Six Sigma certifications have made the 2020 “IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index” under the list of certifications that have increased market value for those who earn them. The annual index from Foote Partners is considered the industry standard for determining how skills and certifications impact annual salary.

Two Six Sigma certifications made the list. The first is the Six Sigma Green Belt, where students build upon the foundations of Six Sigma and become a vital part of project teams, working under the direction of Black Belts. The second is the Six Sigma Black Belt, which prepares professionals to lead projects.

How The Report Is Calculated

Foote Partners has put together the IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index since 1999. The report documents market values and pay adjustments for 1,090 IT and business skills and certifications. They use data from 79,694 North American IT workers. Researchers update the numbers every 90 days with information from 3,578 employers.

Employers can use the data to adjust pay for workers with the same job titles but different duties. The information also can justify offering more money to a potential new hire or current employee with specific job skills. It also can help consultants ask for fair rates and, conversely, allow companies to determine how much they should pay consultants.

Salary Increase From Six Sigma Training

In writing about the report, Dice noted that the two Six Sigma certifications fall into the category of “architecture, project management and process.” They wrote: “Project and product management are vital elements within any company’s roadmap, and technology teams depend on these leaders in order to keep initiatives on-schedule and under budget.”

For the Six Sigma Black Belt, Foote found the average pay premium is 12% of base salary equivalent. The certification saw a 20% increase in market value in the six months that ended April 1, 2020.

For the Six Sigma Green Belt. Foote found that the average pay premium is 10% of base salary equivalent. The certification saw a 25% increase in market value in the six months that ended April 1, 2020.

The increase in market value is even more extraordinary when considering that overall, the value of many skills and certifications had fallen. Foote reported that the average premium for tech certification is at a five-year low. They also reported that 505 tech certifications had dropped almost 2% in market value in the quarter ending April 1, 2020.

However, that is not an issue with the Six Sigma certifications.

Levels of Six Sigma Certification

The Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt are two from a tier of color-coded certifications that demonstrate a person’s level of expertise in the process improvement methodology. They include the following.

Six Sigma White Belt – The first level of Six Sigma knowledge. White Belts complete several hours of Six Sigma training that helps them understand the basics.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt – Yellow Belts work in a support role on project teams, doing work such as creating process maps and gathering data. They get 10 to 15 hours of Six Sigma training.

Six Sigma Green Belt – Green Belts work as the backbone of project teams. They handle the day-to-day work and get placed on teams because they fully understand the process being improved. Green Belts spend 25% to 50% of their time on Six Sigma projects.

Six Sigma Black Belt – Black Belts generally are required to pass an exam and complete two Six Sigma projects. They serve as project team leaders and have mastered data analysis and process improvement. They also have leadership and strong soft skills.

Six Sigma Master Black Belt – This represents the highest Six Sigma belt ranking. Those who become Master Black Belts generally have five to 10 years of experience at the Black Belt level and have completed at least 10 Six Sigma projects.