10 Essential AWS Tools for Data Engineers

Data engineers are the backbone of modern data-driven organisations, building and maintaining the pipelines that make vast amounts of data accessible for analysis.

AWS offers a rich portfolio of services tailored for data engineering, enabling scalability, efficiency, and innovation.

Let’s explore the top 10 essential AWS services that every data engineer should know:

Top 10 Essential AWS Services for Data Engineers

1. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) The go-to service for storing raw, processed, and analytical data. With features like object lifecycle management and intelligent tiering, S3 is perfect for cost-effective data storage.
2. AWS Glue A managed ETL (extract, transform, load) service that simplifies data preparation and cataloguing. Glue DataBrew further enables visual data preparation for less technical users.
3. Amazon Redshift A fully managed data warehouse that handles analytics workloads at scale. Redshift’s seamless integration with other AWS services makes it ideal for large-scale data engineering projects.
4. Amazon Kinesis A suite of tools (Data Streams, Firehose, Analytics) for real-time data ingestion and processing. Kinesis allows engineers to handle streaming data efficiently.
5. AWS Lambda A serverless compute service perfect for automating ETL tasks, orchestrating workflows, and responding to data pipeline events without managing infrastructure.
6. Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) Supports managed databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Ideal for transactional data processing and integrating structured data into pipelines.
7. Amazon DynamoDB A fully managed NoSQL database for unstructured or semi-structured data. Its scalability and low-latency capabilities make it invaluable for real-time applications.
8. Amazon EMR (Elastic MapReduce) Provides a framework for processing massive datasets using big data tools like Apache Hadoop and Spark. A staple for complex data transformations and machine learning workloads.
9. Amazon OpenSearch Service Enables full-text search, log analysis, and monitoring. Useful for making unstructured data more accessible and actionable.
10. Amazon QuickSight A business intelligence service that allows data engineers to visualise and share insights from data processed through pipelines.

Data Engineering ILT Courses and Certifications in 2025

AWS offers a range of instructor-led training (ILT) courses specifically designed for data engineers. Key courses in 2025 include:

• Building Batch Data Analytics Solutions on AWS (1-day) – Learn how to design, build, and manage scalable batch data analytics solutions using AWS services such as AWS Glue, Amazon EMR, and Amazon Athena.
• Building Data Analytics Solutions Using Amazon Redshift (1-day) – Gain the skills to design, optimise, and manage data warehousing solutions using Amazon Redshift, including data ingestion, transformation, and querying for high-performance analytics.
• Building Data Lakes on AWS (1-day) – Understand how to design and implement a scalable, secure, and cost-effective data lake on AWS using services such as Amazon S3, AWS Glue, and AWS Lake Formation.
• Building Streaming Data Analytics Solutions on AWS (1-day)– Learn how to process and analyse real-time data streams using AWS services like Amazon Kinesis, AWS Lambda, and Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (MSK).
• Architecting on AWS (3-day): A foundational course for understanding how to design scalable and resilient systems on AWS, including data pipelines.

Certifications like the AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate provide validation of your expertise, boosting career prospects and credibility.

Why Bespoke AWS Data Engineering Training?

Navigating the vast array of AWS services can be daunting, especially for data engineers aiming to build robust and scalable solutions. Bespoke Training offers AWS courses designed to meet your specific needs.

Whether you’re looking to master data integration with Glue, optimise analytics pipelines with Redshift, or secure your data using IAM and KMS, our instructor-led training ensures you gain practical, hands-on experience.

With courses customised for individuals or teams, we empower you to harness AWS services effectively, elevating your career and business outcomes. Explore our AWS data engineering training today or get in touch and take the next step in your professional journey.