AWS AI Practitioner vs AWS ML Engineer Associate
Which certification is right for your career? Here's the full breakdown.
Amazon Web Services
AWS AI Practitioner
AIF-C01
Entry-level AWS certification validating foundational knowledge of AI, ML, and generative AI concepts on AWS.
Full guide →Amazon Web Services
AWS ML Engineer Associate
MLA-C01
Validates ability to build, train, tune, and deploy ML models on AWS using SageMaker and other AWS AI services.
Full guide →Side-by-side comparison
| Category | AWS AI Practitioner | AWS ML Engineer Associate |
|---|---|---|
| Exam cost | ✓$100 USD | $150 USD |
| Avg salary uplift | +$8,000/yr | ✓+$18,000/yr |
| Exam duration | 90 min | 130 min |
| Renewal period | Every 3 years | Every 3 years |
| Issued by | Amazon Web Services | Amazon Web Services |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
AWS AI Practitioner — Prerequisites
None required
AWS ML Engineer Associate — Prerequisites
AWS Cloud Practitioner or equivalent + basic ML knowledge recommended
Get AWS AI Practitioner if…
- •You're entering cybersecurity and need a recognised entry point
- •You want a +$8,000/yr salary boost
- •You prefer credentials from Amazon Web Services
Get AWS ML Engineer Associate if…
- •You have 2–3 years of IT experience and want to specialise
- •You want a +$18,000/yr salary boost
- •You prefer credentials from Amazon Web Services
Best AWS AI Practitioner courses
Best AWS ML Engineer Associate courses
Frequently asked questions
Is AWS AI Practitioner harder than AWS ML Engineer Associate?
AWS ML Engineer Associate is harder — rated intermediate vs beginner.
Which pays more — AWS AI Practitioner or AWS ML Engineer Associate?
AWS AI Practitioner has an average salary uplift of +$8,000/yr, while AWS ML Engineer Associate has +$18,000/yr. AWS ML Engineer Associate has the higher salary impact.
Which should I get first — AWS AI Practitioner or AWS ML Engineer Associate?
AWS AI Practitioner is the better starting point — it's rated beginner and costs less. Use it as a stepping stone toward AWS ML Engineer Associate.