Cloud Data Engineer Salary: Your 2025 Guide

A key benefit of public cloud services is the pay-as-you-go pricing model. Major players in this space include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud. The global public cloud computing market is on a strong upward trajectory and is anticipated to reach around $724 billion in 2025 [1]. The rapidly expanding market makes cloud data engineers highly sought after. A cloud data engineer may also be referred to as a cloud engineer or cloud developer.

Read on to learn more about the skills, salary potential, and career opportunities for cloud data engineers.

What does a cloud data engineer do?

A cloud data engineer is in charge of managing corporate applications and data hosted in the cloud. Specializing in cloud settings, cloud data engineers also excel in designing and developing data workflows and storage solutions within cloud infrastructures. Other common work responsibilities of a cloud data engineer include:

• Crafting application programming interfaces (APIs) for data access by a range of applications or users

• Automating workflows with cloud tools to improve data engineering processes

• Assessing cloud app performance to track potential bottlenecks

• Coordinating with data scientists and analysts for data modeling, analysis, and reporting requirements

• Maintaining metadata to support data lineage tracking and cataloging efforts

• Performing data quality tests and enacting measures to safeguard data integrity

• Investigating and rectifying data pipeline malfunctions

How much does a cloud data engineer make?

According to multiple job listing sites, the average yearly income for cloud data engineers ranges from $91,409 to $129,571. The following table lists the base salary ranges provided by Payscale, Salary.com, Glassdoor, and Indeed [2, 3, 4, 5].

Factors impacting cloud data engineers' salary

Multiple factors influence your salary as a cloud data engineer. Keep reading to find out how your education, experience, skills, industry, location, and choice of company impact your potential annual income.

Education

According to Zippia, cloud data engineers with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $107,460 per year [6]. A master’s degree yields $117,324 on average, while a doctorate results in an average of $127,334 [6]. Up to 65 percent of cloud data engineers hold a bachelor’s degree, making it the most prevalent qualification in this field [6]. Common areas of study include computer science, computer engineering, and business. 

Experience

As you gain more experience, you may assume complex tasks and leadership roles, resulting in higher compensation. The following list outlines how base salaries shift as you progress in your career as a cloud data engineer [4]:

• 0–1 year: $94,005

• 1–3 years: $106,103

• 4–6 years: $110,658

• 7–9 years: $117,025

• 10–14 years: $130,314

• 15 or more years: $148,110

Skills

The cloud data engineer role necessitates strong technical proficiency in cloud service models, such as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS). Additionally, familiarity with leading cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, is essential. Other vital skills for data engineers, as detailed by Payscale, include [7]: 

• SQL: $96,598

• Extract, transform, load (ETL): $98,086

• Data analysis: $90,984

• Python: $97,755

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): $101,921

Industry

High-margin industries tend to pay higher salaries. The following list highlights the top-paying industries by total median salaries for cloud data engineers, according to Glassdoor [4]: 

• Manufacturing: $154,704

• Information technology (IT): $131,373

• Management and consulting: $125,062

*The above salaries reflect total pay, which is base pay plus additional pay, such as bonuses, commission, and profit sharing.

Location

Your geographical location can also influence your annual income as a cloud engineer. Different cities provide varying compensation levels based on factors such as local demand for talent, the cost of living, and the presence of industry hubs. Below are some of the top-paying cities for cloud data engineers in the United States, according to Indeed [5] : 

• Washington, DC: $141,238 

• Herndon, VA: $127,010 

• New York, NY: $138,219 

• Portland, OR: $116,244 

• Austin, TX: $132,800

• Philadelphia, PA: $107,653 

Company

Companies looking for specialized skills in emerging cloud technologies or niche areas may offer higher pay to attract the right talent. Among the top-paying companies for cloud data engineers are [4]:

• Google: $186,000–$279,000

• Snowflake: $177,000–$267,000

• Indeed: $161,000–$233,000

• Envestnet: $151,000–$218,000

• Axon: $138,000–$206,000

*The above salaries reflect total pay, which is base pay plus additional pay, such as bonuses, commission, and profit sharing.

Job outlook

The job outlook for cloud data engineers is promising. Gartner forecasts a 20.4 percent increase in global end-user expenditures on public cloud services, bringing the total to $675.4 billion in 2024, up from $561 billion in 2023 [8]. The burgeoning demand for public cloud services should continue to drive greater work opportunities for cloud engineers. Corroborating the trend, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts a 36 percent increase in employment opportunities for data scientists between 2023 and 2033 [9]. The projection translates to 20,800 job openings a year, on average, during that time frame[9].

Start your cloud data engineering career path with Coursera

Cloud data engineers handle the operation and upkeep of data systems hosted in cloud environments. Should you wish to start a career in this field but lack essential skills, pursuing a Professional Certificate from an industry leader can help you gain essential knowledge. It can also increase your job prospects.

Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Data Engineer Professional Certificate on Coursera is an excellent choice to get started. Designed to be flexible, this course covers the essentials of designing and implementing data processing systems on Google Cloud Platform. 

You might also opt for the DeepLearning.AI Data Engineering Professional Certificate. This program offers insights into common data engineering practices, AWS Cloud data technologies, on-premises and cloud data solutions, and more.