AWS · Professional Certification · Associate
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Crydd Score 92
Demand High
Career Value High
Recognition High
AWS SAA at a glance
- Provider
- AWS
- Credential type
- Professional Certification
- Exam required
- Yes
- Category
- Cloud
- Level
- Associate
- Cost
- $150
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Time to earn
- 2–3 months
- Validity
- 3 years
- Format
- 65 questions, 130 minutes, multiple choice / multiple response
- Prerequisites
- None required; AWS recommends about a year of hands-on experience
What is AWS SAA?
AWS's flagship associate-level certification validates that you can design resilient, cost-optimized architectures on Amazon Web Services — the largest cloud platform by market share. It covers compute, storage, networking, and security services and how to combine them into real systems.
Skills it covers
- Cloud architecture
- AWS core services
- Networking
- Security fundamentals
Is AWS SAA worth it? The Crydd Verdict
CS 92Choose it if
You want a cloud career and need one certification that hiring managers everywhere recognize. It's the most commonly requested cloud credential in job listings and pairs naturally with hands-on projects.
Consider alternatives if
You have zero cloud exposure — start with AWS Cloud Practitioner for the foundations — or your target employers are Azure-centric, where AZ-104 carries more weight.
Why we say so
Top-tier market demand and industry recognition at a moderate cost and study investment give it one of the strongest value profiles in the catalog.
Market demand
Cloud architecture roles consistently list AWS SAA among the most requested certifications, and AWS's market-share lead keeps demand broad across industries and regions.
Where AWS SAA takes you
- Cloud Engineer
- Solutions Architect
- DevOps Engineer
Career roadmaps show where this certification fits in each path. See the roadmaps.
Related certifications
Curated connections from the catalog — each labelled with how it relates to AWS SAA, so you know why it’s here.
Careers AWS SAA leads to
The professional paths this certification genuinely serves — browse every relevant credential for each.
A sensible order
Where AWS SAA sits on the path — build up, then step on.
