5 things you should know about a career as a Platform Engineer
These five tips can help you thoroughly evaluate your interest and skills.
With software development becoming one of the most highly-paid fields worldwide, the contributions of specialized roles like platform engineers have been crucial.
Platform engineers manage and optimize the platforms that run a company's software applications. Their work is essential to effectively developing, testing, deploying, and monitoring software.
If you're considering a career as a platform engineer, here is a guide to teach you what a platform engineer is and five important things you must know.
Who is a Platform Engineer?
A platform engineer is a specialized software engineer who builds and maintains the foundational infrastructure that supports software applications. They ensure developers have a reliable and efficient platform to build, deploy, and scale applications. This includes setting up and managing cloud services, container orchestration systems like Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and monitoring tools. By handling these core components, platform engineers empower development teams to focus on creating application features without worrying about the infrastructure.
How much do Platform Engineers make?
Platform engineering is a high-paying field with growing demand. According to Glassdoor, platform engineers in the United States earn an average salary of $132,000 annually.
However, this earning can change depending on experience, location, and company size. At senior levels, salaries may exceed $200,000, particularly at tech giants and companies with complex infrastructure needs.
As regards the job outlook, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that computer support specialist jobs will grow by 5% from 2022 to 2032. This can be aligned with the increasing demand for cloud infrastructure and advanced automation.
