It seems that AWS is the backbone of a lot of the technology we use today. Websites, monitoring, data management, and more. What’s more, the predominance of AWS cloud support engineers are increasingly in-demand.
For the uninitiated, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud is Amazon’s cloud platform that delivers over 175 applications, ranging from infrastructure and storage to blockchain and IoT. When building up their solutions, many developers employ AWS Cloud applications.
For additional information about AWS, check out our recent piece
What is AWS?
With so many AWS apps and over 1 million customers, it takes a fleet of talented AWS Cloud Support Engineers to keep things moving. So what does becoming an AWS cloud support engineer entail?
An AWS Cloud Support Engineer’s Day in the Life
A day in the life of an AWS Cloud Support engineer involves a combination of helping customers with their AWS applications, diagnosing reported problems, constructing and maintaining AWS test instances, as well as collaborating with AWS Cloud Developers to have a deeper understanding of and support for the product.
Recently, Amazon’s AWS blog released a day in the life of one of their AWS Support engineers to try and encourage other support engineers to apply for jobs with them.
This AWS Support Engineer worked on a huge variety of different difficulties with multiple clients, from talking a new customer through launching their Amazon EC2 instance to aiding an established customer with their massive data migration.
Each day, there are new problems ready to be answered and sometimes there are even new items to understand and support. That’s where the testbed comes in. AWS Cloud Support Engineers often own and maintain their own testbed.
This can be used to conduct automated tests, build up a new application in order to learn how to troubleshoot it better, and even try to imitate problems faced by consumers.
Since AWS Cloud enables apps on the web, they must be up and running all the time. If something goes wrong, there must be a support engineer there to help. This means that AWS Cloud Support Engineers often work in shifts: a day shift and a night shift. The work is often the same, if you’re a night owl, this could be a really wonderful job option for you!
An AWS Cloud Support Engineer’s Skillset
AWS Cloud Support Engineers should have a comprehensive understanding of AWS applications.
Cloud computing, networking, system administration, scripting, automated testing, security, system architecture, and network administration.
Since this profession relies on supporting customers It’s critical for AWS Cloud Support Engineers to be tireless troubleshooters who can see both the big picture and get down to specifics. Expert knowledge of AWS applications is a necessity. Benefit, experience in customer and technical assistance is a significant plus.
AWS Cloud Support Engineer Expected Salary
AWS Cloud Support Engineers earn an average of $155,000 per year, according to Paysa. With the top percentile earning close to $200,000.
Keep in mind that Paysa’s numbers are based on compensation at Amazon. You can also be recruited as an AWS Cloud Support Engineer at other organizations. Like Digital Island, Borland, or Pinnacle Systems. Those incomes average closer to $134,000.
Your Path to a Career as an AWS Cloud Support Engineer
If supporting customers with their AWS Cloud products. Running and monitoring your own testbed, and making well over six figures a year seems like your dream job.
Then it’s time to get started adding those talents to your résumé!
Fortunately, Udacity provides a range of Cloud Computing Nanodegree programs and they have announced a partnership with Amazon to develop the AWS Machine Learning Scholarship Program.
