What Is a Salesforce Certification? Discover the Certifications Offered + How to Get One

Key takeaways

• Salesforce certification is a globally recognized credential that demonstrates your ability to implement Salesforce at your organization and showcases your expertise.

• The Salesforce Admin certification tests your knowledge of Salesforce configuration and setup, sales and marketing applications, and data and analytics management, and requires passing a 60-question exam.

• Salesforce certifications, such as Certified Platform Administrator, Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist, and Platform App Builder, are in demand across industries because the software is customizable to various businesses.

To get a Salesforce certification, start by registering for the exam on Trailhead, studying for and then passing the exam, and maintaining your certification by completing maintenance modules. In the following article, explore Salesforce certifications in more detail to determine which are suitable to help you meet your goals.

Then, to build your skills in Salesforce, consider enrolling in the Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate. In as little as three months, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to build reports, charts, and dashboards in Salesforce. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a shareable certificate for your resume or LinkedIn profile.

What is a Salesforce certification?

A Salesforce certification is a globally recognized credential that qualifies you to implement Salesforce best practices on behalf of your organization. Salesforce offers 40 primary certifications (some requiring prerequisite certifications) to demonstrate your expertise in different Salesforce roles.

Check out the following Salesforce certifications list, organized by the roles to which they correspond.

* These certifications apply to more than one Salesforce role.

How much does it cost to get Salesforce certified?

Many Salesforce certifications cost about $200 to take the exam, with additional fees if you need to retake it [1].

How to learn Salesforce: 3 entry-level Salesforce certifications

You can classify all three entry-level Salesforce certifications as ones that don’t require prior certifications or other prerequisites beyond a general working knowledge of the Salesforce platform.

These certifications span different roles as administrator, developer, and marketer, to give you an idea of possible starting points for pursuing a credential. For each breakdown, you can get pertinent details, including the Salesforce certification cost, the exam outline, exam format, passing score, and a link to the exam guide, as provided on Trailhead, Salesforce’s academy for building skills and getting certified.

What is the pass percentage for the Salesforce admin certification? Check out need-to-know details like this and use the following breakdowns as a model for your research process.

1. Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator Certification

• Cost: $200 [2]

• Exam outline: Configuration and setup (15 percent), object manager and Lightning app builder (15 percent), sales and marketing applications (10 percent), service and support applications (10 percent), productivity and collaboration (10 percent), data and analytics management (17 percent), automation ( 15 percent), Agentforce (8 percent)

• Exam format: 105 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice or multiple-select questions and up to five non-scored questions

• Passing score: 68 percent

• Exam guide: Click here.

2. Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist

• Cost: $200 [3]

• Exam outline: Visitors and prospects (8 percent); administration (11 percent); account engagement forms, form handlers, and landing pages (20 percent); lead management (24 percent); email marketing (20 percent); Engagement Studio (17 percent)

• Exam format: 90 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice questions and up to five non-scored questions

• Passing score: 72 percent

• Exam guide: Click here.

3. Platform App Builder

• Cost: $200 [4]

• Exam outline: Salesforce fundamentals (18 percent), data modeling and management (20 percent), business logic and process automation (32 percent), user interface (17 percent), app deployment (13 percent)

• Exam format: 105 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and up to five non-scored questions

• Passing score: 73 percent

• Exam guide: Click here.

Salesforce training: 4 reasons to get Salesforce certified

Building in-demand skills and increasing your earning potential are a few potential advantages you may experience. In addition to the fact that Salesforce certifications are globally recognized credentials, you can also enjoy several career benefits of getting certified, as explored below.

1. Salesforce skills are in demand across a variety of industries.

Salesforce software is customizable to meet the needs of many types of businesses. In your job search, you may find that employers across a variety of industries are looking for candidates with Salesforce skills.

For example, consider what’s happening on LinkedIn as of June 2025:

• LinkedIn has more than 105,000 job listings in the US for people who have a Salesforce certification or at least some experience using this software.

• You can find over 600 job listings specifically for Salesforce Administrator.

• Industries hiring Salesforce professionals include consulting, auditing and tax services, IT management, career support services, athletic manufacturing, and more.

Given these figures, your Salesforce certification may increase in value over time and qualify you for a variety of job opportunities.

2. A Salesforce certification keeps your skill set up to date.

While you can build skills through regular use of Salesforce’s tools, getting Salesforce certified and maintaining your certification means your skills reflect the latest updates to the tool. In addition, preparing for a certification exam can help to structure your learning process so that you cover all areas of the software’s functionality for your desired role.

3. You can enhance your job performance.

Just as getting Salesforce certified can help you find employment, getting a certification while employed can help you do your job more effectively. Your employer may have ideas for integrating a Salesforce certification and the skills that come with it into your role.

4. You have the potential to earn a competitive salary.

You may be able to earn a salary that is competitive in today’s marketplace. The median total pay of a Salesforce administrator is around $100,000 per year [5]. Salesforce architects earn a median total pay of $147,000, according to Glassdoor’s September 2026 data [6]. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

How to get Salesforce certification

Choose a certification option, study the relevant materials, and take the exam. When you follow the five steps below, you’ll be on your way to earning your Salesforce certification.

1. Select a Salesforce certification.

The first step in getting Salesforce certified is researching and selecting a certification that best fits your desired role, career goals, and the skills you want to build.

Refer to the table above as a starting point, and then study Trailhead’s information page in more depth to discover the skills you’ll learn in certifications you’re considering, as well as any requirements or prerequisites for taking a certification exam. For example, the Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator certification is a prerequisite for getting the Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant certification.

2. Register for the exam on Trailhead.

Create an account to log in to Trailhead Academy. Then, you'll be able to schedule the exam and pay for registration. Here are two important pieces of information to review:

• Cost: One is the cost to take or retake each exam. For example, each of the Administrator exams costs $200 for the first sitting and $100 to retake [1].

• Location: The other is the procedure for taking the exam onsite or remotely. For either option, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the requirements. For example, to take an exam online, you’ll need a built-in webcam and microphone.

3. Prepare for your exam with Salesforce classes and more.

Before taking the exam, you’ll want to spend time preparing and learning as much as possible about using Salesforce in your role. You can prepare in several ways:

• Review the guide for your chosen exam.

• Learn through Trailhead’s library of modules and projects.

• Join the Trailblazer community to connect with other Salesforce learners, ask questions, and learn skills.

• Take Salesforce courses through other programs, such as Coursera’s Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate.

Read more: 11 Good Study Habits to Develop

4. Take the Salesforce certification exam.

Arrive online or onsite for your scheduled exam. Make sure you are well-rested and prepared to take your exam.

5. Maintain your certification.

To maintain your certification after passing the exam, you’ll need to complete Trailhead maintenance modules, demonstrating that your skills are current with the latest software updates.

Read more about Salesforce certification updates here.

Discover free career resources

Join us on Career Chat, where you can stay up-to-date on industry trends and explore helpful career tips. Then, check out these free resources as you prepare for certification or your career:

• Read our Career Chat issue: What Should You Earn: A Certificate or a Degree?

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career Is Right for Me Quiz?

• Watch on YouTube: 5 Powerful Leadership Skills to Start Building Today

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