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Written and reviewed by Krishna Mohan — ADM-201, PD1, PD2, App Builder & Consultant certified. Updated for Winter '26. Methodology · Contact

Developer Certifications

12 certifications in this role. Pick one for practice questions and study materials.

Each certification has its own study guide, exam weightage, and practice questions. Start with the one that matches your goal. Each cert page has exam weightage and practice questions.

Salesforce Developer Career Overview

Entry Salary

$85,000–$115,000

Senior Salary

$115,000–$155,000

Time to First Cert

6–12 months

Typical Career Path

PD1 → PD2 → JavaScript Developer I (optional) → Integration Architect or Application Architect → CTA

Top Skills Required

ApexLWCSOQL/SOSLGovernor limitsREST integrationTest-driven development

What Does a Salesforce Developer Do Day-to-Day?

  • 1Writing Apex triggers, classes, and batch jobs following bulkification principles
  • 2Building Lightning Web Components (LWC) for custom UI requirements
  • 3Integrating Salesforce with external systems via REST/SOAP APIs
  • 4Writing unit tests with System.assert() and maintaining 75%+ code coverage
  • 5Deploying code via Change Sets, Salesforce CLI, or CI/CD pipelines

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first Salesforce developer certification?
Platform Developer I (PD1) is the recommended first developer certification. It tests Apex, Apex triggers, Lightning Web Components (LWC), governor limits, testing, and REST integration. No prior Salesforce certification is required, but ADM-201 knowledge is strongly recommended.
What is the difference between PD1 and PD2?
PD1 (Platform Developer I) tests foundational Apex, LWC, and deployment — the building blocks of Salesforce development. PD2 (Platform Developer II) tests advanced Apex patterns, integration architecture, performance optimisation, and complex data models. PD1 is required before PD2.
Do Salesforce developers need ADM-201 before PD1?
ADM-201 is not a formal prerequisite for PD1, but it is strongly recommended. PD1 assumes knowledge of the Salesforce data model, sharing model, and deployment process — all ADM-201 topics. Candidates who skip ADM-201 typically struggle with the Salesforce Fundamentals section of PD1.