Guide to Becoming a Cloud DevOps Engineer: Jobs, Certificates

You might be attracted to working as a cloud DevOps engineer for many reasons. Maybe you’re interested in the challenge of working in a fast-paced environment, or perhaps you’re attracted to the idea of working with cutting-edge software and cloud computing technologies. Whatever your reasons, you'll need to consider cloud DevOps engineer certificates and certifications to build your skills and knowledge. In addition, you’ll have to gain some experience to apply for cloud DevOps engineer jobs.

Rackspace Technology’s 2025 State of Cloud Report found that 36 per cent of organisations planned to increase their public cloud and multicloud adoption over the next 12 to 24 months [1]. Additionally, 22 per cent of respondents indicated that they preferred to distribute their software development and testing environment workloads on the 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.

What is a cloud DevOps engineer?

A cloud DevOps engineer is a professional who specialises in developing and operating cloud-based applications and services. You'll manage and deliver these 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. 

Cloud DevOps engineer vs cloud engineer: The difference

The roles of cloud DevOps engineers and cloud engineers differ in key ways. A cloud DevOps engineer is responsible for the development and operational aspects of a company's cloud computing infrastructure. They work with developers to ensure 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.

How to become a DevOps cloud engineer

To work as a cloud DevOps engineer, you need to understand 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 collaborative spirit means everyone is on the same page regarding code changes, deployments, and testing.

Earn a DevOps certification.

Taking a 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 free resources, such as certification exam overviews and sample questions. With proper preparation, you can pass the exam and receive your certification.

Required skills & qualifications for a professional 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. 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 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

Does cloud DevOps need coding?

While coding expertise isn’t generally required for cloud DevOps roles, having basic programming skills is important. You’ll typically need a foundational understanding of Python and Bash for automation, JavaScript and Ruby for basic application debugging, and Jenkins and Azure to configure CI/CD pipelines. Having a basic understanding of programming can help you better understand technical requirements, communicate with teams, and identify issues with infrastructure and scripts more easily. If you want a DevOps role with less coding, consider exploring roles focused on monitoring, security automation, and cloud management, although basic programming knowledge might still be beneficial. 

Tools used by DevOps engineers

As a DevOps engineer, you'll need to be familiar with many tools. DevOps engineers use popular tools like 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 deploying code changes quickly and reliably easier.

Cloud DevOps engineer job role

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 building, testing, and deploying processes

• 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 utilisation

Cloud DevOps engineer salary: How much does a cloud DevOps engineer make?

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 around ₹8,00,000 annually [2]. With a few years of experience, you can expect to earn about ₹16,00,000 annually [3]. If you have over five years of experience and make it to a position as a lead DevOps engineer, you can expect an annual income of over ₹25,00,000 [4].

Below are some cloud DevOps engineer opportunities and their average annual salary expectations you might see advertised on job websites:

• Cloud DevOps engineer: ₹7,00,000 [5]

• Senior cloud DevOps engineer: ₹14,30,000 [6]

• AWS DevOps engineer: ₹6,00,000 [7]

• Principal cloud engineer: ₹25,50,000 [8]

Prepare to become a Google Cloud-certified Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer on Coursera

You can break into DevOps engineering with a little hard work and dedication. Start by researching the different aspects of cloud DevOps engineering. Read books, articles, and blog posts, then consider earning a cloud DevOps engineer certificate. Join online communities and forums to network with other professionals. Attend conferences and events to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. If you’re ready to do a course now, consider taking the Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud DevOps Engineer Professional Certificate or IBM's DevOps, Cloud, and Agile Foundations Specialisation on Coursera.