Cyera$250k median pay
5 postings
View jobs ↗ at Cyera matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
Validates knowledge of administering Azure identities, governance, storage, compute and networking, and monitoring cloud infrastructure.
Summary
AZ-104 is the hands-on Azure certification for people who run cloud infrastructure day to day. It covers identities and governance, storage, virtual machines, containers and App Service, networking, monitoring and backup, so it shows you can operate Azure rather than only describe it.
Good fit if
- You manage, or will soon manage, Azure resources at work
- You have a background in servers, networking or virtualization
- You want the Azure base certification before AZ-305
Look elsewhere if
- You are new to cloud entirely: AZ-900
- You design solutions rather than operate them: AZ-305
- Your employer runs on AWS: AWS Solutions Architect Associate
Salary & jobs
430 US job postings ask for Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, with Cloud Engineer as the most common job title. The median pay is $130k a year; most fall between $104k and $160k.
Top-paying job titles
Most common job titles
| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Security Engineer | $155k | 6 |
| DevOps Engineer | $155k | 5 |
| Cloud Engineer | $149k | 32 |
| Systems Engineer | $137k | 13 |
| Systems Administrator | $103k | 16 |
Top-paying employers
Cyera
Leidos$151k median pay
6 postings
View jobs ↗ at Leidos matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
Northrop Grumman$149k median pay
10 postings
View jobs ↗ at Northrop Grumman matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
Peraton$135k median pay
14 postings
View jobs ↗ at Peraton matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
appliedis$128k median pay
5 postings
View jobs ↗ at appliedis matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Engineer | $149k | 32 |
| Systems Administrator | $103k | 16 |
| Systems Engineer | $137k | 13 |
| Azure Cloud Engineer | - | 9 |
| Infrastructure Engineer | - | 7 |
| Cloud Security Engineer | $155k | 6 |
| DevOps Engineer | $155k | 5 |
| IT Systems Administrator | - | 5 |
| System Engineer | - | 4 |
| Cloud Infrastructure Architect | - | 3 |
| Cloud Infrastructure Engineer | - | 3 |
| Cloud Platform Engineer | - | 3 |
| Cloud Solutions Engineer | - | 3 |
| IT Manager | - | 3 |
| Kubernetes Cloud Infrastructure Administrator | - | 3 |
Top employers
Peraton14 postings
$135k median pay
Most common title: Cloud Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Peraton matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator AssociateNorthrop Grumman10 postings
$149k median pay
Most common title: Cloud Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Northrop Grumman matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator AssociateLeidos6 postings
$151k median pay
Most common title: Cloud Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Leidos matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator AssociateCyera5 postings
$250k median pay
Most common title: Sales Engineer Pacnw
View jobs ↗ at Cyera matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
Executech5 postings
Most common title: IT Service Engineer II
View jobs ↗ at Executech matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associateappliedis5 postings
$128k median pay
Most common title: Kubernetes Platform Engineer
View jobs ↗ at appliedis matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
ddcdine5 postings
Most common title: Data Facilities Operator
View jobs ↗ at ddcdine matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
CACI4 postings
Most common title: Cloud Engineer
View jobs ↗ at CACI matching Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator AssociatePrerequisites
Cost
What holders say
Most useful if you are moving toward cloud work
People from sysadmin, helpdesk or on-premises roles call AZ-104 a natural next step, and some providers ask for it. If your employer skips Azure, it changes little until you move.
Helps you get noticed more than it gets offers
Holders say it helps a resume pass screening and brings recruiter contact, but rarely closes a job without IT experience and hands-on practice to discuss in interviews.
Seen as a lasting foundation
In 2026 threads, people argue that AI tools raise the need for solid Azure fundamentals, because someone still has to understand identity, networking and security well enough to spot mistakes.
Certification path
Azure Administrator Associate is a prerequisite for Azure Solutions Architect Expert and one of two accepted prerequisites for DevOps Engineer Expert.
Renewal
Azure Administrator Associate is valid for one year.
- Validity
- 1 year
- Renewal requirement
- Free online assessment
- Renewal fee
- None
The assessment opens six months before expiry on Microsoft Learn. It is unproctored and open book, and you can retake it as often as you need before the expiry date. Passing extends the certification by one year.
Microsoft Certification renewal ↗Alternatives
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate$150 required · Intermediate
The equivalent step if your employer runs on AWS.
ACE$125 required · Intermediate
Hands-on associate certification for Google Cloud.
MS-102$330 required · Advanced
For admins who manage Microsoft 365 rather than Azure infrastructure.
FAQ
How much does the AZ-104 exam cost?
$165 in the US. Microsoft sets the fee by the country you test in, and you see your local price when you schedule.
What is the AZ-104 passing score?
700 on a scaled score out of 1,000. It is not the same as getting 70% of questions right.
AZ-104 vs AZ-900: which should I take?
AZ-900 is a short concepts exam for beginners. AZ-104 is hands-on and is the one employers ask for. If you already work in IT, you can skip AZ-900.
Can you use Microsoft Learn during AZ-104?
Yes. Microsoft Learn opens in a split screen during the exam, but there is no extra time, so use it to check details rather than look up every answer.
How do I renew AZ-104?
Pass the free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn in the six months before your certification expires.
Last updated October 2026