You’re probably contemplating having a career in the cloud and examining the huge impacts this choice may have on your future career opportunities and life as a whole.
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on this wise decision of stepping into cloud computing in the world of IT because there is a booming need for cloud computing experts, and the share of cloud computing jobs increased by 42 % per million according to the data between 2018 to 2021.
So, If you are looking for a brief comparison of these two cloud computing platform giants, this blog post is for you. The comparison is in terms of:
Factors affecting average salaries of AWS and Azure professionals
As the cloud market is growing exponentially, highly skilled people with certifications are in demand from companies to deliver complex cloud solutions.
1. Importance of certifications for AWS and Azure salary:
Does this question pop up in your mind why is it necessary to get certified? You are at the right post as we will be answering all of your queries.
Certified experts are prioritized and eventually have greater salaries as compared to non-certified individuals. Additionally, these certifications are widely recognized and can open the door for cloud opportunities.
This is because:
The process of training and learning required to pass the exam allows you to strengthen your knowledge within various domains and scenarios.
So, if you are pursuing a well-paid job in the cloud market, you must consider getting one or multiple certifications.
2. Importance of practical knowledge and experience for AWS and Azure salary:
Besides certification, you need to focus on one cloud provider and get expertise in it. It includes building a portfolio by doing projects that showcase your skills which attract managers.
The right amalgamation of certs and practical experience will help you protrude from the crowd and make your way ahead to be a highly paid individual in the cloud.
Comparison of AWS and Azure average salaries
job title | aWS salary range | azure salary range |
|---|---|---|
Cloud Architect | $131,500 – $208,000 | $133,000 – $170,500 |
Developer | $100,000 – $151,843 | $107,250 – $122,378 |
Data analyst | $105500 – $153500 | $96,000 – $178,500 |
$70,000 – $141,000 | $105,017 – $160,000 | |
Cloud Practitioner | $40,000 – $161,000 | $120,718 – $152,142 |
A cloud architect is the highest-paid job title in any cloud computing program including AWS and Azure.
So which pays more, AWS or Azure?
Were you able to choose which platform you will pursue according to the Payscale salary ranges mentioned above?
According to a survey of 10 top IT certifications by global knowledge, the AWS certified solution architect which is associate level offers the 4th highest annual salary i.e, 135,000$.
So clearly, in the AWS vs Azure salary comparison, the salary of an AWS-certified IT professional exceeds that of an Azure-certified IT professional.
How to determine which platform is right for your career goals?
1. Self-analysis:
The first step of decision-making and being sure about the decision you made is to analyze which level of skills or expertise you are in a particular field.
2. Market share:
If we talk about the recent market share of 2022, AWS was the most dominant cloud service provider which accounts for 31% of total cloud infrastructure services following Azure as the second largest cloud service provider with a market share of 24%.
AWS vs Azure Certifications: A Comparison
Being certified by any cloud program tells the potential employer that you have what it takes to build and manage that particular cloud ecosystem’s solutions.
Top AWS Certifications
As we have discussed, there are a total of 12 AWS certifications you can go for. All of these certifications have equal merit, depending on the subject matter.
However, when we talk about the AWS Certification salary, the AWS Solution Architect certification is the most recommended and popular IT certification by experienced professionals. It is considered a prerequisite for professional certification.
And is for those who design and deploy distributed applications on the cloud and require an experience of a couple of years.
It covers:
The main reason behind high recommendation of AWS Solution Architect certification is because there is a 67% rate of pay increase followed by DevOps engineer which is 46% despite being a expert level certification.
Top Azure Certifications
Although Azure market share is less as compared to AWS market share, its growth has been phenomenal in the past few years.
Thus, Microsoft has been constantly adding more Azure role-based certifications. Currently, it offers 14 Azure certifications. Focusing on Azure’s role-based certifications will validate your subject matter expertise and can offer you great career opportunities.
Just like AWS, Azure also has high ranking certifications which are listed among the top 15 highest-paying certificates. In the United States, a Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals IT professional earns US$126K per annum on average as per a survey conducted by Global Knowledge.
This makes it the highest paying certification among other Azure certifications.
Job Opportunities After Azure and AWS Cloud Certification
Learn THE CLOUD:
If you are passionate about choosing cloud computing as a career, you must learn cloud irrespective of the platform whether it’s AWS or Azure. This requires a broad understanding of all the possible cloud services and how to configure them.
This mindset of learning “THE CLOUD” is what most companies are looking for in the employees they hire.
Cross certification:
The 21st century is an era of multi-cloud which means most companies are integrating multiple cloud services including AWS, Azure, and Google cloud lending upon their geographical requirements, technical needs, and other factors.
So, getting cross-certification may help you acquire a job you love.
AWS vs. Azure; A present and future perspective
Although AWS is still the largest cloud computing service provider by far and several companies are utilizing this platform because of a very high market share, this does not imply by any means that Azure is less significant for getting a job.
AWS is in the lead right now but Azure also has a third of the market. Moreover, many companies are rushing towards Azure to become a part of their ‘bright future’.
