Bristol Myers Squibb2 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer Clinical Operations
View jobs ↗ at Bristol Myers Squibb matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Validates foundational knowledge of ingesting, transforming, orchestrating, deploying, monitoring and governing data pipelines on the Databricks platform.
Summary
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate is the entry-level exam for building data pipelines on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. It covers ingestion, transformation with PySpark and SQL, jobs, deployment, troubleshooting and Unity Catalog governance, showing employers you can do core data engineering work on Databricks.
Good fit if
- You use Databricks for ETL and want to show core skills
- You know SQL or Python and want a first data certification
- Your employer runs on Databricks or lists this certification
Look elsewhere if
- Your stack is Snowflake: SnowPro Core
- You build on native AWS services: AWS Data Engineer Associate
- You work in Microsoft Fabric: Fabric Data Engineer Associate
Salary & jobs
15 US job postings ask for Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate, with Data Engineer as the most common job title. The median pay is $162k a year; most fall between $131k and $178k.
Top-paying job titles
Most common job titles
| Job title |
|---|
| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Data Engineer | - | 3 |
| Architect Azure Dbx | - | 1 |
| Consultant Data Engineer | - | 1 |
| Data Engineer 3 Virtual | - | 1 |
| Data Engineer Clinical Operations | - | 1 |
| Data Engineer Engineering Operations | - | 1 |
| Databricks Data Engineer | - | 1 |
| Databricks Engineer | - | 1 |
| Dataops Engineer | - | 1 |
| Director Data Architecture Governance | - | 1 |
| Director Enterprise Data Analytics AI Automation | - | 1 |
| Manager Data Engineer Clinical Operations | - | 1 |
| Software Engineer Engineering Operations | - | 1 |
Top employers
Bristol Myers Squibb
NBCUniversal2 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer Engineering Operations
View jobs ↗ at NBCUniversal matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Allied Consultants, Inc.1 postings
Most common title: Databricks Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Allied Consultants, Inc. matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Analytica1 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Analytica matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
BizFirst1 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer
View jobs ↗ at BizFirst matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Comcast1 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer 3 Virtual
View jobs ↗ at Comcast matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Excella 1 postings
Most common title: Consultant Data Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Excella matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Fusemachines1 postings
Most common title: Data Engineer
View jobs ↗ at Fusemachines matching Databricks Certified Data Engineer AssociatePrerequisites
Cost
What holders say
A way in without on-the-job Databricks experience
People with no Databricks job experience report passing after a couple of months of Academy content and practice tests, and describe it as a reasonable first proof point for Databricks-focused roles.
Worth it when an employer pays or a posting asks
The most upvoted view in a data engineering thread is that it is worth doing if your employer covers it or a job lists it, and a useful upskilling signal otherwise.
More often a tie-breaker than a requirement
A poster who analyzed about 11,000 job listings found few data engineer postings mention any certification. Commenters see certifications like this as a tie-breaker between similar candidates.
Renewal
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate is valid for two years.
- Validity
- 2 years
- Renewal requirement
- Pass the current exam again
- Renewal fee
- $200 USD
There is no continuing education option. To recertify, you take the full exam version that is live at the time.
Databricks Data Engineer Associate exam guide ↗Alternatives
SnowPro Core$175 required · Entry
For teams whose main platform is Snowflake.
AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate$150 required · Intermediate
For pipelines built on native AWS services.
DP-700$165 required · Intermediate
For pipelines built in Microsoft Fabric.
PDE$200 required · Advanced
For teams on Google Cloud's data stack.
FAQ
What are the prerequisites for Databricks Data Engineer Associate?
None. Databricks highly recommends its training and about six months of hands-on platform experience.
How much does the exam cost?
$200 plus local taxes, for the first attempt and every retake.
What is the passing score?
Databricks does not publish a passing score.
Is there an official practice exam?
No. Databricks does not offer practice exams. The exam guide includes a few retired sample questions.
How do I renew it?
Pass the current version of the exam again within two years.
Last updated October 2026