Can you differentiate between the roles of a Cloud and DevOps Engineer? Once you start thinking, it becomes more unintelligible, isn’t it? It is because you get different answers whenever you ask Cloud DevOps Professionals what they do. These two job roles sound similar but are quite distinct.
“DevOps Professionals primarily focus on streamlining the software development process, emphasizing collaboration and automation. But Cloud Professionals specialize in designing and implementing cloud solutions.”
Cloud Specialists are DevOps Experts specializing in cloud services like Kubernetes and Docker. That said, finding a DevOps Engineer who doesn’t use cloud-based tools is challenging.
Still needs to be clarified? Let’s break down the key differences between DevOps Professionals and Cloud Experts.
#1 The Responsibilities of Cloud And DevOps Professionals
A cloud engineer’s main responsibility is implementing and managing various cloud services. But a DevOps engineer’s primary responsibility is to manage the implementation of software code and application configurations in cloud computing and other infrastructures.
Responsibilities of DevOps Professionals
- Collaborate with Developers and Operations Teams
- Handle the software development and code deployment processes
- Create and manage CI/CD pipelines and workflows
- Manage cloud infra resources
- Collect data about the software performance after change implementation
- Troubleshoot and resolve issues in production
Responsibilities of Cloud Professionals
- Build and maintain cloud solutions from Amazon Web Services, Azure, or GCP
- Administer virtual machines, servers, storage, and databases in the cloud
- Design cloud architecture that supports High Availability with high fault tolerance
- Configure Cloud PaaS and SaaS services
- Create custom policies to secure access control
- Automate cloud resource provisioning and scaling
- Troubleshoot infrastructure components during downtime
#2 Professional Skillset
DevOps Professionals are typically aware of Software Development concepts. But, Cloud Engineers tend to have more expertise in Cloud Platform Services.
Skillset of DevOps Professionals
- Tools like Docker, Ansible, Jenkins, etc.
- Programming languages like Python
- Scripting languages like Terraform, ARM Templates, etc.
- Basic knowledge of Cloud platforms like Azure, GCP, etc.
- Version controlling using Git
- Container orchestration with AKS or Docker Swarm
Skillset of Cloud Specialists
- Experience with popular IaC tools like CloudFormation and Terraform
- Strong knowledge of virtualization using VMWare and Hyper-V
- Strong experience in popular cloud services like AWS, GCP, and Azure
- Understanding of networking concepts like VNETs, DNS, etc.
- Understanding of security practices like SOC2 and ISO 27001
- Experience with monitoring tools like CloudWatch and Stackdriver
#3 Differences in The Key Deliverables
The deliverables of Cloud and DevOps professionals are different.
Deliverables of Cloud Professionals
- Design and implementation of cloud solutions
- Administration and maintenance of cloud resources
- High availability and fault-tolerant cloud architecture
- Secure access control and custom policies for cloud resources
- Automated provisioning of cloud resources
Deliverables of DevOps Professionals
- Automated Cloud DevOps workflows with CI/CD pipelines
- Streamlined software development process
- Efficient code deployment and application configurations
- Monitoring and troubleshooting of software performance
- Ensure smooth collaboration between developers, QA, and Operations teams
#4 Team Interactions
Team collaboration is crucial in every organization. Naturally, DevOps and Cloud Masters work closely with various teams. However, Cloud Experts work mostly with the Operations Teams and other IS Administration Teams to support software infrastructure. DevOps engineers also collaborate with Operations Teams. However, they mainly interact with Developers, QA Analysts, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Business Analysts to enhance software delivery. Similarly, cloud experts interact with development, operations, and infrastructure teams.
#5 Payscale & Future Career Prospect
Both Cloud & DevOps Engineers are in high demand currently. Hence, salaries for both are very generous. The median annual wage for DevOps Professionals ranges from $115,000 to $140,000. While for Cloud Masters, it ranges from $120,000 to $150,000. The salaries may vary depending on the professionals’ expertise and skillset.
Cloud DevOps Professionals can easily find various job postings from reputed MNCs. It indicates a strong employment prospect for Cloud/DevOps experts. DevOps professionals have seen a 443% increase in job postings in the last four years. However, the increasing demand for cloud technology experts leads to more opportunities for Cloud Specialists!
Key Takeaways
It has been a thorough discussion that hopefully answers your queries about Cloud & DevOps job roles. We have reviewed the commonalities and distinctions between Cloud and DevOps job roles. It’s important to note that these differences can change based on the company and its unique job requirements. If you plan to develop a successful career as a Cloud DevOps Engineer, conduct further research to explore the best-suited opportunities for you!
FAQs (H2)
#1 Is there any difference between DevOps & Cloud Engineering?
Even though Cloud and DevOps Engineering often co-relate, they have distinct roles and responsibilities within the software development process. DevOps practices help organizations streamline their software development lifecycle through collaboration and automation. On the other hand, Cloud Engineering specializes in cloud infrastructure designing and implementation by leveraging cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
#2 Which certifications are best for DevOps & Cloud Engineers?
DevOps professionals can achieve the following certifications to validate their DevOps skills:
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer
- MS Certified Expert Azure DevOps Engineer
- Google Cloud DevOps Engineer
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator
For Cloud Experts, these are the popular certifications:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- MS Certified Expert Azure Solutions Architect
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect
- Certified OpenStack Administrator
#3 What are the most-used tools by DevOps & Cloud Professionals?
- Cloud service provider (Amazon, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Salesforce Cloud, etc.)
- Version Control Systems (Git, Azure Repos, etc.)
- CI/CD Platforms (Jenkins, CircleCI, and GitLab CI/CD)
- Configuration Management Tools (Ansible, Chef, Puppet)
- Containerization and Orchestration Platforms (AKS, Docker, etc.)
- Infrastructure-as-Code Tools (CloudFormation, Terraform)
#4 Which job role offers the highest pay scale, DevOps or Cloud Architect?
The pay scale between DevOps and Cloud Architect roles varies depending on the professional’s expertise and skillset. Generally, Cloud Architects tend to have higher salaries than DevOps professionals due to their specialization in designing complex cloud infrastructure solutions.
#5 Is DevOps a good career choice?
Cloud DevOps is the most in-demand job role right now in 2023! Professionals with experience in DevOps tools and practices Can quickly grab high-paying jobs in reputed companies worldwide. For a successful career, begin your journey as an expert DevOps engineer!
BDCC
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