Azure Administrator (AZ-104): salary and what the cert actually opens up
What AZ-104 holders make in 2026 and why it's the most-cited Azure cert in job postings — but pairs better with AZ-305 or AZ-500 for senior comp.
6 min read
CertLabProPractical guides to cloud, AI, security, Kubernetes, and Terraform certifications — written by engineers who have taken the exams.
What AZ-104 holders make in 2026 and why it's the most-cited Azure cert in job postings — but pairs better with AZ-305 or AZ-500 for senior comp.
AWS dominates tech-hub job postings, Azure dominates enterprise. The cert you should take depends mostly on where you want to work, not which platform is technically better.
The Certified Kubernetes Administrator is a hands-on exam that genuinely tests if you can operate a cluster. Worth it if you'll work with Kubernetes; not worth much if you won't.
Both are hands-on, two-hour, $445 exams. CKA tests cluster operation; CKAD tests application development against the cluster. Pick the one matching your day job.
The Kubestronaut bundle covers all 5 CNCF associate-and-pro exams. Here's the realistic order, the time investment, and whether the badge is worth chasing.
CKS is harder than CKA, narrower in scope, and requires an active CKA to register. Here's how to study for it without burning out.
Both are 60-question multiple-choice CNCF associates. KCNA covers cloud-native fundamentals; KCSA covers cloud-native security. Here's how to choose.
AZ-204 is Microsoft's developer-track cert. If you ship code on Azure, here's what it tests and how to study without burning out.
AZ-305 is Microsoft's expert-tier architecture cert. It's harder than AZ-104, scenario-heavy, and worth the effort if you're going senior — here's how to pass.
AZ-500 is Microsoft's role-based security cert. Here's when it pays off, when SC-200 is the better choice, and what employers actually test you on.