Solutions Architect: designing resilient systems
The AWS Solutions Architect Associate is the crown jewel of associate certs. It’s all about designing rock-solid systems that can take a punch and keep running.
You’ll dive deep into:
- Building fault-tolerant architectures
- Picking the right AWS services for specific use cases
- Optimizing for cost while maintaining performance
- Implementing proper security controls
What makes this cert special? It teaches you to think like an architect. You stop seeing individual services and start seeing how everything connects.
Developer: building and deploying applications
The Developer Associate zeroes in on what matters to coders working in AWS. This isn’t about theory – it’s about getting your apps built, deployed, and running smoothly.
This certification covers:
- CI/CD pipelines with CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline
- Serverless application development with Lambda and API Gateway
- Working with various AWS storage and database options
- Implementing authentication and authorization
Developers love this cert because it bridges the gap between writing code and running it at scale in the cloud.
SysOps Administrator: maintaining operational excellence
Think of SysOps as the cert for people who keep the lights on. It’s the most technical of the associate-level exams.
You’ll become proficient at:
- Monitoring and troubleshooting AWS environments
- Implementing automation for operations tasks
- Managing resource deployment and provisioning
- Implementing cost optimization strategies
The SysOps cert is perfect for those who thrive on solving problems and maintaining stability in complex environments.
Which associate cert offers the best ROI for your career goals
The ROI breakdown looks like this:
| Career Goal | Best Certification | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud architect | Solutions Architect | Directly applicable skills, highest demand |
| Developer | Developer Associate | Practical application knowledge |
| DevOps engineer | SysOps Administrator | Operational focus aligns with job requirements |
| IT generalist | Solutions Architect | Broadest knowledge base |
The Solutions Architect consistently ranks as the highest-paying AWS cert. That said, the best ROI comes from aligning the cert with your career path.
Recommended experience before attempting these exams
Don’t rush into these exams without some foundation. Here’s what you should have:
- 6+ months of hands-on AWS experience
- Basic understanding of networking concepts
- Familiarity with at least one programming language (especially for Developer)
- Experience with Linux/Windows administration
The official AWS recommendation is 1 year of experience, but many pass with focused study and hands-on practice in shorter timeframes.
No shortcut beats actually building things in AWS. Set up a free tier account and start breaking things (and fixing them) before your exam.