Top AWS Certifications in 2026: Which Are Worth Your Investment?

Why Some People Win Big With AWS… and Others Don’t

Ever notice how some people collect AWS certifications like badges… and still struggle to get hired? While others take just one or two - and suddenly their LinkedIn blows up with recruiter messages? There’s a reason for that.

Most people treat AWS certifications like a checklist. They chase what’s “popular,” not what’s valuable for their career path. And that’s why their results are inconsistent. But here’s the simple truth:

AWS certifications work - but only when you choose the right one for the right career goal.

Not all certifications give the same ROI. Not all certifications boost your salary the same way. And not all certifications matter in 2026 the way they did in 2022 or 2023. The cloud world has changed. AI has changed it. Data has changed it. Security has definitely changed it.

So in this guide, we’re cutting the noise. No hype. No confusing jargon. No “take all 12 AWS certifications.” Instead, we’ll break down the top AWS certifications in 2026, why they matter, which ones are worth your money, and how to pick the perfect path based on your goals.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which AWS certification gives you the highest ROI for your time, money, and career growth in 2026. Ready? Let’s clear the confusion - once and for all.

Why AWS Certifications Still Matter in 2026 (More Than Ever)

Ever feel like “AWS certifications are overrated now”… until you see someone with one certification get a job you wanted? Here’s the truth:

AWS certifications are not losing value - the cloud market is changing. And certifications are changing with it.

2026 is a very different world from 2020 or even 2023. AI happened. Automation exploded. Every company now wants cloud skills + AI + security + data. And that shift is exactly why AWS certifications matter more than ever.

Let’s break this down simply - like we did with ephemeral vs persistent storage.

Cloud Is No Longer Optional - It's the Backbone of Every Product

Companies aren’t “moving to the cloud” anymore. They’re already on the cloud… and now they’re optimizing, scaling, and automating everything.

That means they need people who can:

• design architecture
• automate deployments
• secure workloads
• build data pipelines
• run AI/ML workloads
• keep costs under control

AWS certifications validate exactly these skills - in a way recruiters instantly understand.

AI Has Created a New Skill Gap (And AWS Now Has AI Certifications)

Until 2024, AWS had zero foundational AI certifications. Now we have:

• AWS Certified AI Practitioner
• AWS Machine Learning Engineer - Associate
• AWS Generative AI Developer - Professional
• AWS Machine Learning - Specialty

This is AWS telling the market:

“AI is not optional. But AI without cloud is useless.”

The hottest jobs of 2026? Cloud + AI, Cloud + Data, Cloud + Security. AWS certifications place you exactly in that intersection.

Companies Need Proof of Skills - Not Just Claims

Every resume today says:

• “Strong in AWS”
• “Experience with cloud”
• “Hands-on with EC2, Lambda, S3”

Recruiters can’t trust any of that without proof. A certification cuts through the noise instantly. It says:

“This person has been evaluated on real AWS scenarios. Not just theory.”

It’s not about the badge. It’s about trust.

AWS Certifications Build a Clear Career Path

Before certifications, cloud careers felt like a maze. Now they’re a roadmap.

You want cloud architecture?
You want DevOps?
You want AI?
You want data engineering?
You want security?

There's a PATH

AWS designed certifications so you can literally “stack” your skills career-wise. This means your growth becomes predictable - not random.

Salary Growth Is Still Real

You’re not doing certifications as a hobby. You want career growth - and salary growth. AWS-certified professionals consistently earn more because:

• They can take on more complex workloads
• They reduce cloud waste (which companies love)
• They can automate more (saving engineering hours)
• They understand both business and technical decisions

When cloud budgets tighten, companies don’t fire cloud experts.
They fire everyone except cloud experts. Certifications signal that you’re one of those people they keep.

AWS Is About to Get Harder (So Early Certifications Pay Off More)

The new exams, especially AI and data-driven ones, are becoming more:

• scenario-based
• architecture-focused
• real-world heavy
• practical

The earlier you get in, the more valuable your certification becomes as AWS updates exams and increases difficulty.

Cloud skills were valuable in 2020. They were great in 2023. But in 2026? They’re a requirement.

AWS certifications are not just badges - they’re your career insurance, your salary booster, and your ticket into high-demand roles that didn’t even exist five years ago.

The AWS Certification Landscape

Ever look at the AWS certification list and wonder:

“Where do I even start?”
“Do I need all of these?”
“Which one actually gets me hired fastest?”

Here’s the simple truth:

AWS certifications follow a clean, predictable roadmap - but most people overcomplicate it.

You don’t need all 12 certifications. You don’t need to jump straight into Professional-level exams. And you definitely don’t need to take certifications that don’t align with your career goal. So let’s break the AWS certification roadmap into something anyone can understand - just like breaking down ephemeral vs persistent volumes.

The Four Levels of AWS Certifications

AWS structures its certifications in four levels:

1. Foundational - Cloud basics
2. Associate - Job-ready skills
3. Professional - Advanced, architecture-level skills
4. Specialty - Deep expertise in one domain (AI, Security, Data, Networking, ML)

That’s it. Everything fits into one of these buckets. Let’s go through each one - simply and clearly.

FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL

These certifications teach the basics. Perfect for absolute beginners.

1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP)
The “cloud 101” certification. If you’re brand new to AWS or cloud, this is your starting point.
Covers: billing, security basics, core AWS services, global infrastructure.

2. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIP)
The new “AI 101” certification. If you want to combine cloud + AI (which is where salaries are booming), start here.
Covers: AI concepts, Amazon Bedrock basics, ML foundations.

ASSOCIATE LEVEL

This is where the real hiring happens. 80% of cloud engineers stop here - and get jobs.

1. Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA)
The most popular AWS cert worldwide. Perfect for anyone aiming for cloud engineering or architecture roles.

2. Developer - Associate (DVA)
Great for DevOps, backend engineers, and anyone working with serverless, containers, and event-driven systems.

3. CloudOps Engineer - Associate
Focused on operating workloads: monitoring, automation, deployments, reliability. Excellent path for SRE/DevOps roles.

4. Data Engineer - Associate
Ideal if you want to work with data lakes, pipelines, ETL, streaming, or BI. Covers core AWS data engineering services.

5. Machine Learning Engineer - Associate
If you want to build and deploy ML models on AWS - this is your cert. Perfect bridge between cloud, ML, and production workloads.

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

Harder exams. High salary impact. Best for senior roles.

1. Solutions Architect - Professional (SAP)
The highest-value certification in AWS. If you master this, you’re designing large-scale architectures across organizations.

2. DevOps Engineer - Professional (DOP)
The advanced DevOps certification. Great for CI/CD, automation, reliability, security, multi-account setups.

3. Generative AI Developer - Professional (Beta)
For engineers who want to specialize in building GenAI solutions using Amazon Bedrock and modern AI workflows. This will become one of the hottest certs in 2026.

SPECIALTY LEVEL

Deep knowledge. High demand. High salaries.

1. Security - Specialty
For cloud security engineers, compliance roles, and high-trust industries. Covers IAM, KMS, incident response, data protection.

2. Machine Learning - Specialty
If you want to go deep into ML, training, tuning, and deploying models at scale - this is the gold standard.

3. Advanced Networking - Specialty
For engineers handling hybrid cloud, multi-account networking, Direct Connect, VPC design, and secure routing.

Top AWS Certifications in 2026

Some AWS certifications give you huge career ROI. Others are only worth it if you’re following a very specific path. So instead of listing everything, let’s rank the top AWS certifications in 2026 based on:

• demand
• salary impact
• job relevance
• real-world usefulness
• career growth potential

And here’s the key: We’re ranking these based on actual career outcomes - not popularity.

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA)

Still the #1 AWS certification in the world. No debate.

If you want the fastest path into cloud engineering, this is your certification.

Why it matters:
It teaches you how cloud systems actually work - not just theory. You learn compute, storage, networking, databases, scaling, HA, and architecture.

Why companies love it:
You can design reliable, secure, cost-optimized systems - exactly what cloud teams need.

Who should take it:
Anyone entering cloud, DevOps, architecture, backend, SRE.

This is the certification that gets the most interviews, period.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional (SAP)

The highest-ROI certification in the entire AWS ecosystem.

If the Associate exam gets you in the door… the Professional exam puts you in charge of the building.

Why it matters:
This exam is scenario-heavy. Real architecture. Real trade-offs.
It proves you can lead cloud initiatives.

Why companies love it:
Someone with SAP can design:

• enterprise-scale architectures
• multi-account setups
• cost-efficient workloads
• secure, production-ready systems

Who should take it:
Cloud engineers, senior DevOps, cloud architects, tech leads.

If you want a high-paying cloud role in 2026 - this is your cert.

3. AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate

The certification born for the AI era.

Cloud + AI is the skill combo of the decade. Enter this certification.

Why it matters:
It covers exactly what modern ML engineers do:

• preprocessing
• model training
• model deployment
• monitoring
• AI workflows in the cloud

Why companies love it:
Every organization is building AI features - and every one of them needs people who can deploy ML in production.

Who should take it:
Anyone in ML, AI, data, or cloud wanting to upgrade their relevance.

One of the fastest-growing AWS certifications of 2026.

4. AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate

Perfect for the exploding demand in data pipelines and ETL.

Every company generates massive amounts of data. But storing it is useless unless they can process it. Enter data engineers.

Why it matters:
You learn exactly what companies need:

• Lake Formation
• Glue
• EMR
• Redshift
• Streaming (Kinesis/MSK)
• Data modeling

Why companies love it:
A good data engineer saves them millions in data inefficiency.

Who should take it:
Data engineers, analysts moving to data engineering, ML engineers.

Data is the backbone of AI. This cert places you right there.

5. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional

The certification for automation, CI/CD, and everything modern operations.

Cloud engineering ≠ clicking buttons anymore. Everything is automated.

Why it matters:
You learn:

• CI/CD pipelines
• IaC
• Observability
• Multi-account automation
• Security + governance
• Resiliency

Why companies love it:
DevOps engineers with AWS expertise are rare - and expensive.

Who should take it:
DevOps, SREs, cloud engineers with at least one associate cert.

If you want a DevOps career in 2026, this is your north star.

6. AWS Certified Security - Specialty

Security people are the last ones companies fire. And the first ones they hire.

If you want a high-trust, high-impact, high-salary role - this is your cert.

Why it matters:
It goes deep into:

• IAM patterns
• KMS
• incident response
• cloud-native defense
• secure architectures
• compliance frameworks

Why companies love it:
Cloud breaches = expensive.
Security engineers = priceless.

Who should take it:
DevOps, cloud engineers, security analysts, pentesters.

Security is the most recession-proof cloud skill.

7. AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional (Beta)

The future-facing certification of AWS.

AI won’t replace engineers. Engineers who understand AI will replace engineers who don’t.

Why it matters:
It makes you a GenAI specialist on AWS:

• Amazon Bedrock
• model evaluation
• RAG
• fine-tuning
• vector stores
• production-grade AI pipelines

Why companies love it:
Every product is adding AI features. Every product needs someone to build them - securely and scalably.

Who should take it:
Developers, ML engineers, data engineers, cloud engineers.

This certification will explode in demand in 2026.

8. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (Foundational)

AI basics + cloud basics = the new minimum skillset.

If Cloud Practitioner was the baseline for 2020…AI Practitioner is the baseline for 2026.

Why it matters:
It teaches AI fundamentals the right way - grounded in AWS services.

Why companies love it:
It validates you understand AI concepts and how they map to cloud.

Who should take it:
Beginners, cloud learners, career switchers, students, new engineers.

The easiest entry point into cloud + AI careers.

9. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (Foundational)

Still the best “first cloud certification.”

If you’re completely new to cloud - start here.

Why it matters:
It teaches:

• core cloud concepts
• security basics
• cost models
• AWS services overview

Who should take it:
Absolute beginners, non-tech roles, managers, career switchers.

The simplest starting point in the AWS world.

10. AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty

Deep ML expertise - perfect for senior AI roles.

High difficulty. High reward.

Why it matters:
It goes beyond basics into:

• training pipelines
• tuning
• SageMaker internals
• advanced algorithm concepts
• distributed training

Who should take it:
ML engineers, data scientists, AI architects.

If you want to be “the ML person” in your company - this is it.

Which AWS Certification Should You Choose? (Based on Your Career Path)

You don’t choose AWS certifications randomly. You choose based on the job you want. So instead of giving you a long roadmap with repeated content, here’s the clean, no-confusion version:

Find your role → follow the path → avoid wasting months.

Let’s break it down role by role.

1. Cloud Engineer / Cloud Practitioner Path

If your goal is to build, deploy, and manage cloud systems:

Why this path works:
Because 80% of cloud job descriptions list SAA as a minimum requirement.

2. DevOps Engineer / SRE / Platform Engineer Path

If you want to automate infrastructure and build CI/CD pipelines:

Why this path works:
Because DevOps roles require automation + architecture + operations - exactly what DOP validates.

3. Data Engineer Path

If you want to build data pipelines, ETL, streaming, or analytics systems:

Why this path works:
The Associate-level Data Engineer cert directly reflects modern data engineering workloads on AWS.

4. AI / Machine Learning Engineer Path

If you want to build, deploy, or maintain AI/ML models:

Why this path works:
AI skills alone aren’t enough - you also need cloud deployment skills.
This path covers both.

5. Cloud Security Engineer / DevSecOps Path

If you want to focus on cloud security, IAM, and compliance:

Why this path works:
Security Specialty is one of the most trusted certs for cloud security roles.

6. Solutions Architect Path

If you want to design complex, scalable, secure cloud architectures:

Optional:

• Advanced Networking Specialty (for hybrid/multi-region designs)
• Security Specialty (for compliance-driven industries)

Why this path works:
Architect roles rely heavily on SAP as the baseline qualification.

7. Non-Technical / Managers / Career Switchers

If you're moving into cloud strategy, product, project management, or transitioning from another field:

Why this path works:
You learn the cloud language without diving into engineering challenges.

Don’t Overthink It - Just Follow This Rule:

Choose the certification that aligns with the job you want, not the job you currently have.

You don’t need all the AWS certifications. You need the right one that moves you forward.

AWS Certification Cost in 2026 (Clear Breakdown)

Before you choose any certification, you should know exactly what it costs - and what you're really paying for. AWS pricing is simple… but most people still get confused because the costs vary by exam level.

Let’s break it down in the simplest possible way.

AWS Certification Exam Fees (2026)

AWS exams fall into three pricing tiers:

1. Foundational Certifications - $100 USD

• Cloud Practitioner (CCP)
• AI Practitioner (AIP)

These are the cheapest and easiest exams. Perfect for beginners or career switchers.

2. Associate Certifications - $150 USD

• Solutions Architect - Associate
• Developer - Associate
• CloudOps Engineer - Associate
• Data Engineer - Associate
• Machine Learning Engineer - Associate

This is the standard price for job-ready certifications. Most people start investing at this level.

3. Professional & Specialty Certifications - $300 USD

• Solutions Architect - Professional
• DevOps Engineer - Professional
• Generative AI Developer - Professional
• Security - Specialty
• Machine Learning - Specialty
• Advanced Networking - Specialty

Higher difficulty = higher cost. These are the certifications that directly impact salary and senior roles.

Retake Policy & Recertification Costs

Retake Fee:

AWS charges the full exam price again. There’s no discount for retakes.

Recertification:

AWS recertification is now tied to exam validity, not separate recert exams. Most certifications remain valid for 3 years. To renew, you simply take the exam again before it expires.

Optional Costs You Might Consider (Not Required)

These are not mandatory - but many learners use them:

• AWS Skill Builder Subscription: ~$29/month for official practice materials
• Practice Exams: $20-$40 depending on provider
• Hands-on Labs: Free on KodeKloud (for most AWS fundamentals)

But again - these are optional. The only mandatory cost is the exam fee.

So What’s the Real Cost to Become Job-Ready?

If you’re starting fresh and want one strong job-ready certification:

Cloud + Job-ready path:

• Cloud Practitioner ($100)
• Solutions Architect - Associate ($150)

Total: $250 USD

Cloud Engineer / Architect path:

• SAA ($150)
• SAP ($300)

Total: $450 USD

AI Path:

• AI Practitioner ($100)
• ML Engineer - Associate ($150)
• Generative AI Developer - Professional ($300)

Total: $550 USD

Security Path:

• Any Associate ($150)
• Security Specialty ($300)

Total: $450 USD

AWS Certification Salary in 2026

One of the biggest questions people ask before choosing any AWS certification is:

“How much will this actually increase my salary?”

Here’s the real answer - backed by data from Skillsoft, AWS salary surveys, and industry reports. These numbers reflect global averages (primarily US + Europe + high-tech regions), which is the fairest worldwide benchmark.

Let’s break it down clearly.

1. Foundational Certifications (Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner)

Global Average Salary:
👉 USD $100,000 - $105,000 / year
Source: Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report

2. Associate Certifications (SAA, DVA, CloudOps, Data, ML Engineer)

Global Average Salary:
👉 USD $110,000 - $140,000 / year
Source: CertEmpire AWS Salary Analysis

Additional validation:
Foundational + Associate combined average: USD $105,419 / year
Source: Skillsoft Salary Report

3. Professional-Level Certifications (Solutions Architect Pro, DevOps Pro, GenAI Pro)

Global Average Salary:
👉 USD $155,000 - $170,000 / year
Source: Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report

Example:
AWS Solutions Architect Professional consistently ranks among top-paying global certs with salaries over $160K.

4. Specialty Certifications (Security, ML, Networking)

Global Average Salary:
👉 USD $150,000 - $175,000 / year
Source: Skillsoft 2025–2026 Salary Survey

Security and ML specialties are often reported among the highest-paid AWS certifications worldwide.

What These Salary Numbers Really Mean

These are global benchmarks, not fixed values. Actual salaries vary depending on:

• Country / region
• Years of experience
• Industry
• Complementary skills (DevOps, AI/ML, security, data)
• Remote vs on-site work
• Size and maturity of the company’s cloud adoption

But here’s the simple takeaway:

AWS certifications consistently rank among the highest-paying IT certifications worldwide.

And certifications like Solutions Architect Professional, DevOps Professional, and Security Specialty appear in “top-paying certifications” lists every single year across multiple surveys.

Sources Used

Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report (2025)
https://www.skillsoft.com/blog/top-paying-aws-certifications

CertEmpire AWS Certification Salary Guide (2025)
https://certempire.com/aws-certification-salary/

Additional Industry Commentary & Data Aggregation

• https://awsforengineers.com/blog/aws-certifications-salary-and-job-market-impact/
• https://intellipaat.com/blog/aws-certification-salary/
• https://passitexams.com/salaries/aws-solutions-architect-salary/
• https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/cloud-computing/aws-salary

These provide global perspective and region-level breakdowns.

Common Mistakes People Make With AWS Certifications (And How to Avoid Them)

Most people don’t fail AWS certifications because the exams are hard. They fail because they prepare the wrong way. Here are the most common mistakes - explained simply, with the “easy fix” for each one.

Mistake 1: Taking Certifications in the Wrong Order

Many beginners jump straight into a Professional or Specialty exam because it “sounds more valuable.” This backfires.

Follow this universal rule:
Associate → Professional → Specialty (if needed)
This sequence matches how AWS expects you to learn.

Mistake 2: Memorizing - Instead of Understanding Architecture

AWS exams don’t reward memorizing definition after definition. They test your ability to decide between services.

Focus on:

• How services integrate
• How architecture decisions are made
• Why AWS picks X over Y in real-world scenarios

Hands-on practice beats memorization every time.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Hands-On Practice

You can’t pass SAA or DVA (or survive in cloud jobs) without touching real services.

Do at least:

• 10–20 labs
• 4 real projects
• 1–2 architecture diagrams
• One mini deployment using IaC (Terraform or CloudFormation)

Mistake 4: Studying Everything - Instead of Studying What Matters

AWS has over 200+ services, but certifications focus on ~25–40 core ones. Beginners waste months trying to learn them all. Unnecessary.

• Stick to the exam blueprint.
• Cut the noise.
• Learn only what the exam actually measures.

Mistake 5: Relying Only on YouTube Videos

Videos are great for explanations… but they don’t replace hands-on training or real practice tests.

• Use videos as your “explain it like I’m five” layer.
• Then do labs, MCQs, and scenario-based practice.

Mistake 6: Not Building a Portfolio

Certifications help you pass filters - but projects help you pass interviews.

Build 3-5 small but solid AWS projects.
Example ideas:

• Serverless API
• ETL pipeline
• VPC architecture
• S3 + CloudFront static site
• Simple SageMaker deployment (for ML)

These prove your skills better than a badge.

Mistake 7: Preparing Without a Deadline

Studying “when I have time” leads to never finishing.

• Set a 30-, 60-, or 90-day deadline.
• Then reverse-engineer your study hours.
• Deadlines create discipline.

Mistake 8: Thinking All Certifications = High Salary

Certifications increase your chances - but they don’t guarantee high salaries.

Pay is driven by a combination of:

• experience
• specialization
• projects
• and the job market in your region

Hence,

• Treat certifications as career accelerators, not magic tickets.
• Skill + project + certification = the winning formula.

Mistake 9: Taking Too Many Certifications Without a Career Goal

Some people get 6-7 certs and still don’t know what job they want.

Pick one specialization:

• Cloud
• DevOps
• Security
• Data
• AI/ML

Then do only the certifications that support that goal.

Mistake 10: Waiting for “Perfect Knowledge” Before Applying for Jobs

Cloud roles often value problem-solving and fundamentals. You don’t need to know everything.

Apply once you have:

• one associate cert
• one project
• confidence with core services

Take action earlier. Avoiding these mistakes will save you:

• months of wasted time
• unnecessary certifications
• and lots of frustration

The formula is simple:
Right certification → practical skills → strong projects → confidence.

That’s what makes AWS certifications worth your investment.

Before You Go… One Last Thing About AWS Certifications in 2026

If there’s one thing that becomes clear when you look at AWS certifications across the last decade, it’s this:

Cloud careers don’t grow in a straight line - they evolve.

New services appear. AI reshapes job roles. Companies shift from “migrating to cloud” to “mastering cloud.” And AWS certifications evolve right along with those demands.

Whether you're reading this as a beginner curious about cloud, a DevOps engineer leveling up, someone pivoting into AI/ML, or a security-minded professional - the certifications we explored here aren’t just badges. They’re checkpoints in a much bigger journey: becoming the kind of engineer who stays relevant no matter how fast the tech landscape moves.

And that’s really the heart of it.

AWS certifications are not about collecting logos. They’re about showing that you took the time to understand the systems that billions of people rely on every day. If this guide helped you get clarity, and you’re thinking:

“Okay, I know what I want now… but how do I actually start learning AWS the right way?”

Then you’ll love what KodeKloud has already built for you. We’ve created a step-by-step AWS Learning Path designed exactly for this new world of cloud + AI + DevOps. It’s hands-on, beginner-friendly, and structured around the same skills AWS tests for - but in a way that actually makes sense.

AWS Learning Path | Kodekloud

Explore the AWS Learning Path. Master Amazon Web Services with our expert-designed study roadmap and resources. Elevate your skills today.

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If you’re ready to take the next step, explore the AWS Learning Path inside KodeKloud - and start building the skills behind the certifications, not just the certifications themselves.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what truly moves your career forward.

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