Top 11 Salesforce Administrator Certifications

Certifications are an important way for a Salesforce Administrator to demonstrate and validate their skills and knowledge in the job market. With more organizations relying on Salesforce as their CRM, having certifications in Salesforce Administration can help make a job candidate stand out and show that they have the necessary skills to be successful in the role. Certification also shows that the individual has taken the initiative to stay up-to-date with changes in the platform, which is essential for any administrator of a complex system like Salesforce. Finally, certifications provide recognition from Salesforce itself, which is an invaluable asset when competing for jobs or promotions.

The purpose of this article is to review the top certifications for Salesforce Administrators and explain how they can help advance a Salesforce Administrator's career.

What are Salesforce Administrator Certifications?

Salesforce Administrator Certification is a certification program offered by Salesforce, the world’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform. The certification validates an individual's knowledge and expertise in administering, configuring, and managing Salesforce applications. It also demonstrates their understanding of the features and functions of the Salesforce platform.

Having a Salesforce Administrator Certification can help individuals demonstrate their skills in administrating Salesforce applications to potential employers or customers. It can also be used as a way to stay up-to-date on new features and changes made to the Salesforce platform. Additionally, having this certification may qualify individuals for higher salaries or more opportunities within the field of Salesforce administration.

The certification program covers topics such as user setup, security settings, customizing objects, creating reports and dashboards, data management, workflow automation, and troubleshooting. To obtain this certification, individuals must have at least 6 months of experience using the Salesforce platform and pass an exam that tests their knowledge in these topics.

Overall, obtaining a Salesforce Administrator Certification is beneficial for those looking to gain recognition for their skills in administrating Salesforce applications. It can open up more job opportunities as well as help individuals earn higher salaries within this field.

Pro Tip: Take advantage of the Salesforce Trailhead program to prepare for the Salesforce Administrator Certification exam. Trailhead offers hands-on learning modules that will give you an in-depth understanding of how to use the Salesforce platform, as well as providing additional tips and tricks on how to pass the certification exam.

Related: What does a Salesforce Administrator do?

Top 11 Salesforce Administrator Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Salesforce Administrators today.

1. Salesforce Certified Administrator

Salesforce Certified Administrator is a certification program offered by Salesforce. It is designed to assess the knowledge and skills of professionals who are responsible for managing, configuring, and customizing the Salesforce platform. The certification covers topics such as user management, security, data management, customization, analytics, and reporting.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and takes 90 minutes to complete. To earn the certification, you must pass the exam with a score of 65% or higher.

You can register for the exam through Salesforce’s website. The cost of the exam varies depending on your country but typically ranges from $200-$400 USD.

2. Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator

Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator is a certification program offered by Salesforce. It is designed to validate the skills and knowledge of experienced Salesforce Administrators who have mastered the advanced features of the platform.

The certification exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions and takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. To be eligible for the exam, candidates must have at least six months of experience as a Salesforce Administrator and be familiar with all aspects of Salesforce administration, including security, data management, user management, workflow automation, custom objects and fields, reports and dashboards, and more.

To get certified as an Advanced Administrator, you must pass the certification exam. The exam fee is $200 USD and can be taken online or in-person at a testing center. Once you have passed the exam you will receive your official Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator certificate.

3. Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder

Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder is a certification program offered by Salesforce that validates an individual's knowledge and experience in building custom applications on the Salesforce platform. It is designed for professionals who are responsible for designing, building, testing, and deploying custom applications on the Salesforce platform.

It typically takes around 10-12 hours of study time to prepare for the exam. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and must be completed within 90 minutes. The cost of the exam is $200 USD.

In order to become certified, individuals must pass the Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder exam. To prepare for this exam, individuals should have a basic understanding of object-oriented programming concepts, data modeling principles, and application design best practices. They should also have experience working with VisualForce pages, Apex triggers and classes, Lightning components, and other development tools available on the Salesforce platform. Additionally, they should understand how to use declarative features such as process builder and flows to automate business processes on the platform.

4. Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I

Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I is a certification that validates the skills and knowledge of an individual in developing custom applications on the Salesforce platform. It demonstrates that the individual has a deep understanding of declarative programming, Apex, Visualforce, and Lightning components.

It typically takes around three months to prepare for this certification. Preparation includes studying for the exam as well as hands-on experience with the Salesforce platform. You can find study materials such as practice exams, books, and online courses to help you prepare for the exam.

To get certified, you must pass the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I Exam (DEV 401). The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and must be completed within 90 minutes. The passing score is 65%.

The cost of taking the exam varies depending on your location but usually ranges between $200-$400 USD.

5. Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II

Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II is a professional certification program designed to validate the skills and knowledge of experienced Salesforce developers. It is intended for developers who have advanced experience with Apex, Visualforce, Lightning Components, and other development tools on the Salesforce platform.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. It covers topics such as Apex programming, Visualforce pages, Lightning components, data modeling, security, and deployment.

To get the certification, you must first pass the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II exam. The exam fee is $200 USD. You can register for the exam through the Salesforce website or through a testing center such as Pearson VUE or Prometric. Once you have passed the exam, you will be officially certified as a Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II.

6. Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer

Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer is a certification that validates the knowledge and skills of an individual in designing sharing models, developing custom objects, and creating authorization hierarchies. It also tests the ability to optimize data access with manual sharing rules, role hierarchies, organization-wide defaults, and sharing rules.

It typically takes about two hours to complete the exam. In order to get certified, you must first register for the exam on the Salesforce website. The cost of the exam is $200 USD. Once you have registered for the exam, you will be given access to study materials such as practice exams, sample questions, and other resources. After studying these materials thoroughly, you can take the actual exam at a testing center near you or online through ProctorU.

Once you have passed the exam with a minimum score of 65%, you will receive your official Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer certification from Salesforce.

7. Salesforce Certified Data Architecture and Management Designer

Salesforce Certified Data Architecture and Management Designer is a certification program designed to help professionals demonstrate their expertise in designing, building, and managing data solutions on the Salesforce platform. The certification covers topics such as data modeling, data integration, data security, and analytics. It also includes hands-on experience with various Salesforce tools and technologies.

The exam for this certification takes approximately 2 hours to complete and consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. To get certified, you must pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher. The cost for the exam is $200 USD.

To prepare for the exam, it is recommended that you have at least six months of experience working with Salesforce products and technologies. You should also review the official study guide provided by Salesforce to ensure you understand all of the topics covered in the exam. Additionally, there are many online resources available to help you prepare for the exam including practice tests and tutorials.

8. Salesforce Certified Identity and Access Management Designer

Salesforce Certified Identity and Access Management Designer is a certification designed to validate an individual’s expertise in designing, implementing, and managing identity and access management (IAM) solutions on the Salesforce platform. This certification requires knowledge of authentication methods, user provisioning, authorization models, and security best practices.

It typically takes about one to two months to prepare for the exam depending on your experience level. To get certified, you must first pass the Identity and Access Management Designer exam (ADM-211). The exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 90 minutes. The cost of the exam is $200 USD.

9. Salesforce Certified Integration Architecture Designer

Salesforce Certified Integration Architecture Designer is a certification that verifies an individual’s expertise in designing and developing integration solutions for Salesforce. This certification demonstrates the candidate’s ability to design and develop secure, scalable, and maintainable integrations between Salesforce and other systems.

The certification exam takes approximately two hours to complete and consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. The exam covers topics such as integration architecture, data mapping, authentication protocols, error handling, and more.

To get the Salesforce Certified Integration Architecture Designer certification, you must first pass the corresponding exam. The exam can be taken at any authorized testing center or online through Webassessor. The cost of the exam is $200 USD.

10. Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architect

Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architect is a certification program that validates an individual’s expertise in designing, building and deploying mobile solutions on the Salesforce platform. This certification demonstrates an individual's ability to design and build secure, scalable, and maintainable mobile solutions for customers.

It typically takes about 6-8 weeks to prepare for this certification exam. During this time, individuals should review the official Salesforce Mobile Solutions Architect Study Guide, which includes topics such as mobile architecture, security considerations, performance optimization strategies and more. Additionally, individuals should take practice tests to become familiar with the exam format and content.

In order to get certified as a Mobile Solutions Architect, individuals must pass the Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architect Exam (CRT-450). The exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 90 minutes. The cost of the exam is $200 USD.

11. Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant

Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant is a professional certification that demonstrates an individual’s expertise in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. It is designed to validate the skills and knowledge of marketing professionals who use Salesforce Marketing Cloud to create, manage, and measure multi-channel campaigns.

It typically takes around 6 months to complete the certification process. To become certified, you must first pass two exams: the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant (CRT-450) exam and the Salesforce Certified Email Specialist (CRT-251) exam. Both exams are administered by Salesforce and require a fee for registration. The cost of each exam varies depending on your location, but generally ranges from $200-$400 USD.

Once you have passed both exams, you will be awarded the Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant credential. This credential is valid for two years and can be renewed by taking additional courses or passing additional exams as required by Salesforce.

Do You Really Need a Salesforce Administrator Certificate?

When considering a Salesforce Administrator Certificate, it is important to evaluate whether this certification is necessary for your career goals. While having a Salesforce Administrator Certificate can help you stand out from other applicants and demonstrate your knowledge of the platform, it may or may not be necessary depending on your particular job requirements.

For those interested in becoming a Salesforce Administrator, having a Salesforce Administrator Certificate can provide an edge over other candidates who are applying for the same role. The certificate demonstrates that you have expertise in the various aspects of administering Salesforce such as creating users, managing data, and troubleshooting issues. Additionally, having this certification may make you more marketable to employers who are looking for qualified professionals with specialized knowledge in the Salesforce platform.

On the other hand, if you already have experience working with Salesforce or have sufficient knowledge of the platform without any formal certifications, it may not be necessary to obtain a Salesforce Administrator Certificate. In this case, employers may be more interested in your proven track record of success with the platform rather than a certificate that shows theoretical knowledge. It is also important to note that many organizations offer their own internal training and certification programs which can provide similar benefits as an external certification without needing to obtain one from outside sources.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if obtaining a Salesforce Administrator Certificate is worth the effort and cost involved. If you believe that obtaining such a certification will help further your career goals then it could be well worth investing in one; however if you already possess sufficient knowledge and experience with the platform then it might not be necessary to obtain one.

Related: Salesforce Administrator Resume Examples

FAQs About Salesforce Administrator Certifications

1. What is the Salesforce Administrator certification?

Answer: The Salesforce Administrator certification is a professional-level credential that demonstrates an individual's expertise in configuring, managing, and administering Salesforce applications and services.

2. How do I prepare for the Salesforce Administrator certification exam?

Answer: Preparation for the Salesforce Administrator Certification exam includes studying the exam objectives, taking practice tests, and attending training courses or seminars. Additionally, individuals should have hands-on experience working with Salesforce applications before attempting the exam.

3. How long is the Salesforce Administrator certification valid?

Answer: The Salesforce Administrator Certification is valid for two years from the date of completion of the exam. Individuals must recertify every two years to maintain their credential.

4. What are the requirements for recertification?

Answer: To keep your credential active, you must pass a recertification exam or complete additional training activities within two years of completing your certification exam. You may also choose to retake your original certification exam to renew your credential if it has been more than two years since you last passed it.

5. Are there any prerequisites for taking the Salesforce Administrator Certification Exam?

Answer: While there are no formal prerequisites to take the Salesforce Administrator Certification Exam, individuals should have prior knowledge and experience working with Salesforce applications before attempting it. Additionally, some employers may require that candidates have completed specific training courses or seminars prior to taking their exams.