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What does an AWS developer do?

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services and is the collective name for a diverse range of technology products and services provided by Amazon. These tools include cloud hosting and cloud processing services, file storage, data analytics, blockchain technology, and IoT support. Due to how many services are offered and how varied they are, many AWS developers choose to specialize in a particular subset of AWS.

Ultimately, AWS developers help businesses use Amazon’s vast range of services. Though there are many use cases, common users of AWS include developers of cloud software, big data engineers, DevOps engineers, SysOp admins, data scientists, security specialists, and network engineers. An AWS developer should first decide on a particular area to specialize in.

An example of an AWS developer would be a full-stack web developer who builds web apps for clients that are hosted on AWS cloud infrastructure and make use of AWS tools and services. This could include using Amazon S3 for file storage, Amazon DynamoDB for a NoSQL database service and Amazon Amplify to configure and connect back-end services to your app to get it hosted and online quickly.

What skills do I need to become an AWS developer?

The exact skill set needed to become an AWS developer will depend on your specialization, but in general, having at least a Foundational certificate from AWS is highly recommended for all AWS developers. While it is not always explicitly required, having this certification will be a major benefit. The Foundational certificate is meant to give a general and broad overview of the services AWS has to offer and allows you to familiarize yourself with them. (Learn more about AWS certifications below.)

From there, a developer may choose to obtain more AWS certifications along the lines of their specialty if they so wish. Regardless of specialization, AWS developers will need to have a strong technical background and understanding of cloud computing. Fortunately, Amazon also offers an excellent knowledge base of information and many guided tutorials to help developers get started using AWS, whether it’s for developing full-stack web apps, building and training machine learning models, or creating continuous delivery pipelines for DevOps.

Common skills an AWS developer should possess include:

• Working knowledge of AWS products including EC2, RDS, and DynamoDB
• Knowledge of serverless architecture and AWS Lambda
• Expertise in one or more of the following: Amazon SNS, Amazon SQS, and Amazon S3
• Familiarity with AWS deployment tools, such as Amazon API Gateway, Amazon CloudFront, and Amazon ECS
• Strong knowledge of programming languages including PHP, Java, C++, Python, and C#

What are the core AWS developer job responsibilities?

An AWS developer may be wholly responsible for creating products built using AWS, or they may be responsible as part of a team for the maintenance of one or more apps that are already running on AWS. An AWS developer will be expected to be very familiar with the requisition, configuration, and maintenance of AWS services that are relevant to the particular product or use case.

An AWS developer will also typically be responsible for the creation and maintenance of whatever tool is being built on top of AWS. For a full-stack web developer, this would include building, deploying, testing, and fixing a website or web app that uses AWS. For a data scientist, this would include building, training, and deploying algorithms that are run on Amazon SageMaker.

AWS developers might work on their own or as part of a larger team. In the latter case, it’s important that an AWS developer be familiar with common team methodologies and best practices for delivering software or technical products, which may include Agile methodology and practices such as scrums. These team communication skills can be critical, as many enterprise-level businesses use AWS to provide the infrastructure for their products and services. Being a team player and being able to clearly communicate tasks and goals is vital for successful maintenance of large-scale products.

Should I get an AWS developer certification?

In addition to developing your skills, it may be helpful to obtain a professional certification to help your Upwork profile stand out. There are 12 AWS certifications, each of which focuses on specific areas and uses of AWS tools and services. AWS splits these certifications into four categories: Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Specialty. These categories generally refer to the level of knowledge of AWS that is required and how long it takes to complete the specific certification process. Within these categories, the certifications can vary depending on the field of specialization. Examples of AWS certifications include:

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Certified Developer
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

It is highly recommended that an AWS developer obtain one or more AWS certifications by passing the certification exam. As these certifications come from Amazon, they are highly prized when companies are hiring workers to fill positions that make use of AWS technologies.