Technology
Cloud Engineer
Design and run cloud infrastructure on AWS, Azure, or GCP. Highly paid, in demand at every company moving off on-prem.
high-growthremote-friendlyhigh-pay
79
ROI · Excellent
Investment vs return
Cost · time · demand normalized 0–100
Salary progression
What you'll earn over your career
$85k
$130k
$195k
Entry
Mid-career
Senior
10-yr outlook
+15%
+15% (Much faster than avg)
Open positions
88,000
Estimated nationwide
Entry paths
How to get here
Multiple paths lead to this career. Compare time, cost, online vs in-person delivery, and program links.
Fastest ROI
Certification Online
AWS SA → Pro
Time
6–12 months
Cost
$600 – $2,500
Best paid-cert ROI in tech. Real lab matters.
Degree Hybrid
BS CS / IT
Time
4 years
Cost
$40,000 – $120,000
Top programs
Usually combined with certs.
Affiliate disclosure: Some of the program links above may be affiliate partnerships. If you enroll, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to programs we have actually reviewed against our methodology. See our methodology for how we evaluate schools.
Quick math
If you took the fastest path…
You'd train for
6–12 months
You'd spend (avg)
$1,550
Starting salary
$85,000
Mid-career
$130,000
Read more
Articles & resources
Sources: BLS OOH 2024 · AWS