Red Hat Certifications

An optional entry-level credential that validates the essential competencies needed to support Red Hat technology environments, demonstrating the foundational technical skills required to perform basic installation, configuration, and maintenance for a specific Red Hat product or technology.

Designated for professionals beginning their Red Hat certification path in the Systems Administration or Developer tracks, including junior IT and support roles performing day-to-day Red Hat product administration under guidance.

Systems administrator:

Relevant for system administrators focused on the daily operation of enterprise Linux servers, senior administrators managing multi-system or automated infrastructure environments, or professionals progressing toward the RHCE capstone designation. It demonstrates the core ability to manage enterprise servers in a production environment, focusing on essential skills such as user/group administration, storage configuration, and security hardening, validating the baseline competency required to ensure the reliability and stability of individual system deployments. 

It validates deep expertise in managing complex, multi-system environments and solutions requiring automation, bridging the gap between foundational administration and full-scale infrastructure management.

Developer:

Relevant for software developers that build and deploy containerized applications and senior software engineers or architects that design distributed or hybrid cloud applications, serving as the foundational credential required for advanced paths. It validates the core ability to design, build, and deploy containerized applications on a Red Hat platform, implementing business logic and managing application lifecycles. 

At this level, you demonstrate the high-level skills required to architect and implement complex, distributed applications and advanced integration strategies, including optimizing application performance, ensuring enterprise-grade security, and managing sophisticated data persistence across hybrid cloud environments.

Relevant for roles requiring proven end-to-end capability across the full systems administration or developer track, including senior engineers, infrastructure leads, and senior developers whose work spans both foundational and advanced responsibilities.

Must successfully earn both the foundational credential and its corresponding advanced credential within the same specialization. It recognizes comprehensive competency in managing, automating, and scaling complex environments at the enterprise level. 

Unlike our systems administrator/developer, engineer, and architect credentials, this designation has no prerequisites. This designation is awarded for mastery of a single, well-defined technical domain.

Relevant for individuals and teams responsible for a specific, specialized technical domain. It demonstrates deep proficiency in a specific functional area or high-value technology—such as virtualization, security hardening, or cluster management—to support specialized infrastructure or development requirements. 

Relevant for enterprise architects, principal engineers, and technology leads responsible for designing and governing large-scale Red Hat environments, and for senior technical hiring where breadth across the platform, not only depth in one area, is a requirement. This is the highest level within Red Hat Certification, automatically conferred upon individuals who hold a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) credential and three distinct Red Hat Certified Specialist (RHCS) credentials within the same specialization.

At this level, you’re able to design, manage, and lead complex, large-scale enterprise architectures that integrate multiple technologies and domains.