Cloud Developer Salary: Jobs, Trends, and Outlook for 2024

Cloud development is a high-demand profession with great benefits. As more industries transition to fully remote offices, companies are using limitless networks, also known as cloud databases, to store their data. Many cloud developers develop, maintain, and improve the cloud database to protect companies’ data. 

If you think cloud development could be an exciting career path, consider learning about the earning potential, factors that affect salaries, and how similar careers compare. 

What affects the salary a cloud developer earns?

Cloud developers are paid well for their advanced technical skills and abilities. As a cloud developer, you’ll have niche knowledge that goes beyond engineering and programming. Employers will often rely on you to integrate your technical expertise with knowledge of business strategy and financial planning. This sets the salary higher, and you can expect an average salary, in the US, including benefits of around $112,368 per year [1]. 

However, your education, certifications, experience, and title can affect your earning potential. Learning how to maximize these factors can help you earn more.

Education

Generally, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for an entry-level cloud developer role. Majoring in related subjects such as computer science, computer engineering, and information technology can help you gain new abilities, like programming, and provide you with industry knowledge to build your career. However, if you don’t have a degree in this area, showing your abilities and dedication through additional coursework and certifications can bridge the gap in your knowledge.

As you gain higher education, your salary will typically rise. The increase in salary by degree is mirrored in the overall salary averages in the US, with the median salaries for professionals with higher education degrees in 2020 listed below[2]:

• Bachelor’s degree: $59,600

• Master’s degree or higher: $69,700

A graduate degree, such as a master’s or PhD, in a cloud development-related field, is highly compensated by employers. These degrees emphasize the required skills for cloud development and help you learn technical skills for more complex tasks. Graduate degrees may allow you to enter mid- to high-level cloud development roles. 

Read more: Computer Science vs. Information Technology: Careers, Degrees, and More

Certification

Earning a certification in cloud development is another great way to increase your earning potential. Certifications provide validation that coursework sometimes cannot. Many certification exams design their problems to mirror real-life scenarios and measure your ability to apply the skills you’ve learned. Employers may rely on certifications to ensure that new hires add value to the team.

The Amazon AWS certification and the Google Cloud certification are highly respected, globally recognized certifications. When you earn a certification, you can expect to see an increase in pay and responsibilities. Professionals who hold an AWS certification saw an average salary increase of 17 percent between 2019 and 2021 [3].

Professionals with a Google Cloud certification saw a salary increase of over 7 percent on average in 2022 [4]. While these certifications are great options, there are many others available that cover different skills and may be a better fit for specific expertise.

Read more: 5 Cloud Certifications to Start Your Cloud Career 

Years of experience

One direct contributor to your compensation will be your experience. While education and certifications may set you up for success, the years you spend working in the field can provide you with opportunities to learn valuable on-the-job skills that can increase your efficiency and sharpen your skills. 

According to Glassdoor, you can expect the following average annual pay in the US based on your experience level [1]:

• 0–1 year: $102,822

• 1–3 years: $109,380

• 4–6 years: $117,066

• 7–9 years: $122,122

• 10–14 years: $129,208

• 15+ years: $137,113

Job title

Within the cloud development field, you’ll find multiple roles that have varying responsibilities. While your experience and credentials will play a substantial part in your salary, your job title may influence it as well. Here is what to expect when applying to different roles:

• Cloud architect: $133,811 

• Cloud consultant: $131,711 

• Cloud engineer: $152,189

• Cloud software developer: $117,888

*All salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of November 2022

Industry

Many industries need cloud developers, and the industry you choose may affect your earning potential and long-term career opportunities. 

Highest-paying industries

While cloud developers make well above the national average, cloud architecture is among the highest-paid cloud development industries. If you work as a cloud infrastructure architect in the US, you can expect earn a salary that ranges from $146,000 to $175,500 per year [5]. Cloud engineering is another top-earning industry, with cloud software engineers in the US earning between $106,500 to $159,500 per year. 

Other common industries

Other common industries for cloud developers in the US include consulting, cloud operations, and software architecture. For these industries, you can expect to earn somewhere between $97,000 to $141,000 per year, on average [6, 7, 8].

Read more: How to Negotiate Your Salary: 10 Tips to Earn More 

Location

Where you work is another factor in how much you earn as a cloud developer. Typically, if you’re located in a large city with a high cost of living, your salary will be higher to reflect your financial needs. For employers that offer remote work, your physical location can often affect your compensation. 

For example, as a cloud engineer in San Francisco, you can expect to earn about $167,862 [9], while a cloud engineer in Cincinnati can expect around $113,391 [10].

Team and company size

Your team and company size can also affect your earning potential. Large IT firms tend to provide high salaries for cloud development professionals. For example, cloud architects at Google and Microsoft earn an average salary of around $225,000, while cloud architects at Amazon earn about $180,000 per year. Tech companies are often hubs for innovation, so they hire cloud developers with the most extensive skill set and training, you can expect a fast-paced environment full of creativity and expansion.

Salaries of cloud developer roles and other career paths

While cloud development has a wide variety of roles, there are many jobs that use similar skills in related fields. Taking the time to explore other career paths can provide you with the knowledge to make the right professional choice.

How much does the average cloud developer make?

Cloud developers in the US typically earn an average salary of $112,368 per year [1]. The amount is influenced by your education, experience, certifications, location, and employer. Being intentional about your preparation and the jobs you apply for can help set you up for long-term career growth and success.

US salaries for other cloud computing roles

Cloud developers earn similar compensation to other professions that deal with data analysis, network architecture, and information engineering due to the related training and educational requirements. When looking at the salary of similar careers, you can expect the following:

• Data engineer: $111,395

• DevOps engineer: $132,719

• Digital skills officer: $102,272

• Full-stack engineer: $121,321

• Network architect: $175,901

• QA engineer: $82,1578 

• Security engineer: $129,875

Next steps

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 at your own pace. Upon completion, gain a certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.