AWS Certification Cost, Courses, Exam Details & Salary

What is AWS Certification?

AWS Certification helps professionals to build credibility and confidence by validating their cloud expertise with an industry-recognized credential. It helps skilled professionals to obtain the various type of AWS certificate according to his/her skill.

Amazon offers a certification for different IT professionals like Cloud Practitioner, Architect, Developer, and Operations roles. Moreover, it also provides certain Specialty certifications to validate advanced skills in specific technical areas.

AWS Certification Benefits

Here are pros/benefits of AWS certificate.

• AWS Certification helps any professional to demonstrates their technical expertise and advance their career
• It helps employers find skilled cloud professionals.
• AWS certification allows you to verify your technical understanding and skills.
• Helps to gain access to the AWS Certified LinkedIn Community.
• Allows you to gather latest knowledge about your domain
• Owning AWS certification open door for new opportunities
• Allows you to boost your self-esteem
• You can validate your skills and knowledge in the preeminent cloud computing platform.
• Helps you to demonstrate credibility and dedication to your cloud computing career path.
• It provides access to a network of like-minded peers and AWS thought-leaders.
• Allows you to leverage the AWS shared security responsibility model.

Types Of AWS Certifications

Here, are some most important AWS certification which helps you boost your career.

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Certified Developer – Associate
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
• AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
• AWS Certified Security – Specialty

Let’s see each of AWS certification along with with exam its exam details:

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam offers an accessible entry point into the world of cloud computing for anyone new to AWS. In my review of this exam, I found that it focuses on core AWS services, cloud concepts, security, and pricing, making it perfect for individuals who are looking to validate their understanding of AWS without the technical complexity. The exam is straightforward and designed for non-technical professionals, giving them a strong foundation for future AWS certifications. Marketing teams in tech companies often take this exam to better understand how AWS infrastructure impacts digital campaigns and marketing automation, resulting in better communication with technical teams.

Exam details:

• Prerequisites: Minimum of six months of general AWS cloud experience in any role is recommended.
• Exam Format: Multiple choice questions
• Exam Duration: 90 minutes
• Exam Language: Available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese
• Cost: 100 USD

After the End, of this course, you will learn,

• Understanding of most fundamental AWS architectural principles
• The value proposition of the AWS cloud
• Important AWS cloud services and their applications
• Underlying security and compliance and shared responsibility model for security
• Core cloud deployment and operating principles

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam is one of the most respected in the cloud computing field. I evaluated the exam and found it challenging yet achievable for professionals with hands-on experience in cloud architecture. This exam is designed to assess your ability to create scalable, secure, and reliable cloud solutions using AWS. It’s an excellent way to demonstrate knowledge of AWS services, architecture design principles, and security best practices. If you’re aiming for a career in cloud architecture, passing this exam is a critical milestone. IT professionals working in DevOps roles often take this exam to validate their ability to design and maintain secure, high-performance AWS cloud architectures, opening doors to more advanced roles.

• Prerequisites: Knowledge and some experience in designing distributed applications
• Format: Multiple choice questions and multiple answers
• Exam Duration: 130 minutes
• Cost: 150 $

After the End, of course, you will learn,

• About the network technologies and how they work in AWS and how client interfaces connect to the AWS platform.
• AWS-related data security practices, disaster recovery methods, and troubleshooting.
• You will also know the concept of to build secure and reliable applications on the AWS platform.
• Deploying hybrid systems on-premises data center and AWS components
• This exam AWS course includes the design of highly available and scalable systems and its implementation and deployment in AWS server.

AWS Developer -Associate

AWS Developer – Associate challenged me in the right way. I tested its value by going through the recommended coursework and exam guide. It helped me understand how the AWS ecosystem integrates with real-world application logic. This associate exam is perfect for those who want to prove their ability to write secure, scalable cloud-native applications. Keep in mind that hands-on experience with common AWS services will significantly improve your exam readiness. Many software engineers preparing for DevOps roles attempt this associate exam to validate their understanding of CI/CD pipelines and code deployment in AWS.

• Prerequisite: One or more years of hands-on experience using AWS.
• Format: Multiple choice and multiple answers
• Exam Duration: 130 minutes
• Exam Cost: $150

At the End of this course, you will learn,

• You will understand the underlying AWS architecture and the core AWS service
• Hands-on experience in designing, developing, deploying, and maintaining AWS applications.
• AWS services like AWS databases, notifications, workflow services, and services for storage and change management services.

AWS sysops Administrator- Associate

AWS SysOps Administrator – Associate really stood out during my review process. I particularly appreciate how this associate exam focuses on both automation and system monitoring, which are essential for modern DevOps workflows. It offered me solid insight into handling real-time infrastructure challenges. I would recommend this certification to administrators looking to sharpen their decision-making under operational pressures. Enterprises with hybrid cloud models often train their NOC teams on this exam to streamline alerting, backups, and maintenance across environments.

Exam Details:

• Prerequisite: Previous experience as a Linux or Windows administrator will be a plus.
• Format: Multiple choice and multiple answers
• Duration: 130 minutes
• Exam Cost: $150
• Exam Language: Available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese

After the End of this course, you will learn,

• How to deploy applications for the AWS platform
• Learn how you can send and receive data between data centers and AWS
• Selecting the appropriate AWS services to meet the requirement of your business
• Provisioning, managing, maintaining, and securing systems in an AWS environment

AWS solution Architect- Professional

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional exam is the ideal choice for cloud professionals aiming to prove their expertise in designing high-level AWS architectures. During my review of the exam, I found that it tests your ability to assess, design, and recommend cloud solutions tailored to organizational needs. The exam dives deep into advanced AWS concepts, providing the perfect platform for anyone wanting to make recommendations on deploying mission-critical applications on AWS. Cloud architects in large enterprises typically take this exam to enhance their skills in creating cost-effective and scalable AWS solutions, ensuring smooth business operations across multiple projects.

Exam Details:

• Prerequisites: You should be Certified Solutions Architect – Associate to attain this exam.
• At least two years of hands-on experience designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS and best practice knowledge of multi-application architectural design is strongly recommended.
• Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
• Time: 170 minutes
• Cost: 300 USD

After the End of this course, you will learn,

• Learn about best practices for architecting and the designing of applications on AWS
• Techniques for migrating complex application systems to AWS
• Picking the right AWS service for the requirements of an application
• Knowledge of cost optimization strategies

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional exam offers a rigorous assessment of your ability to operate and manage applications on the AWS platform. During my review, I found that it effectively tests skills in automating infrastructure provisioning, configuring continuous integration, and improving system reliability. This exam is ideal for professionals who are already familiar with AWS and want to formalize their DevOps skills, making it a great option for career advancement. Cloud engineers in large enterprises often take this exam to improve their ability to scale and manage cloud infrastructure while maintaining high availability and security.

Exam Details:

• Prerequisites: It is an associate-level certification and a minimum of five years of relevant experience
• Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
• Exam time: 170 Minutes
• Cost: 300 USD

At the End of this AWS certification, you will learn,

• The concept of continuous developer and modern CD methodologies
• Techniques for implementing CD systems
• Set up, monitoring, and logging and maintaining systems on AWS server

AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty

AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty exam offers a rigorous evaluation for data analytics professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in big data solutions on the AWS platform. I reviewed the exam content and found it comprehensive, covering everything from data storage and processing to real-time analytics. It tests your ability to leverage AWS services like Redshift, EMR, and Kinesis to solve real-world big data challenges. This exam is perfect for data engineers and analysts looking to validate their skills in designing scalable and reliable data architectures. Data engineers in cloud-based startups often take this exam to refine their skills and optimize their company’s data pipelines and analytics systems, ensuring smoother data-driven decision-making.

• Prerequisite: At least two years of hands-on experience using Amazon web services.
• Exam Duration: 170 minutes
• Format: Multiple choice questions and multiple-answer
• Exam Fees: 300 USD

At the End of this AWS certification, you will learn,

• AWS Architecting best practices for implementing big data services solutions offered by AWS
• AWS tools for automating data analysis
• You will learn how to access control to secure the data.
• The course covers how to design and to maintain big data applications.
• AWS services covered include: Kinesis, Athena, Quick sight, and Recognition

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty exam is tailored for seasoned professionals who want to deepen their AWS cloud networking expertise. I evaluated the exam content and found it to be comprehensive, covering everything from designing network architectures to managing hybrid cloud infrastructures. This certification exam is essential for those who want to demonstrate knowledge of networking tasks specific to the AWS platform, including advanced troubleshooting and security configurations. IT infrastructure engineers pursue this certification to enhance their ability to design hybrid cloud solutions, improving network performance and security for businesses moving to the cloud.

Exam Details:

• Prerequisite: Candidates should have a background in architecting and implementing network solutions.
• Format: Multiple-choice and multiple-answer
• Duration: 170 minutes
• Exam Language: Available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese
• Exam Cost: 300 USD

At the End of this AWS certification, you will learn,

• Designing, developing, and deploying AWS cloud solutions
• Implementing core services as per the architectural best practices
• Automation of AWS tasks for network deployments
• Security and compliance design and implementation
• Learn about network optimization and troubleshooting

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam helped me realize the depth of expertise required to handle networking in the AWS cloud environment. I particularly appreciate how it focuses on real-world scenarios such as network automation and traffic analysis across multiple AWS regions. This exam is ideal for experienced professionals who want to demonstrate knowledge in managing cloud networks and solving complex cloud infrastructure problems on AWS. IT network specialists preparing for multi-region cloud deployments take this exam to refine their skills and gain a better understanding of designing secure and scalable network systems for large organizations.

It covers topics like protection and encryption, infrastructure security, access management, monitoring, and logging, etc.

Exam Details:

• Prerequisite: At least two years hand-of-experience sourcing AWS workloads. Security control for the workload on AWS. At least five years of experience of designing and implementing security solutions
• Exam Format: Multiple choices, Multiple-answer
• Exam time; 170 minutes
• Exam Cost: 300 USD
• Exam Language: Available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese

At the End of this AWS certification, you will learn,

• Concept of specialized data classifications and AWS data protection mechanisms.
• Helps you to understand data encryption methods and AWS mechanisms to implement them.
• How to manage secure Internet protocols and AWS mechanisms for implementation.
• You will able to take a right with regard to cost, security, and deployment complexity given a set of application requirements.
• Implement logging and monitoring to detect and analyze security vulnerabilities within your infrastructure

Objective Of AWS Certification

Here, are the most important objective of learning AWS course:

• Allows you to Identify the security and compliance benefits of by using the AWS Cloud.
• Allows you to understand the access control and management features of AWS.
• You can learn about data encryption methods to secure all types of sensitive data.
• Get knowledge about the important steps for managing various AWS resources.
• You can use AWS services to protect network security.
• You will get the knowledge about how to audit an AWS environment.
• Explain the AWS compliance and assurance programs.
• Formulate solution plans and learn about AWS architectural best practices

How to Get AWS Certified?

While there are not standard define steps to start AWS certification, below-given steps are the most straight-forward.

Step 1) Select module

• First of all, you need to Enroll yourself in an AWS training class.
• Select the desired module that you wants to take.

Step 2) Review all study materials
Review all the available study materials and Exam Guides related to selected AWS module.

Step 3) Read multiple AWS whitepapers
Read multiple AWS whitepapers which offers plenty of crucial information regarding topics. These hold some useful information, which may answer your questions.

Step 4) Take regular practice Test
Next, you need to take regular practice. A practice test will help you to become free of stress about the AWS certification exams.

Step 5) Schedule the final AWS certification exam
Schedule the final AWS certification exam once you are ready. It generally takes around 80-120 hours of practice/studying to be prepared for the exam. However, it depends on your experience and the certification course that you have selected.

AWS Exam Preparation

These training courses and materials will help with AWS exam preparation:

• Architecting on AWS instructor-led, live or virtual 3-day course
• AWS Whitepapers faws.amazon.com/whltepapers, Kindle.pdf, and Other Materials
• Identify AWS services which help you to automate, monitor, and manage security operations on AWS.
• AWS Well-Architected web page (various whitepapers linked)

AWS Exam Content

There are mainly two types of questions on the examination:

• Multiple-choice: It has one correct and three incorrect responses
• Multiple-response: Has two correct responses out of five options.

Current Salary for AWS Certified Professionals

Here, is the latest salary by AWS certificate in USA

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: $121,292
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional: $142,160
• AWS Certified Developer – Associate: $114,148
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: $118,395
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate: $142,160

How much does AWS Certification Cost?

The AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam Cost 100 USD, AWS Associate-level Exams Cost 150 USD, and AWS Professional-level and Specialty Exams Cost 300 USD.