Top 5 Cloud Computing Careers for 2026 (Salaries Included)

Tech With Lucy

Discover the top 5 cloud computing careers that are set to thrive in 2026! This guide covers high-demand roles, expected salaries, and the skills you need to succeed. Whether you’re starting out or planning a career switch, get insights to make informed decisions and stay ahead in the cloud industry. ☁️💼  ▬▬▬▬ 💻 My Cloud Courses ▬▬▬▬  📦 Build Cloud Projects (Step-By-Step + Tech Support): •⁠  ⁠5 Beginner AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-b... •⁠  ⁠5 Intermediate AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-i... •⁠  ⁠5 Advanced AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-a... → More Cloud Projects: https://zerotocloud.co/courses  📚 Cert Exam Prep & Study Notes: •⁠  ⁠AWS AI Practitioner Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/ai-... •⁠  ⁠AWS Cloud Practitioner Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/clo... •⁠  ⁠Solutions Architect Associate Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/sol... •⁠  ⁠AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Exams: https://zerotocloud.co/courses/practi... •⁠  ⁠AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams: https://zerotocloud.co/courses/practi... → More Exam Resources: https://zerotocloud.co/courses  👩‍💻 Role-based Learning Paths: •⁠  Cloud Support Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Solutions Architect: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud AI / ML Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud Security Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths...  🎥 Other Courses: •⁠  AWS Interview Mastery (Get Hired): https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/aws... •⁠  ⁠Become a Part-Time Tech YouTuber: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/the...  ➡️ View ALL my Courses here: https://www.zerotocloud.co/courses Use Code: "YouTube10" for a discount!  ▬▬▬▬ 📲 Other Platforms ▬▬▬▬ •⁠  ⁠📸 Instagram:   / techwithlucy   •⁠  ⁠👩‍💻 LinkedIn:   / lucywang-   •⁠  ⁠🗞 Cloudbites E-Newsletter: https://www.cloudbites.ai/  ▬▬▬▬ 🙋‍♀️ About Me / Contact ▬▬▬▬ Hi, I'm Lucy, an Ex-AWS Solutions Architect. I love helping beginners and techies learn Cloud & AI. •⁠  ⁠📩 Business Inquiries: techwithlucyofficial@gmail.com •⁠  ⁠📫 Have a question? Best way is to ask in the comments!  🔔 Subscribe & turn on notifications for more videos like this!

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00:00Do you want to get hired in the cloud but not too sure which role to aim for?

00:03Cloud computing jobs are among the fastest growing careers in tech.

00:07But with so many options, I know how tough it can be to figure out where to start.

00:11I personally began my journey in the cloud as a solutions architect at AWS

00:15where I helped customers design cloud solutions tailored towards their business needs.

00:19But that's just one of the many roles out there.

00:22Depending on your own skills, interests and career goals, there are several paths you can take.

00:26In this video, I'm going to break down 5 of the most in-demand cloud roles for the next year

00:31so that you can decide for yourself which one to invest your time in.

00:34I'll be covering what each role involves, the day-to-day responsibilities,

00:38the skills needed, the salary, as well as how to figure out if this role is right for you.

00:42Plus, I'll walk through each of these roles in the order of the cloud adoption journey

00:46so that you can see how each one fits into the bigger picture.

00:49With that being said, hi, I'm Lucy and over the past few years,

00:52I've helped hundreds of job seekers build their technical skills and transition into the cloud industry.

00:57Before we begin, I'd like to quickly mention that I have an online course called AWS Interview Mastery,

01:02Get Hired in the Cloud, where I share my insider tips and strategies on how to ace your cloud interviews.

01:07It covers everything from how to best answer technical questions,

01:10how to perfect your resume, and includes mock interview examples from Amazon employees.

01:15The course is packed with advice I wish I knew earlier

01:18and what I've seen worked well for my mentees who have successfully landed jobs in the cloud.

01:22I'll put a link to it in the description below, and you can use the code YOUTUBE10 for 10%

01:26off.

01:26Alright, let's get into it.

01:28The first cloud computing role I wanted to talk about today is the sales development representative,

01:32otherwise known as SDR.

01:35SDRs are at the start of the cloud adoption journey,

01:37meaning that they're usually the first point of contact for customers.

01:40They play a key role in identifying potential customer opportunities

01:44and qualifying these leads through calls, emails, and other forms of communication.

01:48In this role, you'll be responsible for understanding the customer's needs

01:52and effectively communicating how your company's cloud solutions can help address them.

01:56Ultimately, the goal is to generate more money for your company.

01:59When it comes to the day-to-day responsibilities,

02:02SDRs focus on building and managing a pipeline of potential customers.

02:06This involves researching and identifying new leads,

02:09connecting with them, and pitching the company's cloud products.

02:12For example, if a customer is interested in moving their storage to the cloud,

02:16an SDR working at AWS will gather information about their current storage solution

02:21and explain how a service like Amazon S3 could offer major benefits.

02:25To become an SDR, the most important skill is communication.

02:28You'll need to be great with people

02:30and have the ability to build strong relationships with customers.

02:33And while it's not a technical role,

02:35having a solid understanding of cloud services can really help you stand out.

02:39Because of that, many SDRs in companies like AWS and Azure

02:43have their AWS Cloud Practitioner or Azure Fundamentals certifications.

02:47The median salary for this role in the US is around $160,000 according to Levels.foy.

02:53And I'll leave a link down below for you to check out the salary of other companies and other locations.

02:59High-performing SDRs may also earn higher bonuses,

03:02depending on how much revenue they're able to generate for their company.

03:05Now, how do you tell if this role is right for you?

03:07Well, if you enjoy connecting with people, have good communication skills,

03:11and are motivated by results, the SDR job could be a great fit.

03:15The role also doesn't need you to be too technical,

03:17so it's also a good option for those of you who want to work in tech

03:20but don't want to get too involved in the coding.

03:22All right, once the SDR has identified potential opportunities,

03:26the next phase of the customer adoption journey involves designing cloud solutions.

03:30And this is where solutions architects come in.

03:32Solutions architects are responsible for coming up with solutions in the cloud

03:36that are tailored towards the specific needs of a customer.

03:39At AWS, they are often seen as the technical advisor for customers

03:43as they go through the journey of using the cloud.

03:45On a day-to-day basis, solutions architects work closely with customers

03:49to understand their technical requirements and business goals.

03:52They then translate these needs into effective cloud solutions

03:56and ensure that the proposed architecture is scalable, secure, and cost-effective.

04:00This process often involves creating architectural diagrams,

04:04conducting technical walkthroughs,

04:05and showcasing specific cloud services through a demo.

04:08I'm obviously a bit biased when I say that the solutions architect role

04:12is one of the best cloud jobs out there,

04:14but personally, I found it to be the perfect starting point.

04:16The role gave me exposure to over 200 plus AWS services,

04:20which really helped me develop my cloud skills very fast.

04:23My communication skills also improved

04:25because every week I was working with different customers

04:28from different industries and backgrounds.

04:30What's also great about the solutions architect role

04:32is that you don't necessarily need many years of experience to apply.

04:36Nowadays, companies like AWS

04:38offer associate solutions architect positions

04:41where they'll provide you with the training required to succeed in the role.

04:44For example, I was part of the AWS TechU program

04:47and I went through six months of training before I joined my team.

04:50The skills required to become an associate solutions architect

04:53can be split up into technical and non-technical.

04:56For the technical side, you'll need to have an understanding of IT fundamentals,

05:00so networking, compute, databases, storage, and security.

05:05It also helps to have a solid understanding of the cloud

05:07and have some hands-on experience working with cloud technologies.

05:11And for the soft skills,

05:12companies look for people who are great communicators and problem solvers.

05:15They want to hire those who can work effectively with customers

05:18and are able to explain technical concepts in a way that's easy to understand.

05:22The average salary for an associate solutions architect in AWS in the US,

05:27according to levels.fyi, is $162,000.

05:31And again, I'll leave a link down below

05:33for you to check out the salaries of other companies and other locations.

05:36If you're someone who enjoys solving problems,

05:38working directly with customers,

05:40and designing technical solutions,

05:42then the solutions architect role could be a great fit for you.

05:45By the way, I want to point out that different companies

05:47have different naming conventions when it comes to jobs in the cloud.

05:50For example, a solutions architect at AWS

05:53is referred to as a customer engineer at Google.

05:56And so before applying to any role,

05:58always check the job description to understand what it actually involves.

06:02All right, once the solutions are designed,

06:04the next step is to implement them.

06:05And that's where cloud architects come in.

06:07To put it simply,

06:08cloud architects are responsible for taking the plans designed by solutions architects

06:12and bringing them to life.

06:13This is a very hands-on role where you'll be coding and configuring applications

06:18to meet the needs of a client.

06:20So a typical day could involve managing cloud services,

06:23setting up virtual networks,

06:24and optimizing cloud storage solutions.

06:27Cloud architects also work closely with the development and operations teams

06:30to integrate applications and troubleshoot any errors that come up.

06:34As I've mentioned, different companies have different naming.

06:37So if you're interested in this role,

06:39also look out for jobs with the title cloud developer or cloud consultant.

06:42The skills required to become a cloud architect are pretty similar to a solutions architect

06:47because both roles are very customer-facing.

06:49However, cloud architects would typically have to have stronger programming skills

06:53as well as a deeper knowledge of the IT fundamentals discussed earlier.

06:57The average salary of a cloud architect in the US is around $201,000 according to Glassdoor.

07:03So how do you know if the cloud architect role is right for you?

07:06If you think you'll enjoy bringing technical designs to life

07:09and like the idea of working closely with clients,

07:12this could be the role for you.

07:13Okay, once the cloud architecture is in place,

07:16the next step is to ensure everything runs smoothly

07:18and to address any technical issues that come up along the way.

07:21That's where the cloud support engineer comes in.

07:24Cloud support engineers are the ones that keep cloud environments running smoothly

07:27after they've been implemented.

07:29They're the go-to experts when customers face technical issues

07:32and their goal is to help them resolve those problems quickly and efficiently.

07:36I have a video on my channel where I interviewed Elisa, a cloud support engineer,

07:40and she does a really good job at explaining the role and the skills required.

07:44So I won't be diving into the details here,

07:47but make sure you check out that video if you're interested in the cloud support engineer role.

07:51The average salary for a cloud support engineer in the US is around $153,000 according to Glassdoor.

07:57But yeah, if you want to develop your IT skills, enjoy helping others,

08:01and like the idea of solving technical problems in a fast-paced environment,

08:05I would recommend looking into this role.

08:07Now, once the cloud environment is maintained by the cloud support engineer,

08:10the next priority is to protect it from threats.

08:13And this is where cloud security engineers are needed.

08:16Cloud security engineers are responsible for protecting cloud environments from security threats.

08:21On a day-to-day basis, cloud security engineers design,

08:24implement, and maintain protected cloud environments.

08:27This involves identifying potential threats,

08:29conducting risk assessments, and putting security protocols in place.

08:33The skills you need for this role are a strong background in cybersecurity,

08:37knowledge of security best practices, and experience with tools like firewalls.

08:41Attention to detail is also an essential skill,

08:44because even the most minor errors can lead to major security breaches.

08:48The average salary for a cloud security engineer in the US is around $205,000,

08:52and as always, I recommend searching on websites like Glassdoor and Levels.fyi

08:57to find out the salary range in your country.

09:00If you're someone interested in cybersecurity, enjoy identifying and mitigating risk,

09:04and have a strong attention to detail, this role could be well suited for you.

09:08Okay, now for a bit of fun.

09:09If you're still not sure which cloud role is best for you,

09:12AWS actually has a cloud career quiz that can help you figure it out.

09:16I wouldn't take it too seriously, because it's only a two-minute quiz,

09:19but it could be interesting to see which role they recommend.

09:22Alright, this brings us to the end of this video.

09:24Let me know in the comments below which role is your favourite,

09:27and if you end up taking the quiz, also comment below your result.

09:30Thanks for watching, and I recommend checking out this video next.

09:33Alright, bye for now!

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