may also be involved in other ways, such as helping patients onto the table and preparing medications. You can often get a certification for these jobs at a vocational or technical school. At the end of your coursework, you’ll take an exam offered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

19. Transit Bus Driver

Typical time to earn a certificate: It varies, but may last a few months.
Median salary: $60,170

Bus drivers safely shuttle passengers to their destinations. Where you get your bus driver’s certification depends on your state. Often, you need a certificate that will allow you to have a commercial driver’s license. Your CDL should make you eligible to be a city bus driver or a school bus driver. Some city departments pay employees for the time it takes to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

20. Wind Turbine Technician

Typical time to earn a certificate: two years
Median salary: $61,770

Wind turbine technicians, also known as wind techs, are often at the top of wind turbines, replacing parts, performing maintenance and troubleshooting. If you're looking to get a certificate to be a wind turbine technician, many places throughout the country offer training programs. This site can help you find a training program in your area, unless you live in a handful of states that don't offer them. An example program is the 33-credit wind turbine service technician certificate program offered by the State University of New York's Clinton Community College.

Free Online Certification Options

In addition to these career-specific certifications, there are numerous free online certifications that high school students can pursue to enhance their skills and knowledge. Here are ten of the best free online certifications:

Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) - University of Michigan (Coursera): This beginner-level course covers Python programming concepts with video lectures, coding exercises, and quizzes.
Google Cybersecurity Certificate - Google (Grow with Google): This certificate provides a foundation in cybersecurity, covering network safety, system administration, and security protocols.
Harvard CS50: Introduction to Computer Science - Harvard University (edX/OpenCourseWare): This comprehensive course covers algorithms, data structures, web development, and more.
Google Digital Garage: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing - Google: This course covers search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and analytics.
FutureLearn Digital Skills Certificates - FutureLearn (Accenture, University of Western Australia): FutureLearn offers free certificates in digital skills such as digital marketing, user experience, and artificial intelligence.
Semrush Academy: SEO and Marketing Certificates - Semrush Academy: Semrush Academy offers numerous free courses on SEO, digital marketing, and analytics.
MIT OpenCourseWare Certificates - MIT: MIT OpenCourseWare makes course materials from one of the finest colleges in the world available for free.
Open University Free Certificates - The Open University (OpenLearn): OpenLearn has a wide range of free courses with certificates or badges in many fields.
upGrad Free Certificates (Python, Data Science, Business Analytics) - upGrad: upGrad provides free certificates in programming, data science, and business analytics.
RISE Research: Offers a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with mentors from top universities around the world, building a standout academic profile.

Additional Opportunities

NYU SPS Continuing Education: Offers courses and programs designed for adult learners who want to gain new skills, enhance their knowledge, or advance their careers.

tags: #best #certifications #for #high #school #students