IT Support to Cloud Engineer
The career transition path from help desk to cloud
The structured path for IT support professionals moving into cloud roles — one of the most common and highest-ROI career transitions in tech. Each step builds directly on the previous one.
- Total Cost
- $900–$1,400
- all materials included
- Timeline
- 12–18 months
- at 1–2 hrs/day
- Exam Fees Only
- $711
- required certs
- Steps
- 4 certifications
- 3 required, 1 optional
The Path
A+
CompTIA A+
The world's most popular entry-level IT certification
$253
exam fee
Why at this step: The universal baseline for IT support roles. CompTIA A+ covers hardware, operating systems, networking basics, and troubleshooting — the foundation everything else builds on. Many employers require it for entry-level IT positions.
Network+
CompTIA Network+
Vendor-neutral networking fundamentals for IT professionals
$358
exam fee
Why at this step: Cloud is fundamentally networking. VPCs, subnets, routing, DNS, load balancing — these cloud concepts only make sense with a solid networking foundation. Network+ is the prerequisite knowledge base for cloud architecture.
AWS CLF
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
The easiest on-ramp to AWS certifications
$100
exam fee
Why at this step: Your first cloud credential. CLF confirms you understand cloud fundamentals — infrastructure models, core services, pricing, and the shared responsibility model. Opens the door to cloud support roles.
AWS SAA-C03
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
The most sought-after cloud certification in the industry
$300
exam fee
Why at this step: The transition from cloud-aware to cloud-capable. SAA is where most employers start considering you for actual cloud engineering roles, not just support. Strong salary jump over CLF alone.
Where to Specialize Next
After completing this path, these are the most popular specializations.