UiPath vs. Automation Anywhere vs. Power Automate for RPA Careers

Last updated: October 2026. Exam fees and validity periods can change, so confirm them on each vendor's site before you pay.

If you're thinking about a career in robotic process automation (RPA), three names come up again and again: UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Microsoft Power Automate. This UiPath vs Automation Anywhere vs Power Automate comparison covers certifications, pay, and where to start.

All three automate repetitive computer work, like copying data between applications, filling out forms, and processing files. They differ in strengths, training, and certification paths.

One change affects anyone choosing between them. Microsoft retired its Power Automate RPA Developer Associate certification (PL-500) on June 30, 2026, and has not announced a direct replacement. That leaves UiPath and Automation Anywhere as the two with dedicated RPA developer certifications that new candidates can still earn.

The short answer: start with UiPath for a dedicated RPA developer career, choose Power Automate if you already work in Microsoft 365, and learn Automation Anywhere when your target employers use it.

What Each Tool Does and Who Uses It

RPA software handles repetitive computer work by interacting with applications, much like a person would. Some robots run on a person's computer while they work. These are attended robots. Others run on a server or virtual machine without someone starting each task. These are unattended robots.

UiPath

UiPath is built for organizations that want to create and manage automation across many business processes. You build workflows in UiPath Studio, and Orchestrator manages robots, schedules, and jobs.

That makes it a natural fit for the dedicated automation teams in large companies. Job posts often use titles like RPA Developer or UiPath Developer and list Studio and Orchestrator experience.

Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere focuses on enterprise automation through its Automation 360 platform. Developers build bots in a largely web-based environment and manage them centrally.

It's worth your time if the companies you want to work for already use it. Its training is free through Automation Anywhere University, and a free Community Edition account lets you practice.

Microsoft Power Automate

Power Automate is Microsoft's automation platform. Cloud flows connect services like Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, while Power Automate Desktop automates tasks in desktop applications.

It suits organizations that already run on Microsoft 365. A team might use it to save email attachments automatically or update records between business applications. Which features you get depends on your Microsoft subscription and licensing, so don't assume every plan includes everything.

Job titles can hide big differences. A Power Automate role in a Microsoft-heavy company and a UiPath role in a bank's automation team can both be posted as "RPA developer." The daily work is not the same.

Certifications Compared: Cost, Training, and What Changed

Here is how the three compare.

UiPath

UiPath Academy provides free training for the Automation Developer Associate certification. You only pay for the exam, which you can take at a test center or online with a remote proctor. For someone starting out, the Associate level is the right first target. If you fail, you wait two weeks before a second attempt and pay the fee again. Fees, retake rules, and validity are listed in UiPath's certification FAQ.

UiPath also offers an Agentic Automation Associate exam for people who want to combine automation with AI agents. That's worth exploring once you can build and maintain ordinary workflows.

Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere University offers free training, and its exams are taken online. The Essentials certification is listed as free. The Advanced certification costs $80 and has 60 multiple-choice questions, a two-hour limit, and an 80% pass mark. Each fee covers two attempts at the multiple-choice part. The Master certification costs $130, requires Advanced first, and adds a bot-building assignment.

Certifications last two years. Renewing before expiry costs $50 for Advanced and $80 for Master and uses a shorter exam. If you fail after your allowed attempts, you wait 30 days and pay the fee again. There is also a newer AI Automation Engineer certification that costs $250 and stays valid for one year, with one free renewal. The details are in the Automation Anywhere University FAQ.

Power Automate

People who earned PL-500 before retirement keep their credential, but new candidates can no longer earn it. The PL-900 Power Platform Fundamentals exam is still available. It covers the broader Power Platform rather than RPA development specifically, and it does not expire.

Microsoft's newer AI certification path includes AB-620, the AI Agent Builder Associate. It targets building AI agents with Copilot Studio, not desktop RPA.

So how do you show Power Automate skills without PL-500? Build working flows and explain them. For example, create a flow that saves email attachments to SharePoint, logs the file details, and sends you an alert when a step fails. Then write down how it starts, what happens when something goes wrong, and how you would maintain it.

One caution: older job ads may still ask for PL-500. Its retirement doesn't make Power Automate skills less valuable. Read the actual responsibilities in each posting.

Jobs and Pay: What Can You Expect?

RPA pay varies by country, experience, and employer. The figures below are mostly from the US and current as of mid-2026. Sources disagree, so treat them as ranges.

Glassdoor lists an average US RPA developer salary of about $113,000, with a typical range of roughly $88,000 to $147,000, based on 867 submitted salaries. ZipRecruiter shows a lower national average of about $105,000, with senior roles around $128,000 and lead roles around $134,000. Glassdoor's lead figure is higher, about $154,000, but it rests on only 16 reported salaries. The two sites also work differently: Glassdoor uses salaries people submit, while ZipRecruiter draws on job postings and third-party data.

In the UK, IT Jobs Watch shows a median of £42,500 for RPA developer ads in the six months to January 2026. That rests on a small number of ads, and it moves between snapshots: it was about £50,000 in the six months to May 2025. US salaries won't translate directly to Malawi or other countries, and a remote job may limit where you can live or pay based on your location.

Do certifications help you get hired?

They can, but most job posts don't require one. An analysis of 695 US process-automation job posts from November 2024 to January 2025 found that 32% requested a specific certification. The analysis covers process automation broadly, not only RPA developer roles. The credentials named most often included PMP and UiPath's developer certification, with Blue Prism, Power Automate, and Automation Anywhere certifications also on the list. The Power Automate one is PL-500, which has since been retired.

Employers also look for practical experience and the ability to build automations that work reliably.

What about AI?

Some job posts now list AI agent frameworks and large language models (LLMs) next to RPA tools. Vendors are adding AI credentials too: UiPath has agentic automation exams, Automation Anywhere has an AI Automation Engineer certification, and Microsoft's newest path focuses on agents. Get comfortable building dependable workflows first, then add AI to them.

Which One Should You Learn First?

The best choice depends on the jobs you want and what's available where you live.

Choose UiPath if you want a dedicated RPA developer career. It has free training, a dedicated developer certification, and tools (Studio and Orchestrator) that match what specialist RPA roles ask for. Start with the free Academy training, then consider the Associate exam when you're ready.

Choose Power Automate if you already use Microsoft 365. If your work involves Outlook, Excel, Teams, or SharePoint, you can automate familiar tasks and learn how cloud flows and desktop automation fit together. The trade-off is that you'll prove your skills through projects and experience, since PL-500 is closed to new candidates.

Choose Automation Anywhere if your target employers use Automation 360. Don't pay for its credential until you've confirmed it appears in the roles you want.

You don't have to commit to one forever. A company might use Power Automate for everyday Microsoft 365 workflows and UiPath for a complex process spanning several enterprise applications. Triggers, variables, data handling, error handling, and scheduling carry over between all three.

Before you pay for anything

1. Check the jobs you could realistically apply for. Search LinkedIn, Indeed, and local job boards for "UiPath Developer," "Power Automate Developer," and "Automation Anywhere Developer." Note the country, experience requirements, and actual responsibilities.
2. Start with the free training. Pick a beginner learning path and build something small as you go.
3. Build a small portfolio. Two or three projects are enough. One example: a workflow that checks incoming files for required fields and moves valid records into the right folder. Write down how it works, how it handles errors, and how you would monitor it for failures.

Then decide whether an exam is worth the fee. If the jobs you're targeting name a certification, it may be. If they focus on experience, spend more time building first.

Pick one tool this week, finish its free beginner path, and build your first project.

Which platform appears most often in the job posts you'd actually apply for?