What is a DevOps Engineer? DevOps Engineer Salary Overall in 2024

What Does a DevOps Engineer Do?

With all the soaring demand for DevOps Engineer job roles, you must be wondering what does a DevOps Engineer exactly do? The DevOps Engineer salary and perhaps the niche job role requirement might change depending on business to business. However, in general, DevOps Engineer roles emphasize the need for soft skills and technical skills. Knowing how to code covers the “Dev” part of DevOps. But in order to be a highly effective Engineer, you should have the following Ops skills, which embody the DevOps mindset: 

• Knowledge and application of a wide range of tools and technologies in software development
• Comfortable with higher testing and deployment frequencies 
• Experience with operation in the production environment 
• Knowledge of IT systems and production environment and experience with data management 
• Determination to achieve business outcomes 
• Ability to identify and eliminate organizational silos by embracing team collaboration and communication
• Need for efficiency and the ability to use automation tools toward this end
• Understanding of process reengineering 
• Project management skills

These skills will let you eliminate complexity in product creation, minimize delays in deployment, and guarantee greater integration success across multiple platforms and operating systems. 

Soft skills are necessary for cultivating good working relationships between the development teams, internal stakeholders, and customers. On the other hand, technical skills are key to putting together the final product. You need the following technical skills to efficiently handle the roles of an engineer:

1. An Understanding of Linux 

Most DevOps projects are Linux-based. Configuration management tools like Ansible and Puppet also have their nodes on Linux. It’s therefore important to know the Linux environment and relevant scripting languages like Python, Pearl, or Ruby. 

2. Knowledge of Tools and Technologies Used in Every DevOps Process. 

Below are some commonly used tools: 

• Continuous management (Puppet, Chef, and Ansible)
• Continuous integration (Travis CI, Jenkins, and Bamboo) 
• Continuous testing (Test Complete, Docker, and Tricentis Tosca)
• Continuous monitoring (Nagios, Sensu, and Splunk)

3. Understand the CI/CD Process 

Knowledge of DevOps tools is not enough. You should also know where and when to use those DevOps technologies and tools.

4. IAC skills

Understand the infrastructure as code (IAC) model and its application to solve deployment problems.

DevOps Salary Based on Company, Country, and Experience 

An engineer’s salary is quite lucrative but varies depending on the company, geography, and experience. For instance, an entry-level DevOps position’s pay will be considerably less than a senior DevOps Engineer salary.

DevOps Engineer Salary: Based on Country and Location

• Data from Glassdoor.com shows that in the US, engineers earn an average of USD 105,107 yearly. However, this average varies depending on your job location. For instance, Engineer salaries for pros working in San Francisco is over $130K yearly. In New York, Engineer salary averages to about $105K per year.
• Average annual DevOps Engineer salary in India is over ₹700K.
• Average annual DevOps Engineer salary in Germany is over €60K
• Average annual DevOps Engineer salary in France is over €45K
• Average annual DevOps Engineer salary in Canada is over CA$89K
• Average annual DevOps Engineer salary in UK is over £47K

DevOps Salary: Based on Organization

It goes without saying that DevOps Engineers are in high demand. However, there are a few named organizations that offer lucrative salaries to Engineers. For example, here’s what DevOps Engineer annual salaries look like in a small sample taken from United States companies, according to Glassdoor. Although not every company can match an AWS DevOps Engineer salary, the range is fairly tight and the compensation is generous.

• IBM: $119,870
• Formac: $112,286
• CNET Global Solutions: $101,175
• Cognizant Technology Solutions: $102,113
• Amazon: $118,447

Becoming a DevOps Engineer: What Does it Take?

There is no one set career path for becoming an engineer. A software developer interested in network operations and product deployment can become an engineer. Similarly, if you’re a systems admin, you can learn scripting skills, move into software development, and help improve testing and deployment. It takes a willingness to break away from the boundaries set by your earlier training and job descriptions.

Take the First Step to Becoming a DevOps Engineer Today! 

DevOps is the future. A lot of companies know it works and are adopting or planning to adopt this development mindset. It’s up to you to improve your skills in order to meet the cut. You can get started by enrolling in Simplilearn’s DevOps Engineer Master’s Program. You can further expand your DevOps training by taking Simplilearn’s Post Graduate Program in DevOps.

We also have plenty of material that will aid you in further research, give you the confidence to seek out new projects and roles, provide benchmarks for your new products, and help you build momentum for your new DevOps career. These include: 

1. An in-depth look at DevOps
2. The origin of DevOps and its benefits 
3. How DevOps has changed the software development cycle 
4. A step-by-step guide for getting buy-in from management 
5. Q&As to help you prepare for your first Engineer job 

Read more: Top 85+ DevOps Interview Questions and Answers

Check out Simplilearn today, and get started on that exciting new DevOps Engineering career with a lucrative DevOps salary!