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Are DevOps certifications really worth it in 2025?
You might be asking this while scrolling job boards or feeling stuck in your current role. Good news: You're not alone. And yes, some DevOps certifications can truly change your career if you choose the right ones.
Let’s face it, everyone wants a better salary, career growth, and some real tech credibility. But with so many certs floating around, it’s easy to feel confused.
Some are gold. Others? Just overpriced digital stickers.
So in this guide, we’ll break down the DevOps certifications that are actually worth it in 2025 based on industry trends, demand, cost, difficulty, and most importantly, your goals.
In a perfect world, skills would be enough. But in the real world, hiring managers use certifications to filter candidates.
Think about it guys, there are hundreds of resumes per job opening. A certification acts like a trusted stamp that says, “Hey, I know my stuff.”
Here is an amazing number, according to Global Knowledge, 76% of IT professionals say certifications helped them land jobs or promotions. In 2025, that number is likely even higher due to the demand for cloud-native and automated infrastructure skills.
As quoted by Rahul Vishwakarma, DevOps plays a crucial role in improving website performance and technical aspects that are important for search engine optimization.
And yes, even if you’re a self-taught wizard, certifications help you get your foot in the door, especially for remote and freelance roles.
Don't pick a cert just because it's trending, but. 🎯
Ask yourself:
Are you coming from a developer, sysadmin, or QA background?
Do you want to be a Site Reliability Engineer, Platform Engineer, or Cloud Architect?
Are you working in AWS, Azure, or GCP?
Can you invest time and money, or do you want a free path?
Be honest. Choose the one that fits your journey, not someone else’s. So, for the students who want the best DevOps online training courses with 50% discount coupon; subscribe to Kodekloud.
Ok, so let’s dive into the real deal certs the ones that boost your salary, confidence, and job offers.
Cost: $300
Difficulty: Advanced
Best For: Engineers working with AWS and cloud infrastructure
Why it’s worth it:
AWS powers over 30% of the cloud market 💰. This certification proves you can automate, monitor, and scale AWS systems like a pro. High-paying DevOps jobs demand it.
Cost: $395
Difficulty: Intermediate
Best For: Engineers who want hands-on Kubernetes skills
Kubernetes is the heart of DevOps now. If you can deploy, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters, you're ahead of the game.
Plus, over 80% of container orchestration is now done using Kubernetes, according to CNCF. Also, you can now save over 50% open source training programs using the latest Linux Foundation coupon which applies for the certifications programs like CKA, CKAD, SkillCred and much more.
Cost: $70
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Best For: Automation engineers, SREs, IaC enthusiasts
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is no longer optional. Terraform helps you automate and scale your infrastructure across any cloud. This cert is low-cost, high-return.
Cost: $195
Difficulty: Beginner
Best For: Developers and junior engineers
Docker containers are everywhere. This certification teaches you the nuts and bolts of containerization—a core DevOps skill. Think of it as your entry ticket to cloud-native workflows.
Cost: $165
Difficulty: Intermediate
Best For: Azure engineers
If your company uses Azure, this is your best bet. It covers CI/CD pipelines, infra as code, monitoring, and agile planning. Plus, Microsoft’s cloud is growing fast in enterprise setups. 🔧
Cost: $200
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Best For: GCP users, site reliability engineers
GCP is the third-largest cloud provider. This cert teaches you SRE principles, monitoring, incident response, and how to keep systems running smoothly.
Cost: $400
Difficulty: Intermediate
Best For: Sysadmins, automation engineers
Ansible is still widely used for configuration management and hybrid-cloud deployments. This certification proves you know how to automate real-world tasks that save hours of manual work.
Cost: Free (audit) or ~$39/month (cert path)
Difficulty: Beginner
Best For: Students and career switchers
This isn’t a single cert but a full learning path. It includes Git, CI/CD, containers, Agile, and even Python—great for beginners who want a solid foundation without spending big.
Nope.
Think of certs as a gym membership—buying it won’t build your muscles. You need to:
Build real projects (GitHub is your resume)
Solve problems on KataCoda, KodeKloud, or LabEx
Write about your learning journey on LinkedIn or Medium
Join communities, forums, and open-source projects
Certs open the door. Skills keep you in.
Outdated Linux-only certs that don’t touch cloud or automation
Overhyped bootcamps with no placement or value
Vendor certifications that lock you into one tool without real-world value
Be cautious. If the cert sounds impressive but teaches fluff, skip it.
Yes! DevOps is used extensively in web development agencies like DevGraphiq to improve efficiency, automate processes, and enable faster, more reliable website deployments. DevOps combines the development and operations teams, fostering better collaboration and communication, and using tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes to automate tasks. It's only growing in 2025.
Here’s your cheat sheet:
Beginner? Start with Docker DCA or the free IBM Coursera path.
Cloud career? Go for AWS DevOps, Azure DevOps, or GCP DevOps.
Automation geek? Terraform + Ansible is your dream combo.
Kubernetes fan? Get the CKA badge and level up your game.
And remember: A certification without action is just a piece of paper. So pick one, build a project, post about it, and watch your DevOps career take off.
