Top Paying Microsoft Azure Certifications in 2025

06 Dec 2024

Intermediate

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41 min read

Microsoft created Azure platform for offering cloud computing services to build, test, install, and manage applications and services. Azure comes with the support of a set of processes that brings project developers, project managers, and contributors together to work on software development. Moreover, Azure offers SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS services that support varied systems, tools, programming languages, frameworks, and third-party software.

Whether you are a job seeker or an aspiring student, if you complete any of the demanding Microsoft certifications, you can unlock various career opportunities. The relevant courses are associated with the OS the company has already developed. If you feel lost in the world of Azure, wasting time without progress? It's time for a change! Join our Microsoft Azure Developer Certification Training where we'll guide you on an exciting journey to master Azure efficiently and on schedule.

In the prevailing growing Cloud market, companies demand skilled resources to develop as well as maintain their cloud solutions. In this respect, Microsoft provides a broad range of Azure certifications for diverse job roles to authenticate skillful resources. Furthermore, the Microsoft Azure learning paths are beneficial if you aspire to master Azure Cloud. The outstanding skills of Azure certified experts are rewarded with admirable salaries.

Let’s first look at the details of how to become Microsoft Azure certified. The later section describes all top-paying Microsoft Azure Certifications in 2024:

How can you become Azure Certified

If you intend to become Azure certified, you should pass the relevant Azure certification exams. Whether you are just commencing to build your technical knowledge on Microsoft Azure or intending to earn a higher salary in Azure job roles, it is recommended to become Azure certified. The corresponding certifications assist you to expand your Cloud skills and advance your career.

Depending on your career goals and job roles, there are plenty of learning options existing in the Cloud market. These vary from Azure Administrator to Azure solutions architect. Once you have determined which Azure certification to pursue, you can easily find a forthcoming Microsoft exam that can be appeared remotely or at a testing center.

The following Microsoft role-based certificates assist you to become Microsoft Azure certified:

Microsoft role-based certificates

In 2018, Microsoft launched role-based certifications for Azure to align Azure knowledge and skills with business and career requirements.

Currently, there are 9 role-based Azure certifications. Microsoft continues to update this list as technology upgrades and career paths revolutionize. Here is the list of these certifications:

Azure Administrator
Azure AI Engineer
Azure Data Engineer
Azure Data Scientist
Azure Database Administrator
Azure Developer
Azure DevOps Engineer
Azure Security Engineer
Azure Solutions Architect

Kick start the Azure career with Azure fundamentals

Before progressing to intermediate and advanced level Azure certifications, it is recommended to kick start your Azure career with Azure fundamentals. It is beginner-level certification serves as an excellent way to get started with Azure. It doesn’t need any other Azure certifications. This fundamental-level certification includes the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam. After clearing this exam, you can progress to the next accomplishment on the Azure learning path.

Role-based Azure certifications

Once you have acquired enough foundational knowledge of Azure and passed the Azure Fundamentals certification exam, it's time to move on for role-based Azure certifications. Several cloud computing specialists would select their learning path depending on their career goals or role in an IT team.

Here is the detail of various role-based Azure certifications-

1.) Azure Administrator Associate

Administrator Associate is the most sought-after Azure certification. Being associated with the administrator role, its learning path prepares students to manage and employ Microsoft Azure environments in an organization effectively.

2.) Azure AI Engineer

This learning path offers an introductory understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and related concepts of Microsoft Azure services.

3.) Azure Data Engineer

For data-related certifications, the available options are a Data Scientist and Data Engineer. Multiple exams are included for this Azure certification that assists you in becoming an Azure data engineer.

Its learning path makes the candidates skilled in relational and non-relational data. Also, it trains candidates with other data workloads including analytic and transactional.

4.) Azure Data Scientist

This learning path offers certification in machine learning and data science. It validates proficiency to operate Azure machine learning workloads.

5.) Azure Database Administrator

This learning path authenticates candidates’ ability to employ and manage the operational aspects of cloud-native or hybrid data platform solutions that are built using SQL Server and Azure Data Services.

6.) DevOps Engineer and Azure Developer

The corresponding learning path certifies that candidates can design, build and test cloud apps and services through Microsoft Azure. Though this certification is not so easy to attain, it promises a rewarding salary. It equips you with the ability to create a plan for web application implementation with continuous integration.

7.) Azure Security Engineer

In the existing technology sector, there must be no compromise with data security. If you want to become an Azure Security Specialist or Azure Security Engineer then this learning path helps. It trains candidates on how to employ security controls and defend an organization against threats. Also, it trains candidates on how to handle identity and access, execute security controls, and defend data in an Azure environment.

8.) Azure Solutions Architect

It equips with skills required to create solutions for Microsoft Azure through computing, networking, and storage.

Benefits of obtaining Microsoft Azure certifications

Fast learning process
Career flexibility
Career growth
Security offerings
Structured learning
Improved integration with .NET platform
Improvement in Artificial Intelligence Skills
Keeps you updated on the latest trends in the industry

Top Paying Microsoft Certifications in 2022

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator
AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI
AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies
AZ-305: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies
AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer
AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design
DP-200: Implementing an Azure Data Solution
DP-201: Designing an Azure Data Solution

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator

This Azure certification imparts IT professionals with enough knowledge on managing their Azure subscriptions, designing and scaling virtual machines, and employing storage solutions. Also, it teaches how to configure virtual networking, back up and share data, manage network traffic, connect Azure and on-premises sites, execute Azure Active Directory, secure identities, and oversees your solution.

Skills measured

Management of Azure identities and governance
Implementation and managing storage
Deploying and managing Azure compute resources
Configuring and managing virtual networking
Monitoring and backing up Azure resources

All these skills thoroughly prepare candidates to work on different responsibilities an Azure Administrator can have. Therefore, passing this certification exam promises an admirable salary.

Responsibilities in this job role are employing, managing, and supervising identity, governance, storage, computing, and virtual networks within a cloud environment. Other responsibilities include provisioning, monitoring, and adjusting resources when required. Before appearing for this exam, candidates must possess subject matter expertise in implementing, managing, and supervising the Microsoft Azure environment of an organization.

It is important to note that candidates for the AZ-104 exam must possess a minimum of 6 months of practical experience in managing Azure. Also, they must have enough understanding of Azure workloads, core Azure services, security, and governance. The candidates must be experienced in how to use Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell, and Azure Resource Manager templates.

Languages: English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Spanish, French, German, Russian, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, and Indonesian (Indonesia).

AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Azure Fundamentals exam presents an opportunity to demonstrate basic knowledge of cloud concepts, Azure services, security and privacy in Azure, Azure workloads, and Azure pricing and support. The reason why the AZ-900 exam is considered as one of the top-paying Azure certifications is that it validates foundational knowledge of Azure on which other Azure skills can be evaluated. This exam is designed for those candidates who are a novice to Azure and just beginning to work with Cloud services and solutions.

Passing this exam familiarizes candidates with the common technology concepts related to storage, computing, networking, application development, and application support. Furthermore, this beginner-level certification is useful to prepare for other Azure specialty or role-based certifications.

Before appearing for the AZ-900 exam, make sure you possess basic knowledge of cloud services and the way these services are conveyed with Microsoft Azure. No pre-requisites are involved and no technical IT experience is required. General IT knowledge will be beneficial.

Skills measured

Cloud concepts
Core Azure services
Core solutions and management tools on Azure
General security and network security features
Identity, governance, privacy, and compliance features
Azure cost management and Service Level Agreements

To pass the AZ-900 exam, you should obtain a 70% or higher score in the Final Exam. If you pass this exam, you might be eligible for ACE college credit.

Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Spanish, Korean, German, Indonesian (Indonesia), French, Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Italian, and Russian.

DA-100: Analyzing Data with Microsoft Power BI

In the present Cloud industry, data analysts are in huge demand. Therefore, DA-100 certification is considered one of the top-paying ones. It equips candidates with industry-relevant skills for utilizing Power BI. Also, it equips candidates with a basic understanding of data processing and data repositories both in the cloud and on-premises.

Being a Data Analyst, your responsibilities include maximizing the value of a business’ data assets through Microsoft Power BI. Passing this exam gives you know-how how to become a subject matter expert. Besides, this certification authenticates your proficiency in managing and installing devices and client applications within an enterprise environment.

The learning path of the DA-100 exam covers the following aspects:

Designing and building scalable data models
Cleaning and transforming data
Enabling advanced analytic capabilities to convey evocative business value through easy-to-understand data visualizations

Skills measured

Preparing and modeling the data
Visualizing the data
Analyzing the data
Deploying and maintaining deliverables

Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

The passing score is 70%.

AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies

An Azure solution architect collaborates with cloud DBAs, cloud administrators, and clients to employ solutions.

The learning path of the AZ-303 thoroughly prepares candidates on how to design and implement solutions that execute on Microsoft Azure. The key aspects covered are computing, networking, storage, and security. Moreover, this learning path equips candidates with intermediate-level skills needed for administering Azure. Understanding Azure development and DevOps processes are a must for Azure Architect. These aspects can be learned through the AZ-303 learning path.

Before appearing for the AZ-303 exam, candidates must have advanced-level experience and knowledge of IT operations encompassing virtualization, networking, security, identity, business continuity, data platform, disaster recovery, budgeting, and governance.

Skills measured

Implement and supervise an Azure infrastructure
Implement management and security solutions
Implement solutions for apps
Implement and manage data platform

Passing the AZ-303 exam confirms that candidates become capable enough to handle responsibilities like advising stakeholders and converting business requirements into reliable, safe, and scalable cloud solutions. Moreover, they become responsible enough to administer how decisions in each area influence the solution as a whole.

Languages: English, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, French, Russian, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), German, and Italian

AZ-305: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Prominent aspects on which the AZ-305 certification exam concentrates are advanced knowledge and experience of IT operations like virtualization, networking, security, identity, data platforms, disaster recovery, business continuity, and governance. The learning path is uniformly structured to make sure candidates become competent enough to deal with Azure development, Azure administration, and DevOps processes

Skills measured

Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions
Design data storage solutions
Design business continuity solutions
Design infrastructure solutions

Passing score: 700

Languages: English

AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies

Usually, Azure security engineers contribute to a huge team to strategize and execute cloud-based management and security. Since Azure security is inevitable for any Cloud-based organization, the AZ-500 certified professionals are paid admirable salaries. Hence, this certification is one of the top-paying Microsoft Azure certifications.

The AZ-500’s learning path involves imparting knowledge on the implementation of Azure security controls which protect data, access, identity, networks, and applications in the cloud and hybrid environments as components of continuous infrastructure.

Skills measured

Manage identity and access
Implement platform protection
Manage security operations
Secure data and applications

Responsibilities for this job role involve managing the security outlook, recognizing and amending vulnerabilities, carrying out threat modeling, employing threat protection, and acknowledging security incident exacerbations.

Before appearing for the exam, candidates must possess practical experience in the management of Azure and hybrid environments. Moreover, they must possess experience with security operations processes, infrastructure as code, Azure services, and cloud capabilities.

Target audiences of AZ-500

Candidates having prior knowledge of advanced security
Candidates who have prior working experience with Microsoft Azure

If you pass the AZ-500 certification exam, you might be eligible for ACE college credit.

Languages: English, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Italian, and Indonesian (Indonesia)

AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure

Major aspects focused on by the AZ-204 certification exam are the design, build, test, and maintenance of cloud applications and services across Microsoft Azure. Since it is based on developing solutions for the Azure environment, the demand for such professionals is increasing in the Cloud market. Therefore, these professionals are offered a huge paycheck.

Candidates for this certification exam must possess 1-2 years of experience in professional Azure development processes. After passing the exam, candidates are made competent to program in a language being supported by Azure. They become proficient in Azure PowerShell, Azure SDKs, Azure CLI, APIs, data connections, data storage options, app authentication, and authorization, debugging, compute and container deployment, performance tuning, and monitoring.

When you launch the AZ-204 exam, you can choose the code language i.e. Python or C# which is included in the questions.

Skills measured

Develop Azure computing solutions
Develop for Azure storage
Implement Azure security
Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions
Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services

Languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Korean, Russian, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), and Indonesian (Indonesia)

AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer

Azure administration and development are the growing demands in the existing Cloud market. The AZ-400 certification exam is focusing on these aspects. This is the reason why candidates who passed the AZ-400 exam are paid more than those who are not Microsoft Azure-certified DevOps engineers. The learning path is meticulously structured to make candidates familiar with the following areas-

Implementation of DevOps Development Processes
Implementation of Continuous Integration
Implementation of Continuous Delivery
Implementation of Dependency Management
Implementation of Application Infrastructure
Implementation of Continuous Feedback
Designing A DevOps Strategy

Candidates who clear this exam become proficient at working with processes, people, and technologies to constantly convey business value.

Skills measured

Develop an instrumentation strategy
Develop a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) strategy
Develop a security and compliance plan
Manage source control
Facilitate communication and collaboration
Define and implement continuous integration
Define and implement continuous delivery and release management strategy

Passing score: 700

Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, German, Spanish, French, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Portuguese (Brazil), Italian, Russian, Indonesian (Indonesia), Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional)

AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design

An Azure solution architect is the one who accomplice with cloud DBAs, cloud administrators, and clients to employ solutions. The learning path of AZ-304 is carefully organized to make candidates responsible for counseling stakeholders and converting business requisites into authentic, safe, and scalable cloud solutions.

Anybody who passes this exam becomes proficient at the design and implementation of solutions that operate on Microsoft Azure. These involve solutions associated with computing, storage, networking, and security.

Pre-requisites for appearing for the AZ-304 exam-

Intermediate-level skills for administering Azure
Understanding of Azure development and DevOps processes

Skills measured

Design monitoring
Design identity and security
Design data storage
Design business continuity
Design infrastructure

Passing score: 700

Languages: English, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Russian, Portuguese (Brazil), German, Italian, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified)

DP-200: Implementing an Azure Data Solution

If you want to become Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate then the DP-200 exam is inevitable. It is a new Azure Data exam. To work on the aforementioned job role, candidates should pass both the exam i.e. Implementing an Azure Data Solution (DP-200) and Designing an Azure Data Solution (DP-201).

Azure Data solutions are in demand these days and so these professionals are paid handsome salaries.

The corresponding learning path trains candidates to achieve data solutions that work on the Azure services like Azure SQL Database, Azure Data Factory, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Databricks, Azure Blob storage, etc.

The question may arise –who can appear for the DP-200 exam. Well, those candidates who aspire to become Microsoft Azure data engineers or those who want to strategize with business stakeholders to comprehend and match the data commitments to complete data solutions that use Azure data services.

Skills measured

Implement data storage solutions
Manage and develop data processing
Monitor and optimize data solutions

Based on the mentioned skills, it can be concluded that the DP-200 exam is centered on the implementation and configuration of data solutions. Hence, candidates need to comprehend and learn appropriate ways to design data services in the Azure portal. Out of many Azure certifications, this one focuses more on hands-on labs and practical implementation.

DP-201: Designing an Azure Data Solution

Candidates appearing for the DP-201 exam are Microsoft Azure data engineers who know how to partner with business associates to discern and fulfill the data requirements to configure data solutions that employ Azure data services. The learning path trains candidates to configure data solutions that use the below Azure services-

Enough training is provided to ascertain that Azure data engineers become accountable for data correspondent tasks. Usually, these tasks are configuring Azure data storage solutions which utilize relational and non-relational type data stores, data security and compliance solutions, and batch and real-time data processing solutions.

Skills measured

Design Azure data storage solutions
Design data processing solutions
Design for data security and compliance

Final Words

When you pursue the most suitable Microsoft Azure Course from Scholarhat, you can unlock better career prospects. These career prospects promise admirable salaries with significant upgrades in your Azure skills. Cloud-based companies are now looking to hire professionals who are Microsoft Azure certified to handle their challenging job roles. Also, they are ready to pay a high salary package that is worth the exceptional Azure skills.