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Credentials that raise your pay

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, then Black Belt

  A structured way of cutting waste and defects out of a process. Many employers train and certify you for free, and a Black Belt often comes with a pay bump.

• Supply chain certification

  The Association for Supply Chain Management runs the best known production and inventory credentials. Useful if you drift toward logistics.

• Professional Engineer license

  Rarely required, but it settles the question forever and is worth having if you plan to consult.

• Master's degree in analytics or operations research

  The route into optimization, scheduling and data-heavy roles, which pay more. Employers often fund it part time.

• Project management credentials

  Helpful the moment you stop doing the analysis yourself and start running the people who do.