Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200)

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By Certalyze Research Desk Automated Research & Source Audit
Reviewed by Certalyze Source Audit Updated 2026-04-14
cybersecurity Associate Updated: 2026-04-14 Methodology

The Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) certification validates your ability to investigate, respond to, and remediate threats using Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Microsoft 365 Defender. It covers threat detection, incident response, KQL query writing, and security operations across cloud and hybrid environments. This certification is ideal for SOC analysts and security professionals working in Microsoft-centric organizations.

$108K
Avg Salary
52%
Pass Rate
25.0K
Job Listings
200h
Study Time
$165
Exam Cost

Is the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) Worth It?

Strengths

  • Strong earning potential with an average salary of $108,000
  • High employer demand with 25.0K active job listings

Considerations

  • Moderate difficulty (7/10) — plan for focused study time
  • Substantial time investment at 200h of recommended study
  • Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners

Bottom line: At $165 exam cost with an average salary of $108,000, the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) offers a strong return on investment for cybersecurity professionals.

Who Should Get the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200)?

This certification is a good fit if you are:

  • Professionals with 1-3 years of cybersecurity experience looking to advance
  • IT practitioners seeking vendor-specific validation of their skills
  • Anyone targeting roles that list Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) as preferred or required

Exam Details

Exam CodeSC-200
Exam Cost$165 USD
Duration120 minutes
Questions55
Passing Score700/1000
ProviderMicrosoft
Difficulty7/10

Salary Data

Professionals holding the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) certification earn between $82,000 and $140,000 annually, with an average of $108,000. For context, the CISSP averages $152,000.

Job market demand trend: Strong Growth (+18% 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

  • Understanding of Microsoft 365 and Azure fundamentals
  • Familiarity with security operations concepts (SOC workflows)
  • Basic knowledge of KQL (Kusto Query Language)
  • Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) recommended

Skills Covered

Microsoft SentinelMicrosoft Defender for CloudMicrosoft 365 DefenderKQL (Kusto Query Language)Threat Detection and InvestigationIncident ResponseSecurity Orchestration (SOAR)Vulnerability Management

Best Study Resources

Official

Microsoft Learn — SC-200 Learning Path

 Course

SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst — Udemy

 Practice Exams

MeasureUp SC-200 Practice Test

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Frequently Asked Questions

What roles does the SC-200 certification prepare you for?
SC-200 prepares you for roles such as Security Operations Analyst, SOC Analyst, Threat Hunter, and Incident Response Analyst. With the rapid growth of cyber threats and Microsoft's dominance in enterprise security tools, SC-200 holders are highly sought after, with 25K active job listings and an average salary of $108K.
How does SC-200 compare to CompTIA CySA+?
SC-200 is Microsoft-specific and focuses on Microsoft Sentinel, Defender, and M365 security tools, making it ideal for Microsoft-centric environments. CySA+ is vendor-neutral and covers broader security analytics concepts. If your organization uses Microsoft security stack, SC-200 provides more directly applicable skills.
Do I need to know KQL for the SC-200 exam?
Yes, KQL (Kusto Query Language) is essential for the SC-200 exam. You need to write queries to investigate security incidents in Microsoft Sentinel and Defender. Practice writing KQL queries for log analysis, threat hunting, and creating detection rules. Microsoft Learn offers free KQL tutorials that align with the exam objectives.

Explore other options in cybersecurity: CISSP, AWS Certified Security — Specialty, and more in our Cybersecurity 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 Microsoft — official exam guide
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Exam code Microsoft — official certification page
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Passing score Microsoft — official exam guide
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Exam price Microsoft — official certification page
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Question count Microsoft — 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 "Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200)"
Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily.
 Aggregate verified 29d ago
Average salary Glassdoor — Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) 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 — Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Associate (SC-200) salary distribution
10th–90th percentile derived from public salary aggregators.
 Aggregate verified 29d ago
Pass rate Community consensus — Microsoft 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 — Microsoft official certification documentation
Last reviewed: 2026-04-14 Our Methodology Editorial Standards