Is the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) worth it? What 134 job postings say
134 open job postings from 84 employers name Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305). 36% 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.
36% of the 134 postings that name it require it. It signals experience: 99% of the postings that state a level are senior or above.
- Employers name it
- 8423rd of 40 we track
- Require it
- 36%of postings that name it
- Level
- ExpertMicrosoft: “Expert”
- Exam fee
- $165 (US)official price
- Valid for
- 1 yearthen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 134 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- target employers that screen for it36% of the postings that name it require it
- already have years in the field99% of these postings are senior or above
Skip it (for now) if you…
- want it to land your first jobOnly 1% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
- don't meet the requirements yetRequired: the Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) certification
Recognition: recognised by a narrower set of employers, 23rd of 40 by the number of employers that name it (84). We can't yet measure whether Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) 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 Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), and how many of those require it.
Job titles
Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) 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 | 3 | 4 |
| DevOps Engineer | 3 | 4 |
| Solution Architect | 3 | 3 |
| Cloud Engineer | 3 | 3 |
Required or a plus?
How the 134 postings that name Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 88 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- 3Cloud · 9
- Camunda · 8
- Brillio · 6
- Accenture Federal Services · 4
- AGE Solutions · 4
- AHEAD · 4
- Accordion · 3
- ABACUS · 2
- Agile Defense · 2
- AnaVation · 2
Where the jobs are
59% are fully remote (of 81 postings that say).
64% 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 Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) and publish a salary range (52 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).
Share of the postings that name Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305). 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
From the official Microsoft 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
- Typically $165 in the US (priced by country)
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: Microsoft Learn: AZ-305 study guide, Microsoft Learn: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft exam FAQ (pricing).
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 Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), 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 Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 84 employers name it in 134 open postings, most often in cloud & devops (1% of that family's postings). 36% require it. For those jobs it can decide whether your application gets past the first screen.
Will Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) help me get an entry-level job?
Rarely on its own. Only 1% of the postings that name it and state a level are junior or intern roles; 99% are senior, lead or staff. Employers treat it as a mark of experience, not a way in.
How much do jobs that ask for Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $167K (middle half $150K–$198K, 52 postings). That's what the jobs pay, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)?
Most often Azure certification (any) (named in 84% of the same postings), AWS certification (any) (named in 31% of the same postings) and Azure Administrator (AZ-104) (named in 26% of the same postings).
What is on the Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) exam, and what is the pass mark?
The official outline weights design infrastructure solutions (30–35%), design identity, governance and monitoring solutions (25–30%) and design data storage solutions (20–25%) most. Pass mark: 700 or higher.
Does Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) expire?
1 year; renewed free with an online assessment.
How much does Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) cost?
Typically $165 in the US (priced by country), 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.