I have SCJP,
SCJD, SCJWCD, SCEA-Part1 from Java and XML. I will stick to my original statement above. You can easily end up in a company where some folks just don't give a toss about certifications. So, it can get you in the door, maybe a two or three second "who-ah" on your interview and that might be it. If you get more, its a cherry on top.
Again, I find the most important thing for me is the KNOWLEDGE. You will be able to hold your own more in debates. You will notice who is a real hard-core bull****er and you may notice that folks don't challenge your technical answers as much. It is also helpful to become good at learning new things, which happens to be a real asset in today's techie world.
Working hard, doing good work, doing useful work for a manager and/or a company is the best way to get more money. A certification will help you in this endeavor. If you are good, and the current place won't pay up, then move on. IMHO, one piece of certification paper should not be your strategy.