A practical guide for US beginners choosing between AWS, VMware, and Salesforce

By Mike | CertShopServices | Cloud Certification Guides

Cloud computing is one of the fastest-growing career fields in the US right now. The certifications that employers ask for are well-documented. But picking the wrong first cert still costs beginners real money — exam fees run from $75 to $200 per attempt — and anywhere from 40 to 80 hours of study time heading in the wrong direction.

This guide compares three certifications that consistently appear in US employer job postings for cloud beginners: AWS Cloud Practitioner, VMware entry-level, and Salesforce Associate. Each targets a different career lane, and choosing based on your actual goal changes everything.

By the end, you'll know which path fits your goals and how to register once you've decided.

Why your first cloud certification is a career decision, not just a study choice

The real cost of picking the wrong starting point

A beginner who studies for a VMware virtualization cert while applying for AWS cloud admin roles passes an exam that simply doesn't open the doors they're targeting. The employer sees a VMware credential and moves on to the next candidate with AWS experience. The hours and the exam fee are gone.

This isn't an edge case. It happens regularly when candidates choose a certification based on what sounds impressive rather than what the specific roles they're applying for actually require.

How employers filter candidates using entry-level cloud certs

Employers don't want general cloud literacy. They want specific platform familiarity that maps to whatever stack their internal teams run. Job listings requiring AWS Cloud Practitioner increased 84% between October 2021 and September 2022, according to Burning Glass labor market data. That's not a soft preference — that's a hiring filter.

VMware demand concentrates heavily in infrastructure, virtualization, and hybrid data-center roles. Salesforce demand dominates CRM, sales operations, and business administration hiring. Knowing where each certification lands in the job market tells you which one belongs in your study plan.

AWS Cloud Practitioner: the strongest starting point for most beginners

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) is 65 questions, 90 minutes, $100 exam fee, and requires no prior IT experience — a genuine differentiator compared to most technical certifications. It's designed for people making a career shift into cloud, not just those who already work in IT.

The exam covers four domains:

•  Cloud Concepts (28%) — the AWS value proposition and basic architecture principles

•  Security (24%) — the Shared Responsibility Model and access management

•  Technology (36%) — core services like EC2, S3, and IAM in practical terms

•  Billing and Pricing (12%) — cost control and account structures

These domains are beginner-accessible with four to eight weeks of focused study. The credential stays valid for three years and opens a clear progression path: Solutions Architect, Developer, and SysOps Administrator at the Associate level, then Professional and Specialty tracks beyond that.

According to Glassdoor data, entry-level AWS practitioners in the US average around $85,866 annually, with meaningful increases tied to advancing into associate-level credentials.

Monthly US job postings explicitly mentioning AWS Cloud Practitioner run between 45,000 and 55,000, with year-over-year growth of around 28%. No other entry-level cloud credential comes close to that volume.

VMware entry-level certs: the right choice for infrastructure-minded beginners

VMware certifications suit candidates who want to work in virtualization, private cloud, or hybrid cloud infrastructure rather than purely public cloud environments. The current entry-level track is the VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA), which replaced the older VCA series.

The VCTA covers foundational skills in Cloud Management and Automation and VMware Cloud Foundation — directly relevant to enterprise IT, government agencies, and organizations running significant on-premises data-center infrastructure.

Employer demand for VMware entry-level credentials runs significantly lower than AWS, with monthly US job postings in the 4,500 to 6,000 range. This path suits candidates who already know they want enterprise infrastructure work specifically.

For step-by-step help on how to schedule and redeem a VMware exam voucher, see our guide: How to Use VMware Exam Vouchers Step By Step.

Salesforce certifications: the best entry point for business-facing cloud roles

Salesforce is technically a SaaS and CRM platform rather than core cloud infrastructure, but its certifications open a distinct and high-demand career lane that many people overlook.

The Salesforce Certified Associate is the right starting point for beginners: 50 questions, 60 minutes, $75 exam fee, 62% minimum passing score, and no hands-on experience required. It covers basic CRM concepts and how Salesforce works at a foundational level.

The Salesforce Administrator certification is the natural next step, covering security, user management, automation, and data validation. For someone entirely new to cloud platforms, the Associate cert is the right first move before advancing to Administrator.

Demand for Salesforce-certified professionals runs around 18,000 to 22,000 monthly job postings in the US, concentrated in sales operations, marketing ops, and customer success roles across consulting, healthcare, and retail.

Side-by-side comparison: AWS vs VMware vs Salesforce for beginners

Which certification fits which career goal

Your target role should drive this decision more than anything else:

•  Cloud infrastructure, DevOps, general cloud computing → AWS Cloud Practitioner

•  Enterprise IT, virtualization, hybrid data-center → VMware VCTA

•  Business software, CRM, sales operations → Salesforce Associate

If you have no strong preference and want maximum job-market flexibility for the lowest study investment, AWS wins without qualification. The demand data, career path depth, and broad industry applicability make it the safest first certification investment across almost every US employer category.

What to check before buying any exam voucher

Not all voucher retailers operate the same way. Before purchasing, confirm:

•  The voucher is an official vendor-issued code, not a third-party resell of a code that may already be used

•  Delivery is electronic with a clearly stated timeline — hours, not days

•  The retailer has a re-ship or support policy if something goes wrong

•  The voucher's expiration date gives you enough time to schedule and sit your exam

Validity dates are non-negotiable. Many vouchers carry expiration windows of 90 days or less from purchase. Buy your voucher only when you have a firm study timeline and an exam date in mind. An expired code is worthless regardless of what you paid.

How to redeem your voucher

For AWS: log in to the AWS Certification portal at aws.amazon.com/certification, select your exam, choose your date, and enter the voucher code at the payment step. The process takes about five minutes once you have your code.

For VMware and Salesforce: both exams are scheduled through Pearson VUE. Create or log in to your Pearson VUE account, navigate to your chosen vendor and exam, select your date and testing method, and enter the voucher code at checkout.

Common redemption mistakes to avoid

•  Entering the code for the wrong exam level — check the exact exam name before confirming

•  Scheduling after the voucher's expiration date — check the terms the day you receive the code

•  Assuming a code is transferable to another person — most are not

Schedule your exam the same week you buy the voucher. That single habit eliminates most redemption problems and keeps your study plan on track.

Your next step: choose your cert, then get registered

For most beginners, the answer is clear: AWS Cloud Practitioner. The demand data is decisive, the career path is well-mapped, and the exam is genuinely accessible to people with no prior IT background.

VMware and Salesforce are strong choices for specific directions — they're not general-purpose starting points for someone who hasn't yet committed to a lane.

Once you know which path fits your goals, browse the relevant voucher category on CertShopServices to check availability and get registered:

•  AWS exam vouchers — for cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and general cloud computing roles

•  VMware exam vouchers — for enterprise IT and virtualization roles

•  Salesforce exam vouchers — for CRM, sales ops, and business-facing cloud roles

Electronic delivery within hours. Official voucher codes. No waiting around when you're ready to schedule.