comparison

AWS Cloud Practitioner vs Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

AWS Cloud Practitioner is the AWS-first entry point; Azure Fundamentals is the Microsoft-first entry point. The better choice depends on target employers, existing Microsoft exposure, and next certification path.

Choose between these for my background

Next source review 2026-09-10.

Certification details change. Always confirm final pricing, availability, and credential terms on the official provider page linked in the sources below before you pay for anything.

Decision comparison

Side-by-side comparison

Side-by-side certification tradeoff grid with fit-dependent caveats.

Cited detail

EvidenceAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerMicrosoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Exam codeCLF-C02AZ-900
Credential levelFoundationalBeginner
Published exam price$100 (exam fee as of 2026-06-13)We have not recorded this
Official certification sourceBLS occupation contextO*NET role evidenceRoleMath scoring evidence

Choose by fit

Choose AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner when
  • You want AWS-first cloud literacy.
  • Your target employers mention AWS frequently.
  • You plan to continue into AWS Solutions Architect, CloudOps, developer, or security tracks.
Choose Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals when
  • You already work around Microsoft 365, Windows, Entra, or Azure environments.
  • Your target employers mention Azure frequently.
  • You plan to continue into Azure administrator, security, data, or AI credentials.
Not claimed here
  • Exam pass rates
  • Job placement rates
  • Any job guarantee
  • A salary figure attributed to this certification
  • A salary prediction for you personally
  • Return on investment or a payback period

Related Roles

These are role mappings for career-planning context. Salary and outlook data must stay tied to BLS occupations, not to certification outcomes.

The Relationship column compares a credential's published exam objectives with the work the occupation involves, and names which credential it is describing. A role RoleMath maps to only one of the two credentials shows that one; where both map to it, both are named, and Both means they read the same way for that role. Covers the core means the objectives reach that occupation's main work, Covers groundwork that they reach what it builds on rather than the work itself, and Partial overlap that they meet it only in places; a qualifier such as after a foundation records where RoleMath reads the objectives as assuming earlier study or experience, and Overlap not classified marks a pairing we hold but have not placed on this scale. This is RoleMath's reading of published objectives, not a measurement of hiring: we have not surveyed employers, and nothing here measures how much a credential is asked for or what it does for an application.

Every wage below is the occupation's national annual median wage - the midpoint of that occupation's wage distribution - as published by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025. It is not the OEWS mean, not an average, and not a starting wage. The outlook column is the BLS Employment Projections change for the same occupation over 2024-2034. Both describe the occupation, not an outcome of holding the credential.

RoleRelationshipSOCAnnual median wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025)BLS outlook (2024-2034)
Cloud Support AssociateAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - Partial overlap; Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - Covers groundwork15-1232$61,860 annual median-3.7%
Cloud EngineerBoth - Covers groundwork15-1299$116,580 annual median8.2%
DevOps EngineerAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - Partial overlap15-1252$135,980 annual median15.8%
Junior Systems AdministratorMicrosoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - Partial overlap15-1244$99,130 annual median-4.2%
Sales EngineerAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - Partial overlap41-4011 - Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products (proxy occupation)$104,920 annual median1.9%
Cloud ArchitectAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - Covers groundwork15-1241$134,050 annual median11.9%

Core source records

This table lists the page’s core content records and when they were checked. Claim-specific citations appear beside the relevant text and may not be repeated here.

Show all 36 sources
IDSupportsSourceChecked
CIT-01Public official credential page for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam guide2026-06-12T17:53:02+00:00
CIT-02Supports official facts for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.CLF-C02 exam guide PDF2026-06-30T23:37:20+00:00
CIT-03Supports official facts for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.CLF-C02 exam guide2026-06-30T23:37:20+00:00
CIT-04Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-05Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-06Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Support Associate.Cloud Support Associate O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-07Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Engineer.Cloud Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-08Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Engineer.Cloud Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-09Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Engineer.Cloud Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-10Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-11Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-12Supports occupation-level labor context for Technical Support Engineer.Technical Support Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-13Supports occupation-level labor context for DevOps Engineer.DevOps Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-14Supports occupation-level labor context for DevOps Engineer.DevOps Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-15Supports occupation-level labor context for DevOps Engineer.DevOps Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-16Supports occupation-level labor context for Full-Stack Developer.Full-Stack Developer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-17Supports occupation-level labor context for Full-Stack Developer.Full-Stack Developer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-18Supports occupation-level labor context for Full-Stack Developer.Full-Stack Developer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-19Supports occupation-level labor context for Sales Engineer.Sales Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-20Supports occupation-level labor context for Sales Engineer.Sales Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-21Supports occupation-level labor context for Sales Engineer.Sales Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-22Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Architect.Cloud Architect BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-23Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Architect.Cloud Architect BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-24Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Architect.Cloud Architect O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-25Supports occupation-level labor context for Solutions Architect.Solutions Architect BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-26Supports occupation-level labor context for Solutions Architect.Solutions Architect BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-27Supports occupation-level labor context for Solutions Architect.Solutions Architect O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-28Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Operations Engineer.Cloud Operations Engineer BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-29Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Operations Engineer.Cloud Operations Engineer BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-30Supports occupation-level labor context for Cloud Operations Engineer.Cloud Operations Engineer O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-31Public official credential page for Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals.Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals2026-07-01T00:22:53+00:00
CIT-32Supports official facts for Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals.Exam AZ-900 study guide2026-07-01T00:22:53+00:00
CIT-33Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator BLS OEWS wage source2026-06-25T08:28:38+00:00
CIT-34Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator BLS Employment Projections source2026-06-25T08:27:06+00:00
CIT-35Supports occupation-level labor context for Junior Systems Administrator.Junior Systems Administrator O*NET source2026-07-14T04:32:12+00:00
CIT-36The exam fee shown for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and the date beside it, were both read from this published price source on 2026-06-13.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam fee - published price source, read 2026-06-132026-06-13

Ready to turn this decision into a plan?

Get a personalized recommendation between these options