National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Cloud Engineers earn a national median of $138,000/year vs Welders at $47,990/year. Cloud Engineers earn 65% more nationally. The gap is $90,010 per year — or $7,501 per month.
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Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
VS
Welder
$47,990
national median/year
$3,999/mo • $23/hr
Annual salary gap
$90,010
Cloud Engineers earn 65% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,020,290.
Best states for Welders
vs Cloud Engineers
North Dakota+$-43,010
Wyoming+$-45,010
West Virginia+$-51,010
Alaska+$-53,010
Mississippi+$-53,010
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Welders
California+$121,010
Washington+$111,010
Virginia+$107,010
Massachusetts+$103,010
New York+$103,010
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Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Cloud Engineers is $138,000 versus $47,990 for Welders — a difference of $90,010 per year or $7,501 per month.
The national median salary gap between Cloud Engineers and Welders is $90,010 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 65% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,020,290.
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, Alaska pays Welders the highest median salary at $66,990 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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 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 Welders earn approximately $23 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.
