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It seems like everything is moving to the cloud these days – servers, storage, applications, devops, internet of things (IoT) data, advanced analytics -- you name it, it’s happening in the cloud, either in a public, private or hybrid cloud environment.

Maybe it’s time for your career to make the jump to the cloud as well.


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A cloud certification can catapult you to the upper echelons of the IT pay scale. According to the latest report from Global Knowledge, the top-paying position for 2019 is Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect at $139,529. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect ranks 4th among all IT certifications; employees with AWS certification can expect to make $132,840; and a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Server Infrastructure checks in at 6th overall, earning an average salary of $121,288.


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ZipRecruiter paints an even rosier picture, putting the average annual pay for a cloud architect at $154,102 a year, with the majority of salaries ranging between $124,500 and $174,000.


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When it comes to the most in-demand skills and the most job openings, the cloud is the place to be. The single most sought-after skill in 2019 is cloud computing, according to an analysis of LinkedIn search data. OpsRamp recently surveyed 124 IT managers, 94 percent said it was difficult to find candidates with the right cloud technology skills.

A quick survey of various online job boards, like Indeed and Simply Hired, also indicates where the cloud jobs are. Tops on the list for cloud-related openings, with more than 7,500 total job listings, is AWS Certified Solutions Architect, followed by Microsoft Cloud Platform and Infrastructure at 4,200 and Cisco CCNA Cloud at 3,600.

Vendor-specific or vendor-neutral certifications?

In the cloud computing world, there are two distinct certification paths: certifications specific to a cloud services provider and then general certifications that are associated with a specific role rather than a specific vendor.


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If you’re looking for a certification based on which cloud services company has the most market share, AWS is the clear leader, followed by Microsoft Azure, then Google.

And experts aren’t predicting any major upheavals in this ranking. In fact, Gartner is forecasting further market consolidation, with the top five players continuing to dominate. Gartner says AWS has 48 percent market share, Microsoft has 16 percent, China-based Alibaba has 8 percent , Google has 4 percent and IBM 2 percent. In terms of growth, the total Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) market is surging at more than 30 percent per year. AWS, with the largest installed base, grew at 27 percent in 2018, while the smaller players like Microsoft and Google jumped more than 60 percent on a smaller base.