For Career Changers: Which Huawei Certification is Better — HCIA, HCIP, or HCIE?
Update time:2025-04-10
For those looking to switch careers, are you standing at a crossroads, feeling torn and uncertain? It can feel like trying to find your way out of a complicated maze. Common career shift directions—like internet technology, finance, and healthcare—all have their own intricacies. Today, let’s focus on the internet technology field, specifically Huawei certifications. If you’re planning to step into this opportunity-filled and challenging industry, you’ll likely come across HCIA, HCIP, and HCIE. But which one should you choose? It’s a tough decision—this isn’t something to pick on a whim, because your choice will directly impact how far and how high you can go in your new career. Let me walk you through these three levels from multiple angles.

Huawei certifications are highly regarded in the networking field. They’re part of a professional technical certification system developed by Huawei based on its years of experience in ICT talent training and deep understanding of industry trends. The certifications cover over 20 technical domains, including cloud computing, data communication, storage, AI, and openEuler, making it the only certification system in the industry that spans the full ICT technology spectrum.
There are three certification levels in this system:
HCIA (Huawei Certified ICT Associate)
HCIP (Huawei Certified ICT Professional)
HCIE (Huawei Certified ICT Expert)
These levels progress step by step—from foundational to advanced to expert-level skills.
Contact me immediately to get the golden key helping you fast express your certificate.
WhatsApp:+63 975 072 4648
Let’s start with HCIA. This is the entry-level certification in the Huawei system and forms the base of the certification pyramid. The exam content focuses on basic networking theory, such as network topology, IP address planning, and basic configurations of simple network devices like routers and switches. For people switching careers with no prior background, HCIA is relatively easy to learn. It only requires passing one written exam, and the study period is typically short. This makes it easier to quickly get familiar with Huawei’s tech system and the fundamental framework of the ICT industry. It can also boost your confidence during the career transition process.
However, reality can be a bit harsh—HCIA doesn’t carry very high weight in the job market. There isn’t a significant salary difference between HCIA holders and those without any certification. And in terms of roles, HCIA typically qualifies you for basic network operations and maintenance work. While some job posts may list “HCIA or above” as a requirement, in reality, HCIA is often just enough to get your resume past the first round of screening, but not much more.
Now let’s talk about HCIP—Huawei Certified ICT Professional. This is the intermediate level in Huawei’s certification hierarchy, and it represents a substantial leap in both depth and breadth of knowledge. Passing the HCIP shows that you’ve developed more comprehensive and in-depth skills, and can independently handle more complex networking challenges. From a job-hunting perspective, HCIP carries significantly more value than HCIA. With an HCIP certificate, you’ll have access to a much wider range of job opportunities, and employers are likely to offer better salary packages.
As for HCIE, this is Huawei’s top-level certification, symbolizing elite-level expertise in the industry. To pass HCIE, candidates must not only thoroughly understand complex technical concepts but also demonstrate extensive hands-on experience and strong troubleshooting skills in real-world scenarios. The exam includes both a written test and a lab exam. Holding an HCIE can make you a highly sought-after candidate for large corporations and tech giants. You’ll likely qualify for roles such as senior network architect or technical expert, with impressive salaries and benefits to match.
But make no mistake—preparing for HCIE is extremely challenging. It requires a significant time commitment and the exam/training costs are steep, often reaching tens of thousands of RMB (or several thousand USD). For someone new to the field with little to no technical background, attempting HCIE right away could be overwhelming and may lead to burnout or loss of confidence.
For those planning to transition into the ICT field, HCIP is a great entry point. It allows you to gain practical, systemized skills in a relatively short time, boosting your competitiveness in the job market. It also provides a strong foundation for future advancement to HCIE, helping you move toward even higher career goals.

Huawei certifications are highly regarded in the networking field. They’re part of a professional technical certification system developed by Huawei based on its years of experience in ICT talent training and deep understanding of industry trends. The certifications cover over 20 technical domains, including cloud computing, data communication, storage, AI, and openEuler, making it the only certification system in the industry that spans the full ICT technology spectrum.
There are three certification levels in this system:
HCIA (Huawei Certified ICT Associate)
HCIP (Huawei Certified ICT Professional)
HCIE (Huawei Certified ICT Expert)
These levels progress step by step—from foundational to advanced to expert-level skills.
Contact me immediately to get the golden key helping you fast express your certificate.
Let’s start with HCIA. This is the entry-level certification in the Huawei system and forms the base of the certification pyramid. The exam content focuses on basic networking theory, such as network topology, IP address planning, and basic configurations of simple network devices like routers and switches. For people switching careers with no prior background, HCIA is relatively easy to learn. It only requires passing one written exam, and the study period is typically short. This makes it easier to quickly get familiar with Huawei’s tech system and the fundamental framework of the ICT industry. It can also boost your confidence during the career transition process.
However, reality can be a bit harsh—HCIA doesn’t carry very high weight in the job market. There isn’t a significant salary difference between HCIA holders and those without any certification. And in terms of roles, HCIA typically qualifies you for basic network operations and maintenance work. While some job posts may list “HCIA or above” as a requirement, in reality, HCIA is often just enough to get your resume past the first round of screening, but not much more.
Now let’s talk about HCIP—Huawei Certified ICT Professional. This is the intermediate level in Huawei’s certification hierarchy, and it represents a substantial leap in both depth and breadth of knowledge. Passing the HCIP shows that you’ve developed more comprehensive and in-depth skills, and can independently handle more complex networking challenges. From a job-hunting perspective, HCIP carries significantly more value than HCIA. With an HCIP certificate, you’ll have access to a much wider range of job opportunities, and employers are likely to offer better salary packages.
As for HCIE, this is Huawei’s top-level certification, symbolizing elite-level expertise in the industry. To pass HCIE, candidates must not only thoroughly understand complex technical concepts but also demonstrate extensive hands-on experience and strong troubleshooting skills in real-world scenarios. The exam includes both a written test and a lab exam. Holding an HCIE can make you a highly sought-after candidate for large corporations and tech giants. You’ll likely qualify for roles such as senior network architect or technical expert, with impressive salaries and benefits to match.
But make no mistake—preparing for HCIE is extremely challenging. It requires a significant time commitment and the exam/training costs are steep, often reaching tens of thousands of RMB (or several thousand USD). For someone new to the field with little to no technical background, attempting HCIE right away could be overwhelming and may lead to burnout or loss of confidence.
For those planning to transition into the ICT field, HCIP is a great entry point. It allows you to gain practical, systemized skills in a relatively short time, boosting your competitiveness in the job market. It also provides a strong foundation for future advancement to HCIE, helping you move toward even higher career goals.