Technology
How to become a Cloud Engineer
Builds and maintains the infrastructure a company's applications run on, in AWS, Azure or a similar platform. From sysadmin or developer: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.
- Time to get there
- 2–4 years
- Typical pay
- $105k–$145k
- Starting from
- Sysadmin or developer
Pay is an estimate of typical US entry-level pay for this role and varies by state, employer and shift. The timeline assumes you are starting from sysadmin or developer and includes any licence or programme legally required, not just course length.
Commonly asked for
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, commonly asked for
- 2+ years as a systems administrator or developer
- A cloud certification (AWS or Azure) expected by most employers
The route
Get solid on Linux and networking
Cloud is someone else's Linux boxes on someone else's network.
Course that covers thisCompTIA Network+ N10-009 (V9) Practice Exam QuestionsUdemy · around $19.99Typical titles at this level
- Systems Administrator
- Software Developer
- DevOps Engineer
Learn one cloud properly
AWS has the largest job market; Azure wins in enterprise shops. Pick one.
Course that covers thisAWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice ExamsUdemy · around $19.99Certify
Solutions Architect Associate or AZ-900 then AZ-104, depending which you picked.
Course that covers thisAZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals 6 Practice Tests 2026Udemy · around $19.99AWS SAA or Azure Administrator
Learn infrastructure as code
Terraform is what makes you an engineer rather than someone clicking in a console.
Course that covers thisTerraform for the Absolute Beginners with LabsUdemy · around $19.99- Browse jobs now
Destination
Cloud Engineer
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