› 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 PCSE Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer
Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer
Official page AWS · professional
AWS CSS Amazon Web Services Certified Security - Specialty
The AWS Security Specialty is AWS's most demanding security certification and requires solid practical experience with AWS workloads. It covers a broad spectrum: from IAM and data encryption to incident response, logging, and compliance. The practical relevance is high; pure textbook candidates typically fail. The certification has high market value potential, as it is regarded as proof of quality for security architects in cloud environments. Important: Version SCS-C02 was superseded in December 2025; SCS-C03 is now current.
Official page Comparing
Google Google PCSE
AWS AWS CSS
› Cost Exam fee
Google PCSE $200
AWS CSS $300
3-year cost of ownership
Google PCSE $200
AWS CSS $300
3-year cost of ownership
$200
$300
› Exam mechanics Pass mark
Google PCSE ~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
AWS CSS 750/1000 (scaled, ~75%)
Pass mark
~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
750/1000 (scaled, ~75%)
Retake policy
Google PCSE $200 fee · 14d wait
AWS CSS $300 fee · 14d wait
Retake policy
$200 fee · 14d wait
$300 fee · 14d wait
Study time
Google PCSE —
AWS CSS 100–200 hrs
Validity
Google PCSE 2 yrs
AWS CSS 3 yrs
Delivery
Google PCSE mixed
AWS CSS mixed
› Salary signal (US base) Range
Google PCSE $130K – $195K
AWS CSS $130K – $180K
Range
$130K – $195K
$130K – $180K
Median
Google PCSE $155,000
AWS CSS $150,000
Role context
Google PCSE GCP cloud security engineer, US, 4-6 years.
AWS CSS Cloud security engineer (AWS-focused), US, 3–5 years.
Role context
GCP cloud security engineer, US, 4-6 years.
Cloud security engineer (AWS-focused), US, 3–5 years.
› Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10) › Recognition & lifecycle Recognition
Google PCSE Global
AWS CSS Global
Current version
Google PCSE Current (2024-09)
AWS CSS SCS-C02 (2023-07)
Current version
Current (2024-09)
SCS-C02 (2023-07)
› Domain coverage A25 Security Architecture & Engineering
Google PCSE ·
AWS CSS ● core
A25 Security Architecture & Engineering
·
● core
A5 Cloud Security
Google PCSE ● core
AWS CSS ● core
A5 Cloud 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.