AZ-400 and AZ-104 aren't really rivals — AZ-104 is the enforced prerequisite path into AZ-400. The DevOps Engineer Expert certification actually requires you to already hold AZ-104 (or Azure Developer Associate) before Microsoft will award it. This guide explains that dependency, what each exam tests, and how to plan the sequence. Before committing, try the AZ-104 practice quizto confirm you're ready for the prerequisite.
Quick Answer: Which Should You Choose?
Choose AZ-104 if you:
- • Are new to Azure administration or don't yet hold AZ-104/Azure Developer Associate
- • Need to satisfy the DevOps Engineer Expert prerequisite requirement
- • Work day-to-day managing Azure infrastructure (VMs, storage, networking)
- • Want the more general, higher-volume Azure credential first
Choose AZ-400 if you:
- • Already hold AZ-104 (or Azure Developer Associate)
- • Design and own CI/CD pipelines, branching strategy, and release engineering
- • Want the Expert-level DevOps Engineer credential
- • Work across GitHub and Azure DevOps designing build/release process, not just running pipelines
The Bottom Line:
This isn't optional sequencing — it's a hard requirement.Microsoft will not award the DevOps Engineer Expert certification unless you also hold an active Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Azure Developer Associate certification. You can technically sit the AZ-400 exam itself without either, but you won't receive the certification until you pass one of them too.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Aspect | AZ-104 | AZ-400 |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate | Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions |
| Level | Associate (mid-level) | Expert (highest level) |
| Primary Focus | Implementing and managing Azure infrastructure | Designing DevOps processes: CI/CD pipelines, source control strategy, security scanning across GitHub and Azure DevOps |
| Cost | $165 USD | $165 USD |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Passing Score | 700/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Certification Prerequisite | None | Enforced: must also hold AZ-104 or Azure Developer Associate |
| Heaviest Domain | Compute + governance (~45% combined) | Build and release pipelines (50-55%) |
| Difficulty | Moderate-Hard (hands-on infra, lab tasks) | Hard (expert-level pipeline design and trade-offs) |
| Study Time | 4-8 weeks (60-120 hours) | 2-3 months (with hands-on Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions experience) |
| Renewal | Annual renewal (free online assessment) | Annual renewal (free online assessment) |
| Target Audience | Cloud engineers, Azure admins, sysadmins moving to cloud | DevOps engineers, release engineers, CI/CD pipeline owners |
| Avg. Salary (US) | $85,000 – $130,000 | $130,000 – $180,000 |
What is AZ-104 (Azure Administrator Associate)?
AZ-104 validates the skills needed to implement, manage, and monitor Azure infrastructure — virtual machines, storage, virtual networking, identity, and governance. It's the foundational, hands-on Azure credential most infrastructure and cloud engineers earn first.
AZ-104 Exam Coverage
Manage Azure Identities and Governance (20-25%)
Implement and Manage Storage (15-20%)
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (20-25%)
Implement and Manage Virtual Networking (15-20%)
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (10-15%)
See our complete AZ-104 study guide and the AZ-104 cheat sheet for a domain-by-domain breakdown.
Start Your AZ-104 Practice
Test your Azure Administrator knowledge with 500 verified AZ-104 practice questions — the prerequisite most AZ-400 candidates need first. Try 40 free, no credit card required.
What is AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert)?
AZ-400 validates expert-level skills in designing and implementing DevOps processes and practices across GitHub and Azure DevOps — source control strategy, CI/CD pipeline design, dependency management, security and compliance scanning, and instrumentation. It tests architectural trade-offs, not tool syntax: over half the exam (50-55%) is the build and release pipelines domain alone.
AZ-400 Exam Coverage
Design and Implement Processes and Communications (10-15%)
Design and Implement a Source Control Strategy (10-15%)
Design and Implement Build and Release Pipelines (50-55%)
Develop a Security and Compliance Plan (10-15%)
Implement an Instrumentation Strategy (5-10%)
See our complete AZ-400 study guide and the AZ-400 cheat sheet for a domain-by-domain breakdown.
Practice AZ-400 Exam Questions
Sharpen your CI/CD pipeline design and DevOps process skills with verified AZ-400 practice questions. Try 40 free — no credit card required.
The Prerequisite Rule Explained
This is the detail that trips up most candidates researching AZ-400: there's no registration-time block preventing you from scheduling and sitting the AZ-400 exam without AZ-104. You can take AZ-400 first if you want. But Microsoft will not issue the DevOps Engineer Expert certification until you also hold an active Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Azure Developer Associate certification. Passing AZ-400 alone leaves you with an exam pass but no certification badge.
What This Means in Practice
- • You need AZ-104 (or Azure Developer Associate) active at the same time as your AZ-400 pass
- • The order doesn't strictly matter for certification purposes — but studying AZ-104 first makes AZ-400's content far more approachable
- • Both certifications require annual renewal — let either lapse and the DevOps Engineer Expert credential stops being valid until you renew
Practically, this makes AZ-104 the default first step for almost everyone pursuing AZ-400, unless you're a developer who already holds Azure Developer Associate.
Which Exam is Harder?
AZ-400 Is Harder — Expert-Level Design Thinking
AZ-400 is Expert-level and tests architectural trade-offs across CI/CD pipeline design, branching strategy, and security scanning — not tool syntax recall. AZ-104 is associate-level and hands-on, but doesn't require the same design-decision reasoning that dominates AZ-400's heaviest domain.
AZ-104: Why It's Challenging
- • Hands-on lab-style tasks in the Azure portal or CLI
- • Broad infra coverage: networking, compute, storage, identity, monitoring
- • Requires real Azure subscription experience to pass reliably
AZ-400: Why It's Challenging
- • Over half the exam is multi-stage YAML pipeline and deployment-strategy design
- • Case studies require reasoning through branching strategy and release-gate trade-offs
- • Security scanning questions span GitHub Advanced Security and Defender for Cloud
- • Assumes real hands-on Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions experience
Study Time Comparison:
- • AZ-104: 4-8 weeks (60-120 hours)
- • AZ-400: 2-3 months, assuming hands-on Azure DevOps/GitHub Actions experience
Career Paths and Salary Data
Salary ranges below are based on aggregated 2026 US job-posting and salary-survey data (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed) and vary by region, employer, and experience.
AZ-104 Career Progression
Entry: Azure Administrator / Cloud Support Engineer
Salary: $65,000 - $90,000
Mid: Cloud Engineer / Azure Infrastructure Engineer
Salary: $90,000 - $130,000
AZ-400 Career Progression
Entry: DevOps Engineer (with AZ-104 background)
Salary: $130,000 - $150,000
Senior: Senior DevOps Engineer / Release Engineering Lead
Salary: $150,000 - $180,000+
Job Market Reality (2026):
- • AZ-104 has a much larger entry point — it's listed directly in most Azure admin job postings
- • AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) and AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert) are the highest-paid Azure certifications, averaging $130,000-$180,000
- • AZ-400 signals a distinct, higher-paid role from general cloud administration — designing pipelines and release engineering, not just running them
Recommendations by Role
Sysadmin / Cloud Engineer New to Azure
AZ-104 first.It's both the more common entry point and the enforced prerequisite for AZ-400's certification.
Existing Azure Administrator (AZ-104 Holder)
AZ-400 is your natural next step if you own or want to own CI/CD pipelines, release engineering, and DevSecOps practices.
Software Developer (Azure Developer Associate Holder)
Go straight to AZ-400.Azure Developer Associate satisfies the same prerequisite as AZ-104 — you don't need both.
Aspiring Cloud Architect
AZ-104, then AZ-305 instead of AZ-400, unless you specifically own pipeline and release design. See our AZ-104 vs AZ-305 comparison for that path.
Career Changer (No IT Background)
AZ-900, then AZ-104.AZ-400 assumes real hands-on CI/CD experience — it's not a realistic starting point without that foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need AZ-104 before AZ-400?
You need AZ-104 (or Azure Developer Associate) to receive the DevOps Engineer Expert certification, but there's no registration block stopping you from sitting the AZ-400 exam first. In practice, most candidates get AZ-104 first because it also builds the Azure operational knowledge AZ-400 assumes.
Can I take AZ-400 without any prerequisite?
You can register for and sit the exam without holding AZ-104 or Azure Developer Associate. However, Microsoft will not issue the DevOps Engineer Expert certification until you also hold one of those two Associate certifications active. Passing the exam alone is not enough to earn the credential.
Is AZ-400 harder than AZ-104?
Yes. AZ-400 is Expert-level and tests DevOps process design — CI/CD pipeline architecture, branching strategy, and security scanning trade-offs. AZ-104 is Associate-level and tests hands-on Azure infrastructure implementation. Over half of AZ-400 (50-55%) is the build and release pipelines domain alone, which is heavily scenario-based.
Which certification pays more?
AZ-400 pays notably more. AZ-104 holders average $85,000-$130,000, while AZ-400 (DevOps Engineer Expert) holders average $130,000-$180,000. AZ-400 and AZ-305 are consistently cited as the two highest-paid Azure certifications.
Is Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) a valid substitute for AZ-104?
Yes — Microsoft accepts either Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Azure Developer Associate as the prerequisite certification for DevOps Engineer Expert. You only need one of the two, not both.
What happens if my AZ-104 expires after I earn AZ-400?
Because DevOps Engineer Expert requires an active prerequisite certification, letting AZ-104 lapse without renewing it can affect your DevOps Engineer Expert status. Keep AZ-104's annual renewal current (it's free and takes 30-45 minutes) to keep the full credential intact.
How is AZ-400 different from AZ-305?
AZ-305 (Expert) tests designing Azure infrastructure architecture. AZ-400 (Expert) tests designing the DevOps process itself — CI/CD pipelines, source control strategy, and release engineering across GitHub and Azure DevOps. Both are Expert-level and both list AZ-104 as their practical foundation, but they test complementary, distinct skill sets.
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