What each level expects in every domain, side by side. Read a column to see what a role asks for; read a row to see how one domain hardens with seniority. Generated from IAM Skills Scoring Matrix v1.0.0.
The bar at each level
The weighted average of every domain target, which is what the interview kit and the self-assessment compare a score against. Customer IAM (CIAM) is optional and left out of these totals.
IAM Analyst (entry / early career)
1.5/ 5
Entry level
IAM Engineer (mid-level)
2.7/ 5
Associate level
Senior IAM Engineer / Lead
3.4/ 5
Strong practitioner
IAM Architect / Principal
4.1/ 5
Senior / lead depth
Every domain, every level
Darker is a higher bar. An arrow marks the rise from the level before.
| Domain | Weight | IAM Analyst | IAM Engineer | Senior IAM Engineer / Lead | IAM Architect / Principal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity Fundamentals & Directory Services | 10 | 2 | 3↑1 | 3.5↑0.5 | 3.5 |
| Authentication & Credentials | 12 | 2 | 3↑1 | 3.5↑0.5 | 4↑0.5 |
| Federation & Identity Standards | 13 | 1.5 | 3↑1.5 | 3.5↑0.5 | 4.5↑1 |
| Authorization & Access Models | 10 | 1.5 | 2.5↑1 | 3.5↑1 | 4↑0.5 |
| Identity Governance & Administration | 12 | 1.5 | 2.5↑1 | 3.5↑1 | 4↑0.5 |
| Privileged Access Management | 10 | 1 | 2.5↑1.5 | 3.5↑1 | 4↑0.5 |
| Cloud & Workload Identity | 12 | 1 | 3↑2 | 3.5↑0.5 | 4.5↑1 |
| Zero Trust & Modern Identity Architecture | 8 | 1 | 2↑1 | 3↑1 | 4.5↑1.5 |
| Identity Threats & Security Operations | 10 | 1.5 | 2.5↑1 | 3.5↑1 | 4↑0.5 |
| Compliance, Risk & Audit | 6 | 1.5 | 2↑0.5 | 3↑1 | 3.5↑0.5 |
| Automation & Engineering | 6 | 1.5 | 3↑1.5 | 3.5↑0.5 | 3.5 |
| Communication & Professional Skills | 5 | 2 | 2.5↑0.5 | 3.5↑1 | 4.5↑1 |
| Customer IAM (CIAM)Optional | 8 | 1 | 2↑1 | 3↑1 | 3.5↑0.5 |
What changes on the way up
Ordered by rise times weight: half a point where the role leans beats a whole point where it doesn't.
- Cloud & Workload Identity+2
- Federation & Identity Standards+1.5
- Privileged Access Management+1.5
- Authentication & Credentials+1
- Identity Governance & Administration+1
- Identity Fundamentals & Directory Services+1
- and 7 more, each rising by less
- Identity Governance & Administration+1
- Authorization & Access Models+1
- Privileged Access Management+1
- Identity Threats & Security Operations+1
- Zero Trust & Modern Identity Architecture+1
- Customer IAM (CIAM)+1
- and 7 more, each rising by less
- Federation & Identity Standards+1
- Cloud & Workload Identity+1
- Zero Trust & Modern Identity Architecture+1.5
- Authentication & Credentials+0.5
- Identity Governance & Administration+0.5
- Authorization & Access Models+0.5
- and 5 more, each rising by less
Targets are a bar to clear, not a ceiling. Nobody is every domain at once — the weighted average is what the level asks for overall.
Where do you sit on it?The self-assessment scores you against these exact bars, in about twenty minutes. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.Take the self-assessment