How to become a cloud engineer
If you’re wondering how to get into cloud engineering, read our guide to see what qualifications and skills you’ll need to get into this area of information technology.
CONTENTS
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Routes to becoming a cloud engineer
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Skills you’ll need
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Finding work experience
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How to get a job as a cloud engineer
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What it's like to be a cloud engineer
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Routes to becoming a cloud engineer
As with many IT roles, you’ll usually need a relevant undergraduate degree to secure a junior cloud engineer role. Senior cloud engineers often hold a master’s qualification, so this is worth considering at some point in your career. Degree apprenticeships are another route into the profession and will give you valuable on the job experience while training.
Undergraduate degrees
Perhaps the most relevant undergraduate degree to opt for is cloud computing although general courses in computer science, information technology or software engineering would be equally valid. Entry requirements vary according to the course but tend to range between 96–180 UCAS points. It’ll usually take between three and four years to complete this type of course depending on whether an integrated foundation year or placement year is involved.
If you opt for a computer science or software engineering route, you can learn more about what to expect including what topics you’ll cover and how you’ll be assessed in each guide.
Degree apprenticeships
If you prefer learning on the job, a degree apprenticeship could be worth exploring. You’ll spend time as an apprentice in an IT environment and attend university to earn your bachelor’s degree. You’re paid for your work and spend less time at university although an apprenticeship usually takes the same length of time as a traditional undergraduate degree. Specific cloud engineering apprenticeships are currently rare but there are plenty of related ones in software engineering and computer science.
You'll need four or five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship. You can find apprenticeship vacancies via Find an apprenticeship.
Postgraduate degrees
Cloud engineering is a broad field, and you may decide to focus on a specific area like DevOps, security, data analytics or machine learning once you have some work experience. This is where a postgraduate degree might come in useful to further your career.
You'll typically need a relevant degree or be able to demonstrate a solid level of practical experience. A postgraduate degree takes a year to complete full time or two years part time.
As well as having excellent coding skills, you’ll also need:
- Problem solving
- System design
- Information security
- Technical understanding
- Customer care skills
- Communication skills
- Teamworking
- Attention to detail
Securing work experience gives you some insight into the world of cloud engineering and demonstrates your commitment to future employers.
Try looking for work by:
- Shadowing someone in a similar role within a computing-related company
- Volunteering to help an organisation with a cloud related issue
- Self-led learning expanding your knowledge of coding etc
- STEM summer schools, if eligible, such as UNIQ or Sutton Trust
How to get a job as a cloud engineer
Major cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and others frequently hire cloud engineers to support their cloud offerings. Specialised IT jobsites like Dice, Stack Overflow Jobs, and GitHub Jobs often have cloud engineering positions listed too along with more general job search engines like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Jobs, Monster, and SimplyHired. IT and technology-focused career fairs or virtual job fairs are also worth considering.
What it's like to be a cloud engineer
As a cloud engineer, you’ll be responsible for building and maintaining cloud infrastructure for a range of organisations. Depending on your role and specialisation, your tasks could include:
- Helping companies transfer their computer systems to the cloud
- Creating applications and databases that will perform on the cloud
- Configuring cloud infrastructure components
- Monitoring and managing cloud data storage services
- Researching and requesting new technologies
- Developing strategies for disaster management and recovery
There are several professional bodies you might consider joining to help build your networks and knowledge and skills. These include the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), the British Computer Society (BCS) and various community forums depending on which cloud services you work with. For example, Amazon Web Services Community (AWS) Microsoft Azure User Group UK, Google Cloud User Group (GCUG) UK and OpenStack UK User Group will all provide valuable insights and connections.
Cloud computing is a complex field that often requires collaboration between various specialists to design, implement, and manage cloud-based solutions effectively so you’ll usually work in teams. If you’re part of a smaller organisation, you may need to cover more than one area of the operation.
As an entry level graduate, you can expect to earn between £25,000 and £30,000. As you gain experience you could be promoted from junior cloud engineer to cloud engineer and then senior engineer on to lead cloud engineer. Experienced cloud engineers earn between £50,000 and £70,000. Engineers in larger companies and those based in London could earn more than £70,000 in senior positions.
Is a role as a cloud engineer right for you?
Roles in cloud engineering are in high demand as businesses increasingly move their operations to the cloud. It’s also a potentially lucrative career as these skills are still in relatively short supply. If you think you’d enjoy being part of this innovative area of IT, this role could be for you.
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- What do graduates do and earn?
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