Cloud Engineer (AWS)

Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each location being a data center. Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, typically using a "pay-as-you-go" model which can help in reducing capital expenses, but may also lead to unexpected operating expenses for unaware users. (Wikipedia)

Cloud Engineer (AWS)

1. What It Is

A Cloud Engineer (AWS) specializes in designing, building, deploying, and managing applications and services on Amazon Web Services (AWS). They have expertise in AWS services, infrastructure as code, automation, and DevOps practices. They ensure the security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of cloud-based solutions. This differs from a generic Cloud Engineer by focusing specifically on the AWS ecosystem and its services.

2. Where It Fits in the Ecosystem

Cloud Engineering (AWS) resides within the cloud computing and DevOps ecosystem. They work closely with software developers, DevOps engineers, security engineers, and architects to deliver cloud-based solutions.

3. What to Learn Before This

• Basic Computer & Internet Knowledge
• Linux Fundamentals (Command line, scripting)
• Networking Fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP)
• Basic Programming (Python, Java, or other scripting languages)
• Cloud Computing Concepts
• Git & GitHub (Version control)

4. What to Learn After This

• AWS Core Services: EC2, S3, IAM, VPC
• AWS Compute Services: Lambda, ECS, EKS
• AWS Database Services: RDS, DynamoDB
• AWS Networking Services: VPC, Route 53, Load Balancers
• AWS DevOps Services: CloudFormation, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Terraform or CloudFormation
• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes (with EKS on AWS)
• Automation and Scripting: Python (Boto3), Bash
• Security Best Practices: IAM roles, security groups, encryption
• Monitoring and Logging: CloudWatch, CloudTrail

5. Similar Roles

• Cloud Engineer (Azure) - Platform Specific, knowledge from one is transferable, but specific skills needed
• Cloud Engineer (GCP) - Platform Specific, knowledge from one is transferable, but specific skills needed
• DevOps Engineer - Broader scope, may include on-premises infrastructure
• Systems Administrator - Focuses more on traditional infrastructure
• Solutions Architect - Focuses on designing cloud solutions, less on implementation

6. Companies Hiring This Role

• Companies migrating to or operating on AWS.
• Tech Companies (Amazon, Netflix, Airbnb)
• Consulting Firms (Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini)
• Startups building cloud-native applications
• Large Enterprises with AWS cloud infrastructure

7. Salary (as of 2025)

• India

  • Freshers: ₹4-8 LPA
  • Mid-level (3-5 yrs): ₹10-20 LPA
  • Senior: ₹18-35+ LPA

• US

  • Entry-level: $85K-$120K/year
  • Mid-level: $120K-$160K/year
  • Senior: $160K-$220K+/year

8. Resources to Learn

Free

• AWS Documentation
• AWS Free Tier
• AWS Training and Certification
• YouTube Tutorials (AWS, freeCodeCamp)

Paid

• AWS Training Courses
• A Cloud Guru
• Udemy - "AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate"
• Linux Academy (now A Cloud Guru)

Books

• "AWS Certified Solutions Architect Official Study Guide"
• "Cloud Computing with AWS"

9. Certifications

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional
• AWS Certified Security - Specialty

10. Job Outlook & Future

• High Demand: Cloud adoption continues to grow rapidly.
• Skills Shortage: There is a significant shortage of skilled cloud engineers.
• Growing Complexity: Cloud environments are becoming more complex, requiring specialized expertise.
• Automation: Increasing focus on automation and infrastructure as code.

11. Roadmap to Excel (Simple English)

Beginner

1. Learn Linux fundamentals and basic networking concepts.
2. Create an AWS Free Tier account and explore the AWS Management Console.
3. Launch an EC2 instance and configure a basic web server.
4. Create an S3 bucket and upload files.

Intermediate

5. Learn how to use AWS IAM to manage users and permissions.
6. Configure a VPC with subnets and security groups.
7. Deploy an application using Elastic Beanstalk or ECS.
8. Automate infrastructure deployment with CloudFormation or Terraform.

Advanced

9. Design and implement a scalable and highly available application architecture on AWS.
10. Implement security best practices for AWS environments.
11. Monitor and optimize AWS resource utilization.
12. Automate CI/CD pipelines with CodePipeline and CodeBuild.
13. Earn AWS certifications.