Salesforce$186k median pay
11 postings
View jobs ↗ at Salesforce matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
Salesforce Certified Platform Developer (Plat-Dev-201)
Validates knowledge of building Salesforce applications with Apex, Flow and Lightning Web Components, and testing and deploying them.
Summary
Salesforce Platform Developer is for people who build custom logic and interfaces on Salesforce. It tests Apex, SOQL, Lightning Web Components and Flow, and whether you can test and deploy that code.
Good fit if
- You write Apex, SOQL or Lightning Web Components, or want to
- You're moving from admin work into Salesforce development
- Developer postings you want list Platform Developer
Look elsewhere if
- You configure orgs without code: Platform Administrator
- You build applications outside Salesforce: AWS Developer Associate
- You want to build AI agents across platforms: GitHub Agentic AI Developer
Salary & jobs
332 US job postings ask for Salesforce Certified Platform Developer, with Salesforce Developer as the most common job title. The median pay is $139k a year; most fall between $120k and $174k.
Top-paying job titles
Most common job titles
| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer Salesforce | $160k | 12 |
| Salesforce Engineer | $135k | 13 |
| Salesforce Developer | $128k | 89 |
| Salesforce Solutions Developer | $125k | 5 |
| Salesforce Administrator | $119k | 7 |
Top-paying employers
Salesforce
Western Governors University$134k median pay
6 postings
View jobs ↗ at Western Governors University matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
Bright Vision Technologies$125k median pay
32 postings
View jobs ↗ at Bright Vision Technologies matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
ICF$110k median pay
8 postings
View jobs ↗ at ICF matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer| Job title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Developer | $128k | 89 |
| Salesforce Engineer | $135k | 13 |
| Software Engineer Salesforce | $160k | 12 |
| Salesforce Administrator | $119k | 7 |
| Salesforce Crm Developer | - | 6 |
| Salesforce Platform Developer | - | 5 |
| Salesforce Solutions Developer | $125k | 5 |
| Salesforce Technical Consultant | - | 5 |
| Mid Level Salesforce Developer | - | 4 |
| Salesforce Application Developer | - | 4 |
| Aws Developer | - | 3 |
| Certinia Implementation Consultant | - | 3 |
| Engineer Bizapps | - | 3 |
| Salesforce Solutions Architect | - | 3 |
| Salesforce Technical Developer | - | 3 |
Top employers
Bright Vision Technologies32 postings
$125k median pay
Most common title: Salesforce Developer
View jobs ↗ at Bright Vision Technologies matching Salesforce Certified Platform DeveloperSalesforce11 postings
$186k median pay
Most common title: Forward Deployed Engineer Public Sector Nonprofit Education
View jobs ↗ at Salesforce matching Salesforce Certified Platform DeveloperICF8 postings
$110k median pay
Most common title: Salesforce Developer
View jobs ↗ at ICF matching Salesforce Certified Platform DeveloperWestern Governors University6 postings
$134k median pay
Most common title: Software Engineer Salesforce
View jobs ↗ at Western Governors University matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
AAA Club Alliance5 postings
Most common title: Salesforce Developer
View jobs ↗ at AAA Club Alliance matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
NeuraFlash, Part of Accenture5 postings
Most common title: Aws Developer
View jobs ↗ at NeuraFlash, Part of Accenture matching Salesforce Certified Platform Developer
Steampunk5 postings
Most common title: Salesforce Application Developer
View jobs ↗ at Steampunk matching Salesforce Certified Platform DeveloperNeuraFlash4 postings
Most common title: Salesforce Consultant Revenue Cloud
View jobs ↗ at NeuraFlash matching Salesforce Certified Platform DeveloperPrerequisites
Cost
What holders say
Helps open a first developer role
People describe Platform Developer as the main credential for moving into Salesforce development. One career changer reached later interview rounds with it but was not hired without platform experience.
Experience matters more later
Developers with several years on the platform say interviewers ask about problems they solved rather than certifications. Others say certifications still help in pay discussions.
Builds on admin knowledge
Commenters advise newcomers to learn the admin material first, because the exam leans on objects, security and automation. Admins who have never written Apex find it a large step.
Renewal
Platform Developer stays active as long as you complete one Trailhead maintenance module each year.
- Validity
- Annual maintenance
- Renewal requirement
- Platform Developer maintenance module on Trailhead
- Renewal fee
- Free
Salesforce publishes the maintenance module for each release cycle with a deadline. If you miss the deadline, the certification expires and you need Salesforce's reinstatement or retake route to get it back.
Maintain your Salesforce certification ↗Alternatives
Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator$200 required · Intermediate
The declarative Salesforce credential for configuring and running an org.
AWS Certified Developer – Associate$150 required · Intermediate
For cloud application development outside the Salesforce ecosystem.
GitHub Certified: Agentic AI Developer$165 required · Intermediate
For developers focused on building AI agents rather than CRM application logic.
FAQ
How much does the Salesforce Platform Developer exam cost?
$200 plus local tax. A retake costs $100.
Is Platform Developer the same as Platform Developer I?
Yes. Salesforce renamed Platform Developer I to Salesforce Certified Platform Developer in July 2025. The exam code is Plat-Dev-201.
What is the Platform Developer passing score?
68%. The exam has 60 scored questions plus up to five unscored questions in 105 minutes.
Do I need the Administrator certification first?
No. Anyone can book the exam. The questions expect you to know when declarative tools such as Flow are a better choice than code, so admin knowledge helps.
How do I maintain the Salesforce Platform Developer certification?
Complete the free Platform Developer maintenance module on Trailhead once a year by its deadline. If you miss it, the certification expires.
Last updated October 2026