Is the certification worth the cost when my employer will not pay for it?

Honest counterpoint: I hire analysts and I treat the credential as a tiebreaker, not a requirement. Someone who can walk me through a range they built and a difficult conversation they had with a manager will beat a certified candidate who cannot.

Both replies above are right, which is why I would split it. Take the two modules that match your gaps, usually market pricing and quantitative methods, and pay for those yourself. That is perhaps a third of the total cost and most of the learning. Then ask your employer again at budget time with a one-page case showing what you have already applied.

If you move to a larger organisation before finishing, most will fund the remainder. Mine did.

Check whether your membership tier includes exam discounts or a payment plan. I did not look until my third exam and was annoyed with myself.

From a different angle: I never certified, and after fifteen years I do not think it has held me back. But I started when fewer people had it. For someone eighteen months in and wanting to move, I would probably do it now.

Thanks, this was more balanced than I expected. I have booked the market pricing module for the spring and will ask again in the autumn with something to show.