› Certifications · compare
Compare certifications
Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.
Google · professional
Google PCSAGoogle Professional Cloud Architect
Google Professional Cloud Architect
Official pageAWS · professional
AWS SAPAmazon Web Services Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
Amazon Web Services Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
Official pageComparing
GoogleGoogle PCSA
AWSAWS SAP
› Cost
Exam fee
Google PCSA$125
AWS SAP$300
Exam fee
$125
$300
Annual maintenance fee
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
Annual maintenance fee
—
—
3-year cost of ownership
Google PCSA$125
AWS SAP$300
3-year cost of ownership
$125
$300
› Exam mechanics
Pass mark
Google PCSA~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
AWS SAP—
Pass mark
~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
—
Retake policy
Google PCSA$200 fee · 14d wait
AWS SAP$300 fee · 14d wait
Retake policy
$200 fee · 14d wait
$300 fee · 14d wait
Study time
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP120–240 hrs
Study time
—
120–240 hrs
Validity
Google PCSA2 yrs
AWS SAP3 yrs
Validity
2 yrs
3 yrs
CPE / yr
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
CPE / yr
—
—
Delivery
Google PCSAmixed
AWS SAPmixed
Delivery
mixed
mixed
› Salary signal (US base)
Range
Google PCSA$145K – $215K
AWS SAP—
Range
$145K – $215K
—
Median
Google PCSA$175,000
AWS SAP—
Median
$175,000
—
Premium %
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
Premium %
—
—
Role context
Google PCSAGCP cloud architect, US, 5+ years.
AWS SAP—
Role context
GCP cloud architect, US, 5+ years.
—
› Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)
Schema quality
Google PCSA8.5
AWS SAP8.5
Schema quality
8.5
8.5
Practice evidence
Google PCSA5.5
AWS SAP6.0
Practice evidence
5.5
6.0
Maintenance
Google PCSA9.0
AWS SAP9.0
Maintenance
9.0
9.0
Market recognition
Google PCSA8.5
AWS SAP9.0
Market recognition
8.5
9.0
Average
Google PCSA7.9
AWS SAP8.1
Average
7.9
8.1
› Recognition & lifecycle
Recognition
Google PCSAGlobal
AWS SAPGlobal
Recognition
Global
Global
ISO 17024 accredited
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
ISO 17024 accredited
—
—
DoD 8140 baseline
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
DoD 8140 baseline
—
—
Holders worldwide
Google PCSA—
AWS SAP—
Holders worldwide
—
—
Current version
Google PCSACurrent (2024-09)
AWS SAP—
Current version
Current (2024-09)
—
› Domain coverage
A23Recovery, Resilience & Cyber Recovery
Google PCSA·
AWS SAP● core
A23Recovery, Resilience & Cyber Recovery
·
● core
A25Security Architecture & Engineering
Google PCSA·
AWS SAP● core
A25Security Architecture & Engineering
·
● core
A5Cloud Security
Google PCSA● core
AWS SAP● core
A5Cloud Security
● core
● core
Browse the full catalog or open any one of these on its detail page for full study materials, peer comparisons, and lifecycle notes.