What Does An Infrastructure Engineer Do? A Complete Guide

Updated 26 January 2023

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Infrastructure engineers are professionals who set up and maintain computing infrastructure for various organisations. They play a crucial role in keeping a company's operations and services running efficiently. If you are looking to pursue a career in this field, it is essential to understand the everyday job duties and the skills required for the role. In this article, we explain “What does an infrastructure engineer do?”, their average salary, work environment and the steps you can follow to become one.

What does an infrastructure engineer do?

The answer to the question "What does an infrastructure engineer do?" is simple. They are professionals who design, build, deploy and maintain the company's IT (information technology) infrastructure. They are responsible for making the computing systems work efficiently and ensuring the services run smoothly. They may work on company premises, setting up and maintaining physical servers and data centres, or work remotely, managing and optimising virtual machines and cloud services. Regardless of their location of work, some everyday duties of the infrastructure engineers include the following:

set up and configure servers and virtual machines
manage on-premises and cloud storage systems
troubleshoot problems associated with infrastructures and systems
maintain IT infrastructure best practices and follow the necessary security regulations
communicate with partners and vendors on behalf of the company
recommend infrastructure upgrades for optimal performance to the management

What is the average salary of an infrastructure engineer?

The average base salary of an infrastructure engineer in India is ₹8,65,358 per year. This remuneration may vary based on the candidate's experience, qualification, skills, employer and location of the job. For example, the average salary of an infrastructure engineer in Bengaluru is ₹10,75,376 per year, which is significantly higher than in other cities. For example, the average salary of an infrastructure engineer in Pune is ₹5,23,256 per year, and the average compensation in Hyderabad is ₹6,35,377 per annum.

Skills required to become an infrastructure engineer

Infrastructure engineers require a variety of technical skills to perform daily tasks. They require a profound knowledge of network and system hardware, along with a sound understanding of novel tools, software and processes. Here are some of the necessary technical skills required by an infrastructure engineer:

proficiency in network and hardware technologies
proficiency in shared storage technologies
knowledge of data privacy laws
proficiency with Active Directory
knowledge of setting up and managing cloud computing services like platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
knowledge of DevOps practices
knowledge of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD)

Additionally, infrastructure engineers also need a set of soft skills. These soft skills can help them perform the tasks more efficiently, save costs for the company and build a robust infrastructure that lasts for the long term. Here are some of the soft skills that can be helpful:

project management skills
analytical thinking skills
problem-solving skills
communication and presentation skills

Work environment of an infrastructure engineer

Infrastructure engineers may work either in the office or on-site, depending on their employer and job duties. As a part of an internal IT team, they work in an office, handling the organisation's infrastructure needs. Infrastructure engineers who work for IT consultancy firms may work on-site, travelling from organisation to organisation to set up and maintain their infrastructures. Infrastructure engineers who work with virtual infrastructures like cloud computing or storage may also work remotely, depending upon their duties and responsibilities.

Infrastructure engineer job description

Here is an example of an infrastructure engineer's job description:

Crist Inc. is looking for an infrastructure engineer to build resilient IT infrastructure using modern engineering practices. The candidate shall be responsible for setting up, scaling, monitoring and ensuring high-performance of our infrastructure, which hosts multiple services.

Key responsibilities

plan, design and implement cloud infrastructure services using leading could platforms
maintain infrastructure performance, scalability and security for smooth operations
enable high availability of services and disaster recovery of data
lead various cloud migration activities
develop and implement technical solutions based on infrastructure strategy
make sure to deliver tasks on time and according to the decided scope
work with the operations team to solve service performance issues

Skills and qualifications

bachelor's degree in computer science or similar engineering field
expertise in setting up and managing cloud infrastructure, preferably AWS and Kubernetes
demonstratable experience in handling logs and metrics at a high scale
demonstrable experience with Azure, Virtualisation, Windows Servers, M365, Networks, Storage and Active Directory
knowledge of cloud migration
excellent analytical thinking skills
ability to identify trends and patterns related to technical problems
excellent problem-solving skills
excellent written and verbal communication skills

How to become an infrastructure engineer

Here is a list of steps you can follow to become an infrastructure engineer:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree

Most employers look for candidates with a bachelor's degree for this role. You may pursue an undergraduate degree such as a Bachelor's of Engineering or a Bachelor's of Technology in information technology or computer science if you wish to become an infrastructure engineer. These undergraduate courses equip you with the fundamental knowledge and skills required for the job.

2. Get relevant experience

Getting relevant experience can help you demonstrate your practical knowledge in the field of infrastructure engineering and improve your chances of getting hired. So, consider getting an internship while pursuing your bachelor's degree. These internships can include positions at software development firms or any information technology companies where you can work on real-time projects and gain practical experience.

3. Complete certifications

Certifications are a great way to obtain specialised knowledge and improve employability. They may make your resume more pronounced and give you a competitive advantage over others. Here are some certifications that you can consider pursuing:

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): This certification shows your competence and understanding of certain Microsoft technologies and servers. For this, you require getting a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification and pass an official exam.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP): This certification exhibits proof of your IT skills and knowledge across multiple specialisations. To obtain a CCNP, you require passing two exams, one which tests your core computer knowledge and another focuses on your domain.
VMware Certified Professional (VCP): This certification shows that an individual can install, optimise and manage VMware solutions. You require to pass an exam to get this certification.

4. Create a compelling resume

A well-written resume can make you stand out amongst numerous applicants during the interview process. It also makes it easier for the employees to determine your suitability for the job. While drafting your resume, try to customise it according to the advertised job description, highlighting the skills required by the employer. Here is some information you can include in your infrastructure engineer resume:

Basic information: Mention your name, job title, phone number, email address and link to your professional profile in the header section of your resume. Add it in a way that it is clearly visible to the employer or hiring manager.
Profile summary: Add a synopsis of your qualification, skills and future goals on your resume. Consider it like your elevator pitch, where you can briefly introduce yourself to the employers and suggest them to learn more about you.
Skills: Add a combination of both hard and soft skills required for the job in your resume. Read the job description thoroughly to understand the employer's requirements and highlight those skills that are relevant.
Professional experience: Add your relevant work experience in reverse-chronology order, keeping the latest one first. Add information such as company name, job role and a few brief points explaining your job duties and responsibilities in a concise manner.
Education: Add all your educational qualifications, including your college degree and professional certifications relevant to the job role in your resume. You can also include your marks and grade scored in each.

5. Consider obtaining a master's degree

While a bachelor's degree is the standard requirement for the infrastructure engineer job, getting a master's degree can help you learn specialised skills and avail better career opportunities. For example, you may pursue Master's of Engineering or Master's of Technology in cyber security, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science or network engineering. This can help enhance your educational qualifications and make you eligible for more specialized job roles.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed. Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.