Top Cloud Computing jobs by salary in 2024

Cloud Computing jobs are in high demand.

A quick glance at jobs listing websites reveals hundreds of vacancies in the IT sector. This indicates both a severe skill shortage and extraordinary career opportunities for skilled professionals.

Cloud Computing is an excellent choice for a lucrative career. In this blog, we’ll discuss the 10 highest-paying Cloud Computing jobs by salary, job responsibilities, and qualifications.

10. Cloud Consultant — Median £60,124

According to Glassdoor, Cloud Consultant salaries in the UK vary between £42,000 and £72,000.

As a Cloud Consultant, you'll perform various technical studies and regular evaluations, depending on your company’s needs. You’ll also be providing the IT management with cloud-based recommendations based on your assessments.

This position is typically reserved for individuals with a strong IT background and a degree in Computer Science, with upwards of five years of experience. However, increasingly, ambitious professionals who upskill or reskill into Cloud can access these positions.

9. Cloud Infrastructure Engineer — Median £57,500

This position revolves around developing cloud systems and networks. In most cases, it involves working closely with software developers, as well as hardware engineers. Because of this, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well in a team are a must.

To effectively perform the role of a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, you must thoroughly research the relevant data and assess all the different options. As such, attention to detail, organisation skills, analytical minds, and strong research skills are necessary.

The median salary of a cloud Infrastructure Engineer is £57,500, with entry-level positions at £45,000. To brush up on your skills and get certified, we recommend accelerated courses such as the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect Professional and the Google Professional Cloud Architect.

8. Cloud Reliability Engineer — Median £62,000

If problem-solving is one of your strong suits, this position provides hefty compensation for exercising your brain matter.

At the core of your daily routine will be monitoring, maintaining, patching, and optimising cloud platforms. Your duties will also include incident response, so a good understanding of disaster recovery, as well as failover and redundancy processes is required.

As well as a degree, candidates with experience supporting Amazon Web Services (AWS) platforms, as well as those with Azure, OpenStack, and Google Cloud backgrounds will be at an advantage. You’ll also need a solid understanding of DevOps, ITIL, ITSM, IT security and monitoring frameworks.

Cloud Reliability Engineers can expect a median salary of around £62,000, with entry-level positions around £45,000.

7. Cloud Security Engineer — Median £65,000

Cyber Security is vital for any company that develops or employs cloud-based solutions. Cloud Security Engineers play a critical role in the team, as handling security for various cloud platforms often involves analysing the existing structures and developing improved security methods.

Job responsibilities often include risk assessment via threat simulations, providing security recommendations, and even creating cloud-based programs.

Among the necessary skills, excellent coding and scripting capabilities take the number-one spot. However, you’ll likely also need previous experience with Linux and Windows and various scripting languages (e.g., Python). What’s more, an understanding of cloud provider’s systems like AWS is a big plus.

Cloud Reliability Engineers, on average, earn £70,000. The the well-known and respected Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification developed by ISC2 will open the doors for this career.

6. DevOps Engineer — Median £72,500

DevOps Engineers are typically IT professionals with in-depth knowledge of IT systems and technologies, as well as extensive computer programming experience. They typically work within a team tasked with streamlining development and integration of different cloud-based solutions.

Apart from programming, DevOps Engineers require project management and system analysis skills. Job responsibilities commonly include leading a team of software engineers, monitoring operations, and assessing the effectiveness of automation tools. Staying up to date with new technologies is also a plus.

Interested in this career path? Become a Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert in just 4 days with Firebrand. Find out more.

5. Cloud Security Architect — Median £80,000

Cloud Security Architects design and develop new and innovative security architectures to protect the data deployed into various cloud and cloud/hybrid systems. That involves contributing to Cloud architecture, as well as leading the security vision and strategy regarding all types of cloud-based applications. That includes IaaS, Paas, as well as SaaS.

That said, not everyone can apply for this position. Typically, companies require their candidates to have over five years’ experience as Security Architects, in addition to several years of experience with Cloud platforms like AWS.

With that in mind, it’s no wonder the median salary of Cloud Security Architects is £80,000. Once again, the ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification will give you the edge over other candidates.

4. Cloud Architect — Median £84,000

Cloud Architects are in charge of creating and setting up the different components necessary for successful cloud computing. In essence, their task is to create cloud computing networks by connecting multiple remote servers.

The responsibilities of this position typically include setting up cloud storage and developing computing systems from scratch. They must also make sure that these systems are aligned with compliance and security policies. Cloud Architects are also the ones managing and updating said systems.

To be a successful Cloud Architect, you must possess a range of skills and superb technical knowledge, mainly in the area of computer programming and networking. You must also have sufficient knowledge of scripting languages, as well as expertise in operating systems and security. High creativity, organisational and planning skills are also desirable.

The median salary of a Cloud Architect in the UK is £84,000. If you're aiming for this top-level role, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate + Professional would look great on your CV.

3. IT Director — Median £95,700

IT Director is a vital job in 2024. These professionals are responsible for management, strategy, and execution of the entire IT infrastructure of the company, including the organisation’s cloud portfolio.

This involves overseeing the organisation’s technical projects and directing the delivery of development, cloud network, and various systems and processes.

IT Directors also work in tandem with information engineers and cloud specialists to come up with practical solutions that help manage business activities. Their duties may also include researching and recommending new products, as well as identifying new market opportunities.

Depending on the structure of your company and its tech stack, you may wish to invest in a number of Cloud Computing certifications for a competitive edge.

2. Lead Security Engineer — Median £96,000

This position includes leading a team of security engineers to pinpoint IT threats, test vulnerabilities, as well as develop, test, and improve security systems.

Apart from a wide range of technical skills, an analytical mind and problem-solving skills are essential. Necessary hard skills also include networking, AWS, and application development.

As a lead and the person in charge of negotiating with stakeholders, you’ll also need soft skills, such as strong interpersonal and communication skills.

The median pay for this position is £96,000, so investing in your training is highly worth your while. Find out how you can save with Firebrand Passport.

1. Head of Data Science — Median £135,000

The Head of Data Science leads a team of Data Scientists and Engineers to create new Data Science capabilities for their organisation. That involves coming up with, developing, and executing strategies that improve the organisation’s performance.

In smaller companies, Head of Data Science is typically a more technical role — creation and implementation of various data models and creating a reliable data infrastructure. In larger companies, responsibilities often include ensuring data integrity and compliance, streamlining data science processes, scouting for new talent, and monitoring the metrics vital to the organisation’s performance.

The position requires strong analytical capabilities, great strategic planning, excellent communication skills, and business understanding. Companies looking to hire someone for this position often list 5–10 years of experience in Data Science and leadership skills as a requirement.

You must also have experience in leveraging cloud technology (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform) and be fluent in one or more coding languages.

Interested in Cloud Computing?

There's no time like the present.

Cloud adoption shows no signs of slowing down, with more than 94% of enterprises already leveraging Cloud technology, and these are last year's numbers!

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