AWS SysOps Administrator Associate

cloud Associate Updated: 2025-01-15 Methodology

The AWS SysOps Administrator Associate (SOA-C02) validates your technical expertise in deploying, managing, and operating workloads on AWS. It focuses on monitoring, high availability, security, and troubleshooting, making it ideal for system administrators and operations roles working with AWS infrastructure.

$120K
Avg Salary
65%
Pass Rate
30.0K
Job Listings
100h
Study Time
$150
Exam Cost

Exam Details

Exam CodeSOA-C02
Exam Cost$150 USD
Duration130 minutes
Questions65
Passing Score720/1000
ProviderAmazon Web Services
Difficulty7/10

Salary Data

Professionals holding the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate certification earn between $95,000 and $145,000 annually, with an average of $120,000.

Job market demand trend: Growing

Prerequisites

  • 1+ year hands-on AWS experience
  • AWS Cloud Practitioner recommended

Skills Covered

CloudWatch MonitoringHigh AvailabilityDeployment & ProvisioningStorage & Data ManagementSecurity & ComplianceNetworkingCost Optimization

Best Study Resources

Official

AWS Skill Builder (Official)

 Course

Stephane Maarek — SysOps Course (Udemy)

 Practice Exams

Tutorials Dojo Practice Exams

 Official

AWS Official Exam Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the SysOps Administrator differ from the Solutions Architect Associate?
While the Solutions Architect focuses on designing systems, the SysOps Administrator emphasizes day-to-day operations, monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintaining AWS environments. SysOps is more hands-on and includes a practical exam lab component.
Does the SOA-C02 exam include hands-on labs?
Yes. The SOA-C02 exam includes both multiple-choice questions and exam labs where you must perform tasks directly in the AWS Management Console, making it one of the more challenging associate-level exams.
What is the pass rate for the AWS SysOps exam?
AWS does not publish official pass rates, but community data suggests around 65% of well-prepared candidates pass on their first attempt. The hands-on lab component adds difficulty compared to other associate exams.
Is the SysOps Administrator certification worth it in 2025?
Yes, especially for professionals focused on operations, monitoring, and infrastructure management on AWS. With over 30,000 job listings referencing this cert, it demonstrates practical operational skills that employers value.

Data Sources

  • Salary data — Aggregated from job postings and salary surveys (US median)
  • Job listings — Active postings across major job boards
  • Pass rates — Community-reported estimates (not official vendor data)
  • Exam details — Amazon Web Services official documentation