AWS Certification Path for Beginners: Where to Start

The short answer

Start with AWS Cloud Practitioner — the foundational certification designed for beginners, covering cloud concepts broadly before you specialise.

The typical path

• AWS Cloud Practitioner — foundational concepts, no hands-on labs required
• Solutions Architect – Associate — the most in-demand associate-level certification, requiring hands-on EC2, S3 and VPC knowledge
• Specialty certifications later — for niches such as security, networking or machine learning on AWS

What cloud roles pay (Bangalore, 2026)

Based on current market data from Glassdoor and Indeed, fresher cloud and AWS roles in Bangalore typically range from ₹3–8 LPA, with candidates holding Associate-level certification plus real project work landing offers around ₹4–7 LPA. Cloud Practitioner alone carries limited salary weight without accompanying hands-on experience.

Don't skip hands-on practice

Certifications alone don't get you hired — actually deploying something, even a simple static site on S3 or an EC2-hosted application, makes a real difference in interviews.