DevOps Career Path: Your 2026 Career Guide

Key takeaways

• A DevOps career path suits software developers and information technology (IT) professionals.

• Job opportunities on a DevOps engineer career path include software engineer, computer hardware engineer, programmer, and computer technician.

• A DevOps engineer career path progression may include an entry-level role as a DevOps engineer, followed by a mid-career opportunity as an infrastructure automation engineer and advanced-level roles as a senior DevOps engineer.

The career path of a DevOps engineer offers various opportunities in a growing field. Learn more about pursuing a career in DevOps, including the different paths you may take to grow in the field. If you’re ready to build relevant skills for this field, consider enrolling in the IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate. In as little as six months, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to develop a DevOps mindset and create applications using Python. By the end, you’ll have earned a shareable certificate for your resume.

Who embarks on a DevOps career path?

Software developers and IT professionals typically embark on a DevOps career path. DevOps is a combination of software development and operations used to increase collaboration and teamwork among working professionals. Instead of keeping labor operations separate, under a DevOps model, all team members communicate and work together to achieve end goals and create high-quality systems and applications.

You might be interested in a DevOps role if you're currently or thinking of becoming a:

• Computer network architect

• Computer hardware engineer

• Computer technician

• IT project manager

• Programmer

• System administrator

• Quality assurance analyst

• Cloud administrator

• Cloud developer

• Cloud architect

• Software engineer

These are just a few roles that can be involved in DevOps. The process is typically utilized by companies containing programmers and developers to improve efficiency and promote collaboration among the workforce.

Is DevOps worth it in 2026?

Yes, DevOps jobs are worth pursuing because the field is growing, and jobs are in high demand. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers has an expected growth rate of 15 percent between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the average of all jobs in the US [1]. Moreover, working in the field can be rewarding, as DevOps engineers can streamline processes, shorten release cycles, and improve product quality using automation tools and infrastructure management.

Getting started: Entry-level DevOps jobs

To get an entry-level role in DevOps, you’ll typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or engineering. You’ll also need skills in communication, collaboration, and code.

Discover examples of entry-level DevOps roles.

DevOps engineer

Median total US salary: $145,000 [2]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology

DevOps engineers help integrate different units within the same organization through collaborative methods. When you work as a DevOps engineer, your responsibilities may include improving software security, updating and maintaining software to ensure it functions correctly, and taking feedback from users and other team members to generate new ideas for software enhancement.

DevOps system administrator

Median total US salary: $141,000 [3]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science

As a system administrator, you must know programming languages like Python or JavaScript to perform your daily duties. Your routine tasks may include administering and troubleshooting application performance and cloud infrastructure.

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Read more: What Does a System Administrator Do? Your Career Guide

Leveling up: 4 career paths with DevOps

Once you gain experience in the field or within your particular career, you may advance to higher-paying DevOps jobs. These jobs typically pay more and require some experience or knowledge of working with DevOps:

Automation architect

Median total US salary: $168,000 [4]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree

Automation architects help organizations promote efficiency through improved automation processes. As an automation architect, some of your responsibilities may include assuring the quality of automation within an organization, setting and reaching new goals, and continuously monitoring systems to find areas to improve upon.

Infrastructure automation engineer

Median total US salary: $143,000 [5]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology

As an infrastructure automation engineer, you determine an infrastructure’s requirements and capabilities before deploying new automation strategies and processes. Your other responsibilities and tasks may include making upgrades and improvements to infrastructure after testing its functionality.

Cloud infrastructure engineer

Median total US salary: $157,000 [6]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related major

As a cloud infrastructure engineer, or a cloud engineer, your responsibilities typically involve creating and maintaining the performance of applications and networks. You may also troubleshoot any problems that arise, make necessary client adjustments, and continuously support users and companies that depend on your cloud-based application.

DevOps coach

Median total US salary: $144,000 [7]

Requirements: DevOps coach certification

A DevOps coach helps customers, users, and other DevOps professionals understand DevOps processes and answer any questions they may have. In this career, you must have an advanced knowledge of DevOps and the ability to communicate and work well alongside others.

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Advanced roles and leadership in DevOps

After working your way up and having many years of professional experience, you may be eligible for an advanced or leadership role in DevOps:

Senior DevOps engineer

Median total US salary: $182,000 [8]

Requirements: Bachelor’s or master’s degree; professional experience

As a senior DevOps engineer, many of your responsibilities may match those of an entry-level or mid-level DevOps engineer. However, you have more experience and take on a leadership role within the company. You may help implement DevOps culture and new practices and work alongside other company leadership team members.

DevOps manager

Median total US salary: $203,000 [9]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business or a related major; professional experience

When you work as a DevOps manager, you act as a leader in developing organizational practices. You work with a team of others to ensure they meet deadlines, communicate effectively, and feel motivated.

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Pros and cons of a DevOps career

Embarking on a DevOps career may have its benefits and challenges. For example, many careers in DevOps require a formal degree, so if you choose this career path, you must commit to at least an undergraduate degree and the continuous learning that comes with advancement in the field.

The advantages of a career in DevOps include the high-paying roles, with salaries that continue to increase as you level up and grow as a working professional. DevOps is also becoming more widely used by companies. Market Research Future projects the US DevOps market size to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7 percent between 2025 and 2035 [10]. This may result in professionals gaining a sense of job security as this practice becomes increasingly popular.

Discover free resources to support your DevOps career path

Visit our Career Resource Hub, where you can explore career paths and assess your skills. Then, check out the following free resources as you consider a career in DevOps:

• Discover an insider story: How One Software Developer’s Leadership Aspirations Led Her to Graduate School

• Read our Career Chat issue: Ready for a Tech Career? How to Choose Between IT and Cloud Support

• Bookmark this page: Python Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions

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