Cloud Technologies

Cloud engineering remains a structural skills shortage rather than a cyclical one. Azure and AWS estates keep growing, platform engineering has replaced traditional ops in most enterprises, and the rise of AI workloads has put fresh pressure on data engineering and GPU-aware infrastructure skills. Security-cleared cloud talent for public sector programmes is scarcer still, with SC and DV cleared engineers commanding significant premiums in the UK.

Employers face a market where strong DevOps and platform engineers rarely spend more than two weeks between roles, and where counter-offers are routine. Speed and a compelling technical story matter more than ever.

We place Azure and AWS engineers and architects, DevOps and platform engineers, site reliability engineers, cloud security engineers, data engineers building cloud data platforms and lakehouses, and infrastructure-as-code specialists across Terraform, Bicep and Pulumi. Our Microsoft heritage gives us particular depth in the Azure ecosystem, including SC and DV cleared contractors for UK public sector programmes, both inside and outside IR35.

In 2026, Azure engineers typically earn £55,000–£80,000 in the UK, $115,000–$155,000 in the USA and AU$120,000–AU$160,000 in Australia. DevOps and platform engineers earn £60,000–£90,000 (UK) and $120,000–$165,000 (USA). Cloud architects command £85,000–£120,000 in the UK and $150,000–$200,000 in the USA. UK contract rates run roughly £500–£700 per day, with cleared roles higher.

The best cloud engineers are passive candidates: employed, well paid and off the job boards. Our consultants maintain long-term relationships across the Azure and AWS communities, so when you brief us we already know who is open to a move, what they earn and what would tempt them. Every candidate is screened for hands-on depth — not just certifications — and we typically deliver a qualified shortlist within 48 hours to 5 working days.