Cloud Engineer Roadmap: Zero to Job-Ready on AWS
Follow this cloud engineer roadmap from zero to job-ready on AWS: Linux, Python, networking, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, security, and architecture.
0 / 33 modules
Your recommended path
Start at Linux, Python, and Git Foundations and work every step in order. Budget 10-12 months of steady study and hands-on practice.
- Learn how the operating system and networking work before you open a cloud console.
- Cloud Engineer, DevOps Engineer, and SRE overlap heavily. Cloud Engineers build and run cloud infrastructure, DevOps engineers automate delivery, and SREs own reliability. This path gives you the shared core for all three.
- You can skip these for now: Docker Swarm, Nomad, service mesh, multi-cloud Terraform, and Kubernetes internals.
- Set up an AWS billing alarm on day one, and delete practice resources when you finish.
Your recommended path
Skim Linux and Networking to find gaps, then start properly at Cloud Computing and AWS Fundamentals. Budget 6-8 months to finish.
- Pay close attention to VPC networking and IAM policies, where most junior engineers make costly mistakes.
- Do not skip Terraform state and Kubernetes. Most cloud job descriptions ask for both.
Your recommended path
Skim the earlier steps for AWS-specific gaps, then spend most of your time on Observability, Security, and Architecture. Budget 4-6 months of focused study.
- These advanced topics separate a cloud engineer from a developer who only deploys code.
- Build one project that runs your own app on AWS with Terraform, a CI/CD pipeline, and monitoring.
Your recommended path
Jump straight to Certifications, Portfolio, and Career Path, then use earlier steps to review weak spots.
- Common topics: Multi-AZ RDS failover, Spot Instance strategies, Terraform state management, and VPC design.
- Practice STAR stories about cost overruns and difficult debugging, plus scenario questions such as migrating 500 VMs to AWS.
Steps in this roadmap
Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Networking Fundamentals for Cloud Engineers 10 Read Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Cloud Computing Fundamentals 9 Read +1 Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS IAM for Cloud Engineers: Roles and Policies 9 Read Amazon EC2 and Auto Scaling for Cloud Engineers 7 Read Amazon VPC Networking for Cloud Engineers 11 Read Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS Storage for Cloud Engineers 10 Read AWS Databases for Cloud Engineers 10 Read Route 53 and CloudFront for Cloud Engineers 10 Read Builds on Networking for DevOps: Debug Connections Fast
Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Docker for Beginners: Build, Run and Ship Containers 12 Read +1 Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Terraform : From First Plan to Production 14 Read +1 AWS Infrastructure as Code: CloudFormation and CDK 9 Read GitHub Actions: Build CI/CD Pipelines from Zero 13 Read Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save ECS Fargate and Lambda for Cloud Engineers 11 Read CI/CD and Deployment Strategies on AWS 9 Read +1 Builds on Networking for DevOps: Debug Connections Fast
Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Amazon EKS for Cloud Engineers 14 Read Kubernetes Tutorial for Beginners: Pods to Helm 14 Read +2 Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS CloudWatch Monitoring and Observability 11 Read Monitoring and Logging: Prometheus to Tracing 14 Read +2 Incident Management and On-Call for SRE 11 Read +1 Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS Security Engineering: Detect, Encrypt, Respond 11 Read Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS Architecture and Cost Optimization 11 Read Builds on SQL for Data Engineering
Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save Data Engineering on AWS 9 Read ML Infrastructure on AWS: SageMaker and Bedrock 12 Read +1 Hybrid Cloud and Migration on AWS 9 Read +2 Status Module Topics Learn Quiz Resources Save AWS Certification Path for Cloud Engineers 11 Read Azure Administrator: Zero to AZ-104Optional 11 Read +1 Google Cloud Fundamentals for Cloud EngineersOptional 11 Read +1 Also in this step:7 hands-on projects
Final assessment
Complete every step in this roadmap to unlock the final assessment.
Salary outcomes
- Junior Cloud Engineer
- ₹3L - ₹8L
- Cloud Engineer
- ₹8L - ₹18L
- Senior Cloud Engineer
- ₹18L - ₹35L
- Cloud Architect
- ₹35L - ₹60L
Explore other roadmaps
Frequently asked questions
14 steps and 33 modules, in order: Beginner (Linux, Python, and Git Foundations, Networking Fundamentals, Cloud Computing and AWS Fundamentals and AWS Core Services); Intermediate (Storage, Databases and Content Delivery, Container Engineering, Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD, AWS Containers and Serverless and Kubernetes and Amazon EKS); Advanced (Observability and Incident Response, Security and Reliability Engineering, Cloud Architecture and Cost Engineering and Specialization Tracks); Capstone (Certifications, Portfolio, and Career Path).
Yes. Every step and module of the Cloud Engineer Roadmap: Zero to Job-Ready on AWS roadmap is free to read on DevOps Network with no paywall. A free account lets you track progress, save modules and take the quizzes.
Pick the learning path closest to your background (I'm new to Software or Tech, I Know Basic Linux and Scripting, I'm a Developer Moving to Cloud and I'm preparing for Cloud Interviews) at the top of the page. The step list then shows only the steps on that path; "All steps" brings the rest back.
Work through the step's modules, then pass its quiz. The quiz unlocks once the required modules are done, and passing it marks the step complete. You can also practise any quiz without the lock in the practice hub.
Yes. A final assessment unlocks after you complete all 14 steps and tests everything across the roadmap.
Typical ranges listed for this path: Junior Cloud Engineer: ₹3L - ₹8L; Cloud Engineer: ₹8L - ₹18L; Senior Cloud Engineer: ₹18L - ₹35L; Cloud Architect: ₹35L - ₹60L. Actual offers vary by company, city and experience.