There's money in Big Data. We've all heard someone say it. Businesses and other organizations routinely collect and store information. Sometimes it's information about consumer behavior, or consumer demographics. Sometimes it's information about transactions, or business interactions. Sometimes it's information that directly corresponds to a business need, and sometimes it's information that doesn't appear to serve any purpose at all.

It used to be difficult to collect, store, and process all of that information, but rapidly advancing technology has lessened those challenges considerably. And nearly everyone agrees that buried beneath all of the rising mountains of data are rich veins of potential profit. Everyone could be about to strike it rich, including the latter-day '49ers who have the skills to find, extract and refine that rich ore. The boom is on, and the right certification could  ... well, that's what we're here to find out.

How much can you add to your income with a big data certification? There are several factors that determine salary, of course, but a good certification can be a strong argument for someone seeking a raise or bonus. And certain high-paying jobs may require certification as a prerequisite to being hired. We'd like to help you join the big data gold rush.

Welcome to the latest in our annual series of surveys that are aimed at smaller targets. We'll still bring out the big bullseye at the end of each year for our annual Salary Survey. In between, however, we'll take a more focused look at certain types of certifications.

For the upcoming Summer Edition of Certification Magazine, we're taking a look at big data certifications. All of them. "Big data" is a bit of a nebulous term, but enough people want to know what it means that there are more than 40 certs on the market (with still others in development). If you hold one or more of those credentials, then please pull up a chair.

As we always do, we've added a dash of incentive to participate. If you take the survey all the way to the end, we'll thank you with either (or both!) of two rewards. You can get a free digital copy of the next issue of Certification Magazine. Or get a one-year print subscription at 40 percent off the normal cost. (Hate making decisions? Get 'em both! We don't mind.)

You can see the results in July, when our summer edition arrives. (Why not subscribe? No really, we promise you'll love it.) Also, in keeping with our recent custom, we've added a handful of questions at the end of the survey whose answers lie outside the realm of Big Data certification. Please humor us. We like sharing the slightly nutty stuff with you. And now, to the survey!

BIG THANKS to everyone who participated in our Big Data certification survey! Watch for the results to appear the forthcoming 2017 Summer Edition of Certification Magazine.