AWS Engineer: Job Roles, Salaries, and Career Prospects in 2024

Amazon Web Services, popularly known as AWS, has been a rage in the marketplace since its inception in the year 2006. The secret to its success is based on the fact that you use specific solutions from its features and only pay for them. The results in better ROI and faster results without having to sacrifice the performance or the desired output. The services are spread across computing, database storage, and content delivery systems.  AWS works on three platforms namely 

1. IaaS or the infrastructure as a service
2. PaaS or Platform as a Service
3. SaaS or Software as a Service

Who is an AWS Engineer then?

When cloud computing is huge and mammoth, it requires experts who will not only ensure smooth functioning but also help in delivering the goods that are promised. This is the role of an AWS engineer. An IT professional who ensures the creation of the application, maintaining the said application, and keeping updating or evolving the application infrastructure from time to time is called an AWS engineer. The AWS system is available in 240 countries, thus we can easily gauge the importance and role of an AWS engineer.

Role and Responsibilities

When you are an AWS engineer, the one size fits all tag is not applicable. This is simply due to the fact that the role of the AWS engineer may vary depending on the size of the company, the nature of the organisation, and its dependency on the AWS system. The basic role of an AWS engineer would be as follows:

• As an AWS engineer using the AWS infrastructure for planning and implementation, and evolving becomes a primary goal.
• Help move from the existing web applications in use to the AWS infrastructure if the organization is optimising
• When your application uses a particular AWS infrastructure, An AWS engineer writes codes that optimise the performance of the application
• AWS engineer works in a close association with the software architect team and engineering teams to design and implement software services that are deemed fit for the organisation
• Stay abreast with the new technology and applications that are available. AWS engineer meets the vendors and sees if the services are in tandem with the needs, goals, and vision of the organisation
• AWS engineer recommends process and system up-gradation after time to time inspection
• While using a cloud computing system, the security of the data is very crucial. An AWS engineers ensures the security of the cloud computing system
• Many a time issues arise on the working systems of the AWS. At such time an AWS engineer also plays the role of a troubleshooter, thereby ensuring the smooth flow of data across all platforms and application
• While setting up application infrastructure, the AWS engineer undertakes deep analysis and then takes the necessary steps
• The infrastructure need maintenance, AWS engineer ensures best practices are followed in maintenance
• AWS engineer ensures at the testing stage in pre-production mode so that the products and services offered by the company are as per customer satisfaction
• AWS engineers must know when to use the CI/CD tool while deploying

To be an AWS engineer what should you know

To become an AWS engineer you have to have an IT background since that will be the basics. The few other skills that one has to know are as given below:

• Since you work in the cloud computing field, knowledge of Amazon web services is a must
• Services like EC2, ELB, RDS, and S3 must be known to an AWS engineer like the back of his/her hand. This experience helps in designing and building web environments
• Background of designing and managing native cloud computing applications
• The practice of Linux or Unix server
• Expertise in Ansible, Artifactory, Docker, GitHub, Jenkins, Kubernetes, Maven, and SonarQube DevOp tools to handle and understand the cloud environment
• Adequate knowledge of application servers like Tomcat etc, their installation and configure systems
• CloudWatch, ELK Stack, and Prometheus must be known for monitoring the systems and their optimisation
• Writing of Infrastructure as a code using various tools
• Complete knowledge of more than one programming language that is used in recent times. Example Python or SQL base to name a few 
• Sufficient  knowledge in troubleshooting
• Aptitude in knowing scripting languages and subsequent development
• Display leadership skills and team-building attitude
• An AWS engineer must also be a trainer and teach various procedural tools to the team
• A collaborator and a person with strong communication skills go places as an AWS engineer
• AWS engineer with thorough knowledge of automation

How much would you earn if you are an AWS engineer?

The most sought-after job in the IT sector is cyber security followed by cloud computing. Despite this, there is a shortfall of computing professionals. This means the demand is more than the available AWS engineers in various sectors. The scenario is a bit scary since the cloud computing demand is increasing day in and day out and at that rate professionals are not available. Thus AWS engineer becomes a lucrative career option. Let us look at the salaries offered in India.

• AWS Engineer Salary Based on Experience: Einstein once said the source of any knowledge is your experience. Ditto holds true for the salary of an AWS engineer.  An AWS engineer with about a year of experience will make around 5 Lacs per annum. If you have a year’s experience with great skills then you can get around 8 lacs per annum.  At the senior level, with about 6 to 14 years of experience will look at profiles that have more management skills along with mentor and supervision skillset. The experienced AWS engineers can have a maximum package of around 18 Lacs.  However professional AWS engineers with more than 15 years of experience can even cross the 30 lacs package. If you are an AWS engineer with more than 15 years of experience with excellent management and mentor skills the salary of around 50 Lacs is easily offered.

• AWS Engineer Salary Based on Employer: Salary or remuneration also depends on company to company. It is based on the company’s policy and the type of business the company is doing along with its dependency on cloud computing. The recruitment and subsequent remuneration also depend on the associate certification got by the AWS engineer. The salary range for companies like Accenture is in the range of 4.5 lacs to 30 lacs per annum. What also plays an important role in the experience and the AWS certification of the AWS engineer. Ditto TCS has a pay scale of 4.20 – 20Lacs per annum. Ericsson Inc offers 20 lacs per annum, HCL Technologies Ltd offers a range of 3 lacs to 20 lacs. Wipro Technologies Ltd and  Tech Mahindra Ltd to offer salaries on the same pay scale.

• AWS Engineer Salary Based on Skillset: AWS engineer is a very broad category. A DevOps engineer is also an AWS engineer and so is a solution architect. Even a software engineer is an AWS engineer. So what is the differentiator? The difference is the skill set possessed by each one of them. The salaries differ from skill set to skill set. The salaries offered are based on skill set. Let’s see the salary for each skill set:

DevOps Engineer-  Rs.7.25lac per annum. A Solution Architect with some experience – Rs. 10 Lacs per annum. Software Engineer – Rs. 6 lacs per annum, Technical Architect –20 lacs per annum, System Architecture-20 lacs per annum, and IT consultant 10 lacs per annum.

The above category will attract this kind of salary only because of skill set combined with experience. There are a few other skill sets that leave a lasting impression on the resume and also leave an impact on the salary slip. Your skillset will however determine the salary offered and the employer will seek high proficiency in that skillset.  Software architects attract a higher salary depending on their experience and proficiency as compared to those who do not possess that skill set.  With the desired skill you can expect a 15 to 20% increase in salary expected. Skills like application integration get 14% more pay. Enterprise solution about 13%, Java trainers 10%, cloud computing 9%, system architect 5%, and IT consultant get 3% salary raise. 

How to become an AWS engineer?

Knowledge keeps improving and enhancing all the time. With the advent of technology, what is new now may become redundant tomorrow. There is so much to learn and the AWS engineer pathway is a long one with the ultimate destination of becoming proficient. IT professionals with a degree in computer science or IT degree become AWS engineer. After the graduation degree, many AWS engineer supplement their knowledge by doing certification courses. Many AWS engineers have field experience and then they do the additional certification and learn a new skill set. Whatever be the reason, many corporations require at least 10 years of work experience for AWS engineer post

Java, C++,  Python, and AngularJS are some programming languages that are popularly used in software design. Tech tools like SQL, Redshift, Hadoop, Kafka are a few tools that need to be learned to become a successful AWS engineer. Experience in Docker, Linux/Unix, and DevOps skills and experience helps an AWS engineer.  Cybercrimes are rampant due to digitization. Due to this cybersecurity is of paramount importance. A successful AWS engineer must have a fair idea of cybersecurity skills in their skillset. A lot of IT professionals do not appreciate the benefits of cloud computing migration, this is due to security reasons and their lack of cybersecurity. 

An AWS engineer needs upgrades time and again. The AWS engineer gets improved skill experience by AWS certification. There are many institutes like Henry Harvin which help in getting this certification. Many others take up weekend classes so the professional and educational experience gets balanced. 

Career prospects of an AWS engineer

Cloud computing is nowadays used in many businesses. When the pandemic struck the world in March 2020 and brought the world to a standstill, the world woke up to the benefits of cloud computing. The pandemic resulted in disruption of the business cycle. Uncertainty loomed over the business fraternity as the adoption of cloud computing accelerated over the last year as the COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruption to businesses around the world. Astonishing but yes the dependency of business on cloud computing has increased and thus we see an increase in the demand for AWS and AWS experts. When we read the above lines and question yourselves whether the prospects of an AWS engineer in the near future are so good, there can only be one answer: a big YES. If it is yes for AWS engineers so the demand for AWS certification too will be in demand. Let’s look into this aspect closely. 

• IT professionals will have to become cloud computing experts too: We just read above the significance of cloud computing and more so in the pandemic. When you read you absorb and assimilate one fact that AWS certification in the coming future will become inevitable for IT software experts. The fact that cloud computing has reached here so effectively is due to technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Thus AWS certification becomes relevant in the future. Forbes has said the cutting-edge technology that is now available has helped tremendously in the migration to the AWS platform. This belief has been seconded by IT professionals. Thus being AWS certified will become a necessity in the near future. To gain a competitive edge over peers it is, therefore, necessary to look at AWS certification now.  

• AWS demand is more than the certified Supply: With the foreseeable benefits of cloud computing, the need for AWS engineer has gone up across the globe. Despite the demand, it has been noticed that employers still can’t find employees with cloud computing skills. It has been reported by a survey conducted recently that about 60$ jobs related to cloud computing require AWS and thus we can easily conclude that AWS engineer demand and certification are in high demand. The certification will help you acquire AWS knowledge and skills. This will precisely act as jet rockets to your resume and help you soar high in the AWS job demand scenario. Finding your dream job that earns you the desired dollars may not be a dream which is unachievable.   

• Think Cloud Adoption think AWS:  A feature of AWS is the IaaS or Infrastructure as a service, this holds around 1/3rd of the cloud computing market. Hence all the more start to decide to enhance professional skills with AWS certification and work as an AWS engineer. The IaaS hold more shares in cloud computing than its closest competitors namely Microsoft and Google. If the trends are read and believed properly, which the experts feel they do, the AWS market and services will see a boom in the near future. If we believe what we see around, a safer choice to attract more lucrative job prospects would be to take the AWS certification. An AWS certification also makes a beneficial combination with your management and software designing skills and you see a jump in your career graph regardless of the platform used by your employers.   

• AWS is seeing maximum Cloud Migration Traffic: Small and medium scale businesses or well-established multi-regional and international companies with well-established verticals are finding their way into the cloud computing world. According to a survey conducted by Cisco as a part of its project, it was found that by the end of the year the IP traffic would hit close to 20 ZB an astonishing 1.7 ZB/month. It is also estimated that the world of computing services will become a  17.5% market. 

There is always a resistance to change. The change can be at any level and when enterprises change and move to cloud migration, how can resistance to this change be left behind. Thus to overcome the ethical challenges of change and help the smooth transition, an organisation needs professionals. Professionals like an AWS engineer helps to not only solve the problem but also help in coming up with customised solutions. These advantages come in handy and thus we see an increased demand in the cloud expert market. An AWS engineer who has an in-depth knowledge of the computing market, who can assist businesses by offering solutions and help move from traditional practices to cloud platforms is in great demand. An AWS engineer is an asset to the organisation so don’t think twice and get the AWS certification right now. 

Certification, Credibility, And Expertise the three pillars of success

Degree, experience, and potential are the three factors that help a professional go places in their career paths. The factors also help a client or a potential employer to built-in trust with the professional. These things along with a certification do come in handy while appearing for the interview. An AWS certification is a testimonial that the AWS engineer has gone through rigorous training and is now capable of handling the challenges that are associated with the job.  Put the pedal on the certification today and join the certification courses today as a whole new world awaits you. Also the skill set is lucrative since you take home a handsome chunk of money as your salary. 

Also, Check Henry Harvin Review:

FAQs

The core AWS certification is divided into 4 parts. They are namely Foundational, Architect, Operations, and Developer. Foundational certification is beneficial with professionals in the sales, technical, finance, and purchasing teams in the AWS cloud. Architect certification is for professionals who are solution design engineers or for any person who wants to learn to develop apps on the platform. Operations is for professionals looking at the migration of data as a career choice. Developer as the name suggests is for professionals who want to develop applications on cloud computing services or AWS. 

The world of AWS is large, sometimes intimidating and sometimes it offers you a whole new world of specialization. Keeping specialty in mind, there are 5 specialty certifications namely: AWS Certified Data Analytics, AWS Certified Database, AWS Certified Advanced Networking, AWS Certified Machine Learning, and AWS Certified Security. Choose your field of interest before selecting any specialisation. 

As the term suggests, this AWS certification is for professionals who choose to design and are solution design engineers or solution architects or in simple terms professionals who learn to develop applications and systems specifically on the AWS platform. There are 2 paths in this certification and you can learn the one that excites you
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: A professional who possesses the knowledge to design, manage, distribute applications along with AWS tools would be an ideal candidate. A professional who undergoes this training certification must be able to design and manage the scale of the software in the AWS systems effectively. He must be able to troubleshoot any problem that may arise. He needs to understand cybersecurity and disaster management of data. It is highly recommended that professionals with more than 1 or 2 years of hands-on work experience go ahead with this kind of certification.  
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional: A professional undertaking this certification must display his knowledge about complex AWS systems, their applications, and their working. 

When you are interested in creating applications in the cloud, you become the perfect candidate. The 2 certifications are :
AWS Certified Developer – Associate: If you are an IT professional who possesses the knowledge and also understands the complexities of the AWS system would be an ideal candidate. He must also know about maintenance and development.  
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: Knowledge of automation of AWS process clubbed with knowledge of various concepts of deployment will give you a cutting edge for this certification.