DevOps Engineer: Career Path

The DevOps Engineer career path combines software development and IT operations to streamline the software development life cycle, and is becoming increasingly important in the modern tech industry.

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What does the DevOps Engineer career path entail?

DevOps Engineer

DevOps is a rapidly growing field that offers many opportunities for career growth and advancement. DevOps Engineers are in high demand as more companies recognize the importance of streamlining their software development and IT operations processes. By combining skills in software development, automation, and IT operations, DevOps Engineers can help organizations deliver software faster and more reliably, which is critical in today's fast-paced digital environment. As a DevOps Engineer, you can play a key role in transforming the way organizations work, making you an important asset to any company.

In addition to the high demand and career growth potential, DevOps is also a great career path for those who enjoy problem-solving and collaboration. DevOps Engineers work closely with both software developers and IT operations teams, and need to be able to communicate effectively with both. They also need to be able to identify and solve problems quickly and efficiently, which requires a strong technical skill set as well as the ability to think critically and creatively. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, collaborating with others, and finding solutions to complex problems, then a career in DevOps could be a great fit for you.

Best books to explore the DevOps career path

A well-written and thorough book can be an amazing path to build deeper understanding and also act as a handbook as you discover the internet's vast resources.

These are our and our experts top picks to get started building career-relevant skills.

Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations

Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations

Accelerate is the evidence-based companion to a lot of DevOps advice. It explains which engineering and delivery practices actually correlate with high-performing teams, so it is great if you want research-backed guidance instead of cargo-cult process changes.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Terraform: Up and Running: Writing Infrastructure as Code

Terraform: Up and Running: Writing Infrastructure as Code

Terraform: Up and Running is one of the most commonly recommended books for learning infrastructure as code. It gives you a hands-on path into provisioning cloud infrastructure reproducibly, which is a core DevOps skill for automation and environment management.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Release It!: Design and Deploy Production-Ready Software

Release It!: Design and Deploy Production-Ready Software

Release It! is about building software that survives real production traffic, failures, and ugly edge cases. It is especially useful for DevOps learners who want to connect application design with operations, resilience, and deployment safety.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Fourth Edition: Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS

Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Fourth Edition: Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS

PowerShell is still a very practical automation tool, especially in mixed Windows environments, and this book is a well-known beginner-friendly guide. Pick it if your DevOps path includes scripting, system administration, or cloud automation across Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Fundamentals of Software Architecture: A Modern Engineering Approach

Fundamentals of Software Architecture: A Modern Engineering Approach

This is not a DevOps book specifically, but it is very useful because DevOps work is shaped by architectural tradeoffs. It helps you understand distributed systems, coupling, deployment implications, and design decisions that affect operability, scalability, and team workflows.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

The DevOps Handbook, 2nd Edition: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, & Security in Technology Organizations

The DevOps Handbook, 2nd Edition: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, & Security in Technology Organizations

This is one of the core DevOps books, focused on how teams improve flow, reliability, deployment practices, security, and operations together. Pick it up if you want a practical map of CI/CD, incident handling, platform thinking, and the cultural side of DevOps, not just tools.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

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Courses to deepen your DevOps skills

These days, courses are no longer a sequence of videos. They are usually accompanied by projects and a learning community, keeping you accountable and on the path.

Our experts recommend these courses, from free selections to paid programs.

Introduction to DevOps

DevOps skills are in demand! DevOps skills are expected to be one of the fastest-growing skills in the workforce. This course can be a first step in obtaining those skills.
Introduction to DevOps explores DevOps as a cultural movement, including building a business case for DevOps, the essen…

Available on coursera.org

DevOps 101

This free course is designed to introduce you to the world of DevOps and explain the very basics of CI/CD, pipelines, automation, and more. Whether you're a rookie engineer dreaming of becoming a DevOps pro, or you're an IT professional who's tired of not knowing what this "DevOps" thing your co…

Available on udemy.com

Certified Kubernetes Administrator

This exam is an online, proctored, performance-based test that requires solving multiple tasks from a command line running Kubernetes.
Candidates have 2 hours to complete the tasks.

Candidates who register for the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam will have 2 attempts (per…

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DevOps Beginners to Advanced with Projects

This course is for anybody who wants to get started with DevOps:
As there are many tools & technologies in DevOps, it has become difficult for people to choose the right technologies.
This course starts from very basics of command line, hands on demonstrations of many tools & technologies.…

Available on udemy.com

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Learning through online courses can be challenging. Get 1:1 guidance from an experienced mentor who can help you stay accountable and answer your questions along the way.

DevOps Certification Training Course

Edureka’s DevOps training is designed for IT professionals who want to become successful DevOps engineers. In this DevOps certification, you will learn the crucial concepts of DevOps. This certification in DevOps has helped professionals effectively learn DevOps online. Many active DevOps-relate…

Available on edureka.co

DevOps Certification Course Training

This DevOps Course will help you learn the skills you need to become a DevOps engineer. Enroll in this DevOps Online Training to master DevOps skills and tools such as Git, SVN, Docker, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, etc.

Available on intellipaat.com

Top DevOps Certifications

Understanding all core concepts of DevOps is key to claiming your next certificate. If you need help brushing up on your skills, consider reaching out to one of our mentors.

DevOps Foundation (DOFD)®

As DevOps adoption continues to grow and drive digital business success, organizations and their teams need to ensure they have the needed skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality software solutions quickly, exceed customer expectations and outpace competitors. To maintain the highest quality …

DevOps Certification Coaching

Consider reaching out to a coach specialized in DevOps certifications. They can help you prepare for your exam, and provide you with the necessary resources to succeed. MentorCruise is the best place to find a coach for your DevOps certification.

DevOps Engineering Foundation℠

An engineering approach is critical to DevOps journeys. This certification validates understanding of the foundational knowledge, principles and practices from a technical perspective needed to engineer a successful DevOps solution. To maintain the highest quality learning for our community, DevOp…

Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert

As a DevOps engineer, you’re a developer or infrastructure administrator who also has subject matter expertise in working with people, processes, and products to enable continuous delivery of value in organizations. Your responsibilities for this role include delivering Microsoft DevOps solutions …

DevOps Leader (DOL)®

Leading people through a DevOps evolution requires new skills, tools, innovative thinking, and transformational leadership to be successful. To maintain the highest quality learning for our community, DevOps Institute Certifications expire two years from the date of completion. Members can maintai…

AIOps Foundation℠

AIOps Foundation aims to cover the origins of AIOps, including the history behind the term, patterns that preceded it, and the technology context in which it has evolved. Candidates will gain an understanding of the processes of combining big data analytics, machine learning algorithms, automation,…

DevOps Workshop

Consider joining a workshop specialized in DevOps. Workshops are a great way to learn new skills, and get hands-on experience. MentorCruise is the best place to find a workshop for your DevOps certification.

IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate

This certificate will equip you with the key concepts and technical know-how to build your skills and knowledge of DevOps practices, tools and technologies and prepare you for an entry-level role in Software Engineering. The courses in this program will help you develop skill sets in a variety of…

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Accelerate your DevOps Engineer career with professional consulting

Already working in the DevOps Engineer field? Our DevOps consultants can help you and your team overcome challenges, implement best practices, and achieve your professional goals faster.

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Growing into a Senior DevOps Engineer role pays off – $30,000 up to per year

Not only is the progression from individual DevOps Engineer to a Senior role a natural progression, it also makes all the difference in your average salary.

On a global average, Senior DevOps Engineer receive a $30,000 salary hike over entry-level DevOps Engineers when they go from individual contributor to senior personnel.

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In conclusion, pursuing a career in DevOps can provide both personal and professional fulfillment, as well as a promising future in a rapidly growing and evolving industry.