You’ve been managing switches, configuring VLANs, and troubleshooting connectivity issues for years. The work is fine, but something’s shifted. Job postings increasingly want “cloud experience.” Salary surveys show cloud engineers pulling $30K-$50K more than traditional network admins. And every week, another company announces they’re “moving to the cloud.”

The question isn’t whether you should transition. It’s whether you’re already behind.

Here’s the good news: you’re not starting from zero. All those hours spent understanding TCP/IP, DNS, subnetting, and firewalls? That’s the foundation cloud engineering is built on. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are fundamentally giant networks. The concepts you’ve mastered—routing, security groups, load balancing—they all exist in the cloud. They just have different names.

The not-so-good news: the transition isn’t automatic. You’ll need to learn new tools, shift your mindset toward automation, and probably suffer through a few certification exams. But for network admins willing to put in the work, cloud engineering represents one of the clearest paths to higher compensation and more interesting technical challenges.

This guide breaks down exactly how to make the transition, phase by phase.

Why Network Admins Have an Unfair Advantage

Before diving into the roadmap, let’s address something the bootcamp crowd doesn’t want you to know: network admins have a serious head start in cloud engineering.

Cloud providers are essentially selling managed infrastructure. When companies move to AWS or Azure, they still need VPCs (virtual private clouds), subnets, route tables, security groups, and load balancers. The underlying concepts are identical to on-premises networking—they’re just configured through APIs and consoles instead of CLI commands on physical hardware.

Here’s what transfers directly:

Networking fundamentals like TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and subnetting map directly to cloud networking. If you understand how traffic flows through a traditional network, you understand how it flows through a VPC.

Security thinking translates almost perfectly. Firewall rules become security groups. ACLs become NACLs. The principle of least privilege applies whether you’re configuring a Cisco ASA or an AWS WAF.

Troubleshooting methodology is platform-agnostic. The systematic approach you use to diagnose network issues—checking connectivity, analyzing packet flows, reviewing logs—works exactly the same way in cloud environments.

Infrastructure design experience gives you a mental model for architecting cloud solutions. You’ve thought about redundancy, failover, bandwidth constraints, and capacity planning. That thinking doesn’t change just because the infrastructure is virtualized.

According to CBT Nuggets, the move from network engineer to cloud network engineer is “primarily a matter of additional training and expertise in cloud resources and services.” The overlap between roles is so significant that many cloud positions list traditional networking experience as a preferred qualification.

The Salary Reality Check

Let’s talk numbers, because that’s probably why you’re considering this transition.

Traditional network administrators earn an average of $93,205 annually, with the typical range between $85,000 and $103,000.

Cloud network engineers earn an average of $146,640 annually, with top earners reaching $180,000-$220,000.

That’s a potential $25,000-$50,000 increase for someone with your existing skills who adds cloud expertise. And that’s not even counting the premium for multi-cloud experience or specialization in areas like security or architecture.

The job market supports these numbers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% growth in cloud computing employment through 2031—far exceeding the average for all occupations. With 317,700 IT job openings annually and a persistent skills shortage, qualified cloud engineers are in a strong negotiating position.

Phase 1: Build Your Cloud Foundation

The first phase is about filling knowledge gaps, not starting from scratch. You already understand networking—now you need to understand how cloud platforms implement networking concepts differently.

Pick Your Platform (But Don’t Overthink It)

The AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud debate generates endless forum threads, but here’s the straightforward answer: start with whatever your current or target employer uses.

If you don’t have a clear direction, AWS holds the largest market share and has the most mature certification program. Azure works well with Microsoft environments (which you’ve probably touched extensively). Google Cloud is growing but has a smaller market share.

For a deeper comparison, see our guide on AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud career paths. If you’re also considering the security angle, check out our networking basics guide to solidify fundamentals before diving into cloud networking.

The specific platform matters less than developing transferable cloud concepts. Once you understand how one cloud handles networking, storage, and compute, learning another becomes much faster.

Essential Services to Master

Focus on these core services first—they directly parallel your existing knowledge:

Networking services:

  • Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) - Your private network in the cloud
  • Subnets and route tables - Same concepts, different interface
  • Security groups and network ACLs - Cloud-native firewalls
  • Load balancers - Application and network layer options
  • VPN and Direct Connect/ExpressRoute - Hybrid connectivity

Compute and storage basics:

  • EC2/Virtual Machines - The foundation of cloud compute
  • S3/Blob storage - Object storage for everything
  • RDS/managed databases - Database without the maintenance

Identity and access:

  • IAM roles and policies - Who can do what
  • Service accounts - How resources authenticate

Free Tier Learning Path

Every major cloud provider offers free tiers specifically designed for learning:

Use these to build a simple environment: a VPC with public and private subnets, a few EC2 instances, a load balancer, and some S3 buckets. This mirrors the environments you’ve managed on-premises but gives you hands-on cloud experience.

Study Resources That Work

For AWS:

  • A Cloud Guru - Interactive labs and courses designed for certification prep
  • Adrian Cantrill’s courses - Deep technical content for those who want to understand the “why”
  • AWS free digital training - Straight from the source

For Azure:

For hands-on practice:

Phase 2: Add the DevOps Layer

Here’s where network admins typically hit a wall: cloud engineering increasingly means automation, and that means code.

You don’t need to become a full software developer, but you do need to get comfortable with scripting and infrastructure as code. The days of clicking through consoles to configure infrastructure are ending.

Python: Your First Scripting Language

Python has become the de facto language for cloud automation. It’s readable, has extensive libraries for cloud APIs, and is required knowledge for most cloud engineering roles.

Start with basic automation tasks:

  • Writing scripts to list and filter AWS resources
  • Automating routine tasks like snapshots and backups
  • Processing CSV files and generating reports
  • Making API calls to cloud services

You don’t need LeetCode-level algorithm skills. Focus on practical automation—the kind of scripts that replace repetitive console clicking.

Bash Scripting

If you haven’t already, get comfortable with Bash scripting. Many cloud resources run Linux, and shell scripts remain the glue that holds automation together. For hands-on practice, Shell Samurai offers interactive terminal challenges that build real command-line muscle memory.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

This is non-negotiable for cloud engineering roles. Infrastructure as code means defining your cloud resources in configuration files that can be version-controlled, reviewed, and automatically deployed.

Terraform is the industry standard for multi-cloud IaC. Learn it. Understand:

  • HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language) syntax
  • State management and remote backends
  • Modules for reusable infrastructure
  • Workspaces for managing multiple environments

CloudFormation (AWS) or ARM/Bicep templates (Azure) are platform-specific alternatives. Worth learning if you’re specializing in one provider, but Terraform skills transfer everywhere.

CI/CD Fundamentals

Cloud engineering increasingly overlaps with DevOps. Understanding continuous integration and deployment pipelines helps you automate infrastructure changes safely.

Get familiar with:

  • Git workflows and version control (essential for IaC)
  • Basic CI/CD concepts (build, test, deploy stages)
  • One pipeline tool (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins)

You don’t need to become a DevOps engineer, but understanding how code moves from repository to production helps you design better infrastructure.

For a deeper look at the DevOps path, see our sysadmin to DevOps transition guide.

Phase 3: Get Certified (Strategically)

Certifications matter for career transitions. When you don’t have “Cloud Engineer” on your resume yet, certifications signal that you’ve invested in learning the platform and passed a standardized assessment.

The Network Admin’s Certification Path

Start with a foundation-level cert:

  • AWS Cloud Practitioner ($100) - Broad overview, validates basic knowledge
  • Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 ($99) - Same for Microsoft’s platform

These entry-level certs take 2-4 weeks of study and establish baseline credibility. They’re particularly useful for getting past HR filters that look for specific keywords.

Then aim for an associate-level cert:

  • AWS Solutions Architect Associate ($150) - The gold standard for cloud careers
  • Azure Administrator AZ-104 ($165) - Focused on day-to-day operations

The AWS Solutions Architect Associate is the most recognized cloud certification. According to CBT Nuggets survey data, 55% of candidates prepare in 3 months or less, with 10-15 hours of weekly study being typical.

For network admins specifically, CompTIA Cloud+ validates cloud knowledge while bridging your existing Network+ foundation. CompTIA recommends it for network administrators expanding into cloud roles. For more on certification strategy, see our IT certifications guide.

Networking-Specific Cloud Certs

Once you have a general cloud certification, consider networking-focused credentials:

  • AWS Advanced Networking Specialty - For those going deep on AWS network architecture
  • Azure Network Engineer Associate - Microsoft’s networking specialization

These advanced certs command the highest salaries but require significant study. Save them for after you’ve landed your first cloud role.

Study Time Reality

Be realistic about timelines:

  • Foundation certs: 2-4 weeks of dedicated study
  • Associate certs: 6-12 weeks with hands-on labs
  • Professional/Specialty: 3-6 months for experienced practitioners

Faster isn’t always better. Rushing through certification material without understanding leads to failure—and these exams aren’t cheap to retake.

Phase 4: Build Proof of Cloud Skills

Certifications prove you studied. Projects prove you can do the work. Both matter for career transitions.

Home Lab Projects That Demonstrate Cloud Skills

Extend your existing home lab into the cloud:

Hybrid connectivity project: Set up a site-to-site VPN between your home lab and a cloud VPC. This demonstrates understanding of both on-premises and cloud networking—exactly what companies migrating to cloud need.

Infrastructure as code portfolio: Create a GitHub repository with Terraform modules for common architectures: three-tier web applications, secure VPCs with public/private subnets, auto-scaling configurations. Well-documented IaC code is tangible proof of cloud skills.

Automation scripts: Build Python scripts that interact with cloud APIs—automating snapshots, rotating access keys, generating cost reports. These solve real problems and show practical cloud experience.

Architecture diagrams: Document your projects with professional architecture diagrams using tools like Draw.io or CloudCraft. Visual communication is increasingly important in cloud roles.

Contributing to Open Source

Cloud engineering has a rich open-source ecosystem. Contributing to projects like Terraform providers, cloud CLIs, or documentation demonstrates both technical skills and collaborative work habits. Even fixing documentation errors or improving examples counts—and gets your name in commit logs that recruiters can verify.

Document Everything

Create a technical blog or detailed GitHub README files for your projects. Explain:

  • The problem you were solving
  • Architecture decisions and trade-offs
  • Challenges encountered and how you solved them
  • Cost considerations (cloud budgeting is a real skill)

This documentation becomes interview material and demonstrates communication skills that set you apart from certification collectors.

Phase 5: Land the Cloud Role

With skills developed and certifications earned, it’s time to transition. This phase requires different strategies depending on your situation.

Internal Transition Path

The easiest path is transitioning within your current company, especially if they’re actively moving to cloud:

Position yourself as the bridge. Your understanding of existing on-premises infrastructure makes you invaluable for migration projects. Volunteer for cloud initiatives and hybrid connectivity work.

Propose cloud solutions for problems you’re already solving. Need a new development environment? Build it in the cloud. Disaster recovery concerns? Design a cloud-based failover. Each project adds cloud experience to your internal track record.

Talk to your manager about career development. Many companies prefer upskilling existing employees over hiring external cloud engineers. Frame it as a mutual benefit: you get cloud experience, they get someone who understands both their legacy and future infrastructure.

External Job Search Strategy

If your current company isn’t cloud-forward, target employers actively in migration:

Job titles to target:

  • Cloud Network Engineer - Direct translation of your skills
  • Cloud Infrastructure Engineer - Broader but network-adjacent
  • Cloud Operations Engineer - Operational focus with networking components
  • Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) - If you’ve added strong coding skills
  • DevOps Engineer - If you’ve developed automation expertise

Resume positioning:

  • Lead with cloud certifications and projects
  • Translate network experience to cloud terminology (firewalls → security groups, VLANs → VPC subnets)
  • Quantify impact: uptime percentages, latency improvements, infrastructure cost savings
  • Include GitHub links to IaC projects

Check our system administrator resume guide for specific formatting advice, and adapt the strategies for cloud-focused positioning.

Interview preparation:

  • Review cloud architecture scenarios: “How would you design a highly available three-tier application?”
  • Practice whiteboarding network diagrams in cloud environments
  • Prepare stories about automation projects and problem-solving
  • Be ready to explain trade-offs: cost vs performance, complexity vs maintainability

Salary Negotiation

Cloud engineers are in demand. Don’t undersell yourself during the transition:

  • Research market rates on Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and Robert Half salary guides
  • Factor in location, company size, and industry (finance and healthcare typically pay more)
  • Consider total compensation: base salary, bonus potential, equity, cloud training budgets
  • Be prepared to walk away from offers significantly below market

For deeper negotiation tactics, see our guide on IT salary negotiation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Trying to Learn Everything at Once

Cloud platforms have hundreds of services. You don’t need to know all of them. Focus on core services first, add depth in networking (your strength), and learn additional services as projects require them.

Skipping Hands-On Practice

Reading documentation and watching videos isn’t enough. You need to build things, break things, and figure out how to fix them. Free tiers exist for exactly this purpose—use them.

Chasing Every Certification

Certification collecting is expensive and time-consuming. One solid associate-level cert plus demonstrable project experience beats a stack of foundation-level credentials.

Ignoring the Automation Requirement

The biggest gap for network admins transitioning to cloud is automation skills. If you’re uncomfortable with scripting and IaC, that discomfort will limit your career progression. Address it early.

Undervaluing Your Network Experience

Don’t let imposter syndrome convince you that you’re starting over. Your networking foundation is genuinely valuable in cloud roles. Companies need people who understand both worlds—that’s exactly what you bring.

The Timeline Reality

Expect the transition to take 6-12 months of focused effort while working full-time:

  • Months 1-2: Foundation learning, free tier experimentation, study for first certification
  • Months 3-4: Pass foundation cert, begin associate-level study, start Python/Terraform basics
  • Months 5-6: Pass associate cert, build portfolio projects, expand automation skills
  • Months 7-9: Advanced projects, networking specialization, begin job search
  • Months 10-12: Interview preparation, salary negotiation, role transition

This isn’t a rigid schedule—your timeline depends on prior experience, time available for study, and learning style. Some people move faster; others need longer to absorb complex concepts. The important thing is consistent progress, not speed.

What Comes Next

Cloud engineering is a foundation for multiple career paths:

  • Cloud Architect - Designing enterprise-scale solutions ($180K-$250K)
  • DevOps Engineer - Automation and deployment pipelines
  • Site Reliability Engineer - Keeping systems running at scale
  • Security Engineer - Cloud security specialization
  • Platform Engineer - Building internal developer platforms

Your networking background opens doors to network-focused variants of each: cloud network architect, network security engineer, infrastructure platform engineer. The combination of traditional networking depth and cloud expertise is increasingly rare and valuable.

Final Thoughts

The transition from network admin to cloud engineer isn’t about abandoning what you know—it’s about applying your existing knowledge in a new context while adding automation and platform-specific skills.

You’ve spent years understanding how networks work at a fundamental level. That understanding doesn’t disappear when infrastructure moves to the cloud. If anything, it becomes more valuable as companies struggle to find people who can bridge traditional and cloud environments.

The cloud engineering market shows no signs of slowing down. With projected 15% job growth and a persistent skills shortage, the opportunity window remains wide open for network admins willing to make the transition.

The only real question is whether you’ll start this month or keep reading about it for another year.

FAQ

How long does it take to transition from network admin to cloud engineer?

Most network admins can make the transition in 6-12 months of dedicated effort while working full-time. This includes getting certified, building portfolio projects, and developing automation skills. Your existing networking knowledge significantly shortens the learning curve compared to someone starting from scratch.

Do I need to learn programming to become a cloud engineer?

You need scripting skills, but you don’t need to become a full software developer. Focus on Python for automation, Bash for Linux administration, and infrastructure as code tools like Terraform. You should be comfortable writing automation scripts and reading code, but you won’t be building applications from scratch.

Which cloud certification should I get first?

Start with AWS Solutions Architect Associate if you don’t have a strong preference—it’s the most recognized and has the largest job market. If your target company uses Azure, prioritize AZ-104 Azure Administrator instead. Foundation-level certs (AWS Cloud Practitioner, AZ-900) are optional but useful for building confidence before the associate exams.

Can I transition without a computer science degree?

Yes. Cloud engineering is highly skills-based, and employers prioritize demonstrated ability over academic credentials. Certifications, portfolio projects, and relevant networking experience matter far more than degree requirements. Many successful cloud engineers transitioned from network administration without CS degrees.

What’s the biggest challenge in this transition?

For most network admins, the shift to infrastructure as code and automation thinking is the biggest adjustment. Traditional networking often involves manual configuration through CLI or GUI. Cloud engineering assumes everything is automated, version-controlled, and reproducible. Embracing this mindset shift—treating infrastructure like software—is often harder than learning specific technologies.

How much more can I earn as a cloud engineer?

Cloud network engineers earn an average of $146,640 annually compared to $93,000 for traditional network admins. The premium increases with cloud-specific certifications, multi-cloud experience, and specialization in areas like security or architecture. Senior cloud engineers in major markets can exceed $200,000.

Ready to build the technical foundation for your cloud transition? Check out our guides on Terraform basics, Docker fundamentals, and Python for system admins.