A cloud engineer is an IT professional who builds and maintains cloud infrastructure. Cloud engineers can have more specific roles that include cloud architecting (designing cloud solutions for organizations), development (coding for the cloud), and administration (working with cloud networks). In this article, we'll go over cloud engineer opportunities, including salary and growth.

If you're interested in starting down this in-demand career path, you can prepare for an entry-level role with one of the top three cloud providers in the world through the AWS Cloud Support Associate Professional Certificate program. In as little as three months, you'll master advanced troubleshooting techniques and learn to develop AWS solutions tailored to the needs of customers.

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AWS Cloud Support Associate

Launch your career in cloud computing. Build job-ready skills and gain credentials to go from beginner to job-ready in 4 months or less. No degree or prior experience required.

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Software Development, Information Technology, Customer Service, Cloud Computing, Problem-Solving, Programming, Communication Skills, Interviewing, Product Support, Cloud Computing Architecture, Resume Best Practices, Amazon Web Services, Technical Communication, Architecture Evaluation, Artificial Intelligence, Technical Consulting, Software Architecture, Technical Support, Debugging, Troubleshooting, Network Troubleshooting, Technical Documentation, Career Building, Automation Scripting, Databases, Serverless Computing, Python, API Gateway, Programming Principles, Amazon DynamoDB, Relational Databases, AWS Lambda, NoSQL, Microservices, Application Development, Development Environment, Scripting, Serverless Architectures, Automation, Cloud Applications, Service Oriented Architecture, Python Programming, Database Systems, Web Servers, Public Cloud, Cloud Services, Project Management, Data Analysis, Network Security, Data Centers, Operating Systems, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), General Networking, Web Applications, Javascript, Cloud Computing Security, Servers, Amazon S3, Computer Systems, Computer Hardware, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, IT Infrastructure, Command-Line Interface, operating systems, File Management, networking, Network Administration, Linux Commands, Network Protocols, Linux Administration, Infrastructure, devops, Linux, communication, Scenario Testing, Cloud Security, Load Balancing, AWS Identity and Access Management, Networking on AWS, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Scalability, Containerization, AWS Management Console, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Virtual Machines, Cloud Storage, Cloud Infrastructure, Amazon CloudWatch, aws security, Continuous Monitoring, Shell Script, Continuous Integration, Bash (Scripting Language), Software Testing, Application Programming Interfaces (API), Patch Management, AWS CloudFormation, Configuration Management, security, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), IT Automation, Innovation, Cloud Solutions, Generative AI, Networking, Problem Management, Root Cause Analysis, Customer Relationship Management, Relationship Management, Collaboration, Communication, Verbal Communication Skills

What is a cloud engineer?

You probably use cloud-based technology frequently in your everyday life, such as watching TV or listening to music on your favorite streaming services. For a company, it means data can be stored and backed up more easily, software updates can be rolled out on-demand, and customers may be able to access their information from different devices.

As a cloud engineer, you’ll work behind the scenes to keep those systems running. Cloud engineers build IT infrastructure for businesses, establishing their services on the cloud so that they can scale and accelerate their operations.

Cloud engineer salary and job growth

A cloud engineer makes an average salary of $145,707 in the US as of April 2025, according to Glassdoor [1]. Cloud computing is also expected to grow in the next decade as companies continue to adopt cloud technology. Cloud engineers are in the top 15% of in-demand technology roles in 2025 according to a study by Robert Half [2].

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AWS Cloud Technology Consultant

Start a career as a Cloud Technology Consultant. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills to advise clients on the use of cloud technology to meet business objectives. No degree or experience required.

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Cloud Computing Security, Data Management, Interpersonal Communication, Cloud Architecture, teamwork, Cloud Management, Problem Solving, Cloud Strategy, Continuous Integration, security, Automation, Software Testing, Version Management, Data Warehouse, Data Analysis, Database (DBMS), Data Architecture, Extraction, Transformation And Loading (ETL), Project Management, Information Technology, Cloud Computing, Technical Troubleshooting, Cloud Storage, Cloud Infrastructure, Customer Support, Software Architecture, Web Development, Cloud API, Python Programming, Application Programming Interfaces (API), AWS Management Console, AWS Identity and Access Management, Networking on AWS, aws security, Management, Implementation, Migration, Troubleshooting, strategy, Reliability, Cost Optimization, Performance Efficiency, Operational Excellence

What does a cloud engineer do?

A cloud engineer’s role can look fairly different depending on the company they work for. Cloud technology has become ubiquitous in recent years with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud making up three of the biggest cloud computing platforms. (Learn more about their key differences.) An organization may need to help plan and design infrastructure for a business to establish itself on a cloud computing platform, or work to maintain a system that's already in place.

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

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Preparing for Your Associate Cloud Engineer Journey

This course helps you structure your preparation for the Associate Cloud Engineer exam. You will learn about the Google Cloud domains covered by the exam ...

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Cloud Computing, Google Cloud Platform, Computer Architecture, Computer Networking, Computer Programming Tools, Data Analysis

How to become a cloud engineer

By getting the right skills, experience, and perhaps a certification, you can prepare to compete for cloud engineering jobs.

1. Develop relevant skills.

IT jobs that can have cloud-related tasks include systems engineer, network engineer, and database administrator. If you’re already in an IT role, keep an eye out for opportunities to grow in these areas. 

• Cloud platforms: It’s generally recommended that you learn one cloud platform well, instead of having minimal knowledge of several. By market share, the four largest cloud infrastructure providers are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud. Much of what you learn in one cloud platform may be transferable to another, with slight variations.

• Data storage and security: How to access, store, and protect data are each an important part of a cloud worker.

• Networking: Having knowledge of networking basics and virtual networks will be useful in integrating networks with cloud services.

• Programming: Common languages used in cloud computing include Python, Java, Golang, or Ruby. 

• Operating systems: You should have a strong understanding of operating systems such as Windows and Linux.

Read more: DevOps Engineer vs. Cloud Engineer: Which Career Path Is Right for You?

2. Build hands-on experience.

There are several ways you can gain hands-on experience working with the cloud. If you’re in an IT role, try approaching your manager to see if there are opportunities for you to shadow coworkers in cloud computing roles, or if you can take on tasks that will help you learn more about cloud principles. You can also sign up for a cloud platform account and begin exploring on your own.

3. Earn a certification.

A certification can be useful in building up technical skills and showing employers that you have a baseline of knowledge in the cloud space. If you’re new to the cloud space, try a foundational certification—these can help you learn the technology and vocabulary of the field. 

If you have a little knowledge of the cloud, you can consider more technical certifications. These can include associate-level certifications, or credentials in a specialized area of expertise, like the Google Cloud Cybersecurity Professional Certificate.

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Google Cloud Cybersecurity

Launch your career in Cloud Cybersecurity. Build job-ready skills – and must-have AI skills – for an in-demand career. Earn a credential from Google Cloud. No prior experience required.

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Cloud Firewall, Generative AI in Cybersecurity, Compute Engine, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Cloud Shell, Cloud Storage, Security Command Center (SCC), Cloud Logging, Google Compute Engine, Cloud network security, Log analysis, automation, backup and disaster recovery, Compliance frameworks, Secure configurations, Communication of cloud security concepts to a technical and non-technical audience, Digital Transformation, Cloud Technologies, Cloud-based security, Implementing security controls, Audit preparation, Framework interpretation, Risk management frameworks, Understanding compliance standards, Incident management, forensics/evidence preservation, threat hunting, alert automation, Monitoring/managing Intrusion Detection Systems in a cloud environment, Data recovery/restoration, Log management, Security Operations (SecOps), Attack mitigation, identity and access management (IAM), Cloud asset management, data security (encryption, hashing), Data loss prevention, data classification and vulnerability management, Network Analysis, Cloud perimeter protection

Read more: 5 Cloud Certifications to Start Your Cloud Career

4. Prepare for interview success.

Practice answering common technical interview questions you might encounter during a live job interview. "I think mock interviews are a fantastic way to get comfortable with the process," advises Miller. "If you can find someone to practice interviewing with, you can flex your technical knowledge and practice being comfortable having a conversation with an interviewer."

"If I ask a candidate to solve a technical problem and they don't know how to go about it, I want someone who can acknowledge that fact quickly, but is still able to have a conversation around how they would map the knowledge and experience that they do have to the problem," continues Miller. "In IT, when you encounter a problem you've never seen before, it's probably just a weekday."

Cloud engineer career path

If you have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, you may be able to land an entry-level cloud engineering position. That’s not the only path you can take. 

Many cloud professionals get their start in IT positions that include concepts used in cloud computing, like network engineer or DevOps engineer. You can also start by working in cloud support, which can help you get to know specific platforms and troubleshooting techniques. From there, you might become a cloud engineer or cloud administrator. Cloud engineers can go on to more specialized roles, like cloud architect.

Related cloud salaries

If you’re curious, this is how much various cloud professionals make in the US. All data comes from Glassdoor as of April 2025.

• Cloud administrator: $97,926

• Cloud network engineer: $119,415

• Cloud systems engineer: $111,955

• AWS cloud engineer: $103,861

• Azure cloud engineer: $125,957

• Cloud DevOps engineer: $121,039

• Google Cloud engineer: $119,347

• Cloud data engineer: $111,583

• Cloud architect: $145,707

Build your cloud computing skills on Coursera

If you're interested in working toward a career as a cloud engineer, get started with the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate. Over nine courses, you'll create the conceptual, logical and physical design for cloud-based solutions for infrastructure and platforms.

Or build on your skill set with the Google Cloud Database Engineer Specialization. This 13-course series is designed for learners who have general programming skills and database experience using SQL, and covers how to plan, execute, test, and monitor enterprise database migrations to Google Cloud.

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AWS Cloud Technology Consultant

Start a career as a Cloud Technology Consultant. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills to advise clients on the use of cloud technology to meet business objectives. No degree or experience required.

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Skills you'll build:

Cloud Computing Security, Data Management, Interpersonal Communication, Cloud Architecture, teamwork, Cloud Management, Problem Solving, Cloud Strategy, Continuous Integration, security, Automation, Software Testing, Version Management, Data Warehouse, Data Analysis, Database (DBMS), Data Architecture, Extraction, Transformation And Loading (ETL), Project Management, Information Technology, Cloud Computing, Technical Troubleshooting, Cloud Storage, Cloud Infrastructure, Customer Support, Software Architecture, Web Development, Cloud API, Python Programming, Application Programming Interfaces (API), AWS Management Console, AWS Identity and Access Management, Networking on AWS, aws security, Management, Implementation, Migration, Troubleshooting, strategy, Reliability, Cost Optimization, Performance Efficiency, Operational Excellence

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Google Cloud Database Engineer

Advance your cloud career in database engineering

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Google Cloud Platform, Database (DBMS), MySQL, Cloud Storage, Cloud Platforms, Node.Js, Cloud Computing Security, cloud sql, Postgresql, Data Management, Dataflow, SQL Operations, Google App Engine (GAE), Cloud Computing, Google Compute Engine, Kubernetes, Databases, SQL