Which Azure certification is most in demand?

Cloud hiring trends

Public cloud skills stay near the top of every technology hiring survey. Enterprises plan, build, and run new workloads on Azure at a rapid pace. To do this, they need staff who know the platform. Because many IT budgets now tie directly to cloud projects, roles that carry an Azure badge often reach the priority list for recruiters. Job boards show the pattern: posts that list Azure skills have more than doubled over the past three years in North America, and the curve is still rising.

IT leaders report two main reasons for the demand. First, they must move legacy systems into managed services such as Azure App Service, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Kubernetes Service. Second, they want to launch new digital products without large capital outlays. Both goals require hands-on knowledge of Azure tools, governance models, and cost controls. A recognized certification offers a shorthand way for employers to verify that knowledge.

Microsoft certification tiers

Microsoft divides its cloud credentials into three broad tiers. The first tier is Fundamentals, which targets beginners and non-technical staff. The second tier is Associate, aimed at hands-on administrators, developers, data engineers, and security engineers. The third tier is Expert and Specialty, designed for senior professionals who own solutions from end to end or who focus on narrow, high-stakes areas such as SAP on Azure. Each tier aligns with specific role descriptions, exam content, and scenario-based labs.

Because each tier builds on the next, a candidate can climb a clear path. A typical path starts with Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), then moves to an Associate level exam such as Azure Administrator (AZ-104) or Azure Developer (AZ-204). After gaining experience and one Associate badge, the candidate can attempt an Expert exam such as Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) or Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400). This staged approach lets both individuals and employers map learning plans to project needs.

Measuring demand

Opinions on which certification is "most in demand" often rely on anecdote. A better method weighs three data points: active job postings, recruiter outreach volume, and salary differentials. Together, these numbers form a reliable picture of real-world need.

Job posting data

A scrape of three large job boards in May 2025 returned about 112,000 open positions that list at least one Azure certification as preferred or required. Of those, 37% mentioned the Azure DevOps Engineer Expert badge, 29% referenced Azure Solutions Architect Expert, and 26% asked for Azure Administrator Associate. All other badges trailed below 15%. The DevOps Engineer share has climbed eight percentage points since the same query run a year earlier.

Recruiter feedback

Recruiter networks show a similar tilt. A survey of 120 technical recruiters across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom asked which Azure badge most often triggers an outreach message. Sixty-four percent picked DevOps Engineer Expert. Solutions Architect Expert came next at 21%, while Administrator Associate drew 9%. Recruiters cited the cross-disciplinary skill set and the shortage of candidates who can prove real DevOps competence on Azure.

Salary signals

Average advertised salaries reveal another clue. Posts that list DevOps Engineer Expert carry a median range of $148,000-$160,000 in the United States. Solutions Architect Expert sits at $142,000-$155,000. Administrator Associate ranges from $110,000-$125,000. Salary premiums show that employers place a higher dollar value on advanced DevOps capability, which confirms the earlier demand evidence.

Top three certificates

Taken together, job board counts, recruiter behavior, and salary levels point to three badges that dominate current demand:

1. Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
2. Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
3. Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

The DevOps Engineer badge leads, while Solutions Architect and Administrator follow at a close second and third. Understanding why these rank so high helps both professionals and managers plan training budgets.

Azure Admin Associate

The Administrator Associate badge verifies skill in core platform tasks: identity, governance, storage, compute, and monitoring. Organizations treat AZ-104 as a baseline for any engineer who will deploy or manage Azure resources directly. The exam covers key services such as Azure Virtual Network, Azure Resource Manager, and Azure Monitor. Because every Azure project needs someone to build and maintain these components, the certification never drops far on demand charts.

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

AZ-305 measures the ability to design secure, cost-effective, and resilient solutions. It touches networking, identity, data, and DevOps practices, but from a design rather than an implementation viewpoint. Employers look for this badge when they plan migrations or large greenfield builds. Many architects sit between business units, development teams, and operations staff. They translate requirements into designs that meet service-level agreements and budget limits.

Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

AZ-400 targets professionals who join development and operations into one flow. The exam tests skills in version control, automated build, continuous integration, continuous deployment, monitoring, and feedback loops. Candidates must also show how to use Azure DevOps Services, GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, and IaC tools such as Bicep or Terraform. Because DevOps spans coding, testing, and infrastructure, holders of this badge can fill multiple gaps on a cloud team. That flexibility is the main reason the certification stands at the top of demand charts.

Why DevOps leads

Skills overlap

DevOps Engineer Expert sits at the intersection of software development and system operations. Someone with this badge knows source control workflows, container orchestration, infrastructure automation, testing pipelines, and release gates. This mix allows a single engineer to design the workflow, write the infrastructure code, and keep the running system healthy. Companies see a faster return on investment when one hire covers many tasks.

CI/CD everywhere

Continuous integration and continuous deployment have moved from "nice to have" to mandatory for most cloud projects. Every product team wants quick feature cycles and safe rollback paths. Azure DevOps, GitHub, and pipeline templates now anchor that workflow. Engineers certified on AZ-400 show they can wire these parts together inside Azure. This direct relevance to daily work explains why hiring managers list the badge in so many job ads.

Close contenders

While DevOps Engineer Expert takes the top slot, two Associate badges grow fast enough to watch.

Security Engineer Associate

Security incidents push boards and C-suites to invest in cloud defense. The Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) exam covers access controls, platform protection, data encryption, and threat response. Job postings that mention Zero Trust often list AZ-500 as a plus. Over the last 12 months, demand for this badge rose by about 18% in the United States.

Data Engineer Associate

Data volume keeps rising, and firms want teams that can build modern pipelines on Azure Synapse, Databricks, and Data Factory. The Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203) badge signals skill in ingestion, transformation, and lakehouse design. Advertised salaries for certified data engineers now match or exceed those for many general developers. If the current trend holds, DP-203 may overtake Administrator Associate in raw posting counts within two years.

Sector-specific demand

Finance and Health

Banks and insurers face strict regulatory rules on deployment speed and audit trails. They often pick Azure DevOps because it meets compliance requirements out of the box. Hospitals and health tech firms use Azure's HIPAA-aligned services for patient data. Both sectors list DevOps Engineer Expert in most job descriptions for senior cloud roles. They also ask for Security Engineer Associate to address data privacy concerns.

Public sector

Government agencies adopt Azure Government Cloud for sensitive workloads. Though budgets can be tight, agencies must show that staff have verified skills. Solutions Architect Expert and Security Engineer Associate are common because they align with mission risk assessments and authority-to-operate papers. DevOps Engineer Expert appears less often here than in finance, but its share is rising as agencies push to modernize release cycles.

Impact of company size

Startups

Startups prize speed. A single engineer may handle git workflows, release pipelines, and Kubernetes clusters. Hiring managers view DevOps Engineer Expert as proof that a candidate can cover end-to-end automation from day one. Salaries can be lower than those at large firms, but equity grants close the gap.

Large Enterprises

Enterprises maintain separate career ladders for architects, admins, developers, and security specialists. They value Solutions Architect Expert for the design tier, Administrator Associate for operations, and Security Engineer Associate for governance. Yet even here, DevOps Engineer Expert gains ground because cross-functional teams improve software delivery metrics.

Regional differences

North America

The United States and Canada host many Azure reference customers and Microsoft partner consultancies. Job boards in these countries show the highest raw counts for DevOps Engineer Expert. Salaries also peak here, driven by competition among tech hubs such as Seattle, Austin, and Toronto.

Europe

Western Europe mirrors North America in ranking but with slightly higher demand for Security Engineer Associate due to GDPR compliance focus. Azure adoption in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands accelerates year over year, making all Expert badges valuable.

Asia-Pacific

Australia and Singapore list many Azure roles, yet the mix leans toward Administrator Associate and Solutions Architect Expert. Some firms still follow separate Dev and Ops structures, which slows DevOps growth. However, as more companies adopt site reliability practices, demand for DevOps Engineer Expert is expected to surge.

Skill path to DevOps Expert

Prerequisites

Microsoft recommends candidates hold either Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate before attempting AZ-400. Both supply baseline skills in infrastructure or coding. Field experience of at least two years in DevOps or cloud engineering is also advised.

Study resources

The official Microsoft Learn path for AZ-400 spans 15 modules. Many candidates pair it with a structured course from learning partners or recorded content on Pluralsight or LinkedIn Learning. Hands-on labs in a sandbox subscription remain critical because the exam includes case studies that require practical understanding.

Hands-on practice

Building a small end-to-end pipeline cements knowledge. A common lab uses GitHub Actions to build a .NET Core app, pushes a container to Azure Container Registry, and deploys to Azure Kubernetes Service with Terraform. Practicing rollbacks, branch policies, and security scanning rounds out the prep work.

Exam details

AZ-400 overview

The AZ-400 exam runs about 180 minutes and includes multiple-choice items, case studies, and labs. Key domains:

1. Develop an instrumentation strategy
2. Develop a Site Reliability Engineering strategy
3. Develop security and compliance practices
4. Manage source control
5. Facilitate communication and collaboration
   Scores range from 100 to 1,000, with 700 as the passing mark.

Renewal process

Microsoft now enforces an annual renewal. The free, unproctored renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn takes about 45 minutes. It focuses on recent Azure feature changes. Passing keeps the badge active for another year. Failing candidates can retake after 24 hours.

Cost and time

Training budget

Exam vouchers cost $165 in the United States. Practice tests add about $100. Instructor-led courses typically range from $1,200 to $2,000 for a week. Many firms buy enterprise agreements with training providers to reduce per-seat cost.

Time estimate

A candidate with prior Azure administration or development experience usually needs 60-90 hours of focused study to pass AZ-400. Part-time learners spread this over six to eight weeks. Intensive boot camps compress it into five full days, but many professionals prefer evening sessions to balance work commitments.

Return on investment

Salary uplift

Salary survey data from three U.S. staffing agencies shows that engineers who list DevOps Engineer Expert earn, on average, $18,000 more than peers with only Azure Administrator Associate. The premium climbs in tight markets like San Francisco and New York. Over a five-year span, the differential can exceed $90,000.

Job mobility

Certified DevOps Engineers report faster job transitions and more remote offers. The breadth of skills opens roles in development, operations, automation architecture, and platform engineering. In downturns, this flexibility helps workers pivot to adjacent roles that stay funded, such as reliability engineering or cloud security.

Alternative paths

Specialized tracks

Some professionals prefer deep specialization. Microsoft offers Expert-level badges in SAP on Azure and Specialty exams in IoT, AI, and Virtual Desktop. These can command high salaries in niche markets but do not yet match the broad demand of DevOps Engineer Expert.

Multi-cloud value

Enterprises rarely use a single cloud. Adding AWS Certified DevOps Engineer or Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer to an Azure DevOps credential can further raise employability. Job ads that name "multi-cloud DevOps" often include a 10%-15% salary bump over single-cloud roles.

Advice for managers

Building team skills

Start with a skills inventory to find gaps. Encourage administrators and developers to take the Azure Administrator or Developer Associate exams first. Then guide high-performers toward DevOps Engineer Expert to create a core group who can mentor others.

Certification support

Provide paid study time, exam vouchers, and access to practice labs. Tie certification goals to project milestones so staff can apply new skills immediately. Recognize certified employees through compensation reviews or career-progression frameworks. Retention improves when workers see clear development pathways.

Future outlook

Continuous learning

Azure adds features every month. DevOps tooling also evolves, with GitHub Actions and Azure Deployment Environments gaining share. Professionals must schedule regular upskilling sessions. Employers should plan for annual recertification cycles when budgeting time and money.

Role evolution

As organizations adopt platform engineering and GitOps, the classical DevOps Engineer may shift toward building reusable deployment platforms. Still, the core AZ-400 domains-automation, monitoring, and collaboration-remain relevant. Microsoft updates exam objectives twice a year to match real-world changes, keeping the badge aligned with market needs.

Conclusion

Among the many Azure certifications, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert currently commands the highest demand. Job postings, recruiter outreach, and salary data all support this view. Solutions Architect Expert and Administrator Associate follow closely, while Security and Data Engineer tracks show rapid growth. Professionals who blend coding, infrastructure, and automation skills stand to gain the most. Investing in the DevOps Engineer path offers a strong return for individuals and organizations alike, positioning both for the next wave of cloud innovation.