AWS certification in 2023: is it worth it?
In the wider world of education and employment, certifications don’t always correspond to competence — but is that the case when you’re talking about AWS certifications?
When it comes to hiring tech talent, there seems to be a never-ending debate about the value of certifications and whether or not they’re an accurate representation of technical skill.
By all accounts, AWS exams and their resulting certifications are the real deal. According to Global Knowledge, the AWS Certified Developer (Associate) certification commands an average salary of $165,333, while the Jefferson Frank Careers and Hiring Guide: AWS Edition found that 73% of AWS professionals received a salary increase (averaging 27% after certification)—and you don’t get those numbers with a purely decorative title thrown onto your resume.
With 59% of AWS professionals surveyed in our Careers and Hiring Guide holding a certification, and a further 17% currently working towards their first, we’re exploring everything you need to know to decide once and for all – are AWS certifications worth it?
AWS Certifications
AWS Certifications are the way to go if you’re looking to really cement your status as an expert in the ecosystem and see a real boost in your earning potential.
Associate-level exams cost $150, while Professional-level exams are $300 a pop. Don’t let this put you off from the get-go, however – 44% of respondents in our Careers and Hiring Guide had their certifications paid for in full by their employer, with a further 27% receiving partial funding.
Which AWS certification should I get?
There are currently 12 different certification exams you can add to your arsenal depending on your experience level and career path:
Certification Intended for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Individuals with the skills required to show an overall understanding of the AWS Cloud. Recommended for those looking to achieve Specialty or Associate certification. AWS Certified Developer—Associate Individuals in a development role with 1+ years’ practical experience developing and maintaining an AWS-based app. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator—Associate Individuals working in a systems admin/operations role with 1-2 years’ experience deploying, managing, and operating in AWS. AWS Certified Solutions Architect—Associate Individuals working in a solutions architect role with 1+ years’ experience creating cost-effective, fault-tolerant systems on AWS that have high availability and are highly scalable. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer—Professional Individuals in a DevOps engineer role possessing 2+ years’ practical experience provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments. AWS Certified Solutions Architect—Professional Individuals in a role with 1+ years’ practical experience in AWS system management and operations. AWS Certified Database – Speciality Individuals in a database-focused role with 5+ years’ experience with common database technologies and 2+ years of hands-on experience and expertise working with on-premises and AWS Cloud-based relational and NoSQL databases. AWS Certified Advanced Networking—Specialty Individuals carrying out complex networking tasks. AWS Certified Security—Specialty Individuals in a security role with a minimum of two years’ practical experience securing AWS workloads. AWS Data Analytics – Speciality Individuals working in data and analytical roles with 5+ years’ experience with common data analytics technologies, and 2+ years of hands-on experience and expertise working with AWS analytics solutions. AWS Certified Machine Learning—Specialty Individuals working in a Development or Data Science role; certifies your ability to design, implement, deploy, and maintain machine learning solutions. AWS Certified: SAP on AWS —Specialty Individuals with five or more years of experience with SAP and one or more years of experience working with SAP on AWS.
To determine how popular these are with AWS talent, we asked our Careers and Hiring Guide respondents which certifications they currently hold. The top ten were:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (54%)
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – Foundation (37%)
- AWS Certified Developer – Associate (25%)
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (22%)
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (18%)
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty (15%)
- AWS Certified Database – Specialty (12%)
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (9%)
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (9%)
- AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty (9%)
In our 2022 Careers and Hiring Guide, we found that 60% of certified respondents gained their certifications during the pandemic, using their time in lockdown or on furlough to upskill and advance their professional development. But that’s not the only advantage. These globally recognized, industry-leading cloud certifications validate AWS skills and provide prospective employers with something priceless: peace of mind.
“Certifications give hiring managers a sense of conformation when they ask candidates about AWS experience,” noted one respondent, while another agreed, “employers trust that certification reflects your knowledge of AWS.”
On top of that, AWS-certified professionals are actually more productive and prove to be faster troubleshooters than their uncertified counterparts, making for a smoother ride when it comes to day-to-day workflows.
Oh, one more thing. There’s a considerable leap from Associate to Professional-level certifications. Candidates with professional certs are hugely in-demand and quite rare to find in a job market as competitive as tech.
You can also take a role-based approach to your AWS learning journey. These exams are tailored to prepare you for a specific career in the cloud, and you can choose from four distinct routes:
- Cloud practitioner: learn cloud fundamentals and best practices
- Architect: learn to design highly available systems
- Developer: learn to develop applications for the cloud
- Operations: learn to automate apps, networks, and systems
Why should I get an AWS certification?
When asking AWS professionals what they had gained since undertaking a certification, they listed a range of benefits, including:
- Better career progression opportunities (61%)
- Improved and increased industry knowledge (57%)
- Increased efficiency at my job (49%)
- A way to verify my skills with AWS (43%)
- More trust from my employer (41%)
- The ability to perform complex tasks more confidentially (35%)
- Transferable industry skills (24%)
Here are three more benefits of AWS certifications that prove getting AWS certified is worth the investment, both in terms of your time and money.
Increase your earning potential
AWS certification doesn’t just look good on your resume—it can significantly boost the kind of salary or rate you command.
Our Careers and Hiring Guide showed that 73% of AWS professionals reported a salary increase averaging 27% after passing their certification.
The training you get on the way to becoming certified is invaluable; you’re learning new skills, understanding the platform inside out, and discovering best practices. This makes you more efficient and a greater asset to your team which, in turn, will likely be reflected in your salary.
Different certifications are likely to lead to different rates of pay increase, with our Careers and Hiring Guide finding that the Solutions Architect – Professional certification is most likely to increase a professional’s earning potential:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (46%)
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty (38%)
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (34%)
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (29%)
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (28%)
- AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty (23%)
- AWS Certified Database – Specialty (21%)
- AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty (21%)
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (19%)
- AWS Certified Developer – Associate (16%)
