Is the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Worth It?
Strengths
- Strong earning potential with an average salary of $145,000
Considerations
- Moderate exam investment at $300
- Challenging exam (8/10 difficulty) — requires significant preparation
- Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners
Bottom line: At $300 exam cost with an average salary of $145,000, the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty offers a strong return on investment for networking professionals. Not sure if this is the right choice? See how it stacks up in our AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty vs Cisco CCNA (200-301) comparison.
Who Should Get the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty?
This certification is a good fit if you are:
- Senior networking professionals aiming for architect or lead roles
- Experienced practitioners seeking top-tier industry recognition
- Anyone targeting roles that list AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty as preferred or required
This certification is a key step on the Network Engineer career path.
Exam Details
Salary Data
Professionals holding the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty certification earn between $110,000 and $185,000 annually, with an average of $145,000. For context, the Cisco CCNP Enterprise averages $112,000.
Job market demand trend: Growing (+12% YoY)
Disclaimer: Salary figures are US-median estimates compiled from BLS wage statistics, Glassdoor, and job-posting aggregates. They are estimates only, not financial advice or a guarantee of earnings. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, employer, and negotiation.
Prerequisites
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Professional recommended
- CCNA or equivalent networking knowledge strongly recommended
- 3-5 years of experience designing and implementing AWS network architectures
Skills Covered
Best Study Resources
AWS Advanced Networking Specialty Exam Guide
CourseAdrian Cantrill AWS Advanced Networking Course
Practice ExamsTutorials Dojo ANS-C01 Practice Exams
Comparisons Featuring AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty
Career Paths With AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty
More Networking Certifications
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who should take the AWS Networking Specialty exam?
How does AWS Networking Specialty compare to CCNA?
What salary can I expect with AWS Networking Specialty?
Explore other options in networking: Cisco CCNP Enterprise, Cisco CCNA (200-301), and more in our Networking Certifications hub.
Sources for every data point
Each quantitative claim on this page is mapped to a verifiable source. Official vendor pages and government datasets are preferred; community estimates and editorial extrapolations are flagged explicitly.
| Data point | Source | Tier | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam duration | Amazon Web Services — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Exam code | Amazon Web Services — official certification page Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Passing score | Amazon Web Services — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Exam price | Amazon Web Services — official certification page Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Question count | Amazon Web Services — official exam guide Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF. | Official | verified 29d ago |
| Job listings | LinkedIn — active US postings mentioning "AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty" Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Average salary | Glassdoor — AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty role salary (US) Aggregate from public salary postings. Cross-checked against BLS OEWS for the closest SOC category. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Salary range | Glassdoor + Payscale — AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty salary distribution 10th–90th percentile derived from public salary aggregators. | Aggregate | verified 29d ago |
| Pass rate | Community consensus — Amazon Web Services pass-rate discussions Most vendors do not publish pass rates. Community data is self-reported with survivor bias. | Community | verified 29d ago |
| Study hours | Community consensus — certification subreddits and TechExams threads Typical range for candidates with modest prior experience in the domain. | Community | verified 29d ago |
| Demand trend | LinkedIn + Indeed — multi-quarter listing comparison Editorial summary of YoY listing change. | Editorial estimate | verified 29d ago |
Data Sources & Transparency
- Salary data — Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and job posting aggregates (US median)
- Job listings — LinkedIn, Indeed, and Dice active postings (sampled quarterly)
- Pass rates — Community-reported estimates from Reddit, TechExams, and certification forums
- Exam details — Amazon Web Services official certification documentation