Cloud Architect Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

As a cloud architect, you will design, manage, and monitor cloud computing for a company or organization. Learn how much you can earn as a cloud architect based on education, experience, location, job title, and industry.

[Featured Image] A cloud architect works at a workstation while their colleagues collaborate in the background.

Key Takeaways

Several factors influence a cloud architect's salary, including previous experience, location, demand for cloud architect positions, and the cost of living in a particular area. Depending on your interests or specialties, you will earn more in some industry sectors than others. Some key facts to know are:

  • Cloud architects are among the highest-paid tech professionals due to the growing demand for cloud computing expertise. The average annual salary for cloud architects in 2025 is approximately $145,771 [1]. 

  • Jobs involving computer work are expected to increase faster than the national average.

  • Positions related to the cloud architecture field can help you gain additional experience. Alternatively, if becoming a cloud architect isn’t your ideal path, you can explore opportunities that better align with your interests.

If you're ready to start preparing for a career transition into a cloud architect role, consider earning credentials with an industry leader in the cloud computing space through the Microsoft Cloud Support Associate Professional Certificate.

Explore the factors that can contribute to your salary when you become a cloud architect.

How much does a cloud architect make?

The estimated annual salary for cloud architects can vary, with job listing sites showing the average annual pay for cloud architects ranging from $128,418 to $147,236 as of February 2025. The annual cloud architect salaries provided by a range of salary comparison websites include [1,2,3,4]:

GlassdoorZipRecruiterSalary.comPayscale
$202,84$147,236$130,418$128,418

Factors that affect cloud architect salary

Factors affecting a cloud architect's salary include previous experience, location, demand for cloud architect positions, cost of living in a particular area, and other relevant factors. Depending on your interests or specialties, you will earn more in some industry sectors than others.

Consider the following factors when evaluating how much you could earn as a cloud architect:

Experience

Your prior experience working as a cloud architect can boost your salary, as more years in the position generally lead to higher annual earnings.

Take a look at the estimated average salaries you can expect based on your previous years of experience [1]:

  • 0–1 year: $106,930

  • 1–3 years: $112,955

  • 4–6 years: $125,276

  • 7–9 years: $133,341

  • 10–14 years: $144,389

  • 15+ years: $158,029

Location

Where you live can impact your salary as a cloud architect due to the cost of living, demand for work in the area, and other regional factors.

The five top-paying states for a cloud architect are as follows [5]:

  • Alaska: $158,565

  • Massachusetts: $160,799

  • New York: $161,081

  • District of Columbia: $166,380

  • Washington: $166,759

Industry

Cloud architects in specific industries earn higher incomes compared to those in others. These five industries offer the highest average annual salaries for cloud architects [1]:

  • Information technology: $159,321

  • Telecommunications: $174,959

  • Financial services: $176,682

  • Management and consulting: $159,880

  • Human resources and staffing: $164,781

Education

It’s essential to consider your education level when pursuing a career as a cloud architect. A higher degree could potentially boost your salary. Cloud architects should have a bachelor’s or graduate degree in a related field, such as computer science, computer engineering, information systems, or a related field.

The annual salaries for someone entering the workforce without previous experience as a cloud architect include [3]:

  • Bachelor’s degree: $125,371

  • Master’s degree: $125,910

  • Doctorate: $126,270

Certifications

An employer may prefer or require you to have cloud architect certifications. As a result, it’s crucial to consider certifications to boost your earning potential.

For example, an AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification confirms your proficiency in AWS Services, including databases, security, monitoring, and networking. You can also pick up a Google Professional Cloud Architect certification, which covers designing and managing cloud solution architecture, operations reliability, and security and compliance issues. Cloud security certifications are also available to boost your knowledge of cloud architecture.

Below are some of the top-paying certifications for cloud-related technology, based on annual salary data in an information technology skills and salary survey conducted by Skillsoft [6]:

  • Google Cloud—Associate Cloud Engineer: $146,533

  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect—Associate: $155,597

  • CCSP—Certified Cloud Security Professional: $171,524

  • Nutanix Certified Professional Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI): $175,409

  • Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect: $190,204

Job outlook for cloud architects

Jobs involving computer work are expected to increase faster than the national average. All computer occupations are likely to grow by 13 percent from 2023 to 2033—much faster than the average growth for all occupations in the US [7].

Positions related to the cloud architecture field can help you gain additional experience. Alternatively, if becoming a cloud architect isn’t your ideal path, you can explore opportunities that better align with your interests.

For instance, a computer network architect designs data communications networks. Your work in this position could include cloud infrastructure networks. You can create plans for data communications networks, upgrade network hardware and software, or recommend and implement updates to optimize a network's performance. Computer network architects earn a base annual salary of $130,390, and the field is expected to grow 13 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the national average [8].

A database administrator or architect creates and organizes systems for data storage. You might build new databases, back up and restore data, or maintain databases. Database administrators and database architects earn an annual base salary of $123,100, with positions expected to grow at a faster-than-average rate of 9 percent from 2023 to 2033 [9].

Learn more with our free resources.

Exploring a career in network computing? Stay updated on the latest career trends with our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat! Or, browse our other free resources:

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

Article sources

1. 

Glassdoor. “Cloud Architect Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/cloud-architect-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm.” Accessed May 5, 2025.

Updated on
Written by:

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.