What affects your cloud computing salary? Discover salaries for cloud services, cloud engineers, cloud architects, cloud developers, and cloud administrators.
Cloud computing is one of the hottest skills in the job market, with the top 16 percent of earners in the US making over $150,000 a year [1]. Cloud computing salaries vary based on experience, from entry-level to senior positions, by job function, location, and the cloud computing qualifications you have. You’ll also discover ways to maximize your earnings potential in this growing field.
You're accessing services and applications over the internet when you use cloud computing. This means you can get the resources you need—when you need them—without investing in hardware or software upfront. Cloud computing offers faster innovation and flexible resources. Plus, it can help you save money on your overall computing costs. With the diversity, utility, and complexity of cloud computing infrastructure and applications, many different roles are available in this growing industry.
If you're looking to enter the cloud computing field, you may wonder about the average salary. Salaries can vary depending on experience and location, but the average annual base salary for a cloud computing professional in the US is $81,519 [2]. With the demand for cloud computing services expected to grow, now is a great time to enter this exciting and fast-growing field.
Cloud computing salaries vary depending on experience and role. With experience comes the competence to participate in more complex and strategic elements of cloud infrastructure and development projects. You may also supervise or manage other team members as you increase your experience.
The cloud computing industry is rapidly growing, and salaries are reflecting that trend. However, salaries vary widely by industry. For example, IT professionals in the financial services industry earn more on average than those in the manufacturing sector.
The difference in salaries may partly be due to the different skill sets needed in each industry. For example, cloud computing professionals in the financial services industry need to handle large amounts of data and transactions quickly and securely and in a highly compliance-driven framework. In the health care industry, you may find that the regulatory demands are less stringent, but you’ll still need to be able to ensure that patient data remains protected and confidential. The environment and demands of roles in cloud computing can vary. Different industries also make different levels of profit, and so that can affect wages, too.
The average base salary for a cloud computing professional varies based on location within the US. Part of this salary variation relates to the local cost of living. Here are some examples of average annual salaries in different cities:
New York, NY: $77,717 [5]
San Francisco, CA: $81,095 [6]
Seattle, WA: $83,555 [7]
Atlanta, GA: $77,283 [8]
Boston, MA: $77,475 [9]
When it comes to cloud computing roles and salaries, there can be a lot of variation. As we’ve seen, your salary depends on the specific role you play within the cloud computing industry and the level of experience and expertise you bring to the table. Here is a deeper look at the demands of different cloud computing roles and the average salaries they pay.
Median annual base salary (US): $102,530 [10]
As a cloud engineer, you can expect to earn a pretty decent salary. Your responsibilities will include designing, building, and maintaining business cloud services. You need to have a solid technical background and be able to work with various cloud technologies.
Median annual base salary (US): $122,766 [11]
As a cloud architect, you’ll be responsible for designing and implementing cloud solutions. Your focus will be on ensuring that the architecture is scalable and efficient. You need to have a good understanding of both business and technology to be successful in this role.
Median annual base salary (US): $95,197 [12]
If you’re more interested in coding and developing applications, you might consider becoming a cloud developer. Your responsibilities would include creating applications that run on the cloud platform. To succeed in this role, you must have strong programming skills and experience with various development tools and frameworks.
Median annual base salary (US): $72,918 [13]
Finally, if you’re interested in managing and administering clouds, you could become a cloud administrator. In this role, you’ll be responsible for keeping the clouds running smoothly and troubleshooting any issues that arise. You need good problem-solving skills and experience working with different types of clouds.
There are several ways that you can boost your salary in cloud computing roles in several ways. The more relevant and desirable your skill set, the more you are likely to be paid. Here are some tips to make your resume more marketable.
The cloud computing landscape is constantly changing, so it’s essential to keep your skills up to date. Whether you’re a developer, system administrator, or network engineer, make sure you’re familiar with the latest tools, trends, and technologies.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, get certified in a popular cloud platform, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Employers are often willing to pay premium salaries for candidates with cloud certifications.
Read more: 5 Cloud Certifications to Start Your Cloud Career
Some of the most popular languages for cloud development are Java, Python, and JavaScript. However, learning multiple languages will make you more versatile and marketable. For example, if you know both Java and Python, you can develop more diverse applications for both the AWS and Google App Engine platforms.
While generalists are in demand, specialists are always in high demand and they command higher salaries. If you can develop expertise in a specific area of cloud computing, such as big data or security, you’ll be in a great position to earn more money.
The job outlook for cloud computing is bright. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment opportunities in cloud computing will grow by 15 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations [14]. This growth is driven by trends such as the increasing use of cloud-based services by businesses and the growing demand for more efficient and effective ways to store, manage, and analyze data.
Cloud computing offers many benefits that increase the adoption of cloud technology, including the ability to scale services up or down quickly and easily, pay only for what you use, and enjoy increased security and reliability.
Take the next step toward a career in cloud computing by enrolling in the Starting Your Career with AWS Cloud Specialization on Coursera. This Specialization is taught by industry leaders and provides an overview of cloud fundamentals that are necessary to perform tasks in cloud computing roles. This program offers a hands-on project that uses industry best practices, all at your own pace. Upon completion, gain a certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.
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Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/cloud-computing-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Engineer Entry Level make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/entry-level-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_KO0,38.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Senior Cloud Computing Engineer make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/senior-cloud-computing-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,31.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing Specialist make in New York City, NYArea https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/new-york-city-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM615_KO14,40.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing Specialist make in San Francisco, CA Area?,https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM759_KO14,40.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing Specialist make in Seattle, WA Area?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/seattle-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IM781_KO8,34.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing Specialist make in Atlanta, GA Area?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/atlanta-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IM52_KO8,34.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Cloud Computing Specialist make in Boston, MA Area?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/boston-cloud-computing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IM109_KO7,33.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a cloud engineer make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-cloud-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,17.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a cloud architect make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-cloud-architect-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,18.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a cloud developer make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-cloud-developer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,18.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
Glassdoor. “How much does a cloud administrator make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-cloud-administrator-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,22.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Computer and Information Technology Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm.” Accessed November 22, 2022.
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