Top 10 Cloud Engineer Certifications

Certifications are an important factor in the job market for cloud engineers. They demonstrate that a candidate has the knowledge and skills needed to work with cloud technologies, and they can also be used as a way to differentiate one candidate from another. Having certifications is often seen as a sign of dedication and commitment to learning and advancing one's career in the field of cloud engineering. In addition, certifications can give employers confidence that their employees have the right skillset to handle their cloud infrastructure. Finally, certifications can help employers recognize potential employees who have achieved a certain level of proficiency in working with cloud technologies.

The purpose of this article is to review the top certifications for Cloud Engineers and explain how they can help to further a cloud engineer's career.

What are Cloud Engineer Certifications?

Cloud engineer certification is an industry-recognized credential that demonstrates a person's expertise in the design and implementation of cloud computing solutions. It is designed to provide employers and customers with assurance that certified personnel are knowledgeable in the best practices for deploying, managing, and optimizing cloud systems. The certification covers a wide range of topics related to cloud computing, such as storage systems, application development, security, virtualization, automation, scalability, and more.

Earning a cloud engineer certification can help individuals demonstrate their knowledge of the latest technologies and best practices in cloud computing. By having this certification on their resume or CV, they will be able to stand out among other job applicants when applying for roles related to cloud engineering. Having this certification also shows potential employers that the candidate has taken the initiative to learn about the latest tools and techniques used in the field. This can give them an edge over their competition when it comes to securing a job in this rapidly growing field. Finally, having this certification may open up additional opportunities for career advancement within organizations already utilizing cloud computing technologies.

Pro Tip: When considering cloud engineer certification, make sure to look into the specific certifications offered by the major cloud providers (e.g. AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform) as these are often the most sought-after and valuable certifications for a cloud engineer. Additionally, consider researching other third-party certifications that can provide a broader knowledge base of cloud engineering skills.

Related: What does a Cloud Engineer do?

Top 10 Cloud Engineer Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Cloud Engineers today.

1. Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

The Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) is a certification program developed by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) to recognize professionals who have the knowledge and skills necessary to secure cloud computing environments. The CCSP credential demonstrates that an individual has the experience and expertise to design, manage, and secure data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud.

It takes approximately three months of study and preparation to obtain the CCSP credential. During this time, individuals must complete a self-study program which includes reading materials from the CSA's official study guide as well as taking practice exams. Once they are ready, candidates must then pass a rigorous exam administered by Pearson VUE.

To get the CCSP credential, candidates must first complete an application on the CSA website. After submitting their application, they will receive an email with instructions on how to register for the exam with Pearson VUE. Once registered, they can schedule their exam at a convenient testing center near them.

The cost of obtaining the CCSP credential varies depending on where you take your exam and whether or not you purchase any additional study materials or practice exams. Generally speaking, it costs around $400 USD for the exam itself plus any additional fees associated with taking it at a testing center near you.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate is a certification program designed to help IT professionals gain the skills and knowledge needed to design, deploy, and manage applications and infrastructure on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The certification is intended for individuals who have a good understanding of cloud computing concepts and AWS services.

The exam consists of multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 130 minutes to complete. It covers topics such as designing highly available, cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, secure systems in the AWS Cloud; selecting appropriate AWS services to design and deploy an application based on given requirements; estimating costs for deploying an application on AWS; identifying appropriate use of AWS operational best practices; and recognizing performance bottlenecks in a system architecture.

To get certified you must pass the exam. There are no prerequisites for taking the exam but it is recommended that you have at least six months of experience working with AWS services. You can prepare for the exam by studying online resources or taking an instructor-led training course.

The cost of the exam varies depending on your location but typically ranges from $150-$300 USD.

3. Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification

Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification is an industry-recognized credential that demonstrates a professional’s ability to manage and maintain Microsoft Azure cloud services. This certification validates an individual's ability to deploy, configure, monitor, and maintain Microsoft Azure solutions, including major services related to compute, storage, network and security.

The certification requires passing two exams: AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator and AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator – Transitioning from Classic to Azure. The exams are designed to test your knowledge of the fundamentals of cloud computing and how they relate to the management of Microsoft Azure services.

The AZ-103 exam covers topics such as deploying and configuring virtual machines (VMs), managing identities in the cloud, implementing storage solutions, deploying web apps, configuring virtual networks, managing data access in the cloud, creating backups for data recovery plans, monitoring resources in the cloud environment, and more. The AZ-104 exam focuses on transitioning from classic deployment models to new deployment models for applications and services on the Azure platform. It covers topics such as migrating resources from classic deployments to resource manager deployments; using PowerShell scripts for automation; using ARM templates for deployment; configuring application gateways; configuring load balancers; creating virtual networks with ExpressRoute; setting up DNS zones; setting up site recovery for disaster recovery scenarios; and more.

It typically takes about 2 months to prepare for both exams if you are already familiar with the concepts covered in each exam. If you are completely new to Microsoft Azure or need a refresher course before taking the exams then it may take longer than 2 months depending on your learning style.

You can register for both exams at Pearson VUE or through your local testing center. Each exam costs $165 USD per attempt which means that it will cost $330 USD total if you pass both exams on your first attempt.

4. CompTIA Cloud+ Certification

CompTIA Cloud+ Certification is an industry-recognized certification that validates an individual’s skills and knowledge in cloud computing. It is designed to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of cloud models, virtualization, infrastructure, security, resource management, and business continuity.

The CompTIA Cloud+ certification exam typically takes around 90 minutes to complete and consists of 100 multiple choice questions. The exam covers topics such as cloud concepts, virtualization, infrastructure, security, resource management, and business continuity.

To get the CompTIA Cloud+ certification you must pass the CompTIA Cloud+ (CV0-002) exam. You can register for the exam through Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers. You must have at least 18 months of experience working with IT networks before taking the exam.

The cost of the CompTIA Cloud+ (CV0-002) exam is $319 USD for non-members and $279 USD for members of CompTIA's Partner Program.

5. Google Cloud Platform Certified Professional Cloud Architect

Google Cloud Platform Certified Professional Cloud Architect is a certification program offered by Google that validates an individual’s ability to design, develop, and manage highly-scalable applications on the Google Cloud Platform. The certification requires candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of core GCP services such as Compute Engine, App Engine, Kubernetes Engine, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, and more.

The exam typically takes about 2 hours to complete and covers topics such as designing and planning a cloud solution architecture; managing and provisioning solutions; deploying applications; security and identity management; monitoring, logging, and diagnostics; data storage options; networking services; and more.

In order to become certified as a Google Cloud Platform Certified Professional Cloud Architect, you must pass the certification exam. The exam costs $200 USD per attempt. You can register for the exam through the Google Cloud Platform website or through Pearson VUE.

To prepare for the exam you can take advantage of various resources provided by Google such as online courses on Coursera or edX, practice exams from Whizlabs or Udemy, study guides from ACloudGuru or Qwiklabs among others. Additionally there are many books available that cover the topics covered in the exam.

6. VMware Certified Professional 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP6-CMA)

The VMware Certified Professional 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP6-CMA) is a certification program designed to validate an individual’s knowledge and skills in deploying, managing, and automating cloud environments. It is a prerequisite for the VMware Certified Advanced Professional 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCAP6-CMA) certification.

To receive the VCP6-CMA certification, an individual must first attend a training course approved by VMware. This can be done either through an instructor-led or self-paced online training course. After completing the training course, individuals must pass the VCP6-CMA exam which consists of 60 multiple choice questions. The exam takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.

The cost of the VCP6-CMA certification varies depending on the type of training course taken. Instructor-led courses typically cost between $2,000-$3,000 while self-paced online courses range from $800-$1,500. Additionally, individuals must pay for the exam itself which costs $250 USD.

In total, it usually takes around two weeks to complete all requirements for the VCP6-CMA certification if taking an instructor led course or one month if taking a self paced online course.

7. Red Hat Certified System Administrator in Red Hat OpenStack

Red Hat Certified System Administrator in Red Hat OpenStack is a certification that validates an individual’s skills and knowledge of the Red Hat OpenStack Platform. This certification is designed for system administrators who are responsible for managing, configuring, and deploying cloud-based applications using the Red Hat OpenStack platform.

The exam to obtain this certification consists of one multiple-choice exam (EX210). The exam covers topics such as installation and configuration of the Red Hat OpenStack platform, networking, storage, security, monitoring, troubleshooting and more. It takes approximately 2 hours to complete the exam.

In order to take the EX210 exam you must have a valid Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification or equivalent experience. You must also attend a course or have equivalent experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform (RHELOSP).

The cost of taking the EX210 exam varies depending on location but typically ranges from $400-$500 USD.

8. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate Certification

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate Certification is an industry-recognized certification that validates your knowledge and skills in designing, deploying, and managing cloud infrastructure solutions. It is designed to ensure that you have the necessary skills to design and implement Oracle Cloud Infrastructure solutions for your customers. The certification requires passing a single exam, which covers topics such as cloud architecture, security, networking, storage, compute, database services, and identity management.

It typically takes about 6-8 weeks to prepare for the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate Exam. You can use self-paced training courses or instructor-led courses to prepare for this exam. Additionally, you can use practice tests and other resources available online to help you study for the exam.

To get certified as an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate, you need to register with Oracle University and purchase the exam voucher from the Oracle Store. The cost of the exam voucher varies depending on your location but typically ranges from $300 - $400 USD. Once you have purchased the voucher, you will be able to schedule your exam at a Pearson VUE testing center near you.

9. Salesforce Certified Technical Architect

Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) is the highest level of certification offered by Salesforce. It is a professional-level certification that demonstrates an individual’s expertise and deep understanding of Salesforce technology, architecture, and best practices. This certification requires extensive knowledge of Salesforce products and services, as well as experience in designing and implementing complex solutions on the platform.

The CTA exam takes around 6 hours to complete and consists of multiple choice questions, scenario-based questions, and hands-on challenges. The exam covers topics such as data modeling, security architecture, integration patterns, user interface design, scalability & performance optimization, application development lifecycle management (ADLM), DevOps principles & practices, etc.

To become a CTA you must have at least 5 years of experience in developing applications on the Salesforce platform and have passed the following exams: Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I; Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II; Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder; Salesforce Certified Administrator; and either the Salesforce Advanced Administrator or Developer exam. Additionally, you must submit a portfolio demonstrating your technical abilities to be eligible for this certification.

The cost for the CTA exam is $600 USD per attempt. You can also purchase prep materials from third party vendors which may help increase your chances of passing the exam.

10. Cisco CCIE Data Center: Cloud Infrastructure Design and Deployment

Cisco CCIE Data Center: Cloud Infrastructure Design and Deployment is a certification program that validates the skills of IT professionals in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting complex data center cloud infrastructure. The certification covers topics such as virtualization, automation, orchestration, storage, security, and networking.

It takes approximately 18 months to complete the requirements for this certification. To get it you must first pass two exams: Cisco CCIE Data Center Written Exam (400-151 DCICN) and Cisco CCIE Data Center Lab Exam (400-150 DCID).

The cost for the written exam is $450 USD and the cost for the lab exam is $1600 USD.

Do You Really Need a Cloud Engineer Certificate?

Cloud engineering is an important field in the IT industry, and many employers are looking for certified cloud engineers. A cloud engineer certificate can be a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and abilities in this field and stand out from other job applicants. However, do you really need a cloud engineer certificate?

The answer depends on your individual goals and circumstances. If you are already employed as a cloud engineer or are looking to move into that role, then it may be beneficial to get certified. Having a certificate will show potential employers that you have the skills needed for the job and help you stand out from other candidates. It also gives you credibility when working with clients or developing new products.

On the other hand, if you are already employed in another role but want to learn more about cloud engineering, then getting a certification may not be necessary. You can still learn the fundamentals of cloud engineering through self-study and online courses without needing to invest in getting certified. This can help you stay up-to-date on any advances in the field without needing to spend money on certification fees.

In conclusion, whether or not you need a cloud engineer certificate depends on your goals and current circumstances. If you are already employed as a cloud engineer or looking to move into that role, then getting certified could be beneficial as it would help demonstrate your expertise in the field and give you credibility with clients or employers. However, if you just want to learn more about cloud engineering without needing certification for work purposes, then self-study may be sufficient.

Related: Cloud Engineer Resume Examples

FAQs About Cloud Engineer Certifications

Q1: What is a Cloud Engineer Certification?

Answer: A Cloud Engineer Certification is a professional-level certification that validates an individual’s knowledge and skills in designing, deploying, and managing cloud applications and infrastructure.

Q2: What types of certifications are available for Cloud Engineers?

Answer: There are several certifications available for cloud engineers, such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, Google Cloud Platform Certified Professional Cloud Architect, Oracle Certified Master Cloud Architect and Cisco CCNP Cloud.

Q3: What skills do I need to become a certified cloud engineer?

Answer: To become a certified cloud engineer, you must have knowledge of system architecture, virtualization technology, storage systems, networking concepts and security principles. Additionally, you should be familiar with scripting languages such as Python and PowerShell.

Q4: How long does it take to become a certified cloud engineer?

Answer: The time required to become a certified cloud engineer will vary depending on the type of certification being pursued. Generally speaking, it can take anywhere from three months to two years or more to prepare for and pass the certification exam.

Q5: Are there any prerequisites for becoming a certified cloud engineer?

Answer: Yes. Most certifications require candidates to have at least one year of experience working with the technology they plan to certify in before attempting the exam. Additionally, some certifications may require additional courses or training prior to taking the exam.