What are the major concerns of improvement for businesses? The most common ones are saving costs, quality assurance, scalability, data security, disaster recovery, simplification of processes, and processing power. Most of these concerns are addressed by adopting cloud computing. With an unprecedented amount of data being generated every day, storing data and running programs and systems on internal computer servers is becoming quite troublesome for companies. This has further fueled the need for organizations to migrate to the cloud.

Cloud computing is beneficial for both large companies and startups. Its adoption has grown so high that the global cloud computing market reached worth USD 371.4 billion in 2020. Moreover, it is expected to reach USD 832.1 billion by 2025, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.5% from 2020 to 2025. This means you have one of the rewarding career options in cloud computing. The opportunities in this field are plenty, and professionals are adding relevant credentials to their portfolio, like a cloud architect certification, to demonstrate their cloud computing skills.

Read on to know more about cloud computing why you should be embarking on a career in this field.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is shaping the way IT hardware is designed and purchased. Traditionally, companies had to go through a cumbersome process whenever they wanted a new software or tool. The installation process, purchase terms, and conditions, license renewal, maintenance costs, etc. added to the issues to be handled. Cloud computing was introduced as a solution for all these problems – it is the delivery of on-demand computing services like storage, robust software, and processing power over the internet.

In other words, there is a designated server that can hold all of the software, hardware, and other applications required to run a business. Companies use the computing facilities and storage utilities operated by third parties, i.e., cloud service providers. These providers offer online business applications that can simply be used through a web browser and store the software and data on their servers.

The key players in the field of cloud computing are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Salesforce. The cloud services offered by these providers are based on the pay-as-you-go pricing model. It means companies only need to pay for the services they use and can terminate them at any time with no additional costs.

Cloud computing applications generally fall into three categories:

• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

Microsoft Azure is known for offering PaaS and is adopted by many enterprises, including Toyota, Coca-Cola, eBay, Boeing, Samsung, and GE Healthcare. On the other hand, Amazon Web Service (AWS) is known for offering IaaS and adopted by renowned brands like Netflix, Facebook, LinkedIn, Adobe Systems, Airbnb, and Turner Broadcasting.

A career in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has become an integral part of many organizations these days. As such, there is a high demand for professionals who can contribute to a company’s effort to seamlessly migrate to the cloud and have proficiency in using different cloud services. Whether you are just starting your career or willing to switch your working domain, cloud computing might be the best choice you can make.

The top job roles that are offered in the field of cloud computing are:

• Cloud engineer
• Cloud developer
• Cloud computer systems and network administrator
• Cloud practitioner
• Cloud architect
• Cloud security manager
• Cloud automation engineer

While these are the common job roles, there are vendor-specific roles as well. You know that AWS and Microsoft Azure are the leaders in the cloud computing space. Both of them offer certain certifications that can prepare you for designations like AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, AWS Certified Developer, Certified Azure Administrator, Azure Security Engineer, and more.

If you aren’t particular about AWS or Azure, you can also prepare for other popular cloud computing certifications like:

• CompTIA Cloud+ Certification
• Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) Cloud
• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
• Google Cloud Certified – Professional Cloud Architect
• VMware Certified Professional 7 – Cloud Management and Automation

Another important factor that professionals consider while embarking on a new career is the salary prospect. Cloud computing professionals earn high salaries as they enjoy huge demand in IT as well as other industries. According to Payscale, here are the average annual salaries of some of the cloud computing professionals working in the US:

• Solutions Architect – USD 126,000
• Enterprise Architect, IT – USD 139,000
• Cloud Engineer – USD 91,409
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate – USD 113,044
• DevOps Engineer – USD 99,000

By gaining experience and adding some good certifications to your array of skills will further enhance your earning potential. Some of the companies offering higher salaries to cloud computing professionals include Accenture, Dell, Amazon, Capital One Financial Corp., and Slalom Consulting.

Start with Cloud Computing today

The above information is compelling enough to lure you into a career in cloud computing. As enterprises continue to embrace cloud technologies, the future is bright in this domain, and you don’t need to worry about your career growth. It is better to start your journey by taking up an online training course in cloud computing. You can either take an introductory course if you are just starting out. However, it is better to take some advanced courses like a cloud architect course if you have some experience. Identify where your interests lie and start learning.