CCNA vs AWS Advanced Networking — which one, when, and why

Every year more US networking students hit the same fork: should I skip CCNA and go straight to AWS Advanced Networking?

Short answer: no — but the reason isn’t what most people say. Here’s the honest breakdown of how these certs compare, which one signals what to US employers, and whether “both” is worth it (yes, but not in the order most people assume).

What each cert actually is

CCNA (Cisco 200-301, v1.1)

Cisco’s flagship entry-level networking cert. Vendor-specific — you’ll read show ip route output, configure OSPF and ACLs on Cisco IOS, and interpret real Cisco topology diagrams.

• Prerequisite: none. Truly entry-level.
• Prep time: 12–20 weeks at 4–6 hrs/week for a working IT technician.
• Exam cost: $300. Passing score ~825/1000 (Cisco doesn’t publish exact).
• Valid: 3 years.

AWS Advanced Networking — Specialty (ANS-C01)

AWS’s specialty-level certification for cloud networking. Focused on VPC design, hybrid connectivity (Direct Connect + VPN), Transit Gateway, Route 53 DNS, CloudFront, Global Accelerator, and multi-account network architectures.

• Prerequisite (recommended): AWS Solutions Architect Associate + 5 years of networking experience.
• Prep time: 8–16 weeks for someone who already has AWS SAA-C03 and networking foundations. Longer if starting cold.
• Exam cost: $300.
• Valid: 3 years.

Notice the prerequisite line. AWS calls this a specialty cert. It sits on top of networking fundamentals, not instead of them.

Why the “skip CCNA” logic falls apart

The pitch usually goes: “The industry is going cloud. Cisco is legacy. Go straight to AWS networking.”

Three problems with that thinking:

1. AWS Advanced Networking assumes you already know networking. The exam expects you to know how BGP works, how routing tables build, what an AS-path is, and how DNS resolution flows end-to-end. Nothing on the exam teaches you those. If you don’t know them, you fail — and you don’t have any way to build them from scratch on AWS’s platform alone.

2. The US job market for “cloud network engineer” wants BOTH. Look at cloud NetEng job descriptions at Cisco (yes, Cisco hires them), Amazon Web Services itself, Microsoft, Google, and enterprises like JPMorgan and Capital One. They read: “CCNA or equivalent networking foundation + AWS Advanced Networking + hybrid experience.” The “or equivalent” almost never means self-taught — it means CCNA + hands-on lab time.

3. Cisco is not “legacy.” US enterprises run massive amounts of Cisco gear. Every AWS Direct Connect connection has a Cisco (or Juniper, or Arista) router on the customer side. Every cloud-connected enterprise IS a hybrid enterprise. Skills in on-prem networking are how you get hired to bridge that hybrid.

What each cert lands you in the US market

CCNA — the standard opening. Junior NetEng, MSP Tier-2, NOC L1, network technician. Base salary $60–75k median. Solid trajectory into CCNP + senior engineering.

AWS Advanced Networking — the specialty add-on. Cloud NetEng, SRE-lean roles, Cisco / AWS partner sales engineer. $120–160k+ base salary, but ONLY when paired with underlying networking knowledge (i.e., CCNA-equivalent or better).

The specific job title patterns you’ll see in US networking postings for 2026:

• “Cloud Network Engineer” — CCNA foundation + AWS ANS + 3+ years networking experience
• “Sr. Cloud Network Engineer” — CCNP + AWS ANS + Azure Network Engineer + 5+ years
• “Cloud Solutions Architect (Networking Focus)” — CCNP + AWS Advanced Networking + AWS SAA-P
• “Network Reliability Engineer (SRE)” — CCNA + AWS ANS + Python + Terraform

Salary reality (US medians, 2026)

Certification stack	US base salary median
Network+ only	$50–62k
CCNA only	$60–75k
AWS Solutions Architect Associate only	$70–90k
AWS Advanced Networking only (no CCNA)	Hard to place; most jobs require networking foundation
CCNA + AWS Solutions Architect Associate	$85–105k
CCNA + AWS Advanced Networking	$110–140k
CCNP + AWS Advanced Networking	$130–170k
CCNP + AWS Advanced Networking + hybrid + Terraform	$150–200k

“AWS Advanced Networking only” without CCNA-level networking foundation is genuinely harder to place. Employers see it and either assume you already have the fundamentals (and interview to check) or worry you don’t.

Suggested order

If you’re starting from IT technician / help-desk:

1. CCNA first (12–20 weeks). Foundation. Cisco IOS. Vocabulary US recruiters know.
2. AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) next (~8 weeks). Learn how AWS is put together — VPC, EC2, S3, IAM, RDS.
3. AWS Advanced Networking Specialty (ANS-C01) as an optional deep-dive (~8-12 weeks). This is where the salary jumps.

Skipping (1) to go straight to (3) is why so many people fail AWS ANS the first time. The exam questions assume network fundamentals that only CCNA-level study builds.

What if I already have CCNA and want cloud?

Skip Solutions Architect Associate if you’re eager — go straight to AWS Advanced Networking. Most CCNA holders find ANS-C01 concepts intuitive; the AWS-specific parts (VPCs, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect) are the new material.

Two-cert path: CCNA + AWS Advanced Networking Specialty. That’s a strong US market signal that you understand both worlds.

What if I already work in AWS but no networking background?

Take CCNA. Yes, even if you’re already handling networking tickets. The vocabulary gap between AWS-only cloud engineers and traditional network engineers is real, and it shows up in interviews. Sitting CCNA gets you fluent in the language everyone else uses.

You can plausibly parallel-track CCNA + AWS ANS if you already have SAA. Twelve weeks of focused study on both isn’t insane.

Common questions

Q: Is AWS Advanced Networking “harder” than CCNA? A: Different kind of hard. CCNA has more raw material to learn (100+ topics, Cisco IOS commands, exam performance-based sections). AWS ANS assumes you know those and layers hybrid connectivity + AWS-specific patterns on top. The AWS exam is shorter but each question tests deeper synthesis.

Q: Do I need AWS SAA before AWS ANS? A: AWS recommends it. Most people find that having SAA (or SAA-Professional) as the foundation makes ANS feasible. Skipping SAA is possible but reduces first-attempt pass odds significantly.

Q: What about Azure Network Engineer Associate? A: If your target employers are Microsoft-shop (many US federal, healthcare, universities), Azure Network Engineer Associate is the equivalent of AWS Advanced Networking. Career path: CCNA → Azure Network Engineer → Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

Q: What about Google Cloud Networking Engineer? A: Third-tier in the US market. Most cloud-networking hiring is AWS-first, Azure-second, GCP a distant third. Only relevant if you specifically want a GCP-shop role.

Q: Is there a cloud-first cert that doesn’t require CCNA-level networking? A: AWS SAA-C03 is doable without CCNA-level networking depth — it’s more about services than networking. But cloud NetEng roles specifically expect networking foundation.

Q: If I only had $300 to spend, which exam would I sit? A: CCNA. Broader ceiling for a US networking career.

Cheat strip

Situation	Path
Zero networking, entry-level IT	CCNA first (skip AWS ANS until later)
Solid networking, want cloud NetEng	CCNA + AWS ANS (Solutions Architect optional)
Already have AWS SAA, no networking	CCNA in parallel with ANS if possible
Working AWS engineer, no CCNA	CCNA to close the vocabulary gap
Fortune 500 hybrid role target	CCNP + AWS Advanced Networking
DoD / federal contractor	Network+ (or CCNA) + AWS ANS if the org uses AWS

Next step

If you’re deciding between CCNA and AWS: CCNA first, then decide about AWS after you have it. Cost of “wrong choice” is much lower when CCNA is the first move — it doesn’t lock you out of anything.

If you want mentorship on the CCNA path with an explicit eye toward transitioning into cloud NetEng afterward, that’s what we do — book a 20-minute plan call and we’ll map your timeline.