National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Cloud Engineers earn a national median of $138,000/year vs Nurses at $89,010/year. Cloud Engineers earn 35% more nationally. The gap is $48,990 per year — or $4,083 per month.
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Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
VS
Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
Annual salary gap
$48,990
Cloud Engineers earn 35% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $555,316.
Best states for Nurses
vs Cloud Engineers
Hawaii+$-19,680
Alaska+$-21,760
Wyoming+$-25,680
Mississippi+$-29,680
North Dakota+$-29,680
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Nurses
Virginia+$79,680
Washington+$67,680
Maryland+$66,680
Colorado+$63,680
New York+$62,680
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Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Cloud Engineers is $138,000 versus $89,010 for Nurses — a difference of $48,990 per year or $4,083 per month.
The national median salary gap between Cloud Engineers and Nurses is $48,990 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 35% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $555,316.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 per year.
Salary is one factor — Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Registered Nurses both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour nationally and Nurses earn approximately $43 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
