What Is the Salary for One Year of AWS Experience?
In the US, one year of AWS experience usually means $65,000 to $100,000, depending on the job. Here’s how the range breaks down and how to land at the top of it.
In the United States, someone with one year of AWS experience typically earns about $65,000 to $100,000, depending on the role, location, and employer. Cloud support sits near the bottom of that range, and engineering and DevOps roles near the top. These are ballparks, and salary surveys vary.
The key point: one year of AWS experience isn’t a job title. Pay depends on what you did with that year.
Typical pay by role at one year
| Role | Typical US annual pay |
|---|---|
| Cloud support associate | $55,000 to $80,000 |
| Junior systems or cloud administrator | $65,000 to $90,000 |
| Junior cloud engineer | $80,000 to $110,000 |
| Junior DevOps engineer | $85,000 to $115,000 |
| Junior data engineer on AWS | $85,000 to $115,000 |
| Software developer using AWS | $85,000 to $120,000 |
At large tech companies or in high-cost cities, offers can run higher, including bonuses and stock. At smaller employers or lower-cost regions, they run lower.
What moves the number
Role type. Engineering and DevOps pay more than support roles.
Location. Major tech hubs pay more, though living costs offset some of that.
Employer. Big tech and funded startups pay the most. Consultancies vary. Government and traditional enterprises often pay less but with more stability.
Prior experience. If your year on AWS came after years as a developer or admin, expect higher pay than someone entirely new to IT.
Skills. Infrastructure as code, Python, Kubernetes, and security knowledge raise your value.
Certifications. An associate-level certification helps with interviews and can support negotiation, though it rarely sets a fixed premium.
How a year on AWS tends to look
After one year, you’ve probably handled routine deployments, monitored systems, fixed incidents, and started to understand cost and security. You’re productive but still supervised. Employers pay for that level of independence.
Pay growth
Cloud salaries tend to grow quickly in the first few years. Moving from year one to year three often brings a meaningful jump, especially if you change employers or take on design responsibility. Senior roles sit well above these ranges.
How to get to the higher end
1. Pick a growth-oriented role, not just a support seat 2. Build automation skills, such as Terraform or CloudFormation, and scripting 3. Earn Solutions Architect Associate or another relevant associate certification 4. Document achievements with numbers, like cost saved or uptime improved 5. Negotiate with market data from job listings and recruiters 6. Consider changing employers after a year or two
Outside the US
Pay varies widely by country. Compare against local salary data for similar roles.
What about getting your first year?
If you don’t have that year yet, our posts on getting a job with an AWS certification and whether AWS is a high-paying career show how people get started.
For salary data tied to certifications, see how much AWS-certified professionals make.
A few more questions people ask
Does one year of AWS experience count if it was a side project?
It can help, especially with a portfolio, but employers weigh professional experience more heavily. Document your projects clearly to make them count.
Should I switch jobs after one year?
Sometimes. Early-career pay often jumps with a job change, but only switch if the new role gives you better growth, not just a bigger number.
What if I have the certification but no experience?
Aim for support or junior roles. The certification helps you get interviews, and the job gives you the experience that raises your pay.
Find out where you stand before exam day
CloudExamPro has six full-length practice exams for each of the three most popular AWS certifications. Pick yours, run a timed attempt, and let the domain breakdown tell you what to study next.
- Practice exams for CLF-C02, SAA-C03 and DEA-C01
- 6 full-length exams per certification
- Timed exam mode and practice by domain
- Results broken down by exam domain