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Compare certifications

Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.

Microsoft · associate
AZ-500
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate

Azure-native security engineering: Entra ID, network controls, Defender, Sentinel.

Official page
Microsoft · professional
SC-100
Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect

The Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100) is Microsoft's highest security certification and targets experienced professionals who design security architectures for hybrid and cloud-native environments based on the Microsoft platform. It requires at least one associate-level security certification (e.g., AZ-500, SC-200, or SC-300) and builds on that knowledge. The certification addresses zero-trust architectures, compliance requirements, identity governance, and infrastructure protection from a strategic perspective. For organizations heavily invested in Microsoft 365 and Azure, SC-100 is valuable proof of expertise; outside the Microsoft ecosystem, its relevance is more limited. The exam will be updated in April 2026.

Official page

Cost

Exam fee
AZ-500$165
SC-100$165
Annual maintenance fee
AZ-500
SC-100
3-year cost of ownership
AZ-500$165
SC-100$165

Exam mechanics

Pass mark
AZ-500700/1000 (scaled)
SC-100700/1000 (scaled)
Retake policy
AZ-500$165 fee · 1d wait
SC-100$165 fee · 1d wait
Study time
AZ-50060–120 hrs
SC-100100–200 hrs
Validity
AZ-5001 yr
SC-1001 yr
CPE / yr
AZ-5000 CPEs
SC-100
Delivery
AZ-500online proctored
SC-100mixed

Salary signal (US base)

Range
AZ-500$115K – $165K
SC-100$145K – $210K
Median
AZ-500$135,000
SC-100$170,000
Premium %
AZ-500
SC-100
Role context
AZ-500Azure security engineer, US, 3–5 years.
SC-100Cybersecurity architect (Microsoft-stack focus), US, 7+ years.

Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)

Schema quality
AZ-5008.5
SC-1008.5
Practice evidence
AZ-5006.5
SC-1005.5
Maintenance
AZ-5009.5
SC-1009.0
Market recognition
AZ-5009.0
SC-1008.0
Average
AZ-5008.4
SC-1007.8

Recognition & lifecycle

Recognition
AZ-500Global · US · EU · UK
SC-100Global
ISO 17024 accredited
AZ-500
SC-100
DoD 8140 baseline
AZ-500
SC-100
Holders worldwide
AZ-500
SC-100
Current version
AZ-500AZ-500 (current) (2024-11)
SC-100SC-100 (current) (2024-09)

Domain coverage

A10Security Operations
AZ-500○ touched
SC-100·
A11Detection Engineering & Threat Hunting
AZ-500● core
SC-100·
A12Data Security, Privacy & Protection
AZ-500○ touched
SC-100·
A2Network Security
AZ-500○ touched
SC-100·
A25Security Architecture & Engineering
AZ-500·
SC-100● core
A3Zero Trust Architecture
AZ-500·
SC-100● core
A5Cloud Security
AZ-500● core
SC-100● core
A6Identity & Access Management
AZ-500● core
SC-100·

Browse the full catalog or open any one of these on its detail page for full study materials, peer comparisons, and lifecycle notes.