How to become a Cloud Engineer: Job prospects, Salaries, Career Path, Certifications, and more

  • Cloud & IT
  • Certifications
  • Career
  • Published by: André Hammer on Feb 27, 2023

Are you considering becoming a cloud engineer? It is a pretty desirable field right now, and for good reasons. Cloud technology is becoming increasingly important in today's digital world and companies are in need of professionals who can design, implement, and manage cloud systems to help them achieve faster growth.

In recent years, the use of cloud technology has become almost universal. In fact, it is likely that you make regular use of technology that is based in the cloud in your day-to-day activities. Because of cloud technology, we are now able to do things like use an online email service, watch television or listen to music through our preferred streaming services, back up the images on our phones, and so much more.

If you choose the path of a Cloud Engineer, you will be working behind the scenes to ensure that everything continues to function properly.

As a cloud engineer, you get to work with some of the most cutting-edge technology. Plus, the demand for cloud engineers is only going up, so job prospects are bound to be pretty reliable. Not to mention, cloud engineers make a pretty decent salary too.

Additionally, the versatility of the field allows for a wide range of industries to utilize cloud technology, thus providing ample job opportunities for individuals with cloud engineering skills.

Cloud Computing: Career prospects In 2023

Cloud Computing has quickly emerged as one of the most promising new trends in the information technology sector. Despite the fact that the technology has been around for more than a decade, the number of people using it has skyrocketed in recent years. Taking into account this growth, cloud computing is certain to emerge as one of the key technological advancements in 2023. By 2028, it is anticipated that the market for cloud computing would have exceeded one trillion dollars. The market had phenomenal growth of 635% within the period of the last ten years, from 2010 to 2020 specifically.

Migration to cloud computing has been shown to result in cost reductions of up to 40 percent for an enterprise. A study conducted by Accenture found that businesses who switched to cloud computing may realize cost savings of up to 64% on their energy usage as well as reductions in their carbon emissions of up to 64%.

As more and more companies move their operations to the cloud to take advantage of its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, the need for professionals with expertise in cloud computing is only expected to grow.


What Do Cloud Engineers Really Do?

Cloud engineers are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining cloud-based systems, as well as ensuring that they are secure, reliable, and perform well. They work with cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and others to build and deploy cloud-based applications and services.

Cloud engineers typically have expertise in a variety of areas, including cloud architecture, networking, security, and automation. They work closely with other IT professionals, such as software engineers and system administrators, to ensure that cloud-based systems are designed and implemented according to best practices and standards.

Some of the key roles and responsibilities of cloud engineers include:

  • Designing and implementing cloud-based systems
  • Managing and monitoring cloud-based systems
  • Ensuring the security of cloud-based systems
  • Automating the deployment and scaling of cloud-based systems
  • Providing technical support and troubleshooting for cloud-based systems
  • There are different types of cloud engineers available, such as Cloud Solution Architects, Cloud DevOps Engineers, Cloud Security Engineers, Cloud Network Engineers, Cloud Data Engineers, etc.

A cloud engineer’s day-to-day tasks might include:

  • Helping organizations migrate their computer systems to the cloud
  • Configuring cloud infrastructure components like networking and security services
  • Creating the applications and databases that perform on the cloud
  • Monitoring cloud management and data storage services

Where Do Cloud Engineers Generally Work?

Cloud engineering is a highly sought-after skill in the tech industry, and cloud engineers typically have a wide range of career opportunities available to them. They can work in a variety of industries, such as finance, healthcare, retail, and more. Cloud engineers can also work for a wide range of companies, from small startups to large multinational corporations, as well as in government and non-profit organizations.

Becoming a cloud engineer is a great career choice for those who are interested in technology and want to work in an exciting and rapidly growing field.

Aside from job satisfaction and growth, Cloud Engineers also have great scope for large packages and salaries.


How Much Can You Make As a Cloud Engineer?

In terms of career opportunities, the demand for cloud engineers continues to grow as more and more companies are moving to the cloud. According to Indeed, the average salary for a cloud engineer in the United States is around $120,000 per year. With the increasing demand for cloud engineers, salaries are also expected to rise in the future. Different companies also have different standards of payment.

Cloud Engineer Salary: Based on the Employer

  1. Amazon
    Everyone has heard of Amazon. A Cloud Engineer at Amazon is paid a salary of USD 1,6,408 per annum.
  2. Google
    Google pays a salary of USD 85,000 per annum to its beginner Cloud engineers. Cloud engineering manager salaries are a lot more.
  3. Microsoft
    Everyone knows Microsoft for providing software services for various desktop, laptop, and mobile applications. It pays a starting salary of USD 78,189 per annum to its Cloud Computing engineers with minimum experience.
  4. Accenture
    A senior Cloud engineer's salary at Accenture is USD 151,692 per annum. Beginners however are paid a little less. Accenture is a renowned IT company and pays well to its Cloud engineers.
  5. Cisco
    Cisco is one of the top companies in the IT sector and pays a salary of USD 142,531 per annum to its Cloud engineers with minimum experience. The senior Cloud engineers have higher salaries. 
  6. Adobe
    Adobe is famous for its software services and pays a high salary of USD 151,658 per annum to its senior Cloud Computing engineers.

Fun Facts About Cloud Engineering:

According to a survey by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, as of 2021:

  • The most popular cloud platforms among cloud engineers are AWS (55%), followed by Azure (30%), and Google Cloud (22%).
  • The most popular container orchestration platform among cloud engineers is Kubernetes, used by 57% of respondents.
  • The most popular programming languages among cloud engineers are Python (62%), followed by JavaScript (38%), and Go (36%).
  • The most popular databases among cloud engineers are MySQL (41%), followed by PostgreSQL (38%), and MongoDB (30%).
  • The most popular cloud infrastructure automation tool among cloud engineers is Terraform, used by 42% of respondents.
  • In terms of job roles, the most popular among cloud engineers are systems administrator (47%), followed by software engineer (35%), and DevOps engineer (34%).
  • In terms of certifications, the most popular among cloud engineers are AWS Certified Solutions Architect (44%), followed by AWS Certified Developer (36%), and Azure Administrator (29%).
  • It's worth noting that these statistics are based on a survey and may not represent the entire population of cloud engineers.

How To Become a Cloud Engineer: A Step By Step Guide

Step 1: Foundation: Acquire the skills of a cloud engineer
Obtaining a solid foundation in computer science and programming is the first thing you need to do if you want to pursue a career as a cloud engineer. To get started, you need to have a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a discipline that is closely linked to it. You can still pursue a career in cloud engineering even if you do not have a degree in one of these subjects; nonetheless, you will need to have a thorough grasp of the concepts that are central to computer science, such as data structures, algorithms, and programming languages.

Step 2: Platforms: Select a cloud platform for specialization

After establishing a firm groundwork in the field of computer science, the next thing you need to do is acquire expertise working with cloud computing systems. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are currently the two cloud computing systems that have the largest user bases. These two different platforms each offer a large variety of services, such as storage, computation, and networking among other things. You may need to earn certifications in AWS and Azure if you wish to achieve a high level of expertise in these systems.

Step 3: Get Certified: Become a Certified Cloud Engineer 

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certifications are designed for those who want to work with AWS. To obtain these certifications, you will need to pass a series of exams that test your knowledge of AWS services and best practices. Microsoft Azure also offers certifications for its platform, including the Azure Administrator Associate, Azure Developer Associate, and Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

Step 4: Experience: Gather practical experience in cloud computing

In addition to certifications, it's important to have hands-on experience working with cloud computing platforms. This can be obtained through internships, personal projects, or by working on open-source projects. By gaining hands-on experience, you will be able to apply the concepts you have learned in a real-world setting and develop the skills that are necessary to become a successful cloud engineer.

Step 5: Don’t forget about cloud security

Another important aspect of becoming a cloud engineer is learning about cloud security. As companies move their data and applications to the cloud, it's crucial to ensure that their data is protected from cyber threats. To become proficient in cloud security, you will need to have a good understanding of security best practices, encryption, and identity and access management.


Becoming a cloud engineer requires a combination of education, experience, and certifications. By obtaining a solid foundation in computer science, gaining experience with cloud computing platforms, and learning about cloud security, you will be well on your way to a successful career as a cloud engineer. The field is rapidly growing, offers a competitive salary, and has a high demand for cloud engineers in the future, so it's a great time to start pursuing a career in cloud engineering.

Readynez Cloud Engineering Courses

In addition to this, at Readynez, we believe that it is impossible to compete in today's digital economy with yesterday's digital skills. Readynez is the digital skills concierge service that helps you ensure you have the tech skills and resources needed to stay ahead of the digital curve - and the competition.  To this end, we have been offering cloud engineering courses and certifications in the latest technologies from Microsoft, AWS, Cisco, Google, and more, since 2008. Our services are trusted by over 1,000 of the world's Top Companies and more than 40,000 "graduates" of our in-person courses. We also have tens of thousands more delegates online and an average course score of 8.23 (out of 10), with 10 being the most frequent score.

At Readynez, we are here to help you every step of the way. If you are confused about the career path to take, or what certifications you should invest in, all you have to do is get in touch with us. Our team of experts looks forward to guiding you to success!

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