AZ-104 · ● Active · Associate · Microsoft
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | $165 USD (regional pricing varies; £115 GBP approx., ₹4,865 INR approx.) |
| Duration | 100 minutes |
| Questions | 60 questions (multiple-choice, multiple-select, scenario-based, interactive labs) |
| Passing | 700/1000 (scaled scoring) |
| Format | Multiple choice / Multiple select / PBQ (practical lab tasks) / Mixed |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE OnVUE (online proctored or test center) |
| Languages | English (and localized editions available) |
| Valid | 3 years from passing date |
| Renewal | Pass higher cert (AZ-305) or retake exam before expiration |
| Prerequisites | None (AZ-900 recommended but not required) |
| Released | Original 2018; updated 2025 with Bicep, deployment stacks, Microsoft Entra ID |
| Retiring | No retirement date announced |
Vendor source — Microsoft Learn ↗
Official exam guide — Study Guide for Exam AZ-104 ↗
Exam objectives — Exam AZ-104 Skills Measured ↗
About
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) validates the skills to manage Azure subscriptions, identities, governance, storage, compute resources, networking, and monitoring at the Associate level. Released in 2018 and updated in 2025 to include Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Bicep infrastructure-as-code, and deployment stacks, this certification is the foundational credential for cloud operations roles. It is typically pursued after AZ-900 and often leads to AZ-305 (Solutions Architect Expert).
Domain context — Cloud
Hyperscale public cloud platform administration (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OCI, etc.). Azure Administrator is the entry-level practitioner credential for Microsoft Azure operations.
Read full deep dive — Microsoft Azure Ecosystem →
Topics covered
The exam is divided into five domains with the following weightings:
- Manage Azure Identities and Governance (15–20%) — Microsoft Entra ID, RBAC, role assignments, subscriptions, management groups, policy
- Implement and Manage Storage (15–20%) — Storage accounts, redundancy, blob/file management, access controls, SAS tokens, encryption
- Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (20–25%) — VMs, VM scale sets, Azure App Service, containers, ARM templates, Bicep, autoscaling
- Implement and Manage Virtual Networking (15–20%) — Virtual networks, subnets, routing, load balancing, VPN, Azure ExpressRoute, network security
- Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (10–15%) — Azure Monitor, alerts, Log Analytics, backup, disaster recovery, Azure Site Recovery
Source: Exam AZ-104 Skills Measured ↗
Common skills at Cloud · Associate
Shared content for the Cloud domain at Associate level — not specific to this cert.
- Public cloud platform navigation and resource provisioning
- Identity and access management (IAM / role-based access control)
- Virtualization: VMs, containers, serverless primitives
- Storage: object, file, database services and redundancy strategy
- Networking: VPC/VNet, routing, firewalls, load balancing
- Monitoring and alerting (metrics, logs, dashboards)
- Infrastructure-as-code fundamentals (templates, declarative syntax)
- Cost management and resource optimization
- Basic security hardening (encryption, network isolation)
- API consumption and resource management via CLI/SDK
Recommended courses at Cloud · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Learn | AZ-104 Learning Path (MS Learn) | Free | ↗ |
| John Savill's Technical Training | AZ-104 Azure Administrator Study List (20 hrs) | Free | ↗ |
| John Savill's Technical Training | AZ-104 Administrator Associate Study Cram v2 (4 hrs) | Free | ↗ |
| Tim Warner | AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Crash Course (GitHub) | Free | ↗ |
| Scott Duffy | AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator (Udemy) | $14.99–$84.99 | ↗ |
| Pluralsight | Azure Administrator: Get Started (Tim Warner) | $299/year | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: Each course is specifically for AZ-104 (not generic Azure training). John Savill's and Tim Warner's free resources are highly regarded for structured preparation. Scott Duffy's Udemy course is popular for hands-on lab scenarios.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MeasureUp | Microsoft Practice Test AZ-104 (201 questions, official) | $79 | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator | $19.99–$49.99 | ↗ |
| Boson | ExSim-Max for Microsoft AZ-104 (252 questions, 3 full exams) | $99 | ↗ |
MeasureUp is the official Microsoft practice test provider and is considered the gold standard for exam simulation. Whizlabs offers good value with detailed explanations and Azure documentation links. Boson provides three full-length exams with comprehensive question feedback.
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam Ref AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator | Harshul Patel, Michael Washam, Jonathan Tullani, Scott Hoag | Microsoft Press | 2021 | 978-0136805380 | ↗ |
The Microsoft Press Exam Ref by Patel et al. is the official study guide aligned with the AZ-104 exam blueprint. First published in 2021 and updated to reflect 2025 changes (Entra ID, Bicep). Most recent printings include the revised exam objectives.
Typical job titles at Cloud · Associate
Azure Administrator · Cloud Operations Engineer · Azure Cloud Engineer · Cloud Support Engineer · Systems Administrator (Azure) · Junior Cloud Engineer
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list AZ-104 or equivalent Azure Administrator certification as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $129,689–$208,270 (25th–75th percentile) | Glassdoor ↗ |
| ZAR | R315,958–R623,218 | PayScale ZA ↗ · Glassdoor ZA ↗ |
| GBP | £45,000–£70,000 (median £50,000 nationally; £56,750 in London) | IT Jobs Watch ↗ |
Salary note: Data aggregated from current job postings (Jan–May 2026). USD range reflects Glassdoor data for Azure Administrator roles in the United States. ZAR figures from PayScale and Glassdoor South Africa. GBP drawn from IT Jobs Watch, which aggregates UK job vacancies; London salaries typically higher due to regional demand. Regional variations reflect cost of living and local Azure adoption rates.
Skills validated
Cert-specific — what this exam actually tests, distinct from the shared "Common skills" above.
- Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and identity management
- Azure role-based access control (RBAC) and custom roles
- Azure subscriptions, management groups, and governance policies
- Azure Storage (blob, file, queue, table services)
- Managed disks and unmanaged storage accounts
- Virtual machines (creation, scaling, patching, backup)
- Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS)
- Azure App Service (web apps, function apps)
- Containers and Azure Container Instances (ACI)
- Azure Container Registry (ACR)
- Virtual networks, subnets, and network security groups (NSG)
- Network routing and Azure ExpressRoute
- Azure Load Balancer and Application Gateway
- Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery
- Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
- Bicep and ARM template authoring
- Azure CLI and PowerShell resource management
- Cost management and Azure Advisor recommendations
Related certifications
- Stacks with: AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) ↗ — prerequisite foundation
- Prerequisite for: AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect Expert) ↗
- Equivalent at this level: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate ↗ · Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer ↗
- Vendor overview: Microsoft Certifications Overview ↗
Sources
- Microsoft Learn AZ-104 Certification page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-administrator/
- Exam AZ-104 Study Guide: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-104
- Exam AZ-104 Skills Measured: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/exams/az-104
- MeasureUp Official Practice Test: https://www.measureup.com/microsoft-practice-test-az-104-microsoft-azure-administrator.html
- Whizlabs AZ-104 Practice Exams: https://www.whizlabs.com/microsoft-azure-certification-az-104/
- Boson ExSim-Max AZ-104: https://boson.com/product/exsim-max-for-microsoft-az-104/
- Exam Ref AZ-104 (Patel et al., Microsoft Press): https://www.amazon.com/Exam-AZ-104-Microsoft-Azure-Administrator/dp/0136805388
- Glassdoor Azure Administrator Salary (USD): https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/azure-administrator-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm
- PayScale Systems Administrator Microsoft Azure (ZAR): https://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=Systems_Administrator/Salary/58b47fb8/Microsoft-Azure
- IT Jobs Watch Azure Administrator (GBP): https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/azure%20administrator.do
- John Savill's AZ-104 Study List: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlVtbbG169nHSnaP3SE06kkW6KV2sCBVy
- Tim Warner AZ-104 Crash Course (GitHub): https://github.com/timothywarner/az104
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: Microsoft Azure Ecosystem
Parent domain: Cloud Domain
Vendor overview: Microsoft Certifications Overview