Top 5 High-Paying Cloud Jobs in Malaysia & How to Get Them
Top 5 High-Paying Cloud Jobs in Malaysia & How to Get Them
Malaysia’s digital economy is fast becoming a key driver of national growth. By 2025, it is expected to contribute 22.6% to GDP and create 500,000 new digital jobs under the MyDIGITAL initiative (Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint). Among the most in-demand domains fueling this growth is cloud computing.
Global cloud giants — AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba Cloud — have ramped up their investments in Malaysia, setting up regional data centers and cloud infrastructure. This surge is generating significant demand for local cloud professionals with the skills to architect, deploy, and manage modern cloud environments. Companies are leveraging new technologies to enhance recruitment strategies, ensuring they attract top talent capable of navigating these advanced systems. By adopting these new technologies, companies are adapting to remain competitive in a changing employment landscape.
In this blog, we break down the top five highest-paying cloud roles in Malaysia, what they entail, and how you can start building a career in this space.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a transformative model for delivering computing services over the internet. Instead of relying on local hardware and software, users can access a shared pool of resources such as servers, storage, networks, databases, and applications on-demand.
It has evolved into a fundamental pillar of today’s IT framework, delivering flexible scaling capabilities and economical solutions that empower businesses to thrive. Click here to read more about why cloud computing is the future of IT careers in Malaysia.
Why Cloud Skills Are in High Demand?
According to the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide, 63% of Malaysian employers report hiring difficulties at the intermediate level, especially in cloud and digital transformation roles.
This high demand has also highlighted significant skills gaps, making it challenging for employers to find qualified talent to fill these critical roles.
From banks and universities to telcos and e-commerce firms, industries across Malaysia are migrating workloads to the cloud. The Alibaba Cloud report notes a sharp increase in adoption across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, where organizations are scaling faster using cloud-native platforms.
This trend is also driven by the convergence of cloud and AI technologies. As highlighted in the 2024 AWS Report on AI Skills in the Workplace, cloud computing is the foundation for AI deployment, and 75% of APAC employers report difficulty finding cloud or AI talent.
Together, these indicators show that cloud fluency is no longer optional — it’s a requirement for modern tech careers.
Benefits of Cloud Services
Cloud services offer numerous benefits, including cost savings, scalability, and flexibility. Additionally, automation enhances the migration process and streamlines operations, making it easier for businesses to adapt to new technologies and improve their overall efficiency.
Moreover, cloud migration and modernization can significantly reduce operational costs, allowing businesses to allocate resources more efficiently.
Talent Acquisition in the Cloud Industry
The cloud industry is rapidly growing, and with it, the demand for skilled professionals who can design, develop, and manage cloud-based systems. Talent acquisition in the cloud industry is a challenging task, as companies compete for top talent in a highly competitive market.
To attract and retain top talent, companies must offer competitive salaries, benefits, and career development opportunities. They must also provide a positive work environment, with opportunities for growth and advancement. Additionally, companies must be willing to invest in training and development programs, to help employees develop the skills they need to succeed in the cloud industry.
Cloud job roles and responsibilities vary widely, depending on the company and the specific job. However, some common cloud job roles include cloud architect, cloud engineer, cloud developer, and cloud security specialist. These professionals are responsible for designing, developing, and managing cloud-based systems, and ensuring that they are secure, scalable, and efficient.
Top 5 High-Paying Cloud Jobs in Malaysia
These roles represent a combination of high demand, specialized skill sets, and strong salary potential across different jobs based on the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide and employer demand reported by Alibaba Cloud. Skills-based hiring is crucial in filling these high-demand roles, as it prioritizes candidate skills over traditional metrics like degrees or job history. Additionally, hiring managers play a vital role in the recruitment process, ensuring a balance between automation and meaningful human interaction while leveraging AI tools to enhance recruitment processes.
Career Pathways & Learning Routes
Cloud careers are flexible but structured. Providing diverse career paths is crucial for employee retention and satisfaction, as it enhances engagement and reduces turnover. Continuous development is essential for achieving career goals in cloud careers. For instance, examples of career progression might include starting as a Cloud Practitioner and advancing to a Cloud Architect or Cloud Security Specialist. Here’s a typical progression:
Beginner: Cloud Practitioner or Fundamentals certification
Intermediate: Associate-level certification in architecture, engineering, or data
Advanced: Professional-level or specialty certs (e.g., DevOps, Security, AI)
Developing Skills for Cloud Success
To succeed in the cloud industry, professionals must develop a range of skills, including technical, business, and soft skills. Technical skills include knowledge of cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as programming languages, such as Java, Python, and C++. Business skills include knowledge of financial operations, marketing, and sales, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders. Soft skills include teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving, as well as the ability to adapt to changing technologies and business environments.
To develop these skills, professionals can pursue a range of training and development programs, including online courses, certification programs, and degree programs. They can also gain hands-on experience by working on cloud-based projects, and by participating in cloud-related communities and forums.
Career Development and Job Search
Career development and job search are critical components of success in the cloud industry. Professionals must continually update their skills and knowledge to stay current with changing technologies and business environments. They must also be proactive in their job search, using a range of strategies, including networking, job boards, and social media.
To develop their careers, professionals can pursue a range of strategies, including:
- Building a strong professional network, including connections on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
- Developing a personal brand, including a professional website and blog.
- Pursuing certification programs, such as AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or Azure Certified Solutions Architect.
- Participating in cloud-related communities and forums, such as Cloud Computing Forum or Cloud Security Alliance.
- Staying current with industry trends and developments, through attendance at conferences and trade shows, and through reading industry publications.
By following these strategies, professionals can develop their careers and achieve success in the cloud industry.
Platform-Specific Considerations:
Finance and Government sectors often prefer Microsoft Azure due to its compliance focus, making it a popular service provider in these industries. Startups and E-commerce lean towards AWS (scalability & tooling) Data-Driven Organizations favour Google Cloud (AI/ML capabilities)
Networking features in cloud services are crucial as they simplify environments, enhance application delivery, and ensure reliability and performance across global infrastructures.
According to the Pearson VUE Candidate Report 2023, 91% of certified professionals report increased confidence and better performance at work. The 2025 edition shows that 82% gained the confidence to pursue new roles after certification.
Certification is not just a resume add-on — it’s a signal to employers of practical, job-ready capability.
