AWS Cloud Architect Tops the Latest Salary Survey

By Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, SecurityX, ITILv3   Published: 01/13/19   Updated: 09/12/26   3 min read
Cloud
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the most significant player in the cloud, holding an astonishing 45% of the industry market share. Given this, there is a huge demand for experts in AWS cloud experts. The latest Salary Survey from CertMag.com proves that AWS professionals can make substantial salaries. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification is the most lucrative certification today. The average salary for holders of this certification is $146,960. People in the IT industry are rushing to prepare for the AWS Solutions Architect test. I know a few people in my circle that are studying for this test right now and expect to sit for it in the next weeks. Should you pursue this certification? The answer is yes if you want to increase your earnings power.

If you are interested in becoming one of these top earners, then the path is relatively straight forward.

First, study for the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam. This exam is suitable for the absolute beginner. You can find excellent training videos on acloudguru.com that will make this test a breeze to pass. Next, you should prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Developer exam. This is a more difficult exam that will require that you know the ins and outs of the AWS cloud platform. Linux Academy also has excellent classes available for this certification. You should now be ready to start preparing for the AWS Certified Cloud Architect exam. This test will get into details beyond those required on the lower level exams. I have friends that have devoted 30 days of study and were able to pass the Architect test. So, it is very doable, and it is well worth the effort. The folks that hold the AWS Certified Cloud Architect certification complain that they have to shut their phones off because the recruiters won’t stop calling. It sounds like a good problem to have.

Here’s the list…

Salary Survey 75 2018

Related buying guide: For readers connecting cloud-career demand to the tooling environment teams actually operate, see our guide to the best cloud security tools in 2026.

Related buying guide: For readers connecting cloud-career demand to the tooling environment teams actually operate, see the best CNAPP tools in 2026.

Related buying guide: For readers connecting cloud-career demand to the tooling environment teams actually operate, see the best CSPM tools in 2026.

Related buying guide: For readers connecting cloud-career demand to the tooling environment teams actually operate, see the best CWPP tools in 2026.

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Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, SecurityX, ITILv3

Donald Korinchak is a Cybersecurity Professional in the Washington DC area. Donald holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. Donald is considered a thought leader in business, leadership, and cybersecurity issues.