What is a DevOps engineer? Roles, skills, salary and career path explained
You write code. It works perfectly on your laptop.
But when it goes live, something breaks. The deployment fails. The server crashes. Deadlines get delayed.
Sound familiar?
That gap between development and real-world deployment is exactly where DevOps steps in.
Today, companies do not just need developers — they need professionals who can build, deploy, automate, and scale software smoothly. That is why DevOps has become one of the most in-demand roles in tech.
But what is a DevOps engineer really? What is DevOps in simple terms? And how to become a DevOps engineer if you are just starting out?
If you are exploring future-ready tech careers, this guide will help you understand the role, required skills, roadmap, salary, and whether DevOps is a good career for you.
Table of Contents
1. What is DevOps? Why is it important in modern software development?2. What is a DevOps engineer?
3. What do DevOps engineers do?
4. Skills required to become a DevOps engineer
5. DevOps tools you should learn
6. Step-by-step roadmap to become a DevOps engineer
7. Certifications that help
8. DevOps projects for beginners
9. Is DevOps a good career?
10. DevOps engineer salary
11. Frequently asked questions
What is DevOps? Why does it matter in modern software development?
Before understanding what a DevOps engineer is, we must first understand what DevOps is.
DevOps combines development and operations into a single collaborative DevOps model. Instead of two teams working separately — development teams writing application code and operations teams managing the underlying infrastructure — DevOps promotes a cultural shift toward a single team mindset.
Traditionally:
- Developers focussed on new features and programming languages.
- Ops teams handled system administration tasks, infrastructure management, and cloud infrastructure.
These two teams often operated independently. This separation caused delays, friction, and software quality issues.
DevOps changes this through:
- Continuous integration
- Continuous delivery
- CI CD pipelines
- Automated builds
- Configuration management
- Infrastructure provisioning
- Performance monitoring
- Security practices
The goal of DevOps is to deliver software faster, improve software quality, and constantly improve the entire development lifecycle.
Important DevOps practices include:
- Source control and version control
- Automated tests
- Configuration management tools
- Infrastructure as Code
- Rapid deployment
- Release engineering
When someone asks, “What is DevOps in simple terms?” — it is a model that connects development and operations teams to improve collaboration, reduce cognitive load, and improve software delivery.
To better understand what DevOps is in practice, here is how the DevOps lifecycle works visually.
DevOps lifecycle
Plan → Develop → Build → Test → Release → Deploy → Operate → Monitor → (Back to Plan)
Discover the complete DevOps lifecycle in action, from planning and development to deployment and continuous monitoring.
What is a DevOps engineer?
Now, let us answer the key question: What is a DevOps engineer?
A DevOps engineer is a professional who implements DevOps practices across the organisation. They work at the intersection of development and operations teams, managing cloud services, CI CD pipelines, and infrastructure management.
In simple terms:
A DevOps engineer ensures that application code moves smoothly from development to production while maintaining secure software and system reliability.
They:
- Automate software build and deployment processes
- Manage cloud infrastructure
- Monitor applications
- Improve system reliability
- Ensure faster and smoother releases
Think of a DevOps engineer as someone who ensures that: “The code written by developers runs smoothly in the production environment.”
They do not just write code. They design systems that make delivery efficient and stable.
Companies adopting cloud-first strategies almost always invest in DevOps. If a company uses AWS, Azure, or GCP heavily, DevOps roles will exist there.
What do DevOps engineers do?
If you are wondering what DevOps engineers do daily, here is a realistic breakdown.
A DevOps engineer is responsible for:
- Building and maintaining CI CD pipelines
- Managing cloud infrastructure and virtual machines
- Infrastructure provisioning using Infrastructure as Code
- Using configuration management tools
- Monitoring performance of web apps
- Managing source control and central repository systems
- Ensuring secure software delivery
- Supporting release engineering
- Handling system administration and IT operations
They also support the DevOps lifecycle, which covers the entire application lifecycle from development to deployment to monitoring.
In simple terms: They make sure software moves smoothly from development to actual users — without breaking things.
Skills required to become a DevOps engineer
If you want to understand how to become a DevOps engineer, you must build strong DevOps skills.
Core technical skills
- Linux and operating systems knowledge
- Networking fundamentals
- Scripting in programming languages like Python or Bash
- Version control and source control
- CI CD pipelines
- Cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Docker and Kubernetes
- Infrastructure management
- Configuration management
- Infrastructure provisioning
Supporting knowledge
- Computer science fundamentals
- System administration
- Security practices
- Performance monitoring
- Release engineering
- Project management
Soft skills
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Analytical thinking
- Ability to reduce cognitive load for development teams
- Improved collaboration mindset
- Flexibility and agility
Strong technical skills combined with soft skills help DevOps engineers support agile teams and improve software quality.
DevOps tools you should learn
To succeed in the DevOps field, you must understand important DevOps tools.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Version control | Git, GitHub |
| CI/CD | Jenkins, GitHub Actions |
| Containers | Docker |
| Orchestration | Kubernetes |
| Cloud services | AWS, Azure, GCP |
| Configuration management tools | Ansible, Chef |
| Monitoring | Prometheus, Grafana |
| Infrastructure as code | Terraform |
Different tools serve different purposes in the DevOps lifecycle, but the DevOps approach focusses more on automation and collaboration than on tools alone.
You do not need to learn all three clouds. Pick one (AWS is the most popular) and build strong projects on it.
Step-by-step roadmap to become a DevOps engineer
Here is a practical roadmap for how to become a DevOps engineer — focussed on building real skills, not just theoretical knowledge.
- Step 1: Learn programming basics. Start with Python or Bash. You should be comfortable writing scripts and understanding automated tests.
- Step 2: Learn Linux and operating systems. Most servers run on Linux. Understand processes, permissions, networking basics, and system administration tasks.
- Step 3: Master version control. Learn Git and source control concepts. Every DevOps workflow depends on managing code changes effectively.
- Step 4: Understand CI CD and continuous integration. Learn how CI CD pipelines automate builds, testing, and software delivery. This is the core of modern DevOps.
- Step 5: Learn cloud infrastructure and cloud services. Choose one cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and understand how cloud infrastructure supports scalable web apps.
- Step 6: Practice infrastructure provisioning and configuration management. Use tools like Terraform or Ansible to automate infrastructure management instead of doing it manually.
- Step 7: Build projects around the DevOps lifecycle. Deploy an application, set up CI CD pipelines, monitor performance, and manage deployments end-to-end.
- Step 8: Apply for roles strategically. Start with DevOps internships, cloud support, system administration, or IT operations roles and transition into a DevOps engineer role.
Many DevOps engineers do not start directly in DevOps. They move from development or system administration into DevOps as they gain automation and cloud experience.
Before you apply, review DevOps engineer resume examples to strengthen your resume and prepare with commonly asked DevOps interview questions and answers.
Certifications that help
If you want to strengthen your profile as a DevOps engineer, certifications can add credibility and help you get shortlisted — especially as a fresher.
Here are some widely recognised certifications:
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer
- Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
- Docker Certified Associate
- Kubernetes Certification
However, hands-on experience in software development and infrastructure management matters more.
DevOps projects for beginners
If you want to become a DevOps engineer, projects matter more than theory. Recruiters look for practical experience — not just course completion.
Here are beginner-friendly project ideas:
Examples:
- Create automated builds using CI CD pipelines
- Deploy web apps on cloud infrastructure/AWS
- Set up Docker for a Node.js application
- Automate deployment using Jenkins
- Create Infrastructure using Terraform
Projects demonstrate understanding of the entire development lifecycle and DevOps model.
Document your project on GitHub with: Architecture diagram, Steps performed, Screenshots, Explanation of challenges. This impresses interviewers more than certificates.
Is DevOps a good career?
It is time to address the big question: Is DevOps a good career?
Short answer: Yes.
Here is why:
- High demand in modern software development
- Attractive salary packages and growth
- Rapid adoption of cloud services
- Increasing need for secure software and rapid deployment
- Growth in site reliability engineering and internal developer platforms
Is DevOps a good career for the future?
Absolutely. As organisations modernise complex systems and focus on software quality and improved collaboration, DevOps engineers remain essential.
DevOps skills overlap with SRE, Cloud Engineering, and Platform Engineering — giving you multiple career paths later.
DevOps engineer salary
A DevOps engineer’s salary depends on technical skills, cloud expertise, and experience.
In India:
- Fresher: ₹4–8 LPA
- Mid-level: ₹10–18 LPA
- Senior-level: ₹20 LPA+
Globally, DevOps engineers are among the highest-paid tech professionals.
Salary depends heavily on:
- Cloud expertise
- Automation depth
- Kubernetes experience
- Real project exposure
Start your DevOps career with MyCareernet
The difference between learning DevOps and becoming a DevOps engineer is simple: Consistent practice and real-world exposure.
- Build projects.
- Work on CI CD pipelines.
- Deploy applications on cloud infrastructure.
- Strengthen your fundamentals.
When you are ready, take the next step.
Apply for jobs on MyCareernet and take your first real step from DevOps preparation to placement.
Frequently asked questions
Can a fresher become a DevOps engineer?
Yes. Freshers can start with internships, cloud support, or system administration roles and gradually move into a DevOps engineer position by building strong DevOps skills.
Do you need coding for DevOps?
Yes, basic scripting is required. You should know Python or Bash to automate tasks and manage CI CD pipelines.
How long does it take to become a DevOps engineer?
With consistent learning and projects, it usually takes 6–12 months to become job-ready.
Can a non-IT person learn DevOps?
Yes, but you must first learn technical fundamentals like Linux, networking, and cloud basics.
Which cloud is best for DevOps?
AWS is the most popular, but Azure and GCP are also widely used. Start with one cloud platform and go deep.
Is DevOps a good career for the future?
Yes. DevOps remains in high demand due to cloud adoption, automation, and continuous software delivery practices.
What is the difference between DevOps and SRE?
DevOps focusses on collaboration and automation. SRE focusses on system reliability and performance.
Is DevOps better than software development?
No. Developers build applications, while DevOps engineers ensure those applications run smoothly in production.
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