Top AWS Interview Questions 2026

Updated 2 days ago · By SkillExchange Team

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Open Positions

$164,422

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18

Questions

Preparing for AWS interview questions can feel overwhelming, especially with the demand for AWS jobs remote and entry level AWS jobs skyrocketing in 2026. With 1959 openings listed across top companies like Bitwiseinvestments, Nielsen, Oleria, Welocalize, Dreamsports, Xero, Tendo, GeoComply, JumpCloud, and PartsTech, now is the perfect time to land remote AWS jobs or AWS solutions architect jobs. Salaries are competitive too, ranging from $64,000 to $259,545 USD, with a median of $164,422. Whether you're eyeing aws solutions architect salary packages around $180,000 or aws cloud practitioner salary starting at $90,000, strong interview prep is key.

AWS certification jobs dominate the market, and knowing the aws certification cost upfront helps. For instance, the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam costs about $100, while Solutions Architect Professional runs $300. The best aws certification depends on your level, but starting with Cloud Practitioner opens doors to aws jobs entry level. Interviews often mix theory with real-world scenarios, testing your grasp of services like EC2, S3, VPC, and Lambda. Expect questions on architecture design, cost optimization, and troubleshooting, especially for aws devops jobs or AWS engineer jobs.

To stand out in aws architect jobs or AWS cloud engineer salary pursuits (averaging $150,000+), practice hands-on via the AWS Free Tier. Tailor your prep to roles, like security for compliance-heavy positions or serverless for modern stacks. This guide delivers 18 targeted AWS interview questions across beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, with sample answers and tips. Pair it with our prep advice to boost your chances for aws salary boosts and aws jobs near me. Dive in, and turn your AWS skills into a high-paying career.

beginner Questions

What is AWS, and what are some core services for a beginner?

beginner
AWS is Amazon Web Services, a comprehensive cloud computing platform offering over 200 services. Core ones include EC2 for virtual servers, S3 for object storage, VPC for networking, and Lambda for serverless compute. In entry level AWS jobs, you'll often manage these basics.
Tip: Keep it simple; interviewers for aws jobs entry level want foundational knowledge. Mention Free Tier for practice.

Explain the difference between stopping and terminating an EC2 instance.

beginner
Stopping an EC2 instance halts it like shutting down a PC; you pay for EBS storage but not compute. Terminating deletes it permanently, releasing all resources. Use stop for temporary pauses in cost-sensitive aws cloud practitioner salary roles.
Tip: Relate to billing; cost awareness impresses for AWS certification jobs.

What is S3, and what are its storage classes?

beginner
S3 is scalable object storage. Classes include Standard for frequent access, Intelligent-Tiering for variable patterns, Glacier for archival, and One Zone-IA for cost savings. Pick based on access needs in remote AWS jobs.
Tip: Highlight durability (99.999999999%) and use cases to show practical understanding.

Describe IAM and its key components.

beginner
IAM manages access control. Components: Users (individuals), Groups (user collections), Roles (temporary permissions), Policies (JSON docs defining permissions). Principle of least privilege applies in aws engineer salary positions.
Tip: Mention MFA and root user avoidance for security basics.

What is a VPC, and why use it?

beginner
VPC is a Virtual Private Cloud for isolated networking. It lets you define subnets, route tables, gateways. Essential for security in multi-tenant AWS environments, common in aws jobs near me.
Tip: Draw a simple diagram mentally: public/private subnets.

Differentiate between Auto Scaling and Elastic Load Balancing.

beginner
Auto Scaling adjusts EC2 capacity based on demand. ELB distributes traffic across instances. Together, they ensure HA; Auto Scaling for compute, ELB for traffic in entry level AWS jobs.
Tip: Link to availability zones for resilience.

intermediate Questions

How would you secure data in transit and at rest in S3?

intermediate
At rest: Server-side encryption (SSE-S3, SSE-KMS, SSE-C). In transit: HTTPS endpoints. Also, bucket policies and IAM. Critical for compliance in AWS solutions architect jobs.
Tip: Discuss KMS keys and versioning for depth.

Design a highly available web application architecture on AWS.

intermediate
Use multi-AZ VPC with public/private subnets. ELB across AZs, Auto Scaling EC2 or ECS, RDS Multi-AZ, S3 for static assets. CloudFront CDN. Fits aws devops jobs scenarios.
Tip: Mention RTO/RPO; sketch on whiteboard.

Explain CloudFormation and its benefits.

intermediate
IaC tool using JSON/YAML templates for provisioning. Benefits: Version control, repeatability, drift detection. Speeds deployments in aws architect jobs. 
Parameters:
  KeyName:
    Type: AWS::EC2::KeyPair::KeyName
Tip: Share a stack example; contrast with Terraform.

What is Lambda, and when to use it over EC2?

intermediate
Serverless compute for event-driven code. Use for sporadic workloads (pay-per-use) vs. always-on EC2. Layers for deps, limits: 15min runtime. Ideal for aws cloud engineer salary roles.
Tip: Cold starts caveat; integrate with API Gateway.

How does Route 53 handle DNS failover?

intermediate
Health checks monitor endpoints. Routing policies: Failover routes to secondary if primary fails. Weighted or latency-based too. Ensures uptime in AWS engineer jobs.
Tip: Compare active-passive vs. active-active.

Optimize costs for an EBS-heavy workload.

intermediate
Use gp3 volumes, PIOPS for needs. Snapshots to S3 Glacier. Right-size via CloudWatch. Reserved Instances or Savings Plans. Key for aws salary negotiations.
Tip: Reference Cost Explorer tool.

advanced Questions

Troubleshoot a Lambda function timing out intermittently.

advanced
Check: Timeout settings (increase to 15min), VPC config (NAT for outbound), cold starts (provisioned concurrency), logs in CloudWatch. Memory allocation affects CPU. Advanced aws devops jobs test.
Tip: Use X-Ray for tracing; mention DLQ.

Design a multi-region disaster recovery for a critical app.

advanced
Pilot Light: Minimal EC2 in DR region, sync RDS read replicas, S3 CRR. Warm standby or multi-region active-active with Route53 latency. RPO <1h, RTO <15min for AWS solutions architect jobs.
Tip: Discuss backup strategies like DMS.

Implement CI/CD pipeline with security using AWS services.

advanced
CodePipeline, CodeBuild (with IAM roles), CodeDeploy to ECS/EKS. Secrets in SSM/Secrets Manager. Scan with Inspector/CodeGuru. OIDC for GitHub in aws architect jobs.
Tip: Emphasize shift-left security.

Compare EKS vs. ECS vs. Fargate for container orchestration.

advanced
ECS: AWS-native, simpler. EKS: Kubernetes-compatible, portable. Fargate: Serverless both. EKS for complex, ECS/Fargate for ease in remote AWS jobs. 
aws eks create-cluster --name prod
Tip: Mention costs: Fargate higher but managed.

Handle a DDoS attack using AWS Shield and other tools.

advanced
Shield Advanced for L3/L4, WAF for L7. CloudFront absorbs volumetric. Rate limiting. Always-on protection. Logs to CloudWatch for aws engineer salary pros.
Tip: Proactive: Enable GuardDuty.

Migrate on-prem databases to AWS with minimal downtime.

advanced
DMS for heterogeneous, SCT for schema. CDC for ongoing replication. Cutover with DNS switch. Test with DMS task stats. Fits aws jobs entry level to advanced.
Tip: Phases: Assess, Test, Migrate.

Preparation Tips

1

Hands-on practice with AWS Free Tier: Build VPCs, deploy Lambdas to tackle AWS interview questions realistically.

2

Earn certifications like Solutions Architect Associate; best aws certification boosts resumes for AWS certification jobs.

3

Mock interviews focusing on whiteboard designs for aws solutions architect jobs and remote AWS jobs.

4

Study Well-Architected Framework pillars: Reliability, Security for aws devops jobs scenarios.

5

Review billing tools like Cost Explorer; impress with cost-optimization in aws salary discussions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overlooking shared responsibility model; clarify AWS vs. customer duties.

Ignoring real-world limits like EC2 burst credits in designs.

Generic answers; always tie to services and scenarios for depth.

Neglecting soft skills; explain trade-offs conversationally.

Skipping practice labs; theory alone fails hands-on AWS engineer jobs tests.

Related Skills

Terraform for IaCKubernetes (EKS)Python/Boto3 scriptingNetworking (VPC peering)DevOps (CI/CD pipelines)Security (IAM, GuardDuty)Monitoring (CloudWatch, X-Ray)

Top Companies Hiring AWS Professionals

Bitwiseinvestments (9)Nielsen (7)Oleria (6)Welocalize (6)Dreamsports (6)Xero (5)Tendo (5)GeoComply (5)JumpCloud (5)PartsTech (5)

Explore More About AWS

AWS Salary Guide
Compensation data for AWS roles
AWS Job Market
Hiring trends and demand for AWS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average aws solutions architect salary in 2026?

Around $180,000 USD median, varying by experience. Top earners hit $250k+ in AWS solutions architect jobs at firms like JumpCloud.

How much is aws certification cost for key exams?

Cloud Practitioner: $100, Solutions Architect Associate: $150, Professional: $300. Worth it for AWS certification jobs entry.

Are there many AWS jobs remote available?

Yes, 1959 openings include remote AWS jobs at Nielsen, Xero, GeoComply. High demand for AWS cloud engineer salary roles.

What are good entry level AWS jobs?

Cloud support, junior devops at PartsTech or Welocalize. Start with aws cloud practitioner salary ~$90k.

Which is the best aws certification for beginners?

AWS Cloud Practitioner; quick intro leading to aws jobs entry level and further certs.

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