Cloud Security
Certifications for cloud security professionals, cloud architects, and cloud security engineers. These focus on securing cloud infrastructure, applications, and data.
Cloud Security at a glance
This category covers 5 cybersecurity certifications, with top reported salaries reaching $240,000. Each certification below maps to a specific role and skill profile — pick the one whose target audience and career paths match where you are or where you want to be.
The certifications
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CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional) ISC2 · Advanced
- Cost$749 exam fee
- Study time6-12 months study time
- Salary$160,000 - $210,000
- DemandVery High - cloud security
- Validity3 years
Cloud security architects, cloud security engineers
Career paths: Cloud Security Architect · Cloud Security Engineer · CISO
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AWS Certified Security - Specialty AWS · Advanced
- Cost$300 exam fee
- Study time4-8 weeks study time
- Salary$190,000 - $240,000
- DemandVery High - AWS security
- Validity3 years
AWS security professionals, cloud security engineers
Career paths: AWS Security Engineer · Cloud Security Architect · Solutions Architect
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AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer) Microsoft · Intermediate
- Cost$165 exam fee
- Study time4-6 weeks study time
- Salary$130,000 - $180,000
- DemandHigh - Azure security
- Validity1 year
Azure security engineers, cloud security professionals
Career paths: Azure Security Engineer · Cloud Security Engineer · Solutions Architect
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Google Cloud Security Engineer Google · Intermediate
- Cost$200 exam fee
- Study time4-6 weeks study time
- Salary$125,000 - $175,000
- DemandGrowing - GCP adoption
- Validity3 years
Google Cloud security engineers
Career paths: GCP Security Engineer · Cloud Security Engineer · Solutions Architect
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CCSK (CSA Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge) Cloud Security Alliance · Entry-Level
- Cost$395 exam fee
- Study time2-4 weeks study time
- Salary$100,000 - $140,000
- DemandGrowing - cloud adoption
- Validity3 years
Cloud security professionals, IT professionals
Career paths: Cloud Security Analyst · Cloud Security Engineer · Architect
How to choose
Start with the cert whose target audience matches your current role and the level matches your experience. Among those, the practical filter is usually cost and study time — pick what you can realistically commit to over the next 6 months. The career paths section tells you which roles each cert opens up; the salary range is a rough industry signal but varies heavily by region and employer.