7 Reasons to Get Microsoft Azure Certified in 2025

Microsoft Azure is one of the three heavy hitters in the cloud industry. (Along with AWS and Google.) As more companies move their data to the cloud, the need for people who understand how cloud technology works has increased. 

According to AAG, Azure's market share has been steadily gaining and now accounts for 33% of the entire market. Suffice it to say, earning an Azure certification isn't a bad idea.

If you already have Azure training, then you should be all set, right? Not so fast. There are plenty of reasons to get an Azure certification, even if you have experience. And if you don't have experience with Azure, then it goes without saying that a certification enhances your career prospects. 

Here are seven reasons you should be Microsoft Azure Certified in 2025.

1. Increase Your Salary

Earning a certification is one of the quickest ways to increase your salary. According to Zip Recruiter, the average salary for an expert in Azure Solutions Architecture is raking in $146,601 a year. Even the associate-level Azure certs can command an average salary of $129,253.

Azure certification pays well because Azure administration, configuration, and troubleshooting are complicated. Misconfiguring Azure can lead to revenue loss, so companies naturally give preferential treatment to Azure-certified people.

Remember, certifications benefit not only those applying for new jobs but also those negotiating raises at their current company. When promotion and merit increase time rolls around, having your Azure Fundamentals certification will prove your value to the company and work as excellent leverage to boost your salary. During this era of inflation, who doesn't want a raise?

2. Align With an Azure Architectural Commitment

Many organizations decide on an architectural path and go that route. Receiving certification in the targeted architecture shows that your personal goals align with the organization. If you earn an Azure certification while working for an organization that uses Azure, then they are far more likely to delegate responsibilities to you.

For example, let's say you decided to get Azure Developer Associate certified. This would prove to software engineering managers that you have the know-how to take on more responsibility. They would likely be coming to you for advice. Committing to an organization's path is an excellent way to show your value and increase promotion prospects.

3. Studying for Certs Creates More Structured Learning Approaches

The most difficult part about starting a journey is figuring out where to start. For those who have tried to learn a musical instrument, it can be overwhelming to decide whether to begin by learning scales, chords, music theory, or songs. It is the same concept as the cloud. Should you start by learning DevOps, Azure functions, security, or just navigating the Azure console?

Studying for Azure certifications takes care of that. Following the path laid out before you by Microsoft or another training vendor eliminates most of the trepidation that comes with learning a new skill. It will teach what you need to know — and when you need to know it.

4. Stay Up to Date on Azure Trends

If there is one constant in tech, it's that it's always changing. Earning an Azure certificate should help you stay on top of Microsoft trends and technologies.

"Publish or perish" is an oft-quoted saying among academics. It essentially means that if you are not continually performing research and publishing papers, then your value as a professor diminishes.

Learning has the same impact on software development. It isn't easy to stay in the profession if you are not constantly learning new concepts, and Azure certifications prove to employers that you are committed to learning and staying on top.

For example, artificial intelligence is one of the hottest things in tech. Organizations are in desperate need of AI-trained software developers. However, if you don't keep a pulse on the industry, you may not have been aware of that.

5. Learn More About Artificial Intelligence

AI t is an incredibly exciting and innovative technology that organizations desperately need. That is why Microsoft offers an AI pipeline, starting with the Azure AI fundamentals.

AI can create chatbots that the organization uses to communicate with customers. It is also used for things like facial analysis solutions, natural language processing (such as translation), and keyphrase extraction. This is just the tip of the iceberg. AI can do so much more than that. Best of all, it's no big secret. Anyone, including you, can learn it by earning an Azure AI Fundamentals certification.

Microsoft provides a structured learning approach to AI. So there is no reason to feel intimidated—go for it!

Want to learn more about how Azure uses AI? Check out the CBT Nuggets course Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) Online Training

6. Lower Your IT Costs

One of Azure's most significant advantages is it lowers IT costs compared to an on-premise solution. For instance, with Azure, there's no need to pay for energy, space, or cooling server racks. The need to pay for servers that are only needed at max load is also eliminated: Azure is pay-as-you-need.

However, to squeeze every nickel of savings out of Azure, a professional Azure administrator is needed. The best way to show your professional chops is with Azure certification. Numerous Azure certifications provide the best way to optimize cloud costs.

By correctly configuring Azure, you will make everyone happy, from accounting to software engineering managers. Earning an Azure certification will also make another group happy: the security and compliance team.

7. Enhance Security with Azure

Every CEO in America fears one thing: a 3:00 AM phone call that says, "We've been hacked."

It sure would be nice to do anything to mitigate that fear. The best solution is moving on-premise data to the cloud. However, it has much more to it — as outlined in the AZ-500 course.

The AZ-500 is an entry-level Azure Security Engineer Associate certification. It covers everything you need to know to manage identity and access, security platforms, and secure data and applications. However, it is important to note that all certifications emphasize security in some form or another.

Earning an Azure certificate will give you competencies in setting up cloud systems with security as a #1 priority. This is different from people who learn things "on the job." Generally, those who learn solely by doing focus on getting things to work. This sort of thinking can lead to catastrophic security vulnerabilities.

Azure certifications train you to act securely, of course. Your security knowledge will make you an invaluable asset and open horizontal and vertical career paths.

Final Thoughts

We reviewed seven reasons why you need to get Azure certified. There are personal reasons, such as salary and a sense of accomplishment. There are also organizational reasons, such as security and cost benefits. Then, there is the most exciting reason: artificial intelligence.

Earning an Azure certification will skyrocket your career development. You learn the skills to leverage innovative, affordable solutions that meet just about any organization's needs.

Ready to get started? Explore all the Azure training offered by CBT Nuggets. Not a subscriber? Claim your free week.