Main image of article Tableau Certification: What Certification You Need and How Much It Could Cost

Tableau software is a vital set of tools for data visualization. Its offerings, including Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder, are frequently used in many data science and B.I. teams’ workflows. But if you’re applying for a job that heavily involves Tableau, will having Tableau certifications give you an advantage amongst the talent pool?

Why should I learn Tableau?

Tableau, which began life as a data visualization company, is frequently used among data analysts, data scientists, and pretty much anyone who relies on data visualizations as part of their daily workflow. If you work with visualizations, it’s important to know how Tableau’s software suite works.

Tableau Software was acquired by Salesforce in 2019 for $15.7 billion, and now boasts a range of product offerings, including:

Like many other software platforms, Tableau has a huge portal loaded with tons of training videos—which is great for anyone who wants to learn it quickly. Most videos are roughly 30-60 minutes long, and really framed as training pieces for established data analysts. The ‘Learning’ platform also has whitepapers, links to certifications, and avenues for eLearning, classroom training, and in-person classes.

Does Tableau have an official certification? 

In short, yes—multiple certifications, in fact. Here’s a breakdown of Tableau certifications, how much they cost, and the product experience needed to land each:

There are also two “partner certifications”: Tableau consultant and Tableau architect. The Tableau consultant certification proves the bearer’s knowledge of “visual best practices and Tableau products” while the Tableau architect certification proves knowledge of “Tableau platform implementation, best practices and maintenance.”

Are there free certifications for Tableau?

Not run by Tableau itself. That being said, the company has a large portal with a lot of training materials and documentation, complete with free training videos. Virtual classroom training, however, comes with a hefty fee (i.e., thousands of dollars).

“If you’re just starting out with Tableau and data analysis, we recommend starting with ‘Desktop I: Fundamentals’ to learn how to build visualizations and interactive dashboards,” Sarah Hinrichsen, Program Manager – Trainer Enablement/Certification from Tableau, told Dice Insights in a recent article on Tableau training. “Once you have a basis in Tableau Desktop, ‘Desktop II: Intermediate’ takes many basic topics further with more complicated applications of the basic features and functions.

Other online-learning portals, such as Coursera and Udemy, have courses on offer, again for a fee (although often less than what Tableau itself charges; for example, Tableau-related courses on Udemy are as low as $40). 

Does a Tableau certification expire? 

Only one Tableau certification has no stated expiration date; the rest of the official Tableau jobs certifications need to be renewed after a period of a few years. If you’re a data scientist, data analyst, or other data-centric technologist interested in working with Tableau, that should serve as a solid incentive to keep your skills sharp. 

Conclusion

There are lots of visualization tools out there that tech professionals can rely upon to display their data. While you don’t need a certification in any visualization tool in order to land a job that involves data visualizations, a certification can help you stand out in a crowded field of applicants, especially for competitive jobs that involve lots of visualizing.