Many business enterprises, irrespective of their size, have already moved (or are planning to move) to Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud. However, 86% of the IT decision-makers who responded to a recent survey believe that the AWS talent shortage will slow down their cloud projects. Now is the best time to complete AWS developer certifications for better career opportunities.
According to AWS, these certifications could boost your existing salary by 15 to 25%.
If you are still deciding whether to go for an AWS developer certification or not, then let me show you some facts:
- The demand for AWS professionals continues to rise, as AWS is the market leader in the space of cloud infrastructure.
- Salaries for AWS Solution Architects in India start from around Rs. 6-7 lacs and can easily go up to Rs. 30 lacs, depending on your experience level.
Therefore, professionals with cloud skills are in high demand. Below we will discuss various Amazon developer certifications that you can opt for.
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Exploring the AWS developer certifications
The AWS certification programs start with the foundational level of Cloud Practitioner certification.
After that comes the Associate level. Here you have three different paths to choose from:
- Solutions Architect
- SysOps Administrator
- Developer
At the Professional level, there is a continuation of the Solutions Architect path, as well as a common continuation of the SysOps Administrator and Developer certifications paths.
Specialty certifications (#7 - #12 below) focus on slightly different skills and there are no levels in these certifications.
Time commitment needed
On average it takes around 80 hours of studying the exam material to prepare for each AWS developer certification.
With a full-time job, it means a preparation time of around two months.
However, your preparation is also largely dependent on your experience in this field. Experienced professionals with hands-on expertise can more easily understand the technical aspects than fresh college graduates. That’s why AWS recommends prior work experience for most of the certifications.
The basic structure of the program is illustrated in the figure below.
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1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 90 minutes
Cost - 100$
This foundational test covers the basic concepts of the AWS cloud platform. You will learn about:
- The AWS cloud global infrastructure
- Architectural principles
- Value proposition
- Common use cases
This certificate is best suited for non-technical people who want to have a general understanding of the AWS platform.
2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 130 minutes
Cost - 150$
This AWS developer certification validates the knowledge of AWS architecture and the deployment of applications on AWS.
AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience in designing scalable distributed systems on AWS before taking this exam.
3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 180 minutes
Cost - 300$
In this certification, you will further enhance the skills learned in the Associate program.
This validates you for deployment and migration of complex scalable applications on AWS.
For this certification, AWS recommends completion of Associate level certification and at least two years of hands-on experience in managing and operating systems in AWS.
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4. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 130 minutes
Cost - 150$
This certificate validates the knowledge of deploying and managing scalable, highly available and fault-tolerant systems on AWS.
For this certification, AWS recommends at least one year of experience in deployment, management, and operation on AWS.
5. AWS Certified Developer - Associate
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 130 minutes
Cost - 150$
This AWS developer certification tests the understanding of core AWS services and proficiency in developing, deploying and debugging applications on AWS.
For this certification, AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience in developing and managing AWS applications.
6. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 180 minutes
Cost - 300$
This certificate tests the ability to:
- Manage distributed applications
- Automate security controls
- Governance processes
- Compliance validation and much more
AWS recommends holding either certificate #4 or #5 (mentioned above) and at least two years of experience in managing AWS cloud deployments before taking this test.
7. AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 170 minutes
Cost - 300$
If you are exploring career opportunities or are already working on complex networking tasks, then this Specialty certification is for you. It validates your knowledge of:
- Advanced networking architecture
- Interconnectivity options
- Networking technologies
For this certification, AWS recommends you hold certification #1 or any of the above-mentioned Associate certificates.
8. AWS Certified Security - Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 170 minutes
Cost - 300$
This Specialty certification primarily tests the understanding of:
- Specialized data classifications
- Data encryption methods
- Security internet protocols
- The AWS mechanisms to implement the above
For this AWS developer certification, AWS recommends a minimum of five years of IT security experience and at least two years of hands-on experience securing AWS workloads.
9. AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 170 minutes
Cost - 300$
This certificate tests your knowledge of implementing scalable, cost-optimized and secure ML solutions.
For this Specialty certification, AWS recommends one to two years of experience in developing and running ML workloads on AWS.
10. AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder - Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 170 minutes
Cost - 300$
This Specialty certificate is for anyone who is working as Alexa Skill Builders.
This validates your ability to develop, test, and publish Amazon Alexa skills.
For this certification, AWS recommends at least six months of Alexa skills kit and AWS cloud experience.
11. AWS Certified Data Analytics - Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 180 minutes
Cost - 300$
This certification tests your understanding of AWS Data Analytics services.
Before opting for this certification, AWS suggests you have at least five years of experience in data analytics and at least two years of experience in working with AWS.
12. AWS Certified Database - Specialty
Format - Multiple choice, multiple answer
Time - 180 minutes
Cost - 300$
This Specialty certificate tests your knowledge of AWS Database services. For this certification, AWS recommends at least five years of experience with database technologies and at least two years of experience working with AWS.
Final words
The world is moving towards the cloud — around 90% of companies are already on the cloud.
This is a perfect time to pursue a career in cloud computing.
And what could be better than validating your skills for the most widely-used cloud infrastructure in the world? AWS developer certifications validate your hard-earned knowledge and commitment to the field of cloud computing. Show your employer you deserve that promotion!
