How to become a Cloud Engineer
A Cloud Engineer is not an entry-level job. Most positions require three to five years of experience, but you can get into a position from several different directions. The steps to becoming a cloud engineer involve:
- Earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related field.
- Earn IT certifications. These will open doors to different areas of technology and help you meet requirements for some job applications. Some of the most important certifications to have include CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network +, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional.
- Gain experience working with Java, Windows applications, and Linux admin.
- Find an entry-level job as a systems administrator or a network engineer to gain on-the-job experience. These positions often lead to specialist positions, and then you can work your way to a cloud position.
How to become: Software Engineer · Engineer · Development Operations Engineer · Software Architect · Platform Engineer
These qualifications are required: CCIE · CompTIA Security+ · IAT
Is this useful?
What skills help Cloud Engineers find jobs?
- APIs
- AWS
- Agile
- Ansible
- Azure
- CI/CD
- Cloud architecture
- Cloud development
- Cloud infrastructure
- Communication skills
- Computer networking
- DevOps
Is this useful?
Career progression for Cloud Engineer
Education levels for Cloud Engineers
| required level of education | percent of job openings |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 57.5% |
| Master's degree | 25.1% |
| Associate's degree | 11.2% |
| High school diploma or GED | 6.1% |
Is this useful?
Expected salary by experience
| Years of experience | Annual salary in USD |
|---|---|
| 0 - 4 | $81,400 |
| 4 - 8 | $93,200 |
| 8 - 12 | $111,700 |
| 12 - 16 | $113,900 |
| 16 - 20 | $115,200 |
Is this useful?
Common qualifications for Cloud Engineers
Explore popular schools to earn these qualificationsIs this useful?
Common questions about career advices for a Cloud Engineer
What are the important soft skills to have as a cloud engineer?
As a cloud engineer, it's important to have experience with at least one or more of the major public cloud providers, but you also need excellent verbal and written communication skills in order to help clients and customers, and organizational skills to handle the day-to-day management of clients needs.
Was this answer helpful?
What are the different skill areas of cloud engineers?
Most cloud engineers fall into three different categories. Cloud architectures plan the infrastructure, cloud developers perform all the coding, and cloud support engineers work for the cloud service providers.
Was this answer helpful?
