Guide to Becoming a Cloud DevOps Engineer: Jobs, Certificates

Key takeaways

A cloud DevOps engineer specializes in creating and managing cloud-based services and infrastructure.

• In the 2025 Flexera State of the Cloud Report, 70 percent of respondents reported adopting a hybrid cloud strategy, which would indicate a demand for cloud DevOps engineers [1].

• Cloud DevOps engineers need expertise in public clouds, automation technologies, configuration management tools, and scripting languages.

• You can become a cloud DevOps engineer by learning the fundamentals of DevOps, understanding and implementing DevOps culture, and earning DevOps certifications.

Explore the role of a cloud DevOps engineer, including how to become one, the skills necessary for this role, and cloud DevOps engineer salaries. If you’re ready to start learning more about cloud technology, enroll in the AWS Fundamentals: Your First Steps into the AWS Cloud Specialization. You’ll have the opportunity to gain experience with cloud computing and Amazon’s cloud services in as little as four weeks. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.

What is a cloud DevOps engineer?

A cloud DevOps engineer is a professional specializing in developing and operating cloud-based applications and services. You'll manage and deliver cloud-based applications and services and the infrastructure that supports them. 

As a cloud DevOps engineer, you’ll work closely with developers, operations staff, and other IT professionals to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of cloud-based applications and services. The 2025 Flexera State of the Cloud Report found that 70 percent of respondents use a hybrid cloud strategy, with at least one public and one private cloud [1]. This rise in cloud usage underpins why the number of DevOps engineer roles is increasing and why DevOps, in general, is on the rise.

Cloud DevOps engineer vs. cloud engineer: What’s the difference?

The roles of cloud DevOps engineer and cloud engineer have some key differences. Cloud DevOps engineers are responsible for the development and operational aspects of a company's cloud computing infrastructure. They work with developers to ensure that applications are deployed and operated in a cloud environment. On the other hand, a cloud engineer is responsible for designing and implementing a company's cloud architecture and infrastructure.

Does cloud DevOps need coding?

While a basic knowledge of coding is helpful as a cloud DevOps engineer, the role doesn’t require extensive coding. However, you’ll want to be familiar with programming languages, including Ruby, Python, and JavaScript.

How to become a cloud DevOps engineer

To work as a cloud DevOps engineer, you need to have a strong understanding of both development and operations processes and integrate them seamlessly. You must also be well-versed in automation and have experience using various DevOps tools. Follow this guideline to become a DevOps engineer.

Learn the fundamentals of DevOps. 

You need to learn the basics of DevOps. DevOps is all about automating the process of software development and delivery. This means learning how to use different tools and technologies to automate tasks. Once you understand the basics well, you can learn to work in a DevOps culture.

Understand and adapt to the DevOps culture.

A DevOps culture values collaboration and communication between developers and operations teams. In a DevOps culture, everyone collaborates to streamline the software development process. This means everyone is on the same page regarding code changes, deployments, and testing.

Earn DevOps certification.

The DevOps Institute Certification Exam will test your knowledge of DevOps concepts and practices. You'll need to invest time in preparation. You’ll discover that many resources are available to help you prepare, including online courses, study guides, and practice exams. You can also use the free resources, such as certification exam overviews and sample questions. With proper preparation, you can pass the exam and receive your certification.

Required skills and qualifications for a cloud DevOps engineer role

As a cloud DevOps engineer, you need a strong understanding of cloud computing concepts to design, implement, and manage cloud-based solutions. You don't necessarily need a degree to become a cloud DevOps engineer, as some employers will look more at your work experience. A degree in computer science or a related field can give you the technical knowledge and skills you need to succeed in this role. Many employers prefer candidates with at least a bachelor's degree.

To be a cloud DevOps engineer, you'll need experience with the following technologies:

• Public clouds, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, or Google Cloud Platform

• Automation technologies, such as Kubernetes or Jenkins

• Configuration management tools, such as Puppet or Chef

• Scripting languages, such as Python or Ruby

In addition to these technical competencies, you'll need strong workplace skills. You'll need to:

• Be a strong communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Be able to work in a collaborative environment, as well as independently

• Have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines

Tools used by cloud DevOps engineers

As a DevOps engineer, you'll need to be familiar with many tools. Some of the more popular tools DevOps engineers use include Puppet, Chef, and Ansible. These tools help automate various tasks, such as provisioning and configuring servers. In addition, DevOps engineers often use continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools, such as Jenkins and Travis CI. These tools help automate software development, making it easier to deploy code changes quickly and reliably.

Read more: 11 DevOps Tools

What does a cloud DevOps engineer do?

Cloud DevOps job roles have many aspects. Different positions may also focus on specific tasks. As a Cloud DevOps engineer, you might be responsible for the following duties:

• Designing and implementing DevOps solutions on AWS

• Working with development, QA, and operations teams to automate the build, test, and deploy process

• Deciding on and putting into practice the safest and quickest method for getting code from development to production

• Creating and maintaining deployment pipelines and infrastructure as code

• Monitoring system performance and capacity utilization

Cloud DevOps engineer salary

As a DevOps engineer, you can expect to earn a good salary. Your pay depends on your level of experience and seniority. As an entry-level DevOps engineer, you can expect to make a median total salary of $135,000 annually [2]. With a few years of experience, you can expect to earn a median total salary of $153,000 annually [2]. If you have over seven years of experience, you can expect a total median annual income of $160,000 to $180,000 [2].

Here are some cloud DevOps engineer opportunities and their total median annual salary expectations you might see advertised on job websites:

• Cloud DevOps engineer: $152,000 [2]

• Senior Cloud DevOps engineer: $179,000 [3]

• AWS/DevOps engineer: $134,000 [4]

• Principal DevOps engineer: $206,000 [5]

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of November 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Discover practical tools for meaningful growth

Thinking about expanding your skills? Get the latest insights into career trends and in-demand skills by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat! Or if you want to learn more about DevOps and cloud computing roles, courses, and concepts, check out these free resources.

• Take the quiz: Which DevOps Course Should You Take? 

• Watch on YouTube: 5 Essential Cloud Computing Skills in 2025

• Hear from fellow learners: How One Software Developer’s Leadership Aspirations Led Her to Graduate School 

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