CEH
Certified Ethical Hacker — offensive security certification covering penetration testing methodologies and hacking tools.
Full guide →Azure Administrator
Validates skills in managing Azure identities, storage, compute, virtual networks, and monitoring in enterprise environments.
Full guide →CEH vs Azure Administrator
Which certification is right for your career?
Full comparison
| Category | CEH | Azure Administrator |
|---|---|---|
| Exam cost | $1199 USD | ✓$165 USD |
| Avg salary uplift | +$15,000/yr | +$15,000/yr |
| Passing score | 70/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Exam duration | 240 min | 100 min |
| Renewal period | Every 3 years | Every 1 years |
| Issued by | EC-Council | Microsoft |
| Difficulty |
CEH
2 years IT security experience or EC-Council official training
Azure Administrator
AZ-900 recommended, 6 months Azure administration experience
- You have 2–4 years in security and want to specialise your role
- You want a potential +$15,000/yr salary uplift
- You're drawn to offensive security, ethical hacking, or red-team work
- You have hands-on cloud experience and want to move into engineering or architecture
- You want a potential +$15,000/yr salary uplift
- Your role involves managing cloud identity, storage, networking, and compute day-to-day
CEH and Azure Administrator lead to entirely different careers — cybersecurity vs cloud computing. The right choice depends on which field aligns with your current job or target role. If you want both eventually, start with CEH — it's the quicker win at the intermediate level.
Best CEH courses
Best Azure Administrator courses
Is CEH harder than Azure Administrator?
Both CEH and Azure Administrator are rated intermediate difficulty.
Which pays more — CEH or Azure Administrator?
CEH has an average salary uplift of +$15,000/yr, while Azure Administrator has +$15,000/yr. CEH has the higher salary impact.
Which should I get first — CEH or Azure Administrator?
CEH is the better starting point — it's rated intermediate and costs less. Use it as a stepping stone toward Azure Administrator.
Can I get both CEH and Azure Administrator?
Yes — many professionals hold both. CEH and Azure Administrator complement each other, covering cybersecurity and cloud computing respectively. Holding both signals broader expertise and typically commands a higher salary than either cert alone.
Which is worth it in 2026 — CEH or Azure Administrator?
Both are worth it in 2026. CEH offers a +$15,000/yr average salary uplift; Azure Administrator offers +$15,000/yr. CEH has the higher salary ceiling — making it the stronger ROI if you can only choose one.