How to Earn a Tableau Certification

Get certified in Tableau to qualify for higher-paying BI jobs with longevity. Gain a competitive edge and boost your resume with Tableau certification.
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Updated on April 5, 2023
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  • Tableau is one of the most popular data visualization tools.
  • Tableau offers multiple levels of professional certification.
  • Certification in Tableau can lead to higher wages and job growth.
  • Employers often prefer or require candidates with Tableau expertise.

Tableau is a well-known and very popular interactive data visualization tool, helping organizations make the most of their business analytics. Optimizing data collection and evaluation methods benefits many industries, including finance, marketing, and technology.

Tableau boasts a client list including Coca-Cola, Nike, Wells Fargo, and The New York Times.

Professionals can earn Tableau certification to boost their skills and pay. For example, Payscale reports an average annual salary of $67,740 for Tableau-certified data analysts as of April 2022, which is about $5,000 more than a standard data analyst.

Employers may favor Tableau-certified candidates for the highest-paying business intelligence jobs.

What Are the Requirements for a Tableau Certification?

Tableau offers multiple certifications for professionals seeking expert credentials in this software. Candidates must take an exam and meet other criteria to become certified. The following are the certification options offered by Tableau and their respective requirements.

  • Tableau Desktop Specialist
    • Exam fee of $100
    • Suggested Tableau experience of at least three months
    • Suggested prep courses in exam readiness and Tableau fundamentals
  • Tableau Certified Data Analyst
    • Exam fee of $250
    • Suggested Tableau experience of at least six months
    • Suggested prep courses in exam readiness, analyst learning path, and Tableau training
  • Tableau Server Certified Associate
    • Exam fee of $250
    • Suggested Tableau experience of at least six months
    • Suggested prep courses in Desktop I and server administration

    Tableau partners may also pursue server-based credentials as a Tableau certified associate consultant or a Tableau certified associate architect.

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    What Skills Will I Learn With a Tableau Certification?

    Here are crucial skills you'll learn from Tableau certification that can help prepare you for a data analytics job:

    • Data analysis
    • Understanding data
    • Filtering, sorting, and grouping data
    • Math and statistics
    • Data visualization
    • Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
    • Basic programming

    Is a Tableau Certification Worth It?

    As one of the most sought-after platforms in business intelligence, Tableau certification prepares experts for high-paying jobs with longevity. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a much-faster-than-average 22% job growth from 2020-2030 for market research analysts, including Tableau data analysts.

    Tableau-certified professionals may enjoy a career boost and command a higher salary than other non-certified tech positions. For people looking to switch into the data analytics field, a Tableau certification can help.

    What Jobs Can I Get With a Tableau Certification?

    Here are some careers a Tableau certification can help you break into:

    Business Intelligence Manager

    Business intelligence managers oversee data analysts and developers. They may oversee many projects and teams of Tableau analysts. Business intelligence managers also improve existing data collection methods and explore new analytics techniques.

    Analytics Manager

    Analytics managers transform raw data into digestible insights. Tableau-certified analytics managers develop software data collection and evaluation resources to optimize data reporting for a business or organization. They develop customized reports to assist clients in making holistic data-driven decisions.

    Tableau-Certified Consultant

    Expert consultants trained in Tableau can work with many clients at once in a concentrated capacity. They may earn certification through Tableau to consult with partnering companies, providing tailored data analytics advice to help drive informed marketing, development, and HR campaigns.

    How Much Money Can I Make With a Tableau Certification?

    Tableau-certified professionals reported earning an average base salary of $77,000 per year as of April 2022, according to Payscale. Tableau skills may also help analytics managers and business intelligence managers reach salaries of more than $103,000.

    Aspiring and current tech professionals with Tableau skills hold a competitive edge over other job candidates. Employers often prefer business intelligence professionals with expertise in analytics software like Tableau.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Tableau Certification

    How much does Tableau certification cost?

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    Tableau certification costs between $100-$250, varying from beginner-level to advanced credentials. While Tableau offers various options based on affordability, candidates may spend more on training and prep courses than they do on the exam.

    Some students also choose to enroll in a bootcamp or degree-granting program first, which contributes to the overall cost of eventual Tableau certification

    Is a Tableau certification worth it?

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    Yes, since Tableau skills are highly desirable in the business intelligence industry. Pursuing Tableau certification can boost a software developer's resume in computer and IT fields that boast high job growth and wages. Tableau-certified professionals tend to make a higher base salary than others with the same job title.

    Which certification is best for Tableau?

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    Professionals most commonly seek beginner (Tableau desktop specialist), intermediate (Tableau desktop certified associate), or advanced (Tableau desktop certified professional) certification.

    The Tableau desktop specialist certification suits aspiring entry-level data analysts and may meet the requirements for basic Tableau certification. Leveling up to the Tableau desktop certified associate certification demonstrates that a candidate holds more Tableau work experience and understands its functions in a single-machine environment.

    Advanced certification requires candidates to demonstrate expert-level applications of Tableau desktop through at least one year of experience. Students can also seek certification for Tableau server functions.

    What does it mean to be Tableau certified?

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    Tableau certification demonstrates a candidate's expertise in applying data visualization techniques through this software. Tableau-certified professionals can seek employment in nearly any industry, optimizing data leading to invaluable business insights for marketing and finance clients.

    Certification verifies to an employer that a candidate has experience in Tableau. It also confirms they passed the qualifying exam, proving their readiness for jobs requiring Tableau expertise.

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