By Quick answer: AI engineer certifications or ML engineer certifications: which should I choose in 2027?
- Choose AI engineer certifications — you're a software engineer building AI features.
- Choose ML engineer certifications — you build and run ML models.
- Verdict — AI engineering suits developers; ML engineering suits data scientists.
- Before you pay — take a free practice test.
Key takeaways
- Choose AI engineer certifications if you're a software engineer building AI features.
- Choose ML engineer certifications if you build and run ML models.
- Check job posts in your target market before deciding.
AI engineer certifications and ML engineer certifications are often compared, but they suit different people. Here's a side-by-side comparison and a clear way to choose.
The options at a glance
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)Microsoft | Exam priced by country1 | 100 minutes | Free test |
| 2 | Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer AssociateDatabricks | $2002 | 90 minutes | Free test |
| 3 | AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1503 | Check issuer | Free test |
| 4 | Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning EngineerGoogle Cloud | $2004 | 2 hours, multiple choice | Free test |
| 5 | Generative AI with Large Language ModelsDeepLearning.AI & AWS / Coursera | Coursera plan5 | 2 weeks at 10 hours a week | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- AI-102 Practice TestPractise for Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) before you pay.Start free test →
- Databricks Generative AI Engineer Practice ExamPractise for Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate before you pay.Start free test →
- AWS ML Engineer Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
- Google Professional ML Engineer Practice ExamPractise for Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer before you pay.Start free test →
Each option, and who should choose it
- MicrosoftMicrosoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)AI engineerExam priced by country
- DatabricksDatabricks Certified Generative AI Engineer AssociateAI engineer$200
- AWSAWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateML engineer$150
Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country1
- Format
- 100 minutes
AI apps on Azure. Microsoft's associate exam proves you can build AI solutions on Azure, including generative AI, language and vision apps. It's a 100-minute exam priced by country, needs coding skills and renews free online each year.
Best forAI engineer
Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate
- Cost
- $2002
- Format
- 90 minutes
$200 GenAI. Databricks' associate exam proves you can design and build LLM applications on the Databricks platform, from data preparation to evaluation. It's 90 minutes and costs $200, so it suits data and AI engineers whose teams use Databricks.
Best forAI engineer
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate
- Cost
- $1503
$150 ML. AWS's associate exam proves you can prepare data, train, deploy and monitor machine learning models on AWS. It costs $150 and expects hands-on ML and AWS experience, making it a strong credential for ML engineers.
Best forML engineer
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer
- Cost
- $2004
- Format
- 2 hours, multiple choice
$200 ML. Google Cloud's professional exam tests production machine learning: framing problems, building pipelines and serving and monitoring models. It's two hours, costs $200 and is aimed at experienced ML engineers.
Best forML engineer
Generative AI with Large Language Models
- Cost
- Coursera plan5
- Time
- 2 weeks at 10 hours a week
LLM foundations. DeepLearning.AI and AWS's course explains how large language models work, how to fine-tune and evaluate them and how to deploy them. It takes about two weeks at ten hours a week and suits developers and data scientists with Python.
Best forboth
AI engineer certifications vs ML engineer certifications side by side
| AI engineer certifications | ML engineer certifications | |
|---|---|---|
| Builds | Apps using AI models and APIs | Models and ML pipelines |
| Certifications | AI-102, Databricks GenAI | AWS MLE, Google Cloud PMLE |
| Core skills | APIs, RAG, evaluation | Training, deployment, monitoring |
| Background | Software engineering | Data science and ML |
Table: AI engineer certifications vs ML engineer certifications
How to choose
- Choose AI engineer certifications — you're a software engineer building AI features.
- Choose ML engineer certifications — you build and run ML models.
- Still unsure — search job posts in your city for each name.
How we ranked these picks
We compared both options on cost, format, prerequisites and fit using official pages, checked 3 November 2026. Science of Apps has no commercial relationship with either issuer.
Frequently asked questions
Which is growing faster?
Both are in demand; AI/ML specialists are among the fastest-growing roles (WEF).
Do AI engineers need ML?
Less than ML engineers.
Which suits developers?
AI engineering.
Can I do both?
Yes; skills overlap.
Is there a free practice test for both?
Yes. Science of Apps offers free practice tests for both, instantly graded with a verifiable certificate.
Sources
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Databricks — Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google Cloud — Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & AWS — Generative AI with Large Language Models, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Certification Comparisons 2027: Head-to-Head Guides — related guide
- Free Online Certifications in 2027: 10 That Employers Respect — related guide
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Prove the skill before you pay for the exam.
Start with the free AI-102 Practice Test. 1,200+ free, test-based certifications graded on our server. Pass and get a founder-signed certificate with a credential ID employers can verify.