Cloud Engineer vs. Cloud Developer

Cloud service is a new industry with various job titles and positions. The most popular of all is cloud engineer and cloud developer.

So, what are the differences between a cloud engineer vs developer? I will discuss the duties and skill sets of each field to bring you the answer.

After reading this post, you’ll choose a suitable career for your skills and needs.

What is a Cloud Engineer?

A cloud engineer is responsible for multiple assets of the cloud service. It includes various tasks relating to the cloud. There are five duties of an engineer in this industry:

• Designing
• Managing
• Maintaining
• Supporting
• Planning

Companies with large cloud systems will have their own engineering teams. Each team will take charge of one part and develop the systems.

An engineer may help manage cloud security. Your job is to prevent possible attacks on the cloud’s database. You must fix the errors and protect users’ data.

The work of engineers sometimes overlaps with the developers’ duties. It involves deploying new solutions to develop the systems. Yet, most engineers focus on maintaining the clouds rather than developing them.

To pursue this profession, learners should have excellent coding skills. Extensive knowledge of cloud services is also essential.

What is a Cloud Developer?

Cloud development is the task of building the cloud’s architecture. The developers will go through works like planning and designing to construct the systems.

The process involves managing the delivery models of the services. Some examples of the developers’ duties are

• Connect the data with an organization’s network.
• Develop a recovery plan to deal with the errors of clouds.
• Manage the cloud bandwidth and functions.

Cloud developers also help build programs and websites besides the cloud. They are often professionals who build software and apps. Yet, most of the tools and resources they use come from a cloud platform.

The developers often work for companies with their own cloud systems. Their job is to develop and maintain these systems. They also develop new ideas to make the systems more efficient.

Key Differences

1. Learning Curves

The learning curve of the two fields is similar. Some essential skills for the two job titles are networking and programming. Also, the learners must have a deep knowledge of using cloud platforms and operating systems.

Yet, communication skills are more critical for developers. It’s because you must work with many branches within the system.

2. Duties

The duties of cloud engineers prioritize maintaining the system. Your job is to ensure the systems can operate stably without any errors. The daily task of a cloud engineer may include the following:

• Monitor the systems and deal with errors.
• Manage the system and data storage services.
• Configure the clouds and their related components.
• Help the company take advantage of the system’s data.

The developers focus more on developing the system. Your goal is to make cloud services more efficient to use. Here are some daily responsibilities in this field:

• Build new tools and data services based on cloud platforms.
• Check the latest cloud services and their capacities.
• Develop new plans to increase the speed of the system.
• Give advice to improve the system’s security.

3. Career Paths

With the skills and knowledge, you can also choose to become an engineer. Some people work as software engineers using cloud-based services.

Yet, the most popular routes are still cloud developers or administrators. Similarly, a cloud engineer can follow the mentioned paths.

4. Salaries

BLS indicates that cloud developers earn an average salary of $112,994. Meanwhile, the annual income of cloud engineers is $126,282. It’s evident that cloud engineering brings a more promising salary than its counterpart.

5. Job Outlooks

The job outlooks of the two professions are similar. You can seek various job opportunities with good incomes. There are many positions available in both fields in many big companies.

6. Work Environments

Cloud developers work in a more sociable environment. You have to communicate with various teams to monitor the system. You also must exchange ideas and feedback with the other members.

Meanwhile, cloud engineers can choose to work remotely at home. You are a member of a team responsible for a specific component. This job requires less communication and teamwork.

Which Should You Choose?

There are not many differences between these two job titles. They share pretty similar job duties and required skills. The ultimate goal is to ensure the cloud’s function and make them more efficient.

Both professions require excellent coding and managing skills. You must be able to monitor the system and fix the errors. Therefore, a cloud engineer can take charge of a developer’s jobs and vice versa.

The most noticeable difference lies in their focus. Cloud engineers focus on the engineering part. You deal mainly with building the systems and fixing errors.

Plus, your job is centralized and focused on one aspect of the cloud systems. Meanwhile, the duties of cloud developers are more extensive. You must manage the whole cloud system and all of its related components.

Therefore, developers often focus on the bigger picture rather than a small field. Thus, it requires better management skills and problem-solving capacity. Plus, you must be able to communicate with many other teams within the system.

Final Verdict

If you have a deep interest in cloud technology, you can pursue both job titles. The knowledge and skills needed for the two fields are very similar.

Yet, cloud engineering is more suitable for those who love monitoring a small part of the system. Your contribution will help maintain the systems and make them thrive.

Meanwhile, cloud development is ideal for sociable people who are good at teamwork. Your focus is on the bigger picture, and you must deal with various duties at a time.

If you find this comparison helpful, feel free to like and comment on the post. Thank you for your time!