Cloud Engineer Roadmap for Successful Career

Cloud engineering is one of the most sought-after jobs, and how to become one is one of the frequently asked questions these days ever since there has been a significant shift towards cloud computing. 

With the rise in cloud computing dependencies, there has also been a rise in the need for cloud computing engineers to manage these cloud architectures.

In this article, we will examine the cloud engineer's role and responsibilities and provide a detailed cloud engineer roadmap. We will also discuss the overall career aspects, including salaries and the future of this career.

In the end, you can also check our cloud computing courses for cloud engineering, if you want professional guidance and help in becoming a cloud engineer. But before that, let's quickly understand who is a cloud engineer and what he does.

What is a Cloud Engineer?

A cloud engineer is an IT specialist with the ability to plan, carry out, and oversee cloud-based systems and solutions is a cloud engineer. With a solid background in cloud computing, this position calls for expertise in a variety of fields, including network engineering, system administration, and software engineering. 

Cloud Engineer Job Description

● Role: Design, implement, and manage cloud-based infrastructure and applications.

● Key Responsibilities:

✓ Deploy and migrate applications to the cloud.

✓ Optimize cloud performance and resource utilization.

✓ Ensure security and compliance within cloud environments.

✓ Collaborate with cross-functional teams (development, operations).

Cloud Computing Training for AzureStart your journey as a cloud engineer by training for Azure cloud computing certifications.Explore course

Cloud Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

There are different job roles and responsibilities of cloud engineers. The table below summarizes the jobs and responsibilities of a cloud engineer:

Cloud Systems Engineer

● Design and Architecture: Create cloud infrastructure tailored to organizational needs.

● Implementation and Deployment: Configure virtual machines, containers, and databases for cloud solutions.

● Automation and Orchestration: Develop scripts to automate repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency.

● Monitoring and Optimization: Use performance metrics to identify and address weaknesses in the system.

● Security and Compliance: Implement access controls and encryption to safeguard data.

● Troubleshooting and Incident Response: Conduct root cause analysis and corrective measures for issues.

Cloud Data Engineer

● Data Pipeline Design: Create ETL processes in cloud environments.

● Data Integration: Transfer data from various sources into cloud solutions for storage and processing.

● Data Model Development: Implement various data models for analytics.

● Data Transformation: Prepare data for analytics and reporting.

● Data Quality and Governance: Ensure data validation and cleansing processes are in place.

● Scalability and Performance: Optimize data processes for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Cloud Operations Engineer

● Infrastructure Management: Oversee cloud infrastructure reliability, availability, and performance.

● Performance Monitoring: Ensure security and availability of services.

● Deployment Handling: Manage updates and deployments effectively.

● Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot problems and implement resolutions.

● Process Automation: Automate workflows to streamline operations.

● System Reliability: Maintain scalability and reliability of cloud systems.

● Collaboration: Work with development and IT teams to optimize resources and costs.

How to Become a Cloud Engineer 

To become a successful cloud engineer, follow our cloud engineer roadmap. With the help of this roadmap, you can become a cloud engineer without a degree.  

1. Self-education: Utilize platforms like UniNets and gather knowledge about the fundamentals of computer science by enrolling in different courses that are highly relevant to cloud computing.  

2. Learning programming languages: You can easily learn multiple programming languages. Start with the easy ones such as Python, Java, and Javascript. These languages are most commonly used in cloud computing. You must practice it regularly to achieve high levels of efficiency while handling these languages.  

3. Networking basics and practical experience: To become a successful cloud engineer one must possess a good understanding of the basics of networking concepts and Principles such as DNS, TCP/IP, etc. Learn by setting up a small network at home and gain experience.  

4. Mastering Operating Systems: The next step is to understand deeply the various operating systems that will be used by cloud engineers like Windows and Linux.  

5. Getting familiar with cloud platforms: Different cloud computing platforms commonly used by companies are  Azure, GCP, AWS, etc. Getting trained in these can immensely help you advance in your career as a cloud engineer.  

6. Learning cloud services: This is another significant step in becoming a cloud engineer. This necessarily involves understanding the core services. The cloud services include storage services (S3, Azure blob storage), computing services ( EC2, Azure VM), and database services like (RDS, Azure SQL Database)  

7. Getting Certified: Secure popular certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert, and Google Professional Cloud Architect.  

8. Developing Automation and DevOps skills: Learning DevOps tools and techniques like Jenkins, Ansible, and Docker.  

9. Security: Deeply understanding the security Principles and concepts relating to cloud computing such as IAM, encryption, cloud security alliance, etc  

10. Practical experience: Learning alone won't make you a successful cloud engineer. You have to practice it daily by creating and deploying your projects relating to cloud services.  

11. Portfolio creation: You can create a strong lineup of your portfolio of cloud projects and showcase them in Github or even build your website and display them  

12. Applying for jobs: You can't learn to swim by staying on the shore for long so you must venture into the sea and grab your dream job. You will be able to learn it better as you do it more and more.  

13. Networking: You can develop contacts through multiple platforms like LinkedIn so that you know current trends and demands relating to your particular field. This will help you in getting more and more knowledge and opportunities  

14. Staying updated: There is a reason for cloud platforms have introduced recertification. This is because people tend to stop learning after being Certified. This will result in a pool of stagnant professionals refusing to change or grow. So you have to avoid this and stay updated to be relevant.

Skills  Required for Cloud Engineer

Cloud engineer jobs require a mix of technical and soft skills. The skills required to become a cloud engineer are mentioned below:

Technical Skills

● Cloud security :  

● Machine learning and AI  

● Cloud deploying   

● Data analysing skills  

● DevOps  

Soft skills:

● Communication skills 

● Problem-solving:  

● Teamwork and collaboration skills 

● Adaptability and flexibility:  

● Leadership skills 

Cloud Engineer Courses

There are a lot of beginner to advanced cloud computing courses that you can take to become a cloud engineer. It is always recommended to take a course, that helps you prepare for getting a certification.

There are a lot of industry-approved certifications, given by big tech giants like Amazon AWS, Google GCP, and Microsoft Azure. Here are some of the best courses on the UniNets website, that will help you become a cloud engineer.

● AWS Practitioner Certification Training

● Google Associate Cloud Engineer Certification Training

● MS Azure Administrator Associate Training

● Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Course Live

● Microsoft Azure Certification Training

Career Path of a Cloud Engineer

The career path of a Cloud Computing Engineer typically follows a progression that starts with foundational roles and advances as you gain experience, certifications, and specialized skills. Here's a general roadmap: 

1. Entry-Level Roles 

● Positions: Cloud Support Engineer, Cloud Operations Specialist, or Systems Administrator. 

● Responsibilities: At this stage, professionals assist in managing cloud infrastructure, troubleshooting issues, and maintaining systems. 

● Skills Required: Basic networking, operating systems (especially Linux), cloud fundamentals, and familiarity with one or more cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP). 

● Certifications to Consider: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. 

2. Mid-Level Roles 

● Positions: Cloud Engineer, Cloud Developer, or Cloud Solutions Engineer. 

● Responsibilities: Design, deploy, and manage cloud services, create cloud architectures, and implement security measures. 

● Skills Required: Deeper knowledge of cloud services, networking protocols, automation tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible), and coding/scripting (Python, Bash). 

● Certifications to Consider: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Google Associate Cloud Engineer, or Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert. 

3. Senior Roles 

● Position: Senior Cloud Engineer, Cloud Architect, or Site Reliability Engineer (SRE). 

● Responsibilities: Lead cloud infrastructure design, optimize costs, manage large-scale cloud environments, and oversee security strategies. 

● Skills Required: Advanced cloud architecture, multi-cloud or hybrid cloud management, container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes), and high-level automation. 

● Certifications to Consider: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, Google Professional Cloud Architect, or Kubernetes certifications. 

4. Specialized Roles 

● Positions: Cloud Security Engineer, Cloud DevOps Engineer, or Cloud Data Engineer. 

● Responsibilities: These professionals specialize in cloud security, automation, data pipelines, or integrating DevOps practices. 

● Skills Required: Expertise in security frameworks, DevOps tools, or data processing platforms, with a focus on cloud-native solutions. 

● Certifications to Consider: AWS Certified Security Specialty, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), or Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer. 

5. Leadership Roles 

● Position: Cloud Engineering Manager, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or Cloud Infrastructure Director. 

● Responsibilities: Oversee teams, lead large-scale cloud transformation projects, and make strategic decisions on cloud technology. 

● Skills Required: Strong leadership, project management, strategic planning, and knowledge of cutting-edge cloud technologies. 

● Certifications to Consider: While technical certifications remain important, leadership courses and project management certifications (PMP, Agile) can also be helpful at this level. 

Cloud Engineer Salary

The average salary for a Cloud Engineer in the US is $142,130 per year. The salary ranges between  $85,000 and $216,000.

Whereas, the average salary for a Cloud Engineer in India is approximately ₹15,76,726 per year. Salaries can range from ₹6.5 lakhs to ₹35 lakhs annually.

The cloud engineer's salary varies on various factors like company, location, and experience. Here we have given average salary expectations based on experience.

● Entry-Level: ₹5–8 lakhs per year. 

● Mid-Level: ₹10–18 lakhs per year. 

● Senior-Level: ₹20–30 lakhs per year. 

Is Cloud Engineer a Good Career?

 Yes, a cloud engineer is a highly rewarding career. As more companies move to cloud platforms, there is a sharp increase in the need for cloud engineers. In addition to competitive pay and the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies, this position also offers specialization opportunities.

Furthermore, the competencies obtained apply to a multitude of sectors, offering employment stability and varied professional trajectories. Ongoing education and career advancement are guaranteed by the cloud's constant evolution. You can become a successful cloud engineer by joining cloud computing courses 

Summing Up! - How to Become a Cloud Engineer  

In conclusion, becoming a cloud engineer is an exciting and rewarding journey. This career path offers a clear way for anyone interested in entering the world of cloud computing.

To get started, focus on building a solid foundation of knowledge. Earning relevant certifications and gaining hands-on experience are key steps. It's also important to keep learning and updating your skills as technology evolves.

Along the way, remember that persistence and enthusiasm will help you succeed. If you're worried about the costs of certification and training, consider pay-after-placement programs. These can be a great way to kickstart your cloud engineering career without a heavy financial burden.

With the right plan and determination, you can become a skilled cloud engineer in this ever-changing field. Embrace the challenge, and you'll find a fulfilling career waiting for you!