Provides the compute, storage, and networking everything runs on.
High demand. Large, steady volume of postings across industries. A realistic target for an active job search.
Common titles for this role at each level. Companies vary; see Role titles decoded.
| Level | Typical titles |
|---|---|
| Entry | Junior / Associate Cloud Infrastructure Engineer · Cloud Infrastructure Engineer I |
| Mid | Cloud Infrastructure Engineer · Cloud Infrastructure Engineer II |
| Senior | Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer · Lead Cloud Infrastructure Engineer |
| Expert (IC track) | Staff / Principal Cloud Infrastructure Engineer |
| Management track | Manager, Infrastructure & Cloud → Director of Infrastructure & Cloud → VP |
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Searching for: Cloud Infrastructure Engineer · anywhere in the US · change
Opens the job board's own search; results and counts are theirs.
Sources:
BLS 15-1244 (sysadmins) is the nearest code but covers mostly on-prem roles and is declining; cloud-titled roles pay ~50% more per Glassdoor.
BLS lists a bachelor's as typical but notes some employers accept a certificate or associate's; postings weight hands-on cloud, Terraform, and networking experience plus certs over degree.
| Exam fee | $150 |
| Training | AWS Skill Builder free tier; prep courses $20-300 |
| Renewal | every 3 years |
| Typical total | $150-450 |
Named explicitly as preferred in the current cloud infrastructure posting (alongside SysOps and Security).
| Exam fee | not published |
| Training | Microsoft Learn free |
| Renewal | free online assessment every 12 months |
| Typical total | exam priced by region; pricing on request |
Listed first among preferred certs (with AZ-305, AZ-700, AZ-500) on an Azure-preferred infrastructure posting.
| Exam fee | $71 |
| Training | free HashiCorp tutorials |
| Renewal | expires after 2 years |
| Typical total | $70-150 |
Expert Terraform was the first requirement on the current posting; this is the cheapest way to signal it.
| Exam fee | $300 |
| Training | self-study $0-300; Cisco courses more |
| Renewal | recertification required; see Cisco policy |
| Typical total | $300-800 |
Still the standard proof of networking fundamentals that cloud networking (VPCs, VPNs, load balancers) builds on.
| Exam fee | not published |
| Training | RH124/RH134 courses (pricing on request) |
| Typical total | pricing on request |
Performance-based Linux admin exam valued in enterprise and government shops running RHEL.
| Exam fee | not published |
| Training | self-study $0-200 |
| Renewal | 3-year CE cycle |
| Typical total | pricing on request |
Entry-level networking cert for people coming up from help desk toward infrastructure.
Exam fees for AZ-104 (region-priced), RHCSA, and Network+ are not published by the vendors, so they are null. BLS projects sysadmin employment to decline 4% (2025-35) while cloud-titled roles grow; the salary note reflects that split. No senior_or_manager figure sourced for this exact title.
Figures are US, from the sources listed, and change often; verify before deciding.