11 Google Cloud Certifications and What They Pay

People with professional certifications earn higher salaries on average than their counterparts without, but some certifications have more value. Architects and engineers with Google Cloud certifications earn some of the highest salaries in the tech industry.

This year, Skillsoft's annual IT Skills and Salary survey collected thousands of responses from professionals worldwide to understand how certifications can impact one's career.

Google Cloud certifications help earn professionals exceedingly high salaries, evidenced by this year's top-paying IT certifications list in the United States. Near the very top sits Google Cloud's Professional Cloud Architect, which has appeared on this list for the past five years.

But why? Why are certifications like these topping the list of highest-paying certifications?

In understanding why Google Cloud certifications earn professionals such high salaries, it’s also important to know what they are.

Google Cloud offers its customers a range of solutions to help solve any number of business challenges. It has solutions for developing apps, modernizing infrastructure, operationalizing AI models, analyzing data and far more. According to Skillsoft’s research, Google Cloud is among the most popular vendors IT leaders invest in.

Google Cloud also offers role-based certifications that validate a professional’s ability to work with the platform.

If businesses want to take advantage of Google Cloud’s products, they must employ skilled professionals who know the platform inside and out. These certifications signal to employers that a professional has the skills required to administer the platform and architect solutions using Google Cloud products.

That’s partially why Google Cloud certifications help professionals earn generous salaries. The platform is a popular choice for businesses, which has also driven up demand for professionals who are skilled and certified. All the while, there’s often a talent shortage — meaning demand outweighs the supply of professionals who can help businesses achieve their goals.

Furthermore, there’s a sustained skill gap in tech, as seen in our survey. The highest percentage of tech leaders (33%) say their team's cloud skills are medium on a scale of low to high. Only 19% say their team's skills are high; on the opposite end, the same percentage say they're somewhat low (13%) or low (6%). Tech leaders feel similarly about data science, cybersecurity, and machine learning.

For these reasons, Google Cloud certifications help professionals earn high salaries and enjoy job security.

The Different Types of Google Cloud Certifications

Google Cloud organizes its certifications this way: Foundational, Associate and Professional.

Google Cloud’s Foundational certification (Cloud Digital Leader) validates broad knowledge of the platform and its use cases.

Associate-level certifications validate the technical skills of professionals working as a cloud engineer, data practitioner or Google Workspace administrator.

Likewise, the professional-level certifications affirm the technical skills of professionals working in roles focused on cloud architecture, data engineering, machine learning and more. These certifications require more professional experience and promise more challenge.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Certified?

The total cost of getting certified will vary depending on training, resources and time spent preparing for exam day. For individuals, on-demand courses may cost a modest amount (under $200), whereas live instruction can run several thousand. It’s worth checking with your employer to determine whether training is already available to you or could be expensed.

The cost of training and resources aside, the cost of sitting the Google Cloud exams is straight-forward.

• Foundational certifications cost $99
• Associate certifications cost $125
• Professional certifications cost $200

In the past, Google Cloud has offered discounts for some certifications if they’re running a beta exam.

Earning a certification takes commitment. It takes time and dedication. It costs money. Is it worth all the trouble. Are Google Cloud certifications really worth it?

The short answer is: Yes.

There are several reasons why getting Google Cloud certified can benefit your career, including:

Industry Recognition

Broadly, cloud computing is a major area of investment for IT decision-makers in the year ahead, with Google Cloud recognized as a top vendor. Pursuing a Google Cloud certification recognizes a professional’s ability to administer, manage, secure, and otherwise work with one of the leading cloud providers on the market today.

More Job Prospects

Google Cloud certifications help you stand out in a competitive job market and makes you more attractive to potential employers. It also demonstrates a commitment to your profession and a willingness to learn and keep up with new technologies.

Out-Compete the Market

Google Cloud-certified professionals are in demand, earning higher salaries than their non-certified counterparts. According to our annual IT Skills and Salary survey, Google Cloud certifications are among the highest-paying certifications in the IT industry.

Personal-Professional Growth

The process of preparing for a Google Cloud certification helps deepen your knowledge of these technologies and enables you to learn new skills. Learners can choose which method is best for them: self-paced courses, live classes taught by an instructor, hands-on practice and exam preparation, and more.

To help you pass the certification exam, various resources are available from Google Cloud and learning providers like Skillsoft, Global Knowledge, and Codecademy.

Numerous factors may affect a professional’s compensation and job prospects, including the certifications they have. However, many other factors are at play too, like whether they’ve managed a team before, their skills, and work history. The list goes on.

While certifications are an excellent investment in one’s abilities, it helps to understand that a single certification isn’t always responsible for a professional’s earning potential or their ability to land a job.

Bearing this in mind, consider what the average Google Cloud certification holder reported in the IT Skills and Salary survey:

Whether you’re just starting your career or moving up in the ranks, Google Cloud offers a breadth of certifications that help professionals progress their skills.

Google Cloud offers three levels of certifications: foundational, associate and professional. Foundational certifications are best suited to those just starting in their careers or familiarizing themselves with the Google Cloud platform. Associate and professional-level certifications are for those who are striving to advance their technical prowess.

Depending on your current skill level, it’s important to recognize that associate and professional-level certifications will offer more rigor and test candidates on their ability to identify challenges and solutions and apply their knowledge in creative ways.

Read about each of Google Cloud’s certifications below to get a sense of which may be best for you at this stage of your career.

The Cloud Digital Leader certification is a foundational-level credential that validates a professional's knowledge of Google Cloud, its services, and its capabilities in supporting an organization's cloud initiatives. It also benefits those in a business-facing role who work collaboratively with technical professionals or those who work with multiple cloud providers and must understand the services of each.

To earn this certification, professionals must familiarize themselves with the exam domains:

• Digital transformation with Google Cloud (~17% of exam)
• Data transformation with Google Cloud (~16%)
• Innovating with Google Cloud artificial intelligence (~16%)
• Modernizing infrastructure and applications with Google Cloud (~17%)
• Trust and security with Google Cloud (~17%)
• Scaling with Google Cloud operations (~17%)

The exam costs $99 and gives professionals 90 minutes to complete the 50 to 60 questions. There are no prerequisites for this exam. A new exam guide will take effect in March 2024.

The associate-level Google Cloud Engineer certification is for those with at least six months of experience working with the Google Cloud platform to plan, configure, and manage cloud environments, including access and security. Part of their responsibility is establishing the platform and optimizing its performance over time.

To earn this certification, candidates must pass the exam, which features these domains:

• Setting up a cloud solution environment (~20% of exam)
• Planning and configuring a cloud solution (~17.5%)
• Deploying and implementing a cloud solution (~25%)
• Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution (~20%)
• Configuring access and security (~17.5%)

The exam costs $125, lasts up to two hours, and includes up to 60 questions. Again, candidates should have six months of hands-on experience working with Google Cloud technologies before sitting the exam.

The Professional Google Workspace Administrator is for systems administrators, cloud solutions engineers, or systems engineers responsible for their organization's Workspace. These professionals configure the organization's Workspace to support varying use cases and comply with policies and security standards.

To earn this certification, candidates must pass the exam, which features these domains:

• Managing user accounts, domains, and Directory (~22%)
• Managing core Workspace services (~20%)
• Managing data governance and compliance (~14%)
• Managing security policies and access controls (~20%)
• Managing endpoints (~10%)
• Troubleshooting common issues (~14%)

The exam costs $200, includes up to 60 questions, and lasts up to two hours. Google recommends having at least three years, with one administering Google Workspace, before sitting the exam.

The Professional Cloud Architect certification offered by Google Cloud is for IT professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in designing, developing, and managing robust and scalable cloud solutions. This year, it’s the second highest paying IT certification overall in the U.S.

To earn the certification, candidates must pass the exam, which tests their ability to design and plan an enterprise cloud architecture, manage and provision cloud solutions, and ensure security and compliance. These are the domains:

• Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture (~24%)
• Managing and provisioning a solution infrastructure (~15%)
• Designing for security and compliance (~18%)
• Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes (~18%)
• Managing implementation (~11%)
• Ensuring solution and operations reliability (~14%)

For this exam, candidates will run into two case studies. These force candidates to apply their knowledge to realistic scenarios. Case study-related questions account for up to 30% of the exam.

This exam costs $200 and features up to 60 questions. Candidates should have three years of professional experience before taking the test, with at least one working with Google Cloud.

The Professional Cloud Database Engineer certification is for more senior IT professionals focusing on creating and managing databases. Google recommends that these professionals have at least five years of professional experience, with at least two working with the platform.

Candidates' experience must include creating, managing, and troubleshooting databases that applications use to store and retrieve data. In pursuing this certification, candidates must know how to design scalable, highly available database solutions. The exam domains:

• Design scalable and highly available cloud database solutions (~42%)
• Manage a solution that can span multiple database solutions (~34%)
• Migrate data solutions (~14%)
• Deploy scalable and highly available databases in Google Cloud (~10%)

The exam costs $200, spanning 50 to 60 questions, and lasts up to two hours. Again, this exam requires more experience than other professional-level certifications Google offers. Candidates should have at least five years of experience before sitting the test.

The Professional Cloud Developer certification proves a professional's ability to design, build, and manage robust, scalable applications with Google Cloud. Candidates who pursue this certification are familiar with at least one programming language, developer tools, managed services, and Google's best practices.

To earn this certification, candidates must pass the exam, which features these domains:

• Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native
• applications (~33%)
• Building and testing applications (~26%)
• Deploying applications (~19%)
• Integrating applications with Google Cloud services (~22%)

The exam costs $200, spans two hours and presents 50 to 60 questions. Google recommends candidates have at least three years of professional experience, including at least one working with Google Cloud.

The Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification validates an individual's expertise in continuous delivery and automation, service monitoring, site reliability engineering (SRE), and more.

To earn this certification, candidates must pass the exam covering these domains: 

• Bootstrapping and maintaining a Google Cloud organization (~15%)
• Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines for applications and infrastructure (~27%)
• Applying site reliability engineering practices to applications (~23%)
• Implementing observability practices (~20%)
• Optimizing performance and troubleshooting (~15%)

Google recommends having at least three years of professional experience, with at least one working in the platform. The two-hour exam costs $200, features up to 60 multiple-choice questions, and candidates may take it online or at a testing center.

The Professional Cloud Network Engineer certification tests candidates’ ability to design, implement, and manage secure, scalable, and highly available network solutions on Google Cloud. It's best suited for network engineers, cloud architects, and those responsible for implementing and managing networks.

To earn this certification, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in several key areas:

• Designing and planning a Google Cloud network (~26%)
• Implementing Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks (~22%)
• Configuring managed network services (~21%)
• Implementing hybrid network interconnectivity (~18%)
• Managing, monitoring, and troubleshooting network operations (~13%)

Candidates have two hours to complete the 50 to 60 questions on the exam, which costs $200. Google recommends three years of professional experience in this domain before sitting the exam, with at least one working with its platform.

The Professional Cloud Security Engineer certification validates an individual's expertise in designing and implementing secure infrastructure on Google Cloud. It's best suited to security engineers with at least three years of professional experience, with at least one year working in Google Cloud.

Those engineers who plan to sit this exam must be proficient in the following domains:

• Configuring access (~25%)
• Securing communications and establishing boundary protection (~22%)
• Ensuring data protection (~23%)
• Managing operations (~19%)
• Supporting compliance requirements (~11%)

Candidates earn this certification after passing the two-hour exam of 50 to 60 multiple-choice questions. It can be taken online or at a testing center, costing $200.

The Professional Data Engineer certification is for professionals who work with Google Cloud technologies to design, build, and manage data processing systems and workloads.

To earn this certification, candidates must demonstrate their proficiency in the following domains:

• Designing data processing systems (~22%)
• Ingesting and processing the data (~25%)
• Storing the data (~20%)
• Preparing and using data for analysis (~15%)
• Maintaining and automating data workloads (~18%)

The exam consists of 50 to 60 multiple-choice questions. It costs $200. Candidates should have at least three years of experience before sitting the exam, including one working in Google Cloud.

The Professional Machine Learning Engineer certification suits those who build, maintain, and optimize ML models with Google Cloud technologies and supplementary tools. Candidates who plan to pursue this certification must feel comfortable with large datasets, writing reusable code, and promoting fair and ethical AI practices at all stages of development.

To earn this certification, candidates should be proficient in Python and Cloud SQL to answer some exam questions correctly. What's more, those after this certification must study the following:

• Architecting low-code AI solutions (13%)
• Collaborating within and across teams to manage data and models (~14%)
• Scaling prototypes into ML models (~18%)
• Serving and scaling models (~20%)
• Automating and orchestrating ML pipelines (~22%)
• Monitoring AI solutions (~13%)

This exam costs $200, covers up to 60 questions, and lasts two hours. Professionals should have at least three years of experience before sitting the exam — at least one working with Google Cloud.

This top-paying Google Cloud certifications list is based on survey responses from Skillsoft's 2024 IT Skills and Salary survey conducted from May to September 2024. The survey asks respondents about their current jobs and experience, certifications and salaries, and more. Respondents encounter multiple choice and multi-select, open-ended, and other types of questions while taking the survey.

Technology providers, certification bodies, and Skillsoft distribute the survey to IT professionals worldwide. Google Cloud is a sponsor and supporter of the survey.

This list focuses on 669 respondents who reported having one or more Google Cloud certifications. When reporting salary figures, Skillsoft looks for at least 50 survey responses before considering relevance, demand, and other factors.