ProfessionInfo

Certifications and Licenses

Browse the credentials below to learn more.

What's the difference?

A license is a legally required credential issued by a government body that authorizes you to work in a regulated field. A certification is a voluntary credential awarded by a professional organization that validates your expertise.

Why they matter

Credentials can unlock higher pay, expanded job opportunities, and legal permission to practice. Many healthcare, legal, and skilled-trade roles require a license before you can start working.

Browse credentials

Plumbing License

License

Trades

Issuing body: State/local licensing board

Renewal: 1–3 years

Continuing ed: Varies

Required education: Apprenticeship (4,000–8,000 hrs)

HVAC Certification (EPA 608)

Certification

Trades

Issuing body: EPA

Renewal: None

Continuing ed: None

Required education: None required (trade school/apprenticeship recommended)

OSHA 10/30 Certification

Certification

Trades

Issuing body: OSHA

Renewal: None

Continuing ed: None

Required education: None required (open enrollment course)

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

License

Trades

Issuing body: State DMV

Renewal: 4–8 years

Continuing ed: Medical cert only

Required education: CDL training program (~120–160 hrs) + permit period

Welding Certification (AWS)

Certification

Trades

Issuing body: American Welding Society

Renewal: 6 mo–2 years

Continuing ed: Continuity/re-test

Required education: Welding training program recommended (not always required)

SHRM-CP

Certification

Business & HR

Issuing body: SHRM

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 60 PDCs

Required education: Bachelor's degree + HR experience (varies by degree field)

PHR

Certification

Business & HR

Issuing body: HRCI

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 45 credit hrs

Required education: HS diploma + 4 yrs HR experience (less with degree)

Six Sigma Green/Black Belt

Certification

Business & HR

Issuing body: Varies

Renewal: Varies

Continuing ed: Varies by provider

Required education: Green Belt for Black Belt eligibility (provider-dependent)

Notary Public

Commission/License

Business & HR

Issuing body: State Secretary of State

Renewal: 4 years

Continuing ed: Varies; some states require course

Required education: None required (some states require short training course)

Teaching License/Certification

License

Education & Legal

Issuing body: State Board of Education

Renewal: 3–5 years

Continuing ed: 100–150 hrs

Required education: Bachelor's degree + teacher prep program + student teaching + pass licensing exam

State Bar License (Attorney)

License

Education & Legal

Issuing body: State Bar Association

Renewal: Annual

Continuing ed: 12–15 CLE hrs/yr

Required education: Bachelor's degree + Juris Doctor (JD) + pass bar exam

Paralegal Certification (NALA/NFPA)

Certification

Education & Legal

Issuing body: NALA / NFPA

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 50 hrs

Required education: Associate degree or paralegal certificate program (varies by cert)

Cosmetology License

License

Other

Issuing body: State Board of Cosmetology

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: Varies

Required education: Cosmetology school program (1,000–1,600 hrs)

Food Handler's/ServSafe Certification

Certification

Other

Issuing body: ServSafe / local health dept

Renewal: 3–5 years

Continuing ed: Retake exam/course

Required education: None required

Registered Nurse (RN)

License

Healthcare

Issuing body: State Board of Nursing

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: Varies by state; 20–30 CE hours

Required education: Associate or Bachelor's in Nursing (ADN/BSN) + pass NCLEX-RN

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

License

Healthcare

Issuing body: State Board of Nursing

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: 12–24 CE hours

Required education: Practical nursing diploma/certificate (~1 year) + pass NCLEX-PN

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: State health dept / Red Cross

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: Employment or CE hours

Required education: State-approved CNA training program (75–150 hours)

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: NREMT / state EMS office

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 40–72 hours CE

Required education: EMT-Basic training course (~150–200 hours)

Paramedic

License/Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: NREMT / state EMS office

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: ~60–72 hours CE

Required education: EMT cert + Paramedic program (1,000–1,800 hours, often assoc. degree)

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)

Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: AAMA

Renewal: 5 years

Continuing ed: 60 CE points

Required education: Accredited medical assisting program (diploma or associate degree)

Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT)

Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: PTCB

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 20 hours CE

Required education: High school diploma + PTCB-recognized training program

Physical Therapist License

License

Healthcare

Issuing body: State licensing board

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: 20–30 hours

Required education: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree

Occupational Therapist License

License

Healthcare

Issuing body: State licensing board

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: 20–36 hours

Required education: Master's or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

Board Certified Physician

License/Board Certification

Healthcare

Issuing body: State medical board + ABMS

Renewal: 1–2 yrs (license); 6–10 yrs (board cert)

Continuing ed: CME + MOC activities

Required education: MD/DO degree + residency in specialty

Dental Hygienist License

License

Healthcare

Issuing body: State dental board

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: 12–24 hours

Required education: Associate degree in Dental Hygiene (some require bachelor's)

CompTIA A+

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: CompTIA

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: CEUs or retake

Required education: None required (high school diploma recommended)

CompTIA Security+

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: CompTIA

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 50 CEUs

Required education: None required (Network+ and 2 yrs IT experience recommended)

CompTIA Network+

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: CompTIA

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 30 CEUs

Required education: None required (A+ and 9 months experience recommended)

Cisco CCNA

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: Cisco

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: Retake or CE credits

Required education: None required (basic networking knowledge recommended)

AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: Amazon Web Services

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: Retake exam

Required education: None required (1+ yr AWS experience recommended)

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: Microsoft

Renewal: 1 year

Continuing ed: Free annual assessment

Required education: None required (6+ months Azure experience recommended)

CISSP

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: (ISC)²

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 120 CPEs

Required education: Bachelor's degree can substitute 1 yr of required 5 yrs work experience

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: EC-Council

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 120 ECE credits

Required education: 2 yrs info security experience OR official EC-Council training course

PMP

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: PMI

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 60 PDUs

Required education: Bachelor's degree + 36 months leading projects + 35 hrs project mgmt training (or HS diploma + 60 months experience)

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: Scrum Alliance

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: SEUs + fee

Required education: Must attend official CSM training course

Google IT Support Professional Certificate

Certificate

IT & Tech

Issuing body: Google (via Coursera)

Renewal: None

Continuing ed: None

Required education: None required

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

Certification

IT & Tech

Issuing body: CNCF

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: Retake exam

Required education: None required (Linux/K8s experience recommended)

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

License

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: State Board of Accountancy

Renewal: 1–2 years

Continuing ed: 40 CPE hrs/yr

Required education: Bachelor's degree + 150 total credit hours (accounting-heavy) + exam

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Designation

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: CFA Institute

Renewal: Annual dues

Continuing ed: None mandatory

Required education: Bachelor's degree (or final year) or 4,000 hrs qualified work experience

Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

Certification

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: CFP Board

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 30 CE hrs

Required education: Bachelor's degree + CFP Board-registered coursework + 4,000–6,000 hrs experience

Series 7 License

License

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: FINRA

Renewal: No expiration if employed

Continuing ed: Regulatory Element CE

Required education: Sponsorship by a FINRA member firm (no degree required)

Series 63 License

License

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: FINRA/state

Renewal: Same as Series 7

Continuing ed: Same as above

Required education: Sponsorship by a firm (no degree required)

Enrolled Agent (EA)

License

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: IRS

Renewal: 3 years

Continuing ed: 72 hours CE

Required education: None required (pass 3-part SEE exam or IRS work experience)

Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Certification

Finance & Accounting

Issuing body: IMA

Renewal: Annual

Continuing ed: 30 CPE hrs/yr

Required education: Bachelor's degree + 2 yrs relevant work experience

Real Estate Salesperson License

License

Real Estate & Insurance

Issuing body: State real estate commission

Renewal: 2–4 years

Continuing ed: 12–30 hrs

Required education: Pre-licensing coursework (60–180 hrs, varies by state)

Real Estate Broker License

License

Real Estate & Insurance

Issuing body: State real estate commission

Renewal: 2–4 years

Continuing ed: Varies

Required education: Additional broker coursework + 1–3 yrs experience as agent

Property & Casualty Insurance License

License

Real Estate & Insurance

Issuing body: State dept of insurance

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 24 hrs

Required education: Pre-licensing course (20–40 hrs, varies by state)

Life & Health Insurance License

License

Real Estate & Insurance

Issuing body: State dept of insurance

Renewal: 2 years

Continuing ed: 24 hrs

Required education: Pre-licensing course (20–40 hrs, varies by state)

Journeyman Electrician License

License

Trades

Issuing body: State/local licensing board

Renewal: 1–3 years

Continuing ed: 8–16 hrs

Required education: Apprenticeship (4,000–8,000 hrs) + trade school hours

Master Electrician License

License

Trades

Issuing body: State/local licensing board

Renewal: 1–3 years

Continuing ed: 8–16 hrs

Required education: Journeyman license + 1–4 yrs additional experience

50 of 50 credentials

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