What Skills Do You Need for AWS?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most powerful cloud platforms in the world. Whether you want to build a career in cloud computing, become a DevOps engineer, or manage cloud systems, the big question is: What skills do you need to learn AWS?

This guide breaks down all the essential skills – technical and non-technical – that will help you succeed in AWS.

1. Basic Computer & Operating System Knowledge

You should understand:

• How files and folders work
• Installing software
• Basic troubleshooting
• Understanding hardware like CPU, RAM, storage

Nothing advanced – just comfort with computers.

2. Understanding of Operating Systems (Especially Linux)

Most AWS servers run on Linux, so you should know:

• Basic Linux commands
• File permissions
• SSH login
• User management
• Package installation

This is a must-have skill for AWS jobs.

3. Networking Fundamentals

Cloud = networking. AWS heavily depends on network concepts.

Learn:

• IP addresses
• Subnets
• DNS
• Ports (80, 443, 22, etc.)
• Firewalls & security groups
• Load balancers

Good networking knowledge makes AWS much easier.

4. Cloud Basics

Before diving deep, know how cloud computing works:

• IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
• Virtual machines
• Auto-scaling
• High availability
• Global infrastructure (Regions & AZs)

5. Core AWS Services

Start with the main services every AWS person should know:

Compute:

EC2, Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk

Storage:

S3, EBS, Glacier

Database:

RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora

Networking:

VPC, Route 53, CloudFront, Load Balancers

Security:

IAM, KMS, Secrets Manager

These are the foundation of AWS.

6. Scripting or Programming (Optional but Highly Valuable)

You DON’T need coding to start AWS, but basic scripting helps a lot.

Recommended:

• Python (best for AWS automation)
• Bash / Shell scripting
• YAML / JSON (for CloudFormation, Terraform)

If you plan to go into DevOps, coding becomes more important.

7. DevOps & Automation Skills

Companies prefer automation-based cloud management.

Useful tools:

• Terraform
• AWS CloudFormation
• AWS CDK
• Docker
• Kubernetes (EKS)
• CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, CodePipeline)

These skills open high-salary roles.

8. Monitoring & Logging

You should know:

• CloudWatch
• CloudTrail
• AWS Config
• Log analysis

This helps in troubleshooting and optimizing cloud systems.

9. Security Mindset

Security is the #1 priority in AWS.

Skills needed:

• IAM best practices
• MFA, Access keys
• Encryption (KMS)
• Least privilege principle
• Secure networking rules

Every cloud engineer must master this.

10. Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking

AWS is huge. The ability to troubleshoot, optimize, and logically break down problems is more important than memorizing services.

Final Words

AWS is beginner-friendly, but to master it, you need a mix of:

• technical skills
• practical hands-on practice
• and cloud best practices

The good thing? You can learn everything step by step – even without a technical background.