Salesforce professionals love gaining certifications – they are a career milestone that proves the individual knows what they are talking about. Salesforce ertifications can potentially be used as leverage when looking for a more senior position or looking for a job in another company.
Not only do certifications require time and energy dedication, but they also come at a monetary cost.
So, how much do Salesforce certifications cost? While price is the first consideration that comes to mind, how you can get the most out of your investment is important to address. This guide will cover both aspects to help you maximize the monetary cost.
Salesforce Certification Cost
The majority of Salesforce certifications cost $200, with others priced at $400; however, the Certified Technical Architect certification costs $6,000. If you fail, you must pay to retake the exam; retake fees are roughly 50% of the initial certification cost.
Salesforce certifications that cost $400 are for professionals with architect-level (senior) experience:
- Sharing and Visibility Architect
- Identity and Access Management Architect
- Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
- Heroku Architect
- Integration Architect
- Data Architect
- B2C Solution Architect
- B2B Solution Architect
- B2C Commerce Architect
The Complete list of Salesforce Certifications includes the certification prices.
So, why the $6,000 price tag for the Certified Technical Architect certification? There are a possible explanations for this – for one, this certification is the pinnacle certification and requires significant study time. I assume that the higher price will only attract individuals who are serious, and deter ones that aren’t. Secondly, the exam involves a review board, which is a panel of experts who judge your solutionizing – those people’s time is obviously costly. Finally, once someone becomes a CTA, their earning potential skyrockets – you could say that earning potential correlates with certification costs.
Make the most out of your certification investment
According to one industry-wide survey, an overwhelming number of respondents (84%) believe that Salesforce certifications help you stand out in a competitive job market. The reasons behind this are that many employers require proof of certification, give you credibility, and demonstrate your commitment to learning Salesforce.
Source: Mason Frank Careers & Hiring Guide 2021-22
How does that translate into salary? After gaining a certification/s 63% of respondents saw an increase in their salary, as a 26% raise, on average. In some cases, this will have been the outcome of finding oneself in a better position to negotiate salary.
The individuals that excel in both career trajectory and salary is down to understanding that certifications are part of the whole picture. Studying gives you structured learning and the discipline – but it’s not a free ride – you need to apply knowledge day-to-day. Here are some tips that came to mind:
- Don’t study just to pass the exam: aim to understand how the concepts you are learning about work in different scenarios; why would one solution work in one scenario, but not in another? This is the kind of decision making you will be doing day to day as a Salesforce professional. This point also mirrors the arguements for why you shouldn’t rush to become a Trailhead Ranger and why certification dumps are a big no-no (faking your knowledge will catch you out one day!)
- Learn from others who have taken the exams before: to avoid the strees, dissapointment, and retake fees. You can find specific tips for each exam around the web – our certification guides are a good starting place to look.
- Know where to go in your career: don’t simply collect certifications. Is there a role you are aspiring to that requires one or more certifications? For example, to become a Field Service Consultant, you should pass the Field Service Consultant certification, Administrator, and Service Cloud Consultant certifications. You need to be aware of the prerequisites (the exams you have to pass first before your target certification).
Good luck in your certification journey!