Salary comparison
Cloud Engineer vs Software Engineer salary
Cloud Engineers and Software Engineers earn about the same at the national median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown.
Cloud Engineers and Software Engineers earn about the same at the national median — roughly $133,080 per year. Both figures are national benchmarks (one or both mapped from the nearest tracked occupation).
Cloud Engineer
Mapped est.$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Emerging
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Cloud Engineer vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileCloud Engineer | $79,850 |
| MedianCloud Engineer | $133,080 |
| 90th percentileCloud Engineer | $211,450 |
| 10th percentileSoftware Engineer | $79,850 |
| MedianSoftware Engineer | $133,080 |
| 90th percentileSoftware Engineer | $211,450 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Cloud Engineer
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Cloud Engineer
State-level figures aren't published for this title — see the Cloud Engineer page.
Software Engineer
- California$170,910
- Washington$166,910
- New York$161,260
- Massachusetts$150,520
- Maryland$137,890
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, the two are close at the median, so the decision comes down to the work itself.
Pick cloud engineer if…
Cloud engineers design, build, and operate applications and infrastructure on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP — keeping systems scalable, secure, and cost-efficient.
- ▹Cloud platform depth (AWS/Azure/GCP) and certifications
- ▹Company type (Big Tech and cloud-native vs. enterprise)
- ▹Years of experience and seniority
Pick software engineer if…
Software engineers design, build, and maintain the software systems, applications, and services that companies run on — from web and mobile apps to backend infrastructure.
- ▹Years of experience and seniority (junior → staff/principal)
- ▹Company type (Big Tech and trading firms pay well above median)
- ▹Equity and bonus, which can exceed base pay at senior levels
Cloud Engineer vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, cloud engineers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for cloud engineers vs software engineers?
Should I become a cloud engineer or a software engineer?
Source details
Cloud Engineer is not a BLS-tracked title. BLS does not publish a separate wage for this title, so the figures shown are the published wage for BLS SOC 15-1252 Software Developers — the closest tracked occupation. Actual pay for this specialization can sit above or below it.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →