Is the AWS Solutions Architect – Professional worth it? What 101 job postings say
101 open job postings from 72 employers name AWS Solutions Architect – Professional. 24% require it; the rest list it as a nice-to-have. It's asked for most in cloud & devops jobs, where 1% of postings name it.
24% of the 101 postings that name it require it. It signals experience: 100% of the postings that state a level are senior or above.
- Employers name it
- 7225th of 40 we track
- Require it
- 24%of postings that name it
- Level
- ProfessionalAWS: “Professional”
- Exam fee
- $300official price
- Valid for
- 3 yearsthen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 101 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- target employers that screen for it24% of the postings that name it require it
- already have years in the field100% of these postings are senior or above
Skip it (for now) if you…
- want it to land your first jobAlmost none of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
- don't meet the requirements yetRequired: none formally; AWS recommends 2+ years designing solutions on AWS
- see AWS Security – Specialty in your target postings122 employers name it, against 72 for AWS Solutions Architect – Professional
Recognition: recognised by a narrower set of employers, 25th of 40 by the number of employers that name it (72). We can't yet measure whether AWS Solutions Architect – Professional gets a particular person hired: that needs outcomes from people who earned it.
How much it counts in each kind of job
Share of each job family's postings that name AWS Solutions Architect – Professional, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
AWS Solutions Architect – Professional shows up most in Cloud Architect, DevOps Engineer and Solution Architect postings. Ranked by the number of different employers, so one big hirer can't fill the list.
| Job (level and location removed) | Employers | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Architect | 4 | 5 |
| DevOps Engineer | 4 | 5 |
| Solution Architect | 4 | 4 |
| Solutions Architect | 3 | 3 |
| Data Engineer | 3 | 3 |
Required or a plus?
How the 101 postings that name AWS Solutions Architect – Professional ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 78 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Megazone Cloud US · 5
- AGE Solutions · 4
- Crusoe · 3
- ABACUS · 2
- Accenture Federal Services · 2
- Altruist · 2
- Caylent · 2
- Cuesta Partners · 2
- Dark Wolf Solutions · 2
- Encora · 2
Where the jobs are
58% are fully remote (of 62 postings that say).
62% of the postings are in the United States: the job boards we read lean towards US tech companies, so other markets are under-represented.
What these jobs pay
Advertised US base pay in postings that name AWS Solutions Architect – Professional and publish a salary range (34 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as AWS Solutions Architect – Professional.
Share of the postings that name AWS Solutions Architect – Professional. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
AWS certification (any), Azure certification (any) and Google Cloud certification (any) are named by more employers.
| Certification | Level | Exam fee | Employers | Required | Senior or above | Junior or intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS certification (any) | – | – | 428 | 27% | 94% | 3% |
| Azure certification (any) | – | – | 280 | 30% | 93% | 3% |
| Google Cloud certification (any) | – | – | 129 | 33% | 95% | 2% |
| AWS Security – Specialty | Professional | $300 | 122 | 23% | 95% | 1% |
| Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) | Expert | $165 (US) | 84 | 36% | 99% | 1% |
| AWS Solutions Architect – Professional | Professional | $300 | 72 | 24% | 100% | 0% |
| Azure Administrator (AZ-104) | Associate | $165 (US) | 67 | 34% | 81% | 5% |
| Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Entry level | – | 54 | 42% | 69% | 19% |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | Entry level | $100 | 51 | 30% | 61% | 32% |
| Google Professional Cloud Architect | Professional | $200 | 50 | 25% | 95% | 2% |
Exam and requirements
SAP-C03. From the official AWS pages, checked 14 November 2026. Formats change: confirm before you book.
What the exam covers
Share of the exam, from the official exam outline.
What it costs
- Exam
- $300
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: AWS: SAP-C03 exam guide, AWS: Solutions Architect – Professional.
How we count
- Source. 199,799 unique open postings from company job boards on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, crawled November 2026.
- Named only. A posting counts when it names AWS Solutions Architect – Professional, not the bare word “certified”. Certifications offered as a benefit (“we pay for your exam”) don't count.
- Required or a plus. Read from the section and the sentence the mention sits in.
- Checked by hand. In 150 random matches the extractor had never seen, 148 named the right certification and 147 had the right type.
- Minimum sample. Seniority, locations and pay are shown only with at least 30 postings behind them.
- Limits. A posting is what an employer asks for, not who they hire. The boards lean towards tech companies and the US.
FAQ
Is AWS Solutions Architect – Professional worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 72 employers name it in 101 open postings, most often in cloud & devops (1% of that family's postings). 24% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will AWS Solutions Architect – Professional help me get an entry-level job?
Rarely on its own. Only 0% of the postings that name it and state a level are junior or intern roles; 100% are senior, lead or staff. Employers treat it as a mark of experience, not a way in.
How much do jobs that ask for AWS Solutions Architect – Professional pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $173K (middle half $150K–$200K, 34 postings). That's what the jobs pay, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with AWS Solutions Architect – Professional?
Most often AWS certification (any) (named in 70% of the same postings), Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) (named in 23% of the same postings) and Google Professional Cloud Architect (named in 19% of the same postings).
What is on the AWS Solutions Architect – Professional exam, and what is the pass mark?
The official outline weights architecture design and implementation built for the cloud (25%), security, compliance and governance (25%) and operational excellence and automation (20%) most. Pass mark: 720 on a scale of 100–1,000.
Does AWS Solutions Architect – Professional expire?
3 years.
How much does AWS Solutions Architect – Professional cost?
SAP-C03: $300, according to the official page as of 14 November 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.
Not sure a certification is your gap?
See all 40 certifications side by side, or check the skills employers in your target role ask for.