What is Freelance Cloud Engineer and How to Become One?

Do you know what is Freelance Cloud Engineer? And how did you become a Freelance Cloud Engineer? If not, this article is for you. If you want to know what is Freelance Cloud Engineer and how to become one, continue reading.

Because companies typically increase their resource allocation to keep up with this quick-paced world, cloud technology has become used worldwide. The need for cloud engineers has increased along with the demand for experts in cloud computing. To streamline and manage their operations, large companies assign freelance cloud engineers.

In today’s article, we’ll go over what it means to be a freelance cloud engineer, what qualifications you’ll need to get there, and what benefits working from home offers.

What Is a Freelance Cloud Engineer?

An IT professional who manages a company’s cloud infrastructure is known as a freelance cloud engineer. They are in charge of cloud migration, design, monitoring, and supervision. Cloud engineers assist businesses in migrating stored data from traditional data centres to a virtual environment, allowing users to access it from anywhere in the world.

Cloud engineers are required to provide cloud support and guarantee a seamless operation for cloud-hosted services like SaaS (software-as-a-service) and PaaS (platform-as-a-service). Therefore, they use these cloud engineers’ assistance to complete the task. Cloud engineers who work independently for different businesses are considered digital nomads.

However, as a freelance cloud engineer, your only option for specialization is to work for a cloud service provider as a certified cloud engineer. The starting annual salary of a freelance cloud engineer is $118,776 ($57/hour). This salary range explains the profession’s competitiveness. However, you need the right skill to meet the current demands of cloud computing.

Qualifications Need to be a Freelance Cloud Engineer

You need to fulfil basic qualification criteria to be a freelance cloud engineer. Let’s have a look at the qualification that you need to obtain.

Bachelor’s Degree in CS/IT

A Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or Computer Science is required to understand the fundamentals of cloud engineering. At this level, you’ll learn about cloud infrastructures, cloud solutions, and cloud architecture. Furthermore, a bachelor’s degree from a reputable university would prepare you for a career in cloud engineering.

Learn Programming Languages and How to Code

The next step toward becoming a cloud engineer is to learn programming languages and take coding courses. Join coding boot camps to sharpen your skills while you practice constantly. Joining a boot camp also allows you to gain valuable experience that will help you advance in your career.

Get Certified as Cloud Engineer

Get certified and learn about the various cloud providers available. Most cloud service providers provide professional training for both aspiring and experienced cloud engineers. Amazon’s AWS Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Certification, and Microsoft Azure Certifications are among the best certification courses.

Apply for Internships to gain Experience

Applying for internships allows you to gain hands-on experience by working with cloud engineering experts to become an independent freelance cloud engineer.

Working on a team with experts allows you to develop technical and soft skills that will be critical to your success as a freelance cloud engineer. Surprisingly, tech companies such as Google, Amazon, SpaceX, and Microsoft accept interns.

Join a Freelance Platform to meet Client

Finally, sign up for freelance platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, or Guru where you can get in touch with clients and offer your services.

Skills Need to be a Freelance Cloud Engineer

You should master critical cloud computing skills to work as a top-rated freelance cloud engineer. Consider the following abilities as a freelance cloud engineer.

Understand the Cloud and Cloud Providers

It is crucial to first comprehend how the cloud functions and which cloud service provider you will be using. The characteristics and services offered by these cloud service providers differ. To decide which one best fits a need or project, you should be able to contrast their features. You might need to compare them to find the most comfortable provider for you.

Security and Recovery

Without the assurance of data recovery and security, no cloud system is complete. To protect stored data from hackers, avoid security breaches, and, most importantly, recover lost data, you must learn new skills. You should be able to keep track of data security, measure how safe cloud systems are, and respond quickly to unexpected events as part of security checks.

Programming

For the smooth operation of a company’s cloud, you must code and develop new software. Strong programming language skills, such as Java, SQL, and Python, will give you an advantage in a competitive market. You can use your programming skills to create integrated clouds that meet the needs of specific clients through cloud architecture and development.

Linux

Linux is used by large corporations to run their servers and software. As a result, you must be extremely knowledgeable about the Linux operating system. Most companies seek individuals with hands-on experience with Linux and its operating system, as well as a strong shell scripting system. Overall, you should be well-versed in the architecture, design, maintenance, and monitoring of Linux operating systems.

Virtualization

In cloud computing, virtualization is as essential as programming. You would have a competitive advantage if you could easily migrate and run software in virtual environments. This is also significant because, as a company or business grows, it will require scalability to adjust IT resources to meet the needs of the business at the time.

Communication

For any freelancer, communication is essential. To get the best results for your clients, you should be able to communicate and collaborate with them. Even if you do not work on-site, you want to demonstrate that you are a team player who is dedicated to your work. Get a few courses on client retention and business communication. You’ll be grateful.

Freelance Cloud Engineer vs. On-Site Cloud Engineer: Which is Better?

The world is embracing digitalization, which is changing the workplace structure. Employers have been looking for newer work models that don’t require employees to show up at a physical location while still maintaining proper communication and meeting client deliverables.

As a result, freelance cloud engineers can work from anywhere, eliminating the need for daily commutes. It saves time, reduces stress, and has the potential to increase productivity. However, you must maintain a work-life balance and be an expert at organization and time management.

And, on-site cloud engineers benefit from workplace productivity and teamwork. They also make slightly more than the freelancer, earning $126,667 ($61/hour) per year. Whereas, freelancers can take on as many projects as they can handle while still earning more.

Finally, if you want to physically work with a team to experience teamwork and motivation from colleagues, becoming an on-site engineer would be ideal. However, if you enjoy the flexibility and the idea of working on your schedule, you should consider becoming a freelance cloud engineer.

Final Thoughts

Cloud engineering is a growing and evergreen field. So, in addition to having very competitive pay, it also has interesting and in-demand sub-roles. However, to succeed as a freelance cloud engineer, you must first improve your cloud computing knowledge and gain hands-on experience.

So, what do you think about the cloud engineer? Let us know in the comments. Please share this article with others to let them know about cloud engineers. And, feel free to ask your doubts in the comments below.

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