This is a guide to finding the best US cloud computing jobs.
Out of all the career paths that are available to US technologists, Cloud Computing is certainly one of the most appealing.
The Cloud Computing market has been growing at a steady rate for over a decade, with the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating the adoption of this technology.
Cloud Computing is now a key asset in workforce management, with employers in urgent need of technologists who are capable of handling quick and cost-effective cloud transition processes.
And although the demand for skilled cloud specialists shows no sign of slowing down, the supply of skilled talent is low.
Having said that, this is also a difficult job market to navigate.
Requirements for cloud computing positions are somewhat unique, with numerous employers preferring specialized training and certificates over traditional university degrees.
In fact, Cloud Computing vacancies can be hard to spot in the first place: most ads do not even display ‘cloud’ in the job title.
On top of that, career prospects for cloud specialists are not spread evenly across the US.
So, to help you make a more informed career choice, find the kind of work you enjoy most, and do it wherever you like, just keep reading!
The cloud computing market at a glance
The global cloud computing market is expected to grow from $445.3bn in 2021 to $947.3bn by 2026.
These numbers should come as no surprise: by the end of 2023, it is estimated that 20% of installed edge computing platforms will be delivered and managed by hyperscale cloud providers, compared to less than 1% in 2020.
Even more impressively, more than 50% of the world’s companies will have integrated at least one distributed cloud option in their organization by 2025.
Presently, the Cloud Computing market is dominated by well-known giants like:
- Adobe
- Google Cloud Platform
- Hewlett-Packard Enterprise
- IBM, Dell Technologies
- Microsoft Azure
- ServiceNow
- VMware
- Salesforce
- Workday
But hey, if you’re not quite the corporate type, fear not!
The US hosts more than 5,000 Cloud Computing organizations, many of which are young and highly innovative start-ups.
However, if your objective is to work with the top players, you should probably check out Forbes’ 100 ranking of the top cloud companies.
But there’s much more to Cloud Computing than working in traditional tech companies.
As non-tech organizations are moving toward distributed, hyperscale, and hybrid cloud options, there is an increasing need for technologists specialized in cloud-based resource management and streamlining across the whole US economy.
The cloud computing job market: Demand and supply
According to recent studies, in the three-year period between March 2018 and March 2021, the number of cloud job postings rose by 42%.
While the demand for skilled cloud computing specialists is high, supply is low, with over 80% of cloud leaders struggling to hire skilled workers.
Some of the most in-demand cloud roles include job titles like Cloud Engineer, Cloud Architect, Cloud consultant, Cloud Developer, Cloud Security Engineer, Cloud Security Specialist and Cloud Migration Specialist.
However, CompTIA found that only 17% of tech companies have created new roles for cloud computing, while job postings for system engineers and network engineers are much more common than postings with cloud-specific titles.
This is because cloud responsibilities have become part of the job for traditional IT roles like Network Administrator, System Administrator, Security Engineer, System Engineer and even Computer Support/Help Desk.
The most in-demand cloud computing skills
Given the growing importance of Cloud Computing across the whole economy, it only makes sense that you might want to develop the right skill set and set yourself apart from the crowd.
A university degree in a traditional tech subject like Computer Engineering will facilitate your job hunt, besides giving you an estimated salary boost of over 20%.
But when it comes to Cloud Computing, higher education is not everything.
A Cloud Guru survey of tech hiring managers found that 87% of employers value hands-on experience more than higher education, while an impressive 82% consider candidates with cloud certifications more attractive than those holding a university degree.
Some of the most popular cloud certifications out there include:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect
- Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert
In the US, most employers expect cloud specialists to have undergone training in DevOps, Kubernetes, AWS and Azure.
Cloud security is another area of major concern for US organizations, with IT experts expected to have a working knowledge of cybersecurity tools like data loss prevention and identity access and management.
You should also be able to demonstrate excellent data analysis skills, given that cloud operations generate massive amounts of information that must be analyzed for proper orchestration.
And with more and more organizations looking to transition into more dynamic as-a-service models or opting to build their own cloud network, virtualization and private cloud construction skills are in high demand.
On top of all that, be prepared to handle business continuity & disaster recovery processes.
Where to find the top cloud computing jobs
In 2022, a cloud engineer in the U.S. makes an average salary of $120,473 a year.
The highest paying cities for cloud engineers in the US are:
- New York, NY: $154,620 per year
- Herndon, VA: $151,346 per year
- San Francisco, CA: $149,600 per year
- San Jose, CA: $131,138 per year
- Seattle, WA: $130,510 per year
- Washington, DC: $128,597 per year
- Dallas, TX: $126,155 per year
- Austin, TX: $123,196 per year
- Chicago, IL: $122,946 per year
A word to the wise: a list like the one above goes only so far in helping you identify the right city to work in.
For example, although New York-based cloud engineers bring home nearly $30K more than their Austin colleagues, the latter enjoy a much more affordable lifestyle.
Once the yearly salary is adjusted to the cost of living, cloud engineers in Austin make nearly $20,000 more than New Yorkers from the borough of Queens.
Picking the right city for your job hunt is no easy task, which is why you should check out our Definitive Guide to US Tech Hubs.
This detailed and comprehensive study of the nation’s top tech hubs contains exhaustive information about the local tech scene, including the latest available data about:
● Market composition
● Top employers
● Job openings
● Salary levels
● Quality of life
See you there.
We hope you’ve found this article useful as you continue to pursue your cloud computing career.
We are niche technology recruitment specialists matching diverse and innovative technology teams with the most sought after, hard-to-reach, talent.
If you would like to find out more about working with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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About the author
Ruggero Galtarossa is a PHD Researcher with a background in Journalism and Sociology. He studied at Cambridge University, England, and has worked as a content creator for Incubeta, an international team of experts in marketing, technology, data, and creative. He currently works as PHD Researcher and technology writer.
Image by: Louis Reed
