5 Cloud Certifications to Start Your Cloud Career in 2025

Cloud computing—using the internet to store data and services instead of a computer hard drive—is growing. Increased internet access, the reduced cost of using the cloud, new technology, and a pandemic-driven digitization of many services have each accelerated the adoption of cloud technology.

Should you get a cloud certification?

If you have some experience in IT or computer programming and want to gain experience in cloud computing or integrate cloud into your career, a certification can certainly be beneficial. If you're just starting to explore the IT space, you might want to consider an entry-level IT certification.

Certification can be useful in indicating your abilities to hiring managers and helping you gain experience where you might be lacking. Cloud computing is also an in-demand skill and can bring a good salary. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for cloud computing professionals in Canada is $92,728 CAD as of September 2024 [1]. 

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Cloud certifications

The following certifications are often recommended for those trying to position themselves for entry-level cloud-related jobs. You can either specialize in one cloud provider or get multiple certifications to expand your knowledge and open up a variety of career opportunities.

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate exam is multiple-choice. It tests your ability to deploy, manage, and use various services in AWS, the leading platform in the cloud market [2]. The certification shows your proficiency in the basic technical concepts of AWS cloud engineering, which can position you to qualify for related jobs. 

Just starting out with AWS? The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is designed for candidates with a few months of experience and can be a way to build up experience for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate exam.

• Cost: 150 USD [3]

• What’s being tested: Computing, networking, storage, and database AWS services; deployment and management; basic architectural principles of building in AWS; global AWS infrastructure; network technologies in relation to AWS; among other subjects 

2. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

With the second largest market share in the cloud space [2], Azure can be a useful cloud platform to learn. The foundational certification for Azure involves the AZ-900 exam, and is designed for those with both technical and non-technical backgrounds. It’s a solid foundational certification to get you up to speed with fundamental Azure knowledge. From there, you can go on to get the Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate certifications, though it’s not a prerequisite. 

• Cost: 99 USD [4]

• What’s being tested: The differences between cloud services like IaaS and PaaS; benefits of using cloud services; core Azure services like virtual machines (VMs), containers, Kubernetes and database services; understanding of Azure core solutions and management tools; basic security, including network security; and other subjects

3. Google Associate Cloud Engineer

Getting certified as a Google Associate Cloud Engineer will mean showing competency in the basic aspects of working with Google Cloud. This includes setting up a cloud solution environment, managing storage and databases, and configuring access and security, among other skills.

• Cost: 125 USD [5]

• What’s being tested: Setting up cloud solutions by creating projects, managing users in Cloud Identity, and managing billing configuration; planning and configuring compute resources, data storage options, and network resources; deploying Google Kubernetes Engine, applications; managing a virtual machine (VM); and more

To get started, you can take a course in Modernize Infrastructure and Applications with Google Cloud, which can be the first step in getting the Cloud Engineer with Google Cloud Professional Certificate.

Want a more holistic introduction to IT work? Take a look at the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

4. IBM Certified Technical Advocate - Cloud v5

IBM Cloud services take up less market share than the others, but can still be useful in industries that use IBM Cloud platforms. The IBM Certified Technical Advocate - Cloud v5 (formerly known as IBM Certified Solution Advisor) is the foundational certification for IBM Cloud. If you work at a place that primarily designs solutions based on IBM Cloud, or hope to do so in the future, this certification can make sense. Several more advanced levels of IBM Cloud certifications exist, like the IBM Certified Professional Architect - Cloud v5.

• Cost: 200 USD [6]

• What’s being tested: Understanding of cloud concepts; IBM Cloud components; architectural principles and patterns; networking and security; Cloud Native practices cloud deployment; among other things

5. Cloud Security Alliance: Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)

The CCSK is issued by the Cloud Security Alliance, a vendor-neutral certification provider. This means that the things you learn from getting a certification can be applied to different cloud platforms. The CCSK focuses on the fundamentals of cloud security. Other advanced certifications are available, like the CCSP from ISC2, which indicate a professional level of mastery of cloud security.

• Cost: 445 USD [7]

• What’s being tested: Cloud computing concepts and architecture; governance and enterprise risk management; legal issues and contracts; data security; virtualization and containers; and more

Which cloud certification should you get?

If you decide to get a cloud certification, it’s a good idea to look at what cloud platform is often used in your geographical area and target industry. Government agencies often use Azure; financial companies might use IBM or AWS.

As of Q1 2024, Amazon Web Services, or AWS, had the largest market share of cloud infrastructure providers, followed by Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud [2]. 

Gaining in-demand skills in the cloud with Coursera

Becoming a cloud professional in IT positions you to work in an in-demand field that can lead to lucrative salaries. If you have a basic understanding of IT concepts, you can take a course in cloud basics like Modernize Infrastructure and Applications with Google Cloud, IBM’s Introduction to Cloud Computing, or AWS Cloud Technical Essentials. Upon completion, gain a shareable certificate to showcase in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.