National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Electricians earn a national median of $61,590/year vs Cloud Engineers at $138,000/year. Cloud Engineers earn 124% more nationally. The gap is $76,410 per year — or $6,368 per month.
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Electrician
$61,590
national median/year
$5,133/mo • $30/hr
VS
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
Annual salary gap
$76,410
Cloud Engineers earn 124% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $866,130.
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Electricians
Virginia+$97,680
California+$95,680
Washington+$93,680
Maryland+$85,680
Colorado+$83,680
Best states for Electricians
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$-35,680
North Dakota+$-35,680
Hawaii+$-39,680
Wyoming+$-39,680
Mississippi+$-43,680
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Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Electricians is $61,590 versus $138,000 for Cloud Engineers — a difference of $76,410 per year or $6,368 per month.
The national median salary gap between Electricians and Cloud Engineers is $76,410 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 124% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $866,130.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Alaska pays Electricians the highest median salary at $84,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 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. Electricians and Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts 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, Electricians earn approximately $30 per hour nationally and Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 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.
