Top Cloud Certs

Top 10 Cloud Certifications for 2026

Demand for skilled Cloud professionals is on the rise in the age of AI. Let's check out the top 10 Cloud certifications for 2026.

Bob Armstrong & Nicai de Guzman
22 June, 2026

Whether you want to specialise in Cloud Security, Cloud Architecture, or gain platform-specific expertise in Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, or Google Cloud Platform, employers increasingly require certification to validate your cloud computing skills.

According to the 2026 Grand View Research, the global cloud computing market was valued at USD 943.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 1,188.1 billion in 2026 to USD 3,349.6 billion by 2033. This makes it the prime time to upskill and get certified in Cloud Computing.

But, with so many certifications available, how can you be sure to pick the right one?

At Firebrand, we’re a top-20 global IT training company with over 12 years of market leadership and five wins as Microsoft Learning Partner of the Year. This position gives us unique visibility into hiring trends and certification demand. We’ve used that insight to compile the top Cloud certifications of 2025, featuring industry-leading programmes from AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, CompTIA, and ISC2 (in no particular order). All of them are industry leaders, proving the resilience of their programmes:

1. ISC2 Cloud Security Professional® (CCSP®)

CCSP® has been on our Top 10 list for several years in a row.

With Cloud and Cyber Security being perhaps the two hottest sectors within the IT industry, the demand for Cloud Security experts is on the rise. That is why certification from ISC2, one of the leading experts in Cybersecurity, will definitely put you on the better side of the market!

The ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional® (CCSP®) course offers a chance to develop your skills in designing, managing, and securing data. The industry’s highest authority on the topic will teach you everything you need to know about cloud security—design, architecture, as well as service and operations organisation.

Co-created by ISC2 and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), this certificate will open any door you need.

The most significant advantages of CCSP®:

  • Validity — The certificate holds tremendous weight in the cloud computing industry.
  • Up-To-Date — Going through the course will not only further your current knowledge but also educate you on cutting-edge technologies.
  • Adaptability — The certificate isn’t bound to any specific platform. Instead, it equips you to deal with global cloud environment security issues.
  • Marketable — With a CCSP, the world is your oyster (in terms of jobs). You can apply for multiple positions with impressive earning prospects. 

Prerequisites: Five years of full-time work in IT, ideally three years of which are in cybersecurity and at least one year of cloud computing.

Salary expectations: CCSP® can land you a job as a Cloud Security Specialist with an average annual salary of around £62,500. 

Certification training days with Firebrand: 6 days

2. CompTIA Cloud+

An ideal choice for those looking for vendor-neutral certifications, CompTIA Cloud+ is a market favourite. It packs a lot of content, and it’s certainly not an introductory course, but it doesn’t require as many years of experience as CCSP®.

Prerequisites: This course is ideal for professionals with one or two years of experience in positions such as Cloud Developers, System Administrators, and Network Engineers. Its vendor-neutral nature makes it applicable to any tech stack, industry, or region you may be working in.

Salary expectations: As a Cloud Technician, you can expect average earnings of £55,000 and more than £65,000 with experience. Given that you only need 2-3 years of Cloud experience to attempt this certification, achieving it early can boost your earning potential across time.

Certification training days with Firebrand: Flexible, across 5 comprehensive modules
 

3. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

After retiring the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification, Microsoft introduced three role-based ones and Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) was one of them. All three have been featured on our list for years, showing that the software giant packs quite a punch in the cloud world as well.

This Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate course teaches managing both subscriptions and resources, as well as storage and virtual machines. Furthermore, it also includes handling identities and configuring virtual networks.

Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites to attend the AZ-104 course or achieve the certification, although Microsoft do recommend having at least six months of practical experience in Azure administration. If you're new to Azure, consider attempting the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification first in order to develop a solid foundation of cloud concepts.

Expected salary: With these skills, you’ll be able to compete for coveted positions of Azure Cloud Administrators with median salaries of £57,500.

Certification training days with Firebrand: 3 days 

4. Microsoft Certified: 365 Administrator Expert (MS-102)

Another well-known Microsoft certification is the Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert (MS-102), which replaced MS-100 and MS-101 several years ago.

Prerequisites: This highly specialised course is designed for those who have completed at least one of Microsoft's Administrator certification paths, be it Endpoint Administrator (MD-102), Messaging Administrator Associate (Exchange Server) (MS-203), Teams Administrator Associate (MS-700), or Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300).

The exam is rigorous; it focuses on technical tasks such as deploying and managing a Microsoft 365 tenant, implementing Microsoft Entra identity and access, securing your work by using Microsoft 365 Defender, and managing compliance through Microsoft Purview. The exam focuses on scenario-based questions, so, in order to pass, you need to practice.

Expected salary: This is a highly specialised course that teaches the skills necessary for a high-level Microsoft Administrator, enabling you to qualify for lucrative jobs upwards of £60,000 (and even more in consulting).

Training days with Firebrand: Varied, depending on the learning path. At Firebrand, all onsite courses come with 24/7 lab access and are taught by professionals with decades of experience in the field.
 

5. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-104 & AZ-305)

The final Microsoft certification on this list—and certainly one that's worth the effort—is the Azure Solutions Architect Expert, which gives you the tools you need to create, design, and implement efficient infrastructure solutions.

Prerequisites: To attain the necessary skills for this important job, you need to study for and achieve two comprehensive Microsoft exams—the AZ-104, covered at number 3 on this list, and the AZ-305. Depending on your commitments and career path, you may choose to study for the exams separately or together.

Whatever your preference, it's recommended that you take AZ-104 first, as this course helps you develop a strong foundation in Microsoft Azure services, including compute, storage, networking, and security. AZ-305 then builds on this foundation by teaching you to design your own Azure solutions, covering the key areas of infrastructure, identity, governance, and security. 

The AZ-305 exam is heavily scenario-based, which is to be expected from an Expert-level certification. You need to achieve more than 70% to pass.

Expected salary: This position is handsomely rewarded, with starting salaries of around £56,000 rising to almost £100,000 with experience.

Training days with Firebrand: At Firebrand, you can take AZ-104 and AZ-305 separately (3 days each), or together, as a six-day intensive course with both exams included.

6. AWS Solutions Architect — Associate (SAA-C03)

In 2026, Cloud market share continues to be dominated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) with close to 31% according to recent data. (If you're wondering, Microsoft Azure comes in second with 22% and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) third with 12%—although rapid AI adoption could change this balance; it's an interesting year for Cloud!)

Our most sought-after AWS certification at the moment is the AWS Associate Solutions Architect (SAA-C03). It requires some experience in the field and is a powerful stepping stone to the professional level.

Prerequisites: Since this certification leads to a moderately challenging exam, in order to pass it, you need to demonstrate a deep understanding of AWS services and how they can be used to solve real-world problems. You need to show that you have hands-on experience with AWS; being familiar with the exam format helps, as you won't have too much time to devote to each question.

Expected salary: When you achieve this exam, you're looking at a median salary of £63,000, which increases with experience.

Training days with Firebrand: 4 days
 

7. AWS Solutions Architect — Professional (SAP-C02)

The next step after achieving SAA-C03 is the AWS Professional Solutions Architect certification. The Professional level is complex; you'll need a few more years of experience with AWS Cloud Architecture to attempt it. You will learn to design, deploy, and migrate AWS applications, solutions, and strategies, which will allow you to develop optimal AWS solutions for your employer and increase your value on the job market. As a Senior Solutions Architect, you can expect to earn upwards of £90,000 per year in the UK.

Prerequisites: To attempt this certification, you will need to be certified as an AWS Solutions Architect Associate or prove an equivalent level of knowledge. You should also be familiar with AWS CLI, AWS APIs, the AWS Management Console, AWS Direct Connect, the AWS Well-Architected Framework, a scripting language, and other specialised areas.

Expected salary: As a Senior Solutions Architect, you can expect to earn upwards of £90,000 per year in the UK.

Training days with Firebrand: At Firebrand, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional course takes only 3 days, including the exam; you can also take the Associate and Professional courses together and achieve both exams in just 7 days if that's what you prefer.

8. AWS Certified Developer — Associate (DVA-C02)

If you're an intermediate-level Software Developer interested in the Cloud, the AWS Associate Developer certification can help you hone your skills and set you apart from the competition.

Prerequisites: To take this course, you need to have working knowledge of Java, C#, .Net, or Python, and be familiar with AWS. The course takes you through developing with AWS Services, deployment, security, refactoring, APIs, troubleshooting, AWS best practices, and other important areas.

The exam is challenging. The current exam, DVA-C02, covers 57 AWS services, including EC2, Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SQS, and SNS, compared to just 33 in the previous version of the exam, DVA-C01. Many of the questions are scenario-based and, as with all AWS exams, you also need to keep careful track of time, as you'll have to make your way through the questions quite quickly.

Expected salary: Achieving this exam certifies you as an Associate-level AWS Developer and opens doors to various roles such as Cloud Developer, DevOps Engineer, and even some Solution Architect positions, especially those focused on application development. In any case, you can achieve an average salary above £60,000.

Training days with Firebrand: 3 days
 

9. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02)

The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02) is a valuable certification that can prove your expertise across 3 important areas—DevOps, which continues to be in high demand in 2026, Cloud, and AWS specifically.

In 2026, we're seeing a significant number of companies integrate Cloud with DevOps practices, which drives demand for DevOps Engineers.

Prerequisites: This certification is ideal if you're already in a DevOps Engineer role and have at least two years of experience in provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments. You should also have experience developing code in at least one high-level language, experience in automation and testing, and an understanding of Agile and other methodologies.

The DOP-C02 exam is challenging, as you'll need to prove your expertise in key areas such as Configuration Management, Infrastructure as Code, SDLC Automation, Incident and Event Response, and Disaster Recovery. Achieving this exam attests that you are a world-class DevOps Engineer ready for any challenge.

Expected salary: As AWS continues to dominate the global Cloud market, this certification can lead to lucrative careers across varied industries and regions with salaries of £60,000 to £100,000 per year.

Training days with Firebrand: 3 days

10. Google Cloud Certified — Associate Cloud Engineer

We end our list with Google’s Associate Cloud Engineer — the ideal pick for beginners who are looking to get into Cloud Computing.

So many companies are turning to the Cloud; they need skilled, certified professionals to help them make that move as seamlessly and cost-effectively as possible.

Prerequisites: Before attending an accelerated course for this certification, you should have experience working with both public clouds and on-premises solutions. You should also be able to use the Google Cloud Console and have the ability to use the command-line interface to perform platform-based tasks for maintaining one or more deployed solutions that use either Google-managed or self-managed services on Google Cloud.

Expected salary: Getting the title of Google Associate Cloud Engineer will put you on the map of enterprises on the lookout for Google-savvy professionals and attract a salary between £40,000 and £80,000, depending on experience. Becoming an expert in the Google Cloud Console pays quite handsomely in 2026!

Training days with Firebrand: 4 days 

How do you get certified in Cloud?

Breaking into the industry is no easy task, even in the context of the current digital and cybersecurity skills gap. However, achieving any of the certifications above will significantly accelerate your career, which happens to be what we specialise in.

For the past 15 years in a row, we’ve been named one of the Top 20 IT Training Companies in the World. 

We offer the latest Cloud courses from the world's top vendors, delivered in our trademark Lecture | Lab | Review method that helps you retain information faster and ace your exams.

Could one of our courses be right for you or your team?

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