As businesses continue shifting their operations to the cloud, the demand for professionals skilled in cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) is rapidly increasing. AWS, one of the most widely used cloud platforms, provides a broad set of tools and services to help organizations manage their IT resources efficiently. Because of this, AWS certifications have become highly sought after in the tech industry, with many professionals pursuing them to boost their career opportunities.
With multiple AWS certifications available, choosing the right one can be challenging. In this article, we’ll break down the best AWS certifications to pursue in 2025 and guide you in selecting the one that aligns with your skills, career goals, and experience level.
According to a recent salary survey, nearly 70% of AWS-certified professionals saw a pay increase of up to 20% after earning their credentials. This guide will walk you through the top AWS certifications, the prerequisites, job prospects, and potential salary ranges—helping you make an informed decision about your certification path.
- Which AWS certifications ought I pursue?
- How can I obtain an online AWS certification?
- What number of AWS certificates exist?
- Which AWS certification is the best for beginners?
AWS Certification Importance
If you had asked about the popularity of AWS certification back in 2013, most people in 2019 would have given a cautious prediction. Yet, in just six years, the demand and recognition of AWS credentials grew tremendously. The widespread availability of testing centers across the globe and the variety of languages in which AWS courses are offered highlight this rapid expansion and strong global support.
As more enterprises and SMBs integrate cloud computing and public cloud solutions into their core IT strategies, the momentum behind AWS certifications is expected to continue well into the future. With its maturity, reliability, and leadership in the cloud space, AWS is widely regarded by both individuals and organizations as a benchmark and trusted authority in cloud computing.
11 Best AWS Certifications for 2025
Here are the 11 Best AWS certifications for 2025:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- AWS Certified Developer – Associate
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
- AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
- AWS Certified Database – Specialty
- AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty
- AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
These AWS certifications are intended to demonstrate your proficiency inside the AWS ecosystem and cover a variety of AWS technologies and services. You could discover that one or more of these credentials corresponds with your desired skill set and career trajectory, depending on your hobbies and professional ambitions.
1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
AWS offers the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification, which attests to a candidate’s proficiency in creating and implementing fault-tolerant, scalable, and highly available systems on AWS. Professionals who wish to demonstrate their expertise in the AWS ecosystem, including developing and implementing systems, networks, and applications on Amazon, should consider earning this certification.
Prerequisites
Candidates need to have designed and implemented scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on Amazon for at least a year to be qualified for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification. Also, candidates must be familiar with the AWS products and services, including AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Cloud V9 certifications
Pricing
USD 150.
2. AWS Certified Developer – Associate
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers the AWS Certified Developer – Associate certification, which attests to a candidate’s proficiency in creating and managing AWS-based applications. This certification is created for experts with knowledge in designing and constructing cloud applications who wish to demonstrate their expertise in utilizing AWS services to create and deploy scalable and fault-tolerant systems.
Cloud V9 certifications
Prerequisites
Candidates need to have worked on and maintained Amazon-based applications for at least a year to be eligible for the AWS Certified Developer – Associate certification. They must also be knowledgeable about AWS services and features like AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and AWS Lambda. They should have a working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language, such as Java, Python, or Ruby.
Pricing
The test to become an Amazon Certified Developer – Associate costs USD 150.
Cloud V9 certifications
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Developer Associate 2025 DVA-C02
AWS Certified Developer – Associate Exam: 2025
3. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional certification is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and verifies a candidate’s proficiency in developing and maintaining continuous delivery systems and techniques on the AWS platform. This certification is intended for professionals with knowledge in implementing and managing DevOps procedures on Amazon who wish to show their competence in creating and managing safe, scalable, and highly available systems on AWS.
VMware Cloud Foundation Platform
Prerequisites
Candidates must have at least two years of experience implementing and managing DevOps techniques on AWS to be eligible for the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional certification. AWS services and features like AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and AWS Elastic Beanstalk must also be familiar to them. They should also have a working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language, such as Python, Ruby, or Java.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional 2025
Pricing
USD 300.
4. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification, which is provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), attests to a candidate’s proficiency in creating and implementing sophisticated applications and systems on AWS. This certification is intended for individuals with expertise in creating and deploying large-scale, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on Amazon who wish to show that they are skilled at advanced AWS solution architecture and implementation.
VMware Cloud Foundation Platform
Prerequisites
Candidates need to have designed and implemented scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on Amazon for at least two years to be qualified for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification. Also, they must be extremely knowledgeable with all AWS capabilities and services, such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). Candidates should also have knowledge in developing and deploying enterprise-wide scalable operations, designing and deploying multi-tier architectures, and developing and implementing continuous delivery systems and techniques.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02
Pricing
USD 300.
5. AWS Certified Security – Specialty
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers the AWS Certified Security – Specialist certification, which attests to a candidate’s proficiency in protecting AWS-based systems and applications. Professionals who have expertise in building and delivering safe and scalable solutions on AWS and who wish to demonstrate their competency in setting up and administering security controls on AWS should pursue this certification.
Prerequisites
Candidates must have two years of experience safeguarding AWS workloads in addition to a minimum of five years of expertise in IT security to be eligible for the AWS Certified Security – Specialist certification. Also, they must have a thorough grasp of all AWS capabilities and services, such as AWS CloudTrail, AWS Simple Storage Service, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). Moreover, applicants should know about creating safe architectures, managing security policies, and handling incidents on Amazon.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C01
Pricing
USD 300.
6. AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
AWS’s AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification confirms a candidate’s proficiency in creating and deploying advanced networking solutions on AWS. This certification is meant for professionals with expertise in developing and deploying sophisticated networking solutions on AWS who want to show that they are adept at putting into place and maintaining scalable and highly available networking systems on AWS.
Prerequisites
Candidates for the AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification need to have at least five years of expertise in IT networking, with at least two of those years spent designing and delivering AWS-based networking solutions. They must also have a thorough grasp of AWS networking principles including Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), Direct Connect, Route 53, Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), and Amazon CloudFront. Candidates should also know about developing hybrid network designs, sophisticated network security solutions, and enhancing network performance on Amazon.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Course [ANS-CO1]
Pricing
USD 300.
7. AWS Certified Machine Learning
An Amazon Web Services (AWS) certification called AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialist attests to a candidate’s proficiency in creating, putting into practice, and delivering machine learning solutions on AWS. AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialist targets professionals with expertise in building and deploying machine learning models on AWS. It demonstrates their ability to plan and implement highly scalable and accessible machine learning architectures on Amazon.
Prerequisites
To be eligible for AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialist, candidates require 2 years of AWS machine learning experience. Additionally, they need a minimum of 5 years of expertise in data analytics to qualify. Candidates must have a thorough understanding of AWS machine learning services and features. This includes Amazon Comprehend, Rekognition, SageMaker, and others. Candidates should have expertise in data preparation, feature engineering, and machine learning methods. They should also be proficient in model training, tuning, deployment, and administration.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Machine Learning
Pricing
USD 300.
8. AWS Certified Database – Specialty
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers the AWS Certified Database – Specialist certification, which attests to a candidate’s proficiency in developing, implementing, and administering AWS-based database systems. AWS Certified Database – Specialist targets individuals with expertise in database administration and architecture. It demonstrates their ability to create and implement highly available and scalable database designs on AWS.
Prerequisites
AWS Certified Database – Specialist requires a minimum of 5 years’ database technology experience. Candidates must have spent at least 2 years building and delivering AWS-based database solutions. Candidates must possess an in-depth understanding of AWS database services and features. This includes Amazon RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, and Redshift, among others. Candidates should also know about disaster recovery, database security, database optimization, and database migration.
Training and Exam Resources
DBS-C01: AWS Certified Database Specialty Certification
Pricing
USD 300.
9. AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers the AWS Certified Big Data – Specialist certification, which attests to a candidate’s proficiency in creating and implementing big data solutions on AWS. AWS Certified Big Data – Specialist targets individuals experienced in developing big data solutions on AWS. It demonstrates their proficiency in processing and analyzing massive datasets using Amazon services.
Prerequisites
To be eligible for AWS Certified Big Data – Specialist, candidates require 5 years of data analytics experience. Out of those 5 years, at least 2 should be spent creating and implementing big data solutions on Amazon. They must know Amazon EMR, Kinesis, Redshift, and Athena for AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty. Knowledge of data processing, storage, analysis, visualization, security, and compliance is essential for candidates.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Big Data Specialty Exam – BDS-C00
Pricing
USD 300.
10. AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty
The AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialist certification is intended for those who have expertise in creating, testing, and deploying Alexa skills utilizing AWS and advanced technical abilities. This certification verifies proficiency in developing, implementing, and maintaining Alexa skills for businesses.
Prerequisites
Six months of AWS experience is required to take the AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty exam. Candidates need expertise in AWS technologies such as Lambda, CloudFormation, and DynamoDB, commonly used for Alexa skill creation. Candidates should also know Python and Node.js, among other programming languages.
Pricing
USD 300.
11. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is suitable for those new to Amazon Cloud, and wishing to learn cloud basics and AWS services. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner validates the candidate’s understanding of AWS Cloud principles, security, compliance, and value proposition.
Prerequisites
For the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification test, there are no formal requirements. No formal prerequisites are required but recommended basic knowledge of fundamental IT concepts and Amazon Cloud IT services. Candidates should also have some practical experience with AWS services and tools.
Training and Exam Resources
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – AWS Certification
Pricing
USD 100.
Wrapping Up
AWS certifications are highly valued in the IT industry and demonstrate your proficiency in using Amazon Web Services. Getting AWS certified can expand job prospects, exhibiting expertise to potential employers. What are you still holding out for? With the help of AWS training courses, you can get competence in AWS. You may also post a comment if you have any questions about AWS certifications.
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