In this blog, we will discuss the range of potential that the Microsoft Azure Administrator: AZ-104 offers you once you are certified. While there is a popular opinion about this exam that it is a tough one to crack, learn more about the importance of cloud computing and why Azure is a key player. Read through to learn more about it!
An Overview of The Microsoft Azure Administrator:AZ 104
The AZ-104 is a Microsoft certification for Azure Administrators, testing skills in managing cloud services like compute, storage, networking, and security. It earns you the Azure Administrator Associate title. It enhances cloud career prospects as Azure grows in use.
It builds skills, credibility, and job opportunities in roles like Azure Administrator, with a path to advanced certifications. It is a strong credential, as Azure holds 20% of the cloud market share. Azure stands out with Microsoft’s enterprise dominance, partnerships, and hybrid cloud capabilities. Azure’s revenue grew 50% year-over-year in 2024.
Career Paths After Microsoft Azure Administrator: AZ-104 Certification
Future Job Roles:
- As an Azure Administrator you must handle Azure resources by managing virtual networks alongside storage and compute services while performing their monitoring functions.
- Technical support and problem resolution for cloud-based solutions falls within the responsibilities of the Cloud Support Engineer position.
- Businesses receive cloud infrastructure solutions through the responsible design and implementation of cloud infrastructure by Cloud Infrastructure Engineers.
- A DevOps Engineer must use Azure DevOps tools to develop automated processes that optimize operations along with streamlining organizational procedures.
- A Cloud Security Engineer concentrates on protecting cloud resources while maintaining security regulations.
How Getting Azure Certified Helps in Career Growth?
Cloud certifications are great to help you upskill; they reap you greater benefits if you can back up what the certifications are actually for. As long as you can explain what you learned and didn’t just pass it, you will find something.
Practice everything you learn. You also have to be able to market yourself, and soft skills play a big role, too. Never stop learning; it can be a great reason to learn with a badge at the end. This is a tried and tested method by our learners to ace the exams on their first try.
The fact that you took the initiative to do the cert, passed it on your own time if you can articulate why, and then applied what you learned in the real world and are driven with curiosity to learn more (aka more certs and experience)—that’s priceless. The fact that you have this mindset will get you far in your career.
The day-to-day responsibilities of an Azure Administrator
Skills Required to earn the AZ-104
Sectors actively hiring Azure professionals with the AZ-104 Certification
- IT and Software Development Companies
IT and software firms lead in adopting Azure for app development and infrastructure management. They hire AZ-104 professionals as cloud engineers or DevOps specialists to oversee virtual machines, networks, and Azure Active Directory. The certification’s practical focus ensures scalable, secure solutions for clients or proprietary software.
Why: To build and maintain cloud-native applications.
- Cloud Service Providers and Consulting Firms
Cloud providers and consultancies need AZ-104 experts to manage client Azure environments, monitor services, and design solutions. CSPs like Microsoft partners hire for subscription management and troubleshooting, while consultancies focus on migration and governance.
Why: To support client cloud adoption and optimization.
- Finance, Healthcare, and Government Sectors
These sectors use Azure for secure, compliant operations. Finance needs administrators for data security and uptime, healthcare for HIPAA-compliant patient systems, and government for citizen services via Azure Government Cloud. AZ-104 skills ensure regulatory adherence and efficiency.
Why: To modernize IT while meeting strict standards.
The Business Impact of Hiring AZ-104 Professionals
AZ-104-certified Azure Administrators boost business success by managing cloud resources efficiently. They optimize VMs, storage, and networks, cutting downtime and costs. For example, an e-commerce site might gain 30% faster load times during sales, improving customer retention. IDC notes certified staff speed cloud adoption by 40%.
They save money by eliminating waste—shutting down idle resources or using cheaper storage tiers, potentially reducing bills by 25%. Security improves with expertise in Azure Active Directory and compliance, vital for sectors like healthcare. They also drive transformation, integrating hybrid systems for innovation, like connecting IoT to Azure analytics.
In short, AZ-104 professionals enhance efficiency, savings, and security, giving businesses a competitive edge in a cloud-driven world.
Comparing AZ-104 with Other Cloud Certifications
- AZ-104 vs. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator
The AWS SysOps can be the hardest of all associate-level certifications. Ideally, if you have enough hands-on experience, it would all make sense regardless of AWS or Azure. In general, hands-on experience is the key to cracking both exams. In reality, both AWS and Azure have a similar set of services with differences in naming conventions. If you understand one cloud provider’s services, you can easily pick up the other one as well.
- AZ-104 vs. Google Cloud Associate Engineer
This is equivalent to AZ-104 and is of similar content and difficulty. The biggest difference is that GCP is a service that is very strong on Kubernetes, so you are expected to have some admin skills with Google Kubernetes Engine.
- Which Certification Is Best for Your Career?
Your career goals are the prime factor in deciding between “X” and “Y” certifications. the industries you’re interested in and your familiarity with each platform. Thus, we recommend that you be certified in the related industry.
Preparation tips to excel in your Azure career
- Going over the AZ-104 exam guide in detail is the first step in getting ready for this test.
- Create a detailed study plan for AZ-104 after carefully reviewing the guide’s five domains and the exam’s scope. Customize it according to your schedule to avoid hassles.
- Lab exercises serve as a practical application tool since they let you practice concepts that become invaluable when working with real-world situations. You need to understand how Azure services combine to succeed in this assessment, which contains scenario-based questions and performance-based tests.
- Sandboxes help you practice real-life cloud situations, worry no more about the surprise bills.
- Take an ample amount of AZ 104 practice tests, and work on your areas of improvement.
- Your success in passing the test during the first attempt depends on revision since it helps you prepare effectively. Try to avoid exam anxiety by preparing sufficiently. This is a tried and tested method by our learners to ace the exams on their first try.
What the Future Holds for AZ-104 Certified Professionals?
Cloud technology roles remain in high demand throughout organizations because of their extensive adoption rates but the certification provides better cloud-related professional advancement possibilities.
With the practical skills and certificate, you will qualify for higher salary levels that certified professionals typically earn. The current market data indicates Azure administrators earn an average annual salary of $79,000. The payment amounts for this work depend on a mix of career experience alongside geographical area and specific organization.
Future Career Opportunities and Pathways to Senior Roles After AZ-104 Certification
- AZ-305: Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect
There’s so much about Azure out there; getting Azure certified places you in a better position to speak the language of your work colleagues plus a host of other vendors, third parties, and contractors. It can be hard – every cert achieved is a success. Celebrate every win that improves you.
- AZ-500: Microsoft Certified Security Engineer
If you’re already working in Azure, the AZ-500 does a good job of helping glue together the security tooling that sits inside of M365 with what sits inside Azure. If you’re wanting to do incident response, SOC, security architecture or just be a lot more security-minded in your Azure work, this is a great bit of learning.
Conclusion: Take the Next Step
This blog spoke about the numerous benefits of AZ-104 certification. From a brief overview to future career opportunities, with the right information, start your certification journey today with Whizlabs. All the best to you! Contact us in case of queries.
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