Builds the compute, storage, network and virtualisation foundations of the IT estate.
Entry
Senior
Coding
Medium
Key skills
Career overview
The Infrastructure Engineer works one layer below applications: data centres, hypervisors, storage arrays, hybrid connectivity to the cloud, backup strategy, disaster recovery. Decisions taken here are felt for years, so the job rewards method, documentation and a taste for reliable design.
Main responsibilities
- Design infrastructure solutions from business needs
- Manage virtualisation clusters and storage
- Build high availability and disaster recovery setups
- Design and verify backup and restore procedures
- Describe infrastructure as code and version it
- Follow capacity, performance and resource usage
- Prepare and execute change requests in production
- Coordinate with software vendors and third parties
- Keep technical documentation up to date
- Monitor platform health, alerts and dashboards
Technical skills
Technologies
Education level
Education requirements vary depending on the company, country and experience. Professional experience, certifications and technical skills can sometimes compensate for formal education.
High School / Bac
Less common
Bac+2 (2-year degree)
Less common
Bac+3 (Bachelor)
Common entry point
Bac+5 (Master / Engineering)
Common entry point
Experience & coding level
Experience level
Coding level
Useful certifications
Certifications are never mandatory. They are one way among others to prove a skill.
- VMware VCP-DCV
- AZ-104
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate
Where can this career take you?
Multiple paths are possible. Click a role to open its profile.
Direct progression
Possible branches
Where can you go next?
Realistic next career moves, with compatibility and a transition roadmap for each.
Overlap: 24% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: AWS / Azure / GCP, Terraform, Identity & access management
View roadmapOverlap: 10% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: Observability & tracing, Kubernetes, Programming (Go/Python)
View roadmapOverlap: 45% · Difficulty: Hard
Skills to learn: DR & HA, Vendor strategy, Cost modelling
View roadmapWhere can you go from here?
A typical progression built from real career relationships. Click any role to open its profile.
Soft skills
- Rigour and attention to detail
- Big-picture thinking
- Autonomy
- Documentation writing
- Problem solving
- Sense of ownership
Common previous careers
Roles that frequently lead into this career.
Overlap: 34% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Virtualisation & compute, Infrastructure as Code, Cloud (hybrid)
View roadmapOverlap: 20% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Networking, Infrastructure as Code, Linux
View roadmapOverlap: 58% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: Storage & backup, Disaster recovery, Automation
View roadmapRelated resources
Continue your career exploration
Keep moving: compare roles, follow a roadmap, read a guide or prepare for an interview.
Ready to explore your next step?
A documented transition from this role to the next.
Infrastructure EngineerCloud Engineer
Keep exploring
Compare this role with others, or check which career fits you best.