Author
Mario Bailey
Editor, CertiGuard
Mario built and maintains the ROI Index behind this site: every exam cost checked against the vendor’s own published price, every wage figure joined from the BLS occupational tables by SOC code, and the method documented in the open, with no invented salary premiums. The habit comes from a decade in banking spent verifying paperwork against the primary record before anyone signed off on it.
Mario Bailey is not an IT instructor, a training vendor, or a career counselor. CertiGuard documents costs, exam mechanics, and public salary data; it does not teach exam content, sell courses, or tell you which certification to pursue.
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Certifications
Every certification we track: exam cost, format, renewal terms, and occupation context, verified against the vendor.
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Compare
Side-by-side certification comparisons, built from the same verified facts, with an honest one-line verdict.
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ROI Index
Every certification ranked by cost against the BLS median pay for the occupation it maps to. No invented salary-lift numbers.
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Guides
Plain-English answers on cost, timing, and whether a certification is worth it before you pay for one.
General information, not career or financial advice
CertiGuard documents costs, exam mechanics, and public salary data. Whether a certification pays off for you depends on your market, employer, and experience. Treat this as a starting point, not a promise.