diff --git a/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go b/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
index 164005a0d87e3..477ec8c09a60b 100644
--- a/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
+++ b/cmd/kops/create_cluster.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ type CreateClusterOptions struct {
 
 	ControlPlaneVolumeSize     int32
 	NodeVolumeSize             int32
+	NodeVolumeType             string
 	ContainerRuntime           string
 	OutDir                     string
 	DisableSubnetTags          bool
@@ -301,6 +302,8 @@ func NewCmdCreateCluster(f *util.Factory, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().Int32Var(&options.ControlPlaneVolumeSize, "control-plane-volume-size", options.ControlPlaneVolumeSize, "Instance volume size (in GB) for control-plane nodes")
 	cmd.Flags().Int32Var(&options.NodeVolumeSize, "node-volume-size", options.NodeVolumeSize, "Instance volume size (in GB) for worker nodes")
 
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&options.NodeVolumeType, "node-volume-type", options.NodeVolumeType, "Instance volume type (e.g. gp2, gp3, io1) for worker nodes")
+
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&options.NetworkID, "vpc", options.NetworkID, "Shared Network or VPC to use")
 	cmd.Flags().MarkDeprecated("vpc", "use --network-id instead")
 	cmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc("vpc", completeNetworkID)
@@ -625,6 +628,15 @@ func RunCreateCluster(ctx context.Context, f *util.Factory, out io.Writer, c *Cr
 		}
 	}
 
+	if c.NodeVolumeType != "" {
+		for _, group := range nodes {
+			if group.Spec.RootVolume == nil {
+				group.Spec.RootVolume = &api.InstanceRootVolumeSpec{}
+			}
+			group.Spec.RootVolume.Type = fi.PtrTo(c.NodeVolumeType)
+		}
+	}
+
 	if c.DNSZone != "" {
 		cluster.Spec.DNSZone = c.DNSZone
 	}
diff --git a/docs/cli/kops_create_cluster.md b/docs/cli/kops_create_cluster.md
index bed518bbd0605..5a5fce49c768a 100644
--- a/docs/cli/kops_create_cluster.md
+++ b/docs/cli/kops_create_cluster.md
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ kops create cluster [CLUSTER] [flags]
       --node-size strings                       Machine type(s) for worker nodes
       --node-tenancy string                     Tenancy of the node group (AWS only): default or dedicated
       --node-volume-size int32                  Instance volume size (in GB) for worker nodes
+      --node-volume-type string                 Instance volume type (e.g. gp2, gp3, io1) for worker nodes
       --os-dns-servers string                   comma separated list of DNS Servers which is used in network
       --os-ext-net string                       External network to use with the openstack router
       --os-ext-subnet string                    External floating subnet to use with the openstack router