Apart from proving your credibility, Microsoft Certification offers three comprehensive benefits: better career prospects, increased industry exposure, and higher pay. So adding multiple relevant certifications to your portfolio can be an efficient recipe for a successful career path. 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the list of the top 10 highest paying Microsoft certifications.

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics 

●     Average Salary: $130,000

●     Level: Expert

●     Skills Validated: Administering SQL Server environment, implementing Business Intelligence solutions, creating multi-scale databases for cloud-based & on-premise platforms.

●     Exams Required: 70-464; 70-465; 70-466.

●     Retires On: January 31, 2021.

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

●     Average salary: $125,000. 

●     Level: Beginner

●     Skills Validated: Cloud concepts & core Azure services.

●     Exams Required: AZ-900

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate 

●     Average salary: $125,000. 

●     Level: Beginner

●     Skills Validated: Implement, manage, and monitor Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure environment.

●     Exams Required: AZ-104

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Core Infrastructure

●     Average salary: $116,000.

●     Level: Expert.

●     Skills Validated: Manage modern server networks and data centres, identities, systems, virtualization, storage, and networking.

●     Exams Required: 70-744; 70-745; 70-413.

●     Retires On: January 31, 2021.

• Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD): App Builder 

●     Average Salary: $108,000.

●     Level: Expert.

●     Skills Validated: Design & develop custom solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, and platform.

●     Exams Required: 70-357; 70-486; 70-487.

●     Retires on: January 31, 2021.

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): SQL Server 2012/2014

●     Average Salary: $107,862.

●     Level: Beginner.

●     Skills Validated: Develop & maintain SQL Servers.

●     Exams Required: 70-461; 70-462; 70-463.

●     Retires On: January 31, 2021.

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2008 

●     Average Salary: $104,937.

●     Level: Beginner.

●     Skills Validated: Install, configure, administer, and manage Windows Server 2008.

●     Retired On: July 31, 2017.

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2016

●     Average Salary: $103,615

●     Level: Beginner

●     Skills Validated: Windows Server 2016 skills

●     Exams Required: 70-740; 70-741; 70-742.

●     Retires On: January 31, 2021

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2012 

●     Average Salary: $101,268

●     Level: Beginner

●     Skills Validated: Windows Server 2012 skills

●     Required Exams: 70-41070-41170-412

●     Retires On: January 31, 2021

Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows 8 

●     Average Salary: $96,905

●     Level: Beginner

●     Skills Validated: Install, maintain, and support Windows 8 deployments

●     Required Exams: 70-687; 70-688

As you might have noticed, some of the top 10 certifications have been retired or in the process of retirement. It is because Microsoft has moved away from MCSA, MCSE, MCSD title certifications to role-based Microsoft certification. Professionals who hold expired certificates are allowed to reference them for two years at the most after the deadline.

Over the past few years, three specialist certification domains – cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity – have increasingly grown in demand. The reason for this is simple: 

● Cloud computing offers efficient data storage and computing power. 

● Big Data has made it crucial for organizations to hire professionals who can leverage SQL, implement Business Intelligence solutions and create multi-scale databases for cloud-based platforms.  

● Cybersecurity is necessary to defend servers, computers, networks and data from malicious attacks.

Microsoft has been trying to catch up to Amazon in the cloud solutions domain for several years. Not only this, AWS certifications have performed better than Azure certifications because AWS is the go-to choice when it comes to cloud platforms.  

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But recently, Microsoft improved its cloud strategy & other Microsoft certification courses by launching new implementations and exams for Azure. They also moved Microsoft Office to the cloud which, for legacy users, must be a welcome update. As for preparing for your certification exams, you can choose either of these two approaches:

1. DIY: You can prepare for your Microsoft online courses by using Microsoft Learn. It’s a free & interactive training platform that can give you a hands-on experience of widely used Microsoft products and services.

2. IT Training Experts: You can enrol in programs that experts such as Koenig Solutions offer forMicrosoft certification training.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Microsoft certified professionals gain access to better career opportunities and higher salaries as compared to non-certified professionals. The exam fee for each certification ($165) can seem meager when compared to the prospective salaries that you can earn after getting Microsoft certified.