Are you fed up with traditional development practices that slow down your processes and eventually hinder the business process? Don’t you know about cloud computing platforms leaving their mark in the IT industry?
Don’t worry if you are unaware of it, we will find out!
FYI, 60% of the corporate world’s data is stored on the cloud. Isn’t this huge? It is because of the performance bottlenecks, rising costs, and other issues faced by developers and business owners in traditional and old setups.
In 2025, there is no doubt in saying that we are in a cloud-first economy. Small to large-scale businesses opt for AWS. But guess what? That’s not enough!
You need certified AWS developers capable of designing, building, deploying, and optimizing your applications with high speed, security, and precision. Hiring certified AWS developers allows you to get the most out of the AWS ecosystem.
Hence, today’s article will cover the basics and some core things to look for while hiring AWS experts. After reading this comprehensive guide, you will have a better understanding of AWS, its features and benefits, and the procedure to hire Certified AWS Developers.
A Short Intro to AWS
AWS or Amazon Web Services is purely an Amazon product that gives cloud computing services to small to large businesses, individuals, entire organizations, and governments.
It follows a pay-as-you-go model, which means that a person is only eligible to enjoy AWS after paying for the services. In other words, you only pay for the services you need as long as you need them.
With AWS, you get a vast amount of on-demand IT services, which include computing power, storage, databases, and much more. Hence, with AWS, users don’t have to worry about building and running applications and storing data without the hassle of managing their physical infrastructure.
AWS Services Include:
- Compute: It is the first service you enjoy in AWS. The Amazon EC2 provides virtual servers in the cloud, while the AWS Lambda allows you to run code without the hassle of managing servers. Moreover, AWS Fargate empowers you to run containers without managing servers.
- Storage: With AWS, you can store huge amounts of data in Amazon S3 and Amazon EBS. In Amazon S3, one can store any amount of data. While in Elastic Block Storage, you can have block-level storage volumes that come into use with EC2 instances.
- Databases: While working with Amazon Web Services, you can access Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon RDS, and Amazon Aurora.
- Networking: You can create isolated networks within the AWS cloud using Amazon VPC. Moreover, Amazon API Gateway supports building, deploying, and managing APIs.
AWS Certified Developer – What’s this?
A person with solid expertise and qualifications in designing, deploying, and debugging cloud-based applications using AWS services is an AWS developer.
Amazon Web Services offers multiple certifications for different roles, but AWS Certified Developer is the most popular and in-demand certification.
Reasons to Hire Certified AWS Developers
Employing developers with AWS certification is not only a technical choice, but it also benefits your business by accelerating many tasks. Here are some perks your business can enjoy after hiring certified AWS developers.
Top-Notch Skills and Capabilities
Firstly, a developer’s certification attests to their passing difficult tests and training in actual AWS circumstances. Engaging with a certified AWS developer means you are hiring a verified specialist, not an ordinary developer.
Quicker Project Completion
Secondly, certified AWS experts are adept at making effective use of AWS services. They may swiftly create automated, scalable solutions rather than squandering hours figuring out the AWS console or creating ineffective infrastructure code.
Lower Long-Term Expenses
Plus, you can lower your long-term expenses as certified developers can assist you. They are aware of how AWS pricing works. Certified experts can help you:
- Select between reserved instances and on-demand instances.
- They opt for auto-scaling to avoid overprovisioning.
- Reduce operational overhead by utilizing serverless solutions.
Secure and Compliant Systems
Security is an essential part of AWS certification. Developers get training on how to set up VPNs, secure user access (IAM), encrypted data storage, and compliance processes, including SOC2, GDPR, and HIPAA.
DevOps and CI/CD Integration
Not in all cases, but many AWS developers are well-versed in DevOps. They have the ability to set up CI/CD pipelines using AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CloudFormation, and other third-party tools.
Benefits of Using AWS
Amazon Web Services is the leading cloud-computing platform with over 30% of the market share. From small to large-scale businesses, it is the top choice. But what’s the reason? The reason for AWS’s popularity is the benefits it provides to companies and businesses.
Let’s find out!
Accessibility
AWS is highly accessible. It runs in around 20 geographic locations and is available in 60 worldwide zones. Data centers that are accessible to regional clients are known as availability zones.
Security
AMI images and EBS snapshots, which back up instances and volumes, respectively, are two of the many backup techniques and disaster recovery solutions that AWS Security offers. You may also decide to save important information in several different places.
Dependability
Every consumer who uses a service may have their job at risk if there is an outage. Moreover, the service’s reputation will also be at stake. Fortunately, AWS has a reputation for reliability and has less downtime compared to competitors.
Personalization
Moreover, AWS is an extremely adaptable platform. With customizable options for expense monitoring, security, organization, automation, and more, it might be a great fit for your unique needs.
Cost
Lastly, the price structure will be the most alluring aspect of Amazon Web Services. AWS allows you to start and stop instances as needed with an automatic schedule, but the majority of cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, also use a pay-as-you-go pricing model.
Skills of an AWS Developer
Strong technical understanding of cloud computing and hands-on experience creating, implementing, and managing AWS systems are characteristics of a Certified AWS Developer. The following are essential competencies for an AWS developer:
Programming Skills
Firstly, an AWS expert should have a strong understanding and practical experience with any top-notch and in-demand programming language, such as Python, Node.js, Java, etc. Expertise with programming languages is essential for developing applications that interact with AWS services.
AWS Services
Secondly, an AWS developer must be experienced with AWS services such as EC2, S3, Lambda, etc. Familiarity with all AWS services is crucial for building and deploying cloud-based applications.
AWS SDKs and APIs
Further, while hiring, ensure to hire an AWS resource proficient in AWS SDKs and APIs to interact with AWS services.
Serverless Architectures
Understanding serverless architectures is of the utmost importance. A developer must know how to design and implement serverless applications using AWS services.
Other skills for an AWS developer include:
- Knowledge of implementing security best practices.
- Capable of optimizing cost and performance via service selection and architecture design.
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and AWS CodeBuild is essential for efficient and reliable application delivery.
- Experience with containerization is also a must-have in AWS development.
- Understanding of application lifecycle management.
Certification Levels of AWS Developers
Before you hire AWS developers for your company, it is better to understand the certification levels.
| Certification | Purpose |
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate/ | Core cloud application development |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | System design and architectural planning |
| AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional | Automation, deployment, CI/CD expertise |
| AWS Certified Security – Specialty | Building secure, compliant apps |
Therefore, you should choose a developer according to the project’s complexity and compliance needs.
How to Hire AWS Certified Developers
So, fellows, we are done with the basic things. Now it’s time to understand the real business of hiring certified AWS developers. Read this section attentively to understand the hiring process of AWS experts. Having an understanding of the whole process will help you hire the right resource.
Step 1: Know Your Needs
Firstly, you have to initiate by understanding your needs. You must have a crystal-clear view of what you are onto and what skills you need. To have a solid understanding of your needs, write your needs, wants, required skills, and expectations on a notepad. This will help you in this step.
Step 2: Find Developers According To Your Needs
Secondly, after the completion of the first step, it’s time to hire resources against your requirements. For AWS development, you should, in any event, look for Certified AWS developers. Nothing less than this should be acceptable. Further, don’t forget to consider the certification type while hiring.
For this, you need to spend time on freelance platforms, LinkedIn, or engage with a software development company that has expertise in Amazon Web Services.
Moreover, you have three hiring models to choose from.
- Freelance AWS Experts: You can hire freelancers with expertise in AWS. This is an easy and budget-friendly way to get a resource for your cloud-computing needs. However, this hiring model is best for short-term and less technical projects. Moreover, you need to be very careful about the skills and abilities of such professionals.
- In-house AWS Developers: Bringing in-house AWS developers is the best thing you can do. Undoubtedly, it is an expensive hiring model, but it gives you the best outcomes you demand. In-house developers integrate into your existing team and work dedicatedly for you.
- Remote Dedicated AWS Developers: Lastly, you can have remote AWS developers capable of working exclusively for you. It is also a budget-friendly way to work with cloud-computing tasks. However, it is similar to freelancers. You can assign them complex and technical tasks, and they can also handle long-term projects.
Step 3: Choose a Developer and Assess Their Qualifications
Now, it’s time to assess the developer’s qualifications. Keeping in mind the certification required, look for developers with the ability to fulfill your requirements. Moreover, choose a hiring model on which your developer would be working.
Step 4: Conduct Interviews
Now, after identifying potential assets for AWS development, it’s time to test them. Conduct interviews with each potential developer and also assess their skills by giving them practical tasks.
Moreover, don’t forget to assess their soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, etc.
Step 5: Hire and Continue Development
Lastly, after interviews, hire a resource that suits you the best, keeping in view your requirements. Provide them with an offer letter and be clear about your expectations. Convey your expectations, goals, and milestones along with the documents about your project.
How Much Do Certified AWS Developers Cost in the U.S
The cost of hiring certified AWS engineers depends on various factors, including geographical location, complexity of the project, project duration, and expertise of the developer. According to ZipRecruiter, the yearly salary of a beginner engineer is around $48,000 to $73,500. An average AWS developer makes around $74,000 to $115,000, and an experienced engineer makes over $150,000 yearly.
Ending Notes
So, what are you waiting for? Get cloud infrastructure services to bring a change to your systems and enhance efficiency. Moreover, AWS comes with powerful tools to build scalable, secure, and innovative applications. However, getting the most out of these tools is only possible when you bring in the right expertise to your team in the form of certified AWS engineers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the benefit of hiring an AWS Certified Developer?
They bring verified cloud development skills and can build scalable, cost-efficient applications.
How do I verify a developer’s AWS certification?
Request their Credly badge or use AWS’s certification verification portal.
When should I hire a freelance AWS developer?
You should opt to hire a freelance AWS developer when the project is of short duration and you also want to complete it while saving costs.
How shall I assess the skills of an AWS expert?
You can review their previous work. Plus, you need to ask technical questions and let them complete a technical assignment. This will help you assess the skills of an AWS expert.
Where should I look for AWS developers?
You can hire AWS developers from software development companies, LinkedIn, freelance platforms, etc.
