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The adoption rate of AWS certification is increasing globally among IT professionals. The AWS certification was started in 2013 and in a very short period, it has become an excellent source of income. There are a lot of options for certifications available concerning different IT fields. To get the Amazon certification, the candidate has to pass the Amazon exam which is also available in different languages. The reason why people, especially IT experts are adopting the certification is its high-income rate. There are different levels of certification for the associate and professional levels designed to rank the individuals based on their roles and expertise. In this article, I will talk about different Amazon AWS certifications available how you can get one, and how much income you can make with certifications.

The Amazon AWS certification is the highest-paying certification in USA and Canada. AWS is known as a global leader in cloud services. It offers very good job opportunities for IT professionals and you can increase your income up to $15k with certification. It is a quite reliable and secure way of earning and it offers different job packages to IT professionals. I must say that the future of certification is very bright and there is a lot of potential for people with good technical skills.

The Amazon certification demand is very high and it is trending among young professionals, who want to make some extra income. According to Forbes, the professionals with Amazon certification get the highest pay and they are also constantly concerned about the improvement in their skills and technical expertise.

Level of AWS Certification

There are three levels of AWS certifications, associate level and professional level.

Foundational Level

It is the basic skill level of Amazon certification and it requires the candidate to have 6 months of experience. To pass the exam for the foundational level certification the candidate should know the basics of AWS technologies and computing. The candidate should know the following:

• The candidate should know about the basic infrastructure of Amazon.
• Candidate should have a basic knowledge of AWS technologies.
• Must have a basic knowledge of cloud infrastructure.

Associate Level

According to a survey conducted in 2018, it is estimated that the average salary of associate-level candidates is $117,773 in the USA and Canada. Here are some of the basic skills, that should be known by the candidates to pass the associate-level exam for the Amazon certification.

• Candidate must know, how to deploy scalable and design the Amazon systems.
• Depending on requirements, the associate needs to select the appropriate Amazon service.
• Experienced in organizing on-premises applications in the Amazon.

These are some of the basic things that a candidate must know before attempting the associate-level exam for Amazon certification.

Professional Level

The professional level Amazon AWS certification is the more advanced stage after the associate level. It is the next step to the AWS associate certification, once a candidate has done the associate level certification AWS training and exam, he can apply for the professional level and of course, his skills and expertise should be enhanced from the AWS associate level. The average salary of an Amazon IT professional at a professional level is $136,259. To get the certifications for the professional level, the candidate must have an understanding of the following:

• The candidate must know, how to migrate multi-tier Amazon applications.
• You should know how the deploy and design reliable Amazon applications.

The candidate for the professional-level Amazon certification is expected to have more advanced technological and IT skills.

AWS Certifications

The candidate who applies for different certifications must have some expertise and knowledge required to pass the AWS certification exam and get the certification. Here are some of the top AWS certifications that are high in demand.

AWS Certified Developer

If you have a good experience in development, with some know-how to maintain and develop Amazon applications then you can be a candidate for the Certified Developer exam. Here are the abilities that you must have to apply for the Amazon Certified Developer exam.

• Candidate must have a good understanding of Amazon uses, services, and best practices of architecture.
• The candidates should have the expertise in deploying, debugging, and developing the applications.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Certified Developer

• Should have expertise in at least one programming language.
• Expertise in deploying, developing, and debugging Amazon applications.
• Ability to recognize major features of Amazon.
• Application lifecycle management understanding.
• Should know, how to use the Amazon services.
• Expertise in coding for serverless applications.
• Understanding of the containers used during development.
• Understanding the uses and best practices of Amazon architecture.
• Ability to use APIs, SDKs, and CLI to make applications.
• AWS shared responsibility model understanding.
• Know how to use a CI/CD pipeline to deploy applications.
• Know how to apply cloud-native applications for coding.
• Know how to maintain, and debug Amazon code modules.

This knowledge is a must-have for the AWS Certified Developer associate-level exam. If you are good at coding and application management then the AWS exam will be super easy for you. According to a survey, it is estimated that the average salary of an Amazon Certified Developer is $112,984 for the associate level.

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

This certification is for the system and operations administration role, where the candidates should have at least 2 years of experience in a related field such as deployment and management of different operations in Amazon. Some of the expertise that a candidate must have to pass the exam for Amazon Certified SysOps Administrator are as follows:

• Deploy, operate, and manage scalable and highly accessible systems.
• Select suitable Amazon service depending on data, computing, or security needs.
• Evaluation of Amazon usage expenses and recognition mechanisms for operational cost.
• Control and implement the data flow in Amazon.
• Recognize and use best practices for operations.
• Migrate the on-premises jobs to Amazon.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

• Know Amazon tenets – cloud architecting
• AWS network technologies understanding
• Virtualization technology understanding
• Networking concepts knowledge (TCP/IP, DNS, and firewalls)
• SDKs/API and CLI tools experience.
• Security concepts understanding with experience in security control implementation and compliance needs.
• Experience in auditing and monitoring Amazon systems
• Skill to translate architectural needs.

The candidate for the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator exam must have a good knowledge of AWS architecture operations and maintenance. It is estimated that the average salary of an AWS Certified SysOps Administrator is $ 125,149. The level of knowledge and expertise required for the professional-level AWS Certified SysOps Administrator certificate is more advanced than the associate-level exam.

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

To get the certification of the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, the candidate must have more than 2 years of experience in managing and operating Amazon. It means that the candidate must be an associate of AWS for 2 years to get the professional AWS Certified DevOps Engineer certification. Some of the expertise you need to pass the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer exams are as follows:

• Manage and implement methodologies and nonstop delivery systems on the Amazon platform.
• Deploy and define metrics, logging, and monitoring Amazon systems.
• Design, maintain, and manage tools to systematize operational procedures.
• Automate governance processes, security controls, and compliance authentication.
• Implement systems that are self-healing, highly available, and scalable on Amazon.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

• Experience in developing highly automated Amazon infrastructures.
• Understanding of advanced operations, development processes, and methodologies.
• Experience in code development in some high-level programming languages.
• Administering operating systems experience.

All of the above knowledge and expertise are required for the candidate to pass the Amazon Certified DevOps Engineer exam. According to a survey, it is reviewed that the average salary of the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer is $125,743. IT professionals are rapidly adopting Certified DevOps Engineers because of their increasing demand in the market. I recommend you practice in the lab for the expertise required for a DevOps Engineer before conducting the exams.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

The AWS Certified Cloud practitioner is an individual who has a very good understanding of AWS cloud. The AWS Cloud practitioner is a role that majorly focuses on the cloud and it is independent of any other technical role. Some of the expertise and abilities that the candidate must have to pass the exam for Amazon Cloud practitioner are as follows:

• Candidate must have a basic knowledge of the Amazon cloud and its global infrastructure.
• The candidate knows the Cloud value proposition.
• Describe the compliance and security of Amazon and the shared security model.
• Recognize sources of technical or documentation support (e.g. or whitepapers)
• Describe the principles of Amazon Cloud architecture.
• Describe Amazon platform services with their use cases (e.g. analytics and computing)
• Define the pricing, billing, and account, management models.
• Describe the core features of operating and deploying in the Cloud.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Certified Cloud (practitioner)

• We recommend candidates to have some understanding of IT services in the Cloud.
• Candidates should have a minimum of 6 months of experience with Cloud in different roles, including managerial, technical, purchasing, financial, or sales.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect is for professionals who have around 2 years of experience in designing cost-effective and scalable Amazon systems. The abilities that AWS Solutions Architect should have to qualify in the exam are as follows:

• Based on customer needs, come up with a solution using architectural design philosophies.
• Effectually determine the knowledge to deploy and architect robust and secure Amazon applications.
• Provide application control based on best organization practices during the project life cycle.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Solutions Architect- Associate

• Experience in networking, computing, database, and storage services.
• Ability to define and identify technical needs for Amazon applications.
• Information on best practices for developing reliable and secure applications on Amazon.
• Amazon global infrastructure understanding.
• Understanding of security tools and features that Amazon offers and how they relate to typical Amazon services.
• Experience with management and deployment services.
• Ability to recognize the Amazon services to meet all Amazon technical needs.
• Basic architectural principles understanding for  Cloud development.
• AWS network technologies understanding.

For the AWS Solutions Architect- Professional the average salary estimated is $117,773 in USA and Canada.

Professional

Individuals who have more than 2 years of experience in designing, managing, and maintaining Amazon systems can apply for an Amazon Solutions Architect- professional certificate. The abilities that an AWS Solutions Architect- professional should have are as follows:

• Deploy and design highly available, scalable, reliable, and fault-tolerant applications.
• Migrate multi-tier and complex applications.
• Implement strategies of cost control.
• Choose suitable services to deploy and design an application depending on needs.
• Deploy and Design enterprise scalable operations.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Solutions Architect- Professional

• More than 2 years of experience in deploying and designing an AWS cloud architecture.
• Understanding of APIs, Management Console, CLI, Billing Console, and CloudFormation templates.
• Plan a mixed architecture using the latest technologies (such as Direct Connect, VPN, etc.)
• Map business aims to application needs.
• Ability to appraise requirements of cloud applications and make architectural approvals for provisioning, implementation, and deployment of applications.
• Apply the Amazon 5 pillars of a Well-Architected Framework.
• Understanding of Linux and Windows settings.
• Design a continuous deployment and integration procedure.

For the Architect- Professional the average income is more than the associate level, depending on the roles and expertise.

AWS Certified Big Data Specialty

To get the certification of AWS Certified Big Data Specialty, the candidate must have around 2 years of experience in Big data analytics and AWS technologies. The abilities that candidates should have to pass the exam are as follows:

• Implement fundamental Big Data services, depending on the core architecture best practices.
• Understand the control tools to systematize data analysis.
• Maintain and design Big Data of the AWS platform.

Recommended Knowledge for AWS Certified Big Data Specialty

• It is suggested that the candidates have AWS Cloud Practitioner or Associate certification: AWS Developer – Associate, AWS Solutions Architect – Associate, or SysOps Administrator – Associate
• At least 5 years experience in the field of data analytics.
• Experience in architecting Big Data services with describing how they are appropriate for the data life cycle of ingestion, collection, storage, visualization, and processing.
• Experience in developing a cost-effective and scalable Amazon architecture to process data.

Amazon is also providing a good range of salary packages for Amazon Certified Big Data – Specialists, depending on their job responsibilities and expertise.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty

To get the certification of AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty, the individual should have the experience to manage the complex tasks of networking. To pass the exam for Certified Advanced Networking Specialty, you must have the following abilities.

• Experience in implementing the basic services, depending on architecture best practices.
• Experience in using the control tools to mechanize networking tasks.
• Ability to design, deploy, and develop cloud solutions.
• Develop and maintain a network for services architecture.

Recommended Knowledge of Advanced Networking

• It is advised that the candidates have AWS Cloud Practitioner or Associate certification: Developer – Associate, Solutions Architect – Associate, or SysOps Administrator – Associate.
• At least 5 years of experience implementing and architecting the Amazon network.
• Understanding of AWS networking technologies in the OSI model, and their effect on implementation decisions.
• General explanations for network security structures, plus IDS, WAF, DDoS protection, IPS, and Economic Rejection of Service.
• Good understanding of Amazon networking technologies and concepts.
• Advanced networking interconnectivity and architecture choices (e.g., MPLS, IP VPN)
• Creating advanced automation tools and scripts.

The AWS offers a good salary range to the Certified Advanced Networking experts. You must have a good knowledge of networking to pass the AWS exam and get the certification of Amazon networking.

Major Benefits of AWS Certification

The IT professionals are showing a lot of interest in Amazon certifications because, with high salaries, it is also offering a lot of other benefits to its employees. Some of the major benefits of Amazon certifications are as follows:

Increase Income

One of the major and most appealing benefits of AWS is its highly paid jobs for the certification holders. By getting the certifications in Amazon, you can have a huge increment in the annual income. According to a survey, the average annual salary of Amazon certificate holders is between $119,143 and $130,284. The annual income of the certification is increasing rapidly. So, it is a good opportunity for you to boost your yearly income.

Demand in The Market

With constant revenue growth, AWS has a 31% job market share. If you are a skilled professional then it can be a desirable job for you. You don’t need to wait for the vacancies to get Amazon certifications. All the necessary information and learning material regarding the certification is already available on the internet and they are also providing training for the certification exams.

Get New Opportunities

In the job market, there is a high demand for individuals who are experts in AWS. You can choose any technical skill to start working with AWS. The Amazon market is full of opportunities, where you can build a good career in the IT field. Although the skills required are very challenging you can get enormous benefits after getting all the required skills.

Continuous Improvement

Once you are a part of AWS, continuous improvement is necessary for you. You should be innovative and updated with all the new and latest technology. This also helps you to improve your work continuously and stay relevant to the market demands. You must give it a try if you are serious about your career.

Deep Understanding of the Profession

The level of expertise Amazon requires for the certification is indeed very high and challenging for individuals. The good thing is that you get a better understanding of your profession and improve the shortcomings in your technical skills. You are likely to get more professional and technical exposure working with Amazon as compared with other jobs. You must understand that you cannot get instant growth or understanding of the profession, it takes time and you have to be patient.

Networking Opportunities

Working with AWS also helps you to make good links with professionals in a related field. Here you will get a good opportunity for networking. With Amazon, you can expand your professional network and have productive conversations at conferences and other professional meetups.

Be A Part of the AWS Community

Once you get the Amazon certifications and start working with AWS, you are already a part of the AWS community. Being a part of this community means now your work and contributions have an impact on the community. It also depends on your expertise and skill set and how much significance and credibility you have in the community.

Takeaways

The AWS certification is a good opportunity for individuals, who want to see themselves as efficient professionals in the future. The demand for certifications has a lot of scope for your career growth. In this article, I discussed different Amazon certifications and what kind of knowledge and experience they require for individuals to pass the certification exam. The annual income Amazon is providing is very high and increasing rapidly. I think it is an attractive career option with a lot of opportunities for your professional growth.

If you have any experience related to AWS certification then must share your experience with us in the comments.