Cloud architects are becoming a role necessary to helping business operations run smoothly, and is therefore a career path that has a lot of promise for both growth and stability. Here’s what to know about most cloud architect positions.   

What is a cloud architect?   

Cloud architects are responsible for building a company’s cloud computing strategy, as well as deploying, managing, and supporting cloud applications. Cloud architects usually have an expert-level understanding across several operating systems, and they also have skills and experience in networking, programming, and server security. When hiring for cloud architects, companies usually look for candidates who have a deep understanding of existing cloud services like Amazon Web Services. The best candidates also typically have experience with infrastructure and operations, vendor relationships and management, and IT service management.   

What are the top skills needed to become a cloud architect?  

In addition to experience and knowledge of cloud computing and systems, successful cloud architects come to the table with:  

• Familiarity with the principles of cloud architecture that businesses need to deploy for optimum cloud functionality 
• Experience with scaling cloud applications as a business grows   
• Understanding of the importance of cost and performance in cloud systems 
• Superior collaboration and communication skills  
• Ideally, a knowledge of several state-of-the-art cloud technologies and an ability to stay up to date with industry, technology, and software changes  

Overall, cloud architects typically earn between $117,000 and $196,000 annually. Because of this, the candidates who are hired for these positions have years of experience and often a whole set of cloud-specific qualifications, including AWS certifications and more. 

For those looking into making cloud computing their career, focus on growing your skills in the areas of security (like a deeper understanding of the functionality of firewalls, for instance), networking (becoming more familiar with with HTTP, DNS, IP address, and more), and operating systems (including Linux, Unix, Windows, and others). 

Are you a Cloud Architect Looking For Work? 

Our expert team can help you find your next IT role. If you’re looking to take your career to the next level, give us a call today.   

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