AWS Machine Learning Specialty

C
By Certalyze Research Desk Automated Research & Source Audit
Reviewed by Certalyze Source Audit Updated 2026-04-15
data-analytics Specialty Updated: 2026-04-15 Methodology

The AWS Machine Learning Specialty (MLS-C01) validates advanced expertise in building, training, tuning, and deploying machine learning models on AWS. It covers the full ML lifecycle from data engineering and exploratory analysis through model optimization and production deployment, making it a strong differentiator for ML engineers and data scientists working within the AWS ecosystem.

$145K
Avg Salary
60%
Pass Rate
20.0K
Job Listings
100h
Study Time
$300
Exam Cost

Is the AWS Machine Learning Specialty Worth It?

Strengths

  • Strong earning potential with an average salary of $145,000
  • High employer demand with 20.0K active job listings

Considerations

  • Moderate exam investment at $300
  • Challenging exam (8/10 difficulty) — requires significant preparation
  • Has prerequisites — not suitable for complete beginners

Bottom line: At $300 exam cost with an average salary of $145,000, the AWS Machine Learning Specialty offers a strong return on investment for data-analytics professionals.

Who Should Get the AWS Machine Learning Specialty?

This certification is a good fit if you are:

  • Anyone targeting roles that list AWS Machine Learning Specialty as preferred or required

This certification is a key step on the Machine Learning Engineer career path.

Exam Details

Exam CodeMLS-C01
Exam Cost$300 USD
Duration180 minutes
Questions65
Passing Score750/1000
ProviderAmazon Web Services
Difficulty8/10

Salary Data

Professionals holding the AWS Machine Learning Specialty certification earn between $120,000 and $180,000 annually, with an average of $145,000. For context, the Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer averages $150,000.

Job market demand trend: Growing

Disclaimer: Salary figures are US-median estimates compiled from BLS wage statistics, Glassdoor, and job-posting aggregates. They are estimates only, not financial advice or a guarantee of earnings. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, employer, and negotiation.

Prerequisites

  • 2+ years experience with ML/deep learning on AWS
  • AWS data analytics experience recommended

Skills Covered

Amazon SageMakerData Engineering on AWSExploratory Data AnalysisML Model Training & TuningML Implementation & OperationsComputer VisionNLP

Best Study Resources

Official

AWS Skill Builder — Machine Learning Path (Official)

 Course

Udemy — AWS Machine Learning Specialty Course

 Practice Exams

Tutorials Dojo Practice Exams — MLS-C01

 Documentation

AWS Machine Learning Documentation

Career Paths With AWS Machine Learning Specialty

Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning engineers design, build, and deploy ML models and pipelines that power intelligent ...

$95K – $200K +40% (2024-2034)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AWS Machine Learning Specialty worth it in 2026?
Yes. With over 20,000 job listings mentioning this certification, it remains one of the most valued ML credentials in the market. Certified professionals report an average salary of $145,000, significantly above non-certified peers.
How hard is the AWS Machine Learning Specialty exam?
It's considered one of the more challenging AWS exams with an estimated pass rate of 60%. The exam requires deep understanding of ML algorithms, data engineering pipelines, and AWS-specific ML services like SageMaker.
What prerequisites do I need for MLS-C01?
AWS recommends at least 2 years of hands-on experience with ML and deep learning workloads on AWS. Prior experience with data analytics services and a foundational AWS certification are helpful but not strictly required.
How long should I study for the AWS ML Specialty?
Most candidates report needing around 100 hours of dedicated study over 2-3 months. Those with strong ML fundamentals but less AWS experience should focus extra time on SageMaker and AWS-specific services.

Explore other options in data-analytics: Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer, and more in our Data & Analytics Certifications hub.

Sources for every data point

Each quantitative claim on this page is mapped to a verifiable source. Official vendor pages and government datasets are preferred; community estimates and editorial extrapolations are flagged explicitly.

Data point Source Tier Last checked
Exam duration Amazon Web Services — official exam guide
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Exam code Amazon Web Services — official certification page
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Passing score Amazon Web Services — official exam guide
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Exam price Amazon Web Services — official certification page
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Question count Amazon Web Services — official exam guide
Pattern-generated from vendor URL convention. Pending manual verification against the current exam guide PDF.
 Official verified 29d ago
Job listings LinkedIn — active US postings mentioning "AWS Machine Learning Specialty"
Count sampled quarterly; fluctuates daily.
 Aggregate verified 29d ago
Average salary Glassdoor — AWS Machine Learning Specialty role salary (US)
Aggregate from public salary postings. Cross-checked against BLS OEWS for the closest SOC category.
 Aggregate verified 29d ago
Salary range Glassdoor + Payscale — AWS Machine Learning Specialty salary distribution
10th–90th percentile derived from public salary aggregators.
 Aggregate verified 29d ago
Pass rate Community consensus — Amazon Web Services pass-rate discussions
Most vendors do not publish pass rates. Community data is self-reported with survivor bias.
 Community verified 29d ago
Study hours Community consensus — certification subreddits and TechExams threads
Typical range for candidates with modest prior experience in the domain.
 Community verified 29d ago
Demand trend LinkedIn + Indeed — multi-quarter listing comparison
Editorial summary of YoY listing change.
 Editorial estimate verified 29d ago

Data Sources & Transparency

  • Salary data — Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and job posting aggregates (US median)
  • Job listings — LinkedIn, Indeed, and Dice active postings (sampled quarterly)
  • Pass rates — Community-reported estimates from Reddit, TechExams, and certification forums
  • Exam details — Amazon Web Services official certification documentation
Last reviewed: 2026-04-15 Our Methodology Editorial Standards