How to Become an Azure Developer in 2025 [Step-by-Step Guide]

The last ten years have seen a powerful revolution in cloud computing. A large number of businesses have been successful in utilizing cloud computing for a variety of advantages. Businesses no longer need to spend a fortune installing servers or renting servers from data centers. As a result, cloud service providers are now well-known in the computing industry.

Microsoft Azure is a well-known brand in the modern cloud computing industry. The strong demand for Azure Developer jobs is a sign of Microsoft Azure's popularity. You can decide to become an Azure Developer and begin your career there. Starting a good career in the Azure involves a number of benefits thus, it is not easy. To achieve the objective, it is crucial to start with the proper step and stay on the right path. The post that follows will assist you in learning the fundamentals of how to become an Azure developer, along with examples of necessary skills and certifications. 

Who is an Azure Developer?

The development and implementation of cloud-based services and applications is the responsibility of Azure developers. Every element of the development process, including planning, creating, and deploying solutions, as well as testing and sustaining them, involves them. To implement the solution, they collaborate closely with clients and other cloud experts including solution architects, DBAs, and administrators.

Utilizing Microsoft platform technologies and Azure, these developers design, develop, and alter current software components, online apps, and database objects. They also guarantee interoperability and scaling. Azure developers work closely with clients, operations teams, cloud administrators, and architects to mitigate sophisticated attacks. They are also in charge of resolving problems that may occur after applying or integrating different components.

Together with other operations teams, Azure developers create work plans that account for uncertainty, script the environment, and define and explain business needs. They correctly select the services that will allow them to create user interfaces and systems that are effective.

Why Choose Azure Developer?

Due to its growing popularity, Microsoft Azure remains the perfect platform for experienced tech experts to master. MarketWatch reports that Microsoft Azure Training is adding 120,000 new clients per month. Businesses prefer Azure because of its familiarity with Windows, simplicity in scaling, cost-effectiveness, and hybrid-friendly compatibility; as a result, demand for Azure developers is still high. It makes sense to acquire the abilities required for a field that has a lot of work chances and future growth for this reason. Architecture Microsoft Azure will help you learn to manage decisions for functional areas affecting overall solutions.

Being an expert with Azure will also increase your market value even if you already work as a developer for a company. You simply need to develop the appropriate abilities, and enrolling in an expert Azure training course can help you advance toward your objective.

Microsoft Azure is one of the most widely utilized cloud computing platforms today by businesses worldwide. This is the ideal industry for the motivated individual who wants to take advantage of the opportunities it offers in game-changing technology. Hence it becomes all the more important to be certified to work with Azure.

How to Become an Azure Developer?

Where and how does one begin? Whether you are new to cloud computing or an experienced user wishing to update, a conscious effort and commitment are necessary on how to become an Azure developer. Although no developer travels the same path, following these guidelines might assist you on how to become Azure developer.

1. Learn Programming Languages

Learning computer languages and web development in-depth is the first step in becoming an Azure developer. Azure services heavily rely on languages like JavaScript, Java, HTML, ASP.NET, and C#. You can do this by enrolling in a coding bootcamp or earning a degree in computer engineering.

2. Get Practical Cloud Computing Experience

The next step for you should be to apply for a job in the industry. It will give you programming experience and introduce you to the complex inner workings of Azure services and cloud technology. To specify the goals of the company, you will work with other teams and clients.

3. Writing the Certification Exam

The final stage in developing an Azure specialization is to pass the various levels of exams to earn a professional certification. Any CV would benefit from including certifications, which demonstrate to potential employers your dedication to your field.

Path Towards Becoming an Azure Developer 

With a primary focus on planning, developing, testing, and supporting cloud solutions including services and applications, Microsoft Azure Developer certification is the ideal choice for Azure developers. Candidates that excel at creating services, applications, security maintenance, storage, and communications using the Azure cloud platform are the best fit for the certification due to its emphasis on these skills. Let us look at how to become an Azure developer. 

You need to pass the Microsoft Azure Developer certification (AZ-204) to be eligible for the Azure Developer Associate position. Prerequisites for AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Exam are:

• The candidate should be familiar with the fundamentals of IT operations, data management, and data security.
• The applicant must have at least a year's worth of experience creating scalable solutions.
• The candidate should be familiar with the fundamental ideas of Azure development and DevOps.
• Candidate should be proficient in at least one programming language that is supported by the cloud.

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification (Exam AZ-204) covers several domains, and each domain is weighted differently in the exam. The following domains are typically covered in this certification, along with their approximate exam weighting:

• Create Azure IaaS Compute Solutions (Exam Weight: 10–15%)
• Develop Azure Storage (15–20 percent of the exam weight)
• Azure Security Implementation (10–15% Exam Weight)
• Azure Solutions Monitoring, Optimization, and Troubleshooting (15–20% Exam Weightage)
• Connect to and use Azure services as well as third-party services (20–25% Exam Weightage)

Skills Needed to Become an Azure Developer Specialist

The most important component of the solutions for how to become an Azure developer is skills. Find out the necessary knowledge and skill areas before you begin Azure training course preparations. Perfecting these fundamental skills and abilities can be a fantastic starting point on your path to becoming an Azure developer.

• Resilient Application Design: Building resilient applications is a primary goal in cloud development. Azure developers should design applications that can recover from failures, handle temporary issues gracefully, and remain available and responsive under varying conditions.
• In-Depth Knowledge of Microsoft Ecosystem: An in-depth knowledge of Microsoft apps will point you to the proper route because Azure is owned by Microsoft. The key competencies you need to excel in this sector are listed below.
• Cloud Computing Skills: Cloud computing is the third and most important ability you need to get developer jobs on the Azure platform. Working with well-known cloud computing platforms like Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure services is a need for an Azure professional. You must be able to use Azure functionalities and IaaS solutions. Enrolling in a cloud computing course will help you be an expert in this domain. The Cloud Computing course duration can vary widely depending on several factors, including the level of the course, the institution or training provider, the specific content covered, and the format of the course.
• Programming Proficiency: Programming is the next crucial ability that you require. Application design and development are done by Azure developers. It is required to be familiar with object-oriented programming languages like JavaScript, HTML, and C#. By using online classes and bootcamps, you may quickly learn programming languages.
• Management of databases: To build, update, administer, and maintain the Azure SQL database, developers require a strong foundation of tools. Azure data storage should be possible, and the database system should be open and scalable.
• Adapt to Cloud-Specific Skills: Azure developers need to adapt to cloud-specific skills and services provided by Azure, including those related to scalability, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Leverage Cloud Capabilities: Cloud platforms like Azure offer powerful features for data management, scalability, authentication, and more. Developers should leverage these capabilities to add value and avoid reinventing the wheel.
• Develop for Unpredictability: Cloud environments can be unpredictable due to server management by the cloud provider. Avoid relying on local resources and instead use external services. Develop apps for an environment where resources may change dynamically.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Cloud costs are based on usage, so Azure developers should design applications that can efficiently scale up and down as needed to avoid unnecessary expenses.
• Scalability: Design applications and data structures that can scale effectively in a cloud environment. Minimize latency, handle consistency, and create systems that work across distributed application instances.
• Monitoring and Diagnostics: Develop applications that provide a clear picture of system health. Utilize Azure Monitor, detailed logging, and diagnostic tools to diagnose and debug production issues.

Certification Needed for a Job in Azure Developer

There are several different levels on the certification path to becoming an Azure expert. At each level, you will be required to take a certification exam. This guarantees that Azure professionals have a broad and thorough education. 

1. Fundamentals of Microsoft Certified Azure (AZ 900)

AZ-900 certification is designed for individuals who are new to cloud computing and Azure. It serves as an excellent entry point for those looking to build a foundational understanding of Azure. The AZ-900 exam covers key topics, including cloud concepts, basic Azure services, solutions, and administration tools. It assesses your knowledge of service level agreements, Azure cost and management, as well as general and network security. This certification is a great starting point for beginners in the Azure ecosystem and helps establish a strong base for further specialization. 

2. Associate Microsoft Certified Azure Developer (AZ 204)

AZ-204 associate certification attests to the holder's comprehensive knowledge of computing solutions, such as Platform-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, and Function-as-a-Service. It guarantees that the holder can create and oversee Azure storage. The Azure Developer Associate certification is for individuals with a comprehensive understanding of Azure's computing solutions, which include Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), and Function-as-a-Service (FaaS). 

It validates your ability to develop cloud-native applications, manage Azure storage, and work with various Azure services. This certification is valuable for developers who want to specialize in building applications and solutions on the Azure platform.

3. Microsoft Distinguished DevOps Engineer (AZ 400)

The DevOps Engineer Expert certification is intended for experienced DevOps professionals and is not specific to Azure developers. It covers a wide range of skills and knowledge areas related to DevOps practices. AZ-400 certification demonstrates your ability to create instrumentation and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) strategies, establish security and compliance plans, manage source control, and handle hybrid cloud workloads. 

It is particularly suitable for those in advanced DevOps roles who want to excel in orchestrating the development and deployment of software in a DevOps environment. With this certification, you can prove that you can create an instrumentation strategy, an SRE strategy, a security and compliance plan, manage source control, and manage hybrid cloud workloads. For developers who are later in their careers, this qualification is crucial.

The architecture Microsoft Azure certification (304) is designed for professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in designing complex solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform. This certification validates your skills in various areas, including solution design, architecture, integration, and security on Azure.

Azure Developer Exam Details

Azure Developer certification exam (AZ 204) assesses your technical proficiency in developing solutions for Azure compute and storage, implementing Azure security, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing Azure solutions, as well as connecting to and using third-party services. When you start the exam, you will be able to choose the programming language (Python or C#) that will be used in the questions.

The exam lasts 120 minutes and consists of 40–60 questions chosen at random from a variety of use-case scenarios, coding questions, true/false questions, and questions about Azure development. The exam registration fee is $165 USD. You need to score 70% and above to pass the AZ-204 exam.

You will be tested on various skills on how to:

• Create solutions for Azure computing
• Create for the Azure storage
• Adopt Azure security
• Monitoring, resolving, and improving Azure solutions
• Connect to and use third-party services and Azure services.

Azure Developer Exam Retake Policy

Microsoft Learn offers certification renewal services without any cost. The certification is valid for one year and six months before the certificate's expiration, the renewal period begins. You have a limited amount of time before the certificate expires to complete a free online assessment and extend the certificate by one year from its current expiration date.

Salary of Azure Developer Experts

Country	Average Base Salary	Range
USA	$111,000	$87,000 to $141,000
Canada	C$85,000	C$67,000 to C$96,000
UK	£44,000	£35,000 to £56,000
India	₹690,000	₹450,000 to ₹990,000

Conclusion    

To conclude, Microsoft Azure has become a leading cloud computing platform, offering a wide range of services and solutions to businesses. Its flexibility, scalability, and security features make it a popular choice for companies looking to optimize their IT infrastructure and workflows. Azure provides robust security features and compliance certifications, ensuring that data and applications are protected from threats and breaches. 

This is particularly important as data security is a top concern for businesses. The moment is now to integrate cloud services into your company while also recruiting Azure developers that can oversee platform management and everyday platform upkeep. KnowledgeHut Architecture Microsoft Azure will help you design and implement advanced infrastructure solutions in Azure.