diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/README.md
index 0ee1cbaba53f9..5bb2d7a9c4fbb 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/README.md
@@ -1050,7 +1050,23 @@ const topic = new sns.Topic(this, 'Topic');
 const task1 = new tasks.SnsPublish(this, 'Publish1', {
   topic,
   integrationPattern: sfn.IntegrationPattern.REQUEST_RESPONSE,
-  message: sfn.TaskInput.fromJsonPathAt('$.state.message'),
+  message: sfn.TaskInput.fromDataAt('$.state.message'),
+  messageAttributes: {
+    place: {
+      value: sfn.JsonPath.stringAt('$.place'),
+    },
+    pic: {
+      // BINARY must be explicitly set
+      type: MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY,
+      value: sfn.JsonPath.stringAt('$.pic'),
+    },
+    people: {
+      value: 4,
+    },
+    handles: {
+      value: ['@kslater', '@jjf', null, '@mfanning'],
+    },
+
 });
 
 // Combine a field from the execution data with
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/lib/sns/publish.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/lib/sns/publish.ts
index 16f10051f0531..8c37c35c9b9f9 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/lib/sns/publish.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/lib/sns/publish.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,63 @@
 import * as iam from '@aws-cdk/aws-iam';
 import * as sns from '@aws-cdk/aws-sns';
 import * as sfn from '@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions';
+import { Token } from '@aws-cdk/core';
 import { Construct } from 'constructs';
 import { integrationResourceArn, validatePatternSupported } from '../private/task-utils';
 
+/**
+ * The data type set for the SNS message attributes
+ *
+ * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html#SNSMessageAttributes.DataTypes
+ */
+export enum MessageAttributeDataType {
+  /**
+   * Strings are Unicode with UTF-8 binary encoding
+   */
+  STRING = 'String',
+
+  /**
+   * An array, formatted as a string
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html#SNSMessageAttributes.DataTypes
+   */
+  STRING_ARRAY = 'String.Array',
+
+  /**
+   * Numbers are positive or negative integers or floating-point numbers
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html#SNSMessageAttributes.DataTypes
+   */
+  NUMBER = 'Number',
+
+  /**
+   * Binary type attributes can store any binary data
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html#SNSMessageAttributes.DataTypes
+   */
+  BINARY = 'Binary'
+}
+
+/**
+ * A message attribute to add to the SNS message
+ *
+ * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html
+ */
+export interface MessageAttribute {
+  /**
+   * The value of the attribute
+   */
+  readonly value: any;
+
+  /**
+   * The data type for the attribute
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html#SNSMessageAttributes.DataTypes
+   * @default determined by type inspection if possible, fallback is String
+   */
+  readonly dataType?: MessageAttributeDataType
+}
+
 /**
  * Properties for publishing a message to an SNS topic
  */
@@ -23,6 +77,17 @@ export interface SnsPublishProps extends sfn.TaskStateBaseProps {
    */
   readonly message: sfn.TaskInput;
 
+  /**
+   * Add message attributes when publishing.
+   *
+   * These attributes carry additional metadata about the message and may be used
+   * for subscription filters.
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sns/latest/dg/sns-message-attributes.html
+   * @default {}
+   */
+  readonly messageAttributes?: { [key: string]: MessageAttribute };
+
   /**
    * Send different messages for each transport protocol.
    *
@@ -98,8 +163,95 @@ export class SnsPublish extends sfn.TaskStateBase {
         TopicArn: this.props.topic.topicArn,
         Message: this.props.message.value,
         MessageStructure: this.props.messagePerSubscriptionType ? 'json' : undefined,
+        MessageAttributes: renderMessageAttributes(this.props.messageAttributes),
         Subject: this.props.subject,
       }),
     };
   }
 }
+
+interface MessageAttributeValue {
+  DataType: string;
+  StringValue?: string;
+  BinaryValue?: string;
+}
+
+function renderMessageAttributes(attributes?: { [key: string]: MessageAttribute }): any {
+  if (attributes === undefined) { return undefined; }
+  const renderedAttributes: { [key: string]: MessageAttributeValue } = {};
+  Object.entries(attributes).map(([key, val]) => {
+    renderedAttributes[key] = renderMessageAttributeValue(val);
+  });
+  return sfn.TaskInput.fromObject(renderedAttributes).value;
+}
+
+function renderMessageAttributeValue(attribute: MessageAttribute): MessageAttributeValue {
+  const dataType = attribute.dataType;
+  if (attribute.value instanceof sfn.TaskInput) {
+    return {
+      DataType: dataType ?? MessageAttributeDataType.STRING,
+      StringValue: dataType !== MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY ? attribute.value.value : undefined,
+      BinaryValue: dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY ? attribute.value.value : undefined,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY) {
+    return { DataType: dataType, BinaryValue: `${attribute.value}` };
+  }
+
+  if (Token.isUnresolved(attribute.value)) {
+    return { DataType: dataType ?? MessageAttributeDataType.STRING, StringValue: attribute.value };
+  }
+
+  validateMessageAttribute(attribute);
+  if (Array.isArray(attribute.value)) {
+    return { DataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY, StringValue: JSON.stringify(attribute.value) };
+  }
+  const value = attribute.value;
+  if (typeof value === 'number') {
+    return { DataType: MessageAttributeDataType.NUMBER, StringValue: `${value}` };
+  } else {
+    return { DataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING, StringValue: `${value}` };
+  }
+}
+
+function validateMessageAttribute(attribute: MessageAttribute): void {
+  const dataType = attribute.dataType;
+  const value = attribute.value;
+  if (dataType === undefined) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+    if (dataType !== MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY) {
+      throw new Error(`Requested SNS message attribute type was ${dataType} but ${value} was of type Array`);
+    }
+    const validArrayTypes = ['string', 'boolean', 'number'];
+    value.forEach((v) => {
+      if (v !== null || !validArrayTypes.includes(typeof v)) {
+        throw new Error(`Requested SNS message attribute type was ${typeof value} but Array values must be one of ${validArrayTypes}`);
+      }
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+  const error = new Error(`Requested SNS message attribute type was ${dataType} but ${value} was of type ${typeof value}`);
+  switch (typeof value) {
+    case 'string':
+      // trust the user or will default to string
+      if (sfn.JsonPath.isEncodedJsonPath(attribute.value)) {
+        return;
+      }
+      if (dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.STRING ||
+        dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY) {
+        return;
+      }
+      throw error;
+    case 'number':
+      if (dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.NUMBER) { return; }
+      throw error;
+    case 'boolean':
+      if (dataType === MessageAttributeDataType.STRING) { return; }
+      throw error;
+    default:
+      throw error;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/test/sns/publish.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/test/sns/publish.test.ts
index e336d4c8d8a5d..5b81034e48cc2 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/test/sns/publish.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions-tasks/test/sns/publish.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as sns from '@aws-cdk/aws-sns';
 import * as sfn from '@aws-cdk/aws-stepfunctions';
 import * as cdk from '@aws-cdk/core';
-import { SnsPublish } from '../../lib/sns/publish';
+import { SnsPublish, MessageAttributeDataType, MessageAttribute } from '../../lib/sns/publish';
 
 describe('Publish', () => {
 
@@ -38,6 +38,154 @@ describe('Publish', () => {
       },
     });
   });
+  test('with message attributes', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+    const topic = new sns.Topic(stack, 'Topic');
+    const token = cdk.Token.asString('cakes can be resolved');
+
+    // WHEN
+    const task = new SnsPublish(stack, 'Publish', {
+      topic,
+      message: sfn.TaskInput.fromText('Publish this message'),
+      messageAttributes: {
+        cake: {
+          value: 'chocolate',
+        },
+        cakeCount: {
+          value: 2,
+        },
+        resolvable: {
+          value: token,
+        },
+        binary: {
+          value: 'a2345',
+          dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY,
+        },
+        binaryNumberIsString: {
+          value: 123456987,
+          dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.BINARY,
+        },
+        taskInput: {
+          value: sfn.TaskInput.fromJsonPathAt('$$.StateMachine.Name'),
+        },
+        executionId: {
+          value: sfn.JsonPath.stringAt('$$.Execution.Id'),
+        },
+        vendors: {
+          value: ['Great Cakes', true, false, null, 3, 'Local Cakes'],
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack.resolve(task.toStateJson())).toEqual({
+      Type: 'Task',
+      Resource: {
+        'Fn::Join': [
+          '',
+          [
+            'arn:',
+            {
+              Ref: 'AWS::Partition',
+            },
+            ':states:::sns:publish',
+          ],
+        ],
+      },
+      End: true,
+      Parameters: {
+        TopicArn: { Ref: 'TopicBFC7AF6E' },
+        Message: 'Publish this message',
+        MessageAttributes: {
+          binary: {
+            DataType: 'Binary',
+            BinaryValue: 'a2345',
+          },
+          binaryNumberIsString: {
+            DataType: 'Binary',
+            BinaryValue: '123456987',
+          },
+          cake: {
+            DataType: 'String',
+            StringValue: 'chocolate',
+          },
+          cakeCount: {
+            DataType: 'Number',
+            StringValue: '2',
+          },
+          resolvable: {
+            DataType: 'String',
+            StringValue: 'cakes can be resolved',
+          },
+          executionId: {
+            'DataType': 'String',
+            'StringValue.$': '$$.Execution.Id',
+          },
+          taskInput: {
+            'DataType': 'String',
+            'StringValue.$': '$$.StateMachine.Name',
+          },
+          vendors: {
+            DataType: 'String.Array',
+            StringValue: '["Great Cakes",true,false,null,3,"Local Cakes"]',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+  });
+  describe('invalid message attribute configurations', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const attributes: MessageAttribute[] = [
+      {
+        value: 2,
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING,
+      },
+      {
+        value: 'foo',
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.NUMBER,
+      },
+      {
+        value: 'foo',
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY,
+      },
+      {
+        value: ['foo', undefined, 2, true],
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY,
+      },
+      {
+        value: ['foo', { bar: 2 }, 2, true],
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY,
+      },
+      {
+        value: false,
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.STRING_ARRAY,
+      },
+      {
+        value: false,
+        dataType: MessageAttributeDataType.NUMBER,
+      },
+    ];
+    attributes.forEach((a) => {
+      test(`${JSON.stringify(a)} is not valid`, () => {
+        // WHEN
+        const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+        const topic = new sns.Topic(stack, 'Topic');
+        const task = new SnsPublish(stack, 'Publish', {
+          topic,
+          message: sfn.TaskInput.fromText('Publish this message'),
+          messageAttributes: {
+            test: a,
+          },
+        });
+
+        // THEN
+        expect(() => {
+          stack.resolve(task.toStateJson());
+        }).toThrow(/Requested SNS message attribute type was/);
+      });
+    });
+  });
 
   test('publish SNS message and wait for task token', () => {
     // GIVEN
@@ -188,4 +336,4 @@ describe('Publish', () => {
       });
     }).toThrow(/Unsupported service integration pattern. Supported Patterns: REQUEST_RESPONSE,WAIT_FOR_TASK_TOKEN. Received: RUN_JOB/);
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});