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DevOps Career Path and Roadmap

Plan your DevOps career from junior to staff engineer. Learn which skills to build, certifications to get, and salaries to expect at each level.

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Tools to Explore

Kubernetes

Container Orchestration

Open-source container orchestration platform for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. The de facto standard for running production workloads at scale.

Terraform

Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code tool by HashiCorp that lets you define cloud and on-premises resources in human-readable configuration files. Supports 3,000+ providers across every major cloud.

Docker

Containers

Platform for building, shipping, and running applications in containers. Docker pioneered the container revolution and remains the most popular container toolchain for development workflows.

GitHub Actions

CI/CD

CI/CD platform integrated directly into GitHub. Automate builds, tests, and deployments with YAML workflows triggered by repository events.

Practice Your Skills

💰

DevOps Salary Estimator Quiz

easy · 3-5 min

Answer fun questions about your skills and experience to get an estimated salary range and a witty DevOps title. For entertainment only.

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DevOps Acronym Quiz

easy · 3-5 min

Do you know what CIDR, RBAC, SRE, and MTTR stand for? 50+ acronyms across networking, security, cloud, containers, and more with fun facts.

🤔

DevOps Would You Rather

easy · 5-10 min

Face impossible DevOps dilemmas. Debug at 3AM or write docs? See community votes and discover your DevOps personality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills do I need to become a DevOps engineer?
Core skills include Linux administration, networking, a scripting language (Bash/Python), Docker, Kubernetes, a CI/CD platform, and at least one IaC tool (Terraform). Cloud provider knowledge (AWS/Azure/GCP) is also essential.
Do I need a degree to become a DevOps engineer?
No. Most DevOps roles value practical experience and certifications over formal degrees. A strong portfolio of projects, relevant certifications (CKA, AWS DevOps), and demonstrable skills matter most.
What is the average DevOps engineer salary?
In 2026, US-based DevOps engineers earn $120K-$180K+ depending on experience and location. Senior/Staff roles at top companies can exceed $250K total compensation. Remote positions have narrowed geographic salary gaps.
Should I specialize or stay generalist?
Start generalist to build breadth, then specialize after 2-3 years. Popular specializations include platform engineering, SRE, cloud security, and Kubernetes/cloud-native infrastructure.

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