Initially offered in 2002 as an internal infrastructure to power Amazon’s online store, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has since evolved into a comprehensive cloud-computing platform that provides an array of services, including infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and software-as-a-service.

Because of these extensive offerings, many companies are interested in hiring AWS developers to design, implement, and maintain the cloud-based infrastructure to run web-based applications. AWS developers provide significant business value in today’s digital landscape. However, recruiting and hiring AWS developers can be challenging due to the competitive labor market and their higher salaries.

What Is AWS Development?

AWS development involves creating, deploying, and managing applications and services that use the AWS cloud infrastructure. Amazon provides a wide range of services and tools in the AWS ecosystem for developers to use with cloud-based applications, including storage, databases and management, networking, security and governance, artificial intelligence, and more.

You might need an AWS developer to build applications using AWS cloud-based infrastructure or services. Some of the most common examples of AWS services include cloud infrastructure, AWS services, such as AWS Lambda and Amazon RDS, security features, compliance certifications, automation, and optimization.

Why AWS Development?

Cloud services are critical in today’s modern technological landscape, so many companies choose to design cloud-native software. These web applications are designed to utilize the cloud infrastructure from the ground up. AWS services provide one of the best cloud computing platforms for app development for these companies.

AWS has a pay-as-you-go model, enabling you to reduce app development costs by only paying for the features your organization actively uses. And because of the nature of the AWS cloud, developing apps on this platform is easily scalable. Many businesses find scaling their applications up or down to handle different workloads a significant benefit of using AWS development.

AWS also provides serverless computing services like AWS Lambda, which allows developers to participate in app development without managing traditional servers. AWS operates data centers worldwide, meaning that developers can enjoy the benefits of a global reach even without a dedicated server.

Businesses can leverage AWS development on a budget to produce cloud-based applications, including mobile apps. Companies just getting into application development may benefit from the scalable nature of AWS development, which allows them to limit the up-front investment in app development while still creating valuable products.

Benefits of AWS Development

AWS web development is a reliable, cost-effective, and secure way to develop mobile apps to benefit companies and their clients. Some of the benefits of AWS development include:

• Ease of use: AWS was designed with developers’ needs in mind. The AWS management console is easy to use, allowing both providers and vendors to host applications easily.
• Security: AWS offers end-to-end security, ensuring that any information companies trust in this cloud-based system is used as intended. Twelve data centers around the globe and top-notch data encryption keep companies’ IT infrastructure and online information secure with AWS.
• Diverse tools: AWS is an infrastructure-as-a-service platform that provides more than 70 services. As a result, some companies can meet all their cloud computing and IT needs through AWS alone.
• Unlimited server capacity: One of the most challenging aspects of running your own server is keeping it running as business scales. Using AWS eliminates this challenge by providing unlimited server capacity.

What Does an AWS Developer Do?

The range of services AWS provides is so extensive that there’s no specific list of duties an AWS developer will perform. However, an AWS developer can be responsible for any of the following tasks:

• Design, develop, deploy, and optimize software applications on the AWS cloud platform using services such as EC2 and API Gateway
• Configure and manage AWS resources such as databases and load managers using tools like CloudForm and Terraform
• Identify and resolve issues with infrastructure or applications using monitoring tools like CloudWatch and AWS X-ray
• Collaborate with other developers, systems administrators, and DevOps engineers to ensure applications are effectively integrated into the rest of the existing network architecture

Required Skills and Qualifications

Because AWS development is such a vast arena, AWS developers must have a well-developed technical skillset. Depending on how companies use AWS development, some key competencies may be more or less important to a specific role.

One of the key skills AWS developers must have is the ability to deploy web applications to an EC2 instance. AWS developers may also need CloudFormation and/or Elastic Beanstalk for application deployment and should be proficient with both applications.

AWS developers must also understand the AWS software development kit (SDK). Developers should know how to pull down an object with Amazon S3, for example, and connect to a DynamoDB table. The more AWS developers understand the AWS SDK, the more likely they are to create functional, engaging applications.

AWS developers should be comfortable with various databases, including Aurora, DynamoDB, and DocumentDB. They should be able to use them in a serverless environment using services like Lambda and API Gateway.

AWS developers must also have excellent organizational skills and be self-starters. Much of working with AWS involves poking around at the different capabilities and pushing the envelope for what AWS can do. This means ideal candidates are naturally curious and driven to solve problems uniquely. They should also possess soft skills, like interpersonal communication and teamwork, to communicate with other DevOps team members.

Popular AWS Development-Related Languages and Libraries

One of the benefits of working with AWS is that developers can translate skills in almost any programming language to become better software engineers. Although AWS uses specific libraries, they are compatible with a variety of programming skills as well.

The suitable languages and libraries for your team will depend on the types of apps you’re developing, the software you’re using, and the comfort levels of your team members. However, it’s essential to understand your choices before making a decision that will impact your team.

Related Languages

AWS developers can create applications using a variety of languages, including:

• Java: Java has been the long-standing go-to language for AWS developers and is useful when building enterprise-level applications.
• C++: AWS developers may use this highly efficient programming language when building applications where performance optimization is a top priority.
• Go: Go is a simple and fast programming language. AWS developers may choose this language when creating concurrent applications that need to be easily scalable.
• JavaScript: JavaScript is primarily used by frontend AWS developers working with AWS Lambda. Node.js, which JavaScript powers, is helpful within the AWS Lambda framework.
• Python: AWS developers can use Python to help with tasks like automation, scripting, and backend application development.
• PHP: Largely used for web development, PHP integrates with AWS services like Amazon RDS and Amazon S3. AWS developers can use PHP to develop dynamic web applications and support backend functionality.

Related Libraries

AWS provides software developers' libraries (SDKs), including sample codes, tutorials, and other resources to offer basic functions not otherwise included in the API gateway.