A DevOps certification will not get you hired on its own, but the right one closes a real gap on your resume and forces you to learn the parts of a platform you have been avoiding. The problem is picking one. There are cloud certs, Kubernetes certs, and tool certs, and they overlap. This guide covers what each current exam actually tests, what it costs, how long it lasts, and which one to sit first based on the job you want.
Which DevOps certifications are worth it in 2026?
The ones that map to a platform you already use or want to move into. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud each have an associate cert that proves you can run their services and a professional-level DevOps cert that proves you can build delivery pipelines on them. The Kubernetes exams (CKA, CKAD, CKS) are vendor-neutral and hands-on. HashiCorp’s Terraform Associate is small, cheap, and the fastest to earn. Docker no longer runs its own certification.
| Certification | Level | Price (USD) | Length | Format | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) | Associate | $150 | 130 min | 65 multiple choice / multiple response | 3 years |
| AWS DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02) | Professional | $300 | 180 min | 75 multiple choice / multiple response | 3 years |
| Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) | Associate | Set by region | 100 min | Proctored, mixed question types | 1 year (free renewal) |
| Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) | Expert | Set by region | Proctored | Requires AZ-104 or Azure Developer first | 1 year (free renewal) |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer | Associate | $125 | 2 hours | 50–60 multiple choice / multiple select | 3 years |
| Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer | Professional | $200 | 2 hours | 50–60 multiple choice / multiple select | Renewable |
| Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) | Vendor-neutral | $445 | 2 hours | Hands-on, command line | 2 years |
| Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) | Vendor-neutral | $445 | 2 hours | Hands-on, command line | 2 years |
| HashiCorp Terraform Associate (004) | Associate | $70.50 | 1 hour | Online proctored, multiple choice | 2 years |
Prices below are the list prices on each vendor’s certification page as of 2026. Microsoft does not publish a flat fee for AZ-104 or AZ-400 — the price is set by the country you test in, so check the figure on the scheduling page before you book.
What do the AWS DevOps certifications test?
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (exam code SAA-C03) tests whether you can design cost-aware, resilient systems on AWS: VPC layout, when to use which storage class, how autoscaling and load balancing fit together, and how to keep an architecture inside a budget. It is 65 questions in 130 minutes for $150, and it lasts 3 years. It is the standard first AWS cert even for people who will never hold an “architect” title, because the service knowledge underpins everything else.
The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (DOP-C02) is the pipeline exam. It covers CodePipeline and CodeBuild, infrastructure as code with CloudFormation, monitoring and incident response with CloudWatch, and multi-account governance. It is 75 questions in 180 minutes for $300, valid 3 years, and AWS recommends two or more years of hands-on AWS experience before sitting it. Passing a professional exam also recertifies the associate certs under it.
Verdict: take SAA-C03 first. Only move to DOP-C02 once you have actually shipped something through an AWS pipeline — it is not a reading exam. See the AWS certification catalog for the full path.
How do the Azure DevOps certifications work?
Azure splits the same territory into AZ-104 and AZ-400. AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate) is the entry point: identities and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring. The exam runs 100 minutes and is proctored through Pearson VUE. It renews every 12 months, but the renewal is a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, not a repeat of the paid exam.
AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) is the pipeline exam and it has a hard prerequisite: you must already hold AZ-104 or the Azure Developer Associate cert before AZ-400 counts. It covers source control strategy, build and release pipelines in Azure DevOps and GitHub, security and compliance gates, and instrumentation. Like AZ-104 it renews yearly for free.
Verdict: if your company runs Azure, this is the clearest ladder of any cloud — AZ-104 then AZ-400, with the yearly free renewal keeping both current. Confirm the current exam details on Microsoft Learn.
Which Google Cloud DevOps certification should you take?
Associate Cloud Engineer is the foundation: deploying and securing applications, monitoring operations, and managing access on Google Cloud. It is $125 for a 2-hour exam of 50–60 questions, valid 3 years. The renewal is a shorter, cheaper exam ($75, 1 hour, 20 questions) rather than the full sitting.
Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer is heavily SRE-flavored. It tests CI/CD for application, infrastructure, and machine learning workloads, observability and incident response, and service reliability practices — error budgets, SLOs, toil reduction. It is $200 for a 2-hour exam and Google recommends three or more years of industry experience. Note that it is only offered in English and Japanese.
Verdict: the Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer is the most SRE-focused cloud cert on the market. If your role is reliability rather than delivery, it teaches more relevant material than the AWS or Azure equivalents. Details are on the Google Cloud certification page.
Are the Kubernetes certifications (CKA, CKAD, CKS) worth it?
Yes, if you work with Kubernetes directly, because they are the only major DevOps exams that are entirely hands-on. There is no multiple choice. You get a live cluster and a set of tasks to complete from the command line in two hours.
- CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) — cluster lifecycle, workloads and scheduling, networking, storage, and troubleshooting. $445, valid 2 years, includes one free retake and two Killer.sh simulator sessions.
- CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) — same format and price, but from the app side: defining deployments, config, probes, multi-container pods, and observability. Less cluster admin, more manifest fluency.
- CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist) — the security exam, covering supply chain, runtime security, and cluster hardening. Check its prerequisites and current pricing on the Linux Foundation page before booking.
The exams track the current Kubernetes release closely — they are based on v1.35 as of 2026 and realign within weeks of each new minor version. That currency is the main reason they hold value: a CKA earned this year reflects how Kubernetes actually works now.
Verdict: CKA first for anyone running clusters, CKAD first if you only deploy to them. Pair the study with a real cluster — the complete Kubernetes guide for DevOps teams maps the same territory. The official CKA page has the current curriculum.
Is the HashiCorp Terraform Associate worth it?
For the price and time, yes. The Terraform Associate is now on version 004 (the older 003 is retired), costs $70.50, and takes one hour online. It tests core Terraform: state, providers, modules, the plan and apply workflow, and — new in 004 — HCP Terraform features. It is based on Terraform 1.12 and lasts two years. There are no free retakes.
It will not impress a hiring manager on its own, but it is a cheap forcing function to actually understand Terraform state and module structure rather than copying HCL until it works. If your team uses Terraform and you have never read the docs end to end, this is a weekend well spent. See the HashiCorp certification page.
Docker no longer administers its own certification — the old Docker Certified Associate moved to Mirantis when Docker sold its enterprise business, and its status through 2026 has been unclear. Skip it unless an employer specifically asks.
Which DevOps certification should you get first for your role?
Pick the one that matches the job you want, not the one that sounds the most advanced.
| Your role / goal | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud generalist, no cert yet | AWS SAA-C03 or Azure AZ-104 | The matching professional/expert DevOps cert |
| Site reliability engineer | Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer | CKA |
| Platform / delivery engineer | AZ-400 (after AZ-104) or AWS DOP-C02 | CKA, then Terraform Associate |
| Kubernetes-focused | CKA | CKS, then CKAD if you also build apps |
| Application developer moving into DevOps | CKAD | Terraform Associate, then a cloud associate cert |
| Limited time and budget | Terraform Associate | A cloud associate cert when you can |
One certification a year is a sustainable pace. Two if you are actively job hunting. More than that and you are collecting badges instead of building depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most last two to three years. AWS and Google Cloud certs are valid three years. Kubernetes certs (CKA, CKAD) and the Terraform Associate last two years. Microsoft role-based certs expire after one year but renew for free through an online assessment.
Professional and expert-level certs correlate with the highest salaries in vendor surveys, particularly the AWS DevOps Engineer Professional and the Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer. The cert alone does not set your pay; the experience it represents does.
No. CKA, CKAD, and CKS have no prerequisites and are vendor-neutral. You can sit CKA with no cloud cert at all, though basic Linux and container knowledge is assumed.
Not strictly, but it is the standard first step. The service and architecture knowledge it tests underpins the AWS DevOps Engineer Professional exam, and most AWS-focused DevOps engineers hold it.
They test different things. The Kubernetes exams are harder to fake because you have to produce working configuration under time pressure. The cloud exams cover more breadth but reward recognition over recall.
Quick Summary
- AWS SAA-C03 ($150, 3 years) is the default first AWS cert; DOP-C02 ($300) is the pipeline exam and needs real experience.
- Azure runs a clean ladder: AZ-104 then AZ-400, both renewing yearly for free.
- Google’s Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer ($200) is the most SRE-focused cloud cert available.
- CKA and CKAD ($445, 2 years, hands-on, Kubernetes v1.35) are the only fully practical DevOps exams.
- The Terraform Associate is now version 004, $70.50, one hour — the cheapest useful cert to earn.
Working through a Kubernetes cert this year? Start with the Kubernetes guide to build the mental model before you touch the exam simulator.