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What is a devops engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Andrea Welker Ph.D.,
Christian Hansen Ph.D.
introduction image

A DevOps engineer combines software development and IT operations skills to streamline the software delivery process. They work with developers and system administrators, to automate and manage the deployment, testing, and monitoring of software applications. DevOps engineers use a variety of tools to build, test, and deploy code in a continuous integration and delivery pipeline. They also troubleshoot issues that arise during the development process and ensure that the software meets performance, security, and scalability requirements.

What general advice would you give to a devops engineer?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.Andrea Welker Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.
ScoreDevops EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $104,019

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.79%

Black or African American 4.61%

Hispanic or Latino 8.37%

Unknown 4.85%

White 52.22%

Gender

female 13.83%

male 86.17%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a devops engineer?

Pros

  • High demand

  • Good salary and benefits

  • Exposure to a variety of technologies and tools

  • Continuous learning and professional growth opportunities

  • High level of job satisfaction for those who enjoy problem-solving

Cons

  • Long working hours and on-call responsibilities

  • High-pressure environment with tight deadlines

  • Constantly evolving technology landscape requires continuous learning and adaptation

  • Collaboration between teams can be challenging, especially in larger organizations

  • Can be stressful due to the critical nature of infrastructure and application deployments

Devops engineer career paths

Key steps to become a devops engineer

  1. Explore devops engineer education requirements

    Most common devops engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.4 %

    Master's

    20.1 %

    Associate

    2.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific devops engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Python9.09%
    Docker5.36%
    Java5.35%
    Infrastructure5.24%
    Jenkins4.95%
  3. Complete relevant devops engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New devops engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a devops engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real devops engineer resumes.
  4. Research devops engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop ant scripts to manage VisualStudio project builds.
    • Perform daily builds for managing the system test and UAT environments.
    • Design IP plans, LAN connectivity and manage engineers during acceptance testing.
    • Manage and maintain corporate own domains and corresponding DNS zones and records.
  5. Prepare your devops engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your devops engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a devops engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable devops engineer resume templates

    Build a professional devops engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your devops engineer resume.
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  6. Apply for devops engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a devops engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first devops engineer job

Zippi

Are you a devops engineer?

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Average devops engineer salary

The average devops engineer salary in the United States is $104,019 per year or $50 per hour. Devops engineer salaries range between $80,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average devops engineer salary
$104,019 Yearly
$50.01 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do devops engineers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Devops engineer reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros

I have always been a very organized person and have worked in customer service my entire life, first as a mechanical engineer and then in the fitness industry. As a build engineer/release engineer/DevOps engineer, I get to work between the people writing the code and the people using the code, which is the perfect balance for me. :-)

Cons

It's difficult to explain to my friends what I actually do. Even my wife isn't completely clear on where my responsibility begins and ends...


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Cons

very little


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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