Published on May 3rd, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

Why DevOps Is the Job of the Future

When it comes to jobs of the future, devops has success written all over it. A cross between software development and IT operations, devops engineers are in demand. Why? They streamline an already expensive process to make it much more palatable for their clients. Why would a business hire a software development manager and a separate operations manager when it can hire one person for both jobs? Why would a software development manager avoid operations? Anticipating operational issues in advance avoids software failure and tweaks. You’re starting to see the picture, aren’t you?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

If you browse devops job opportunities, you’ll see a ton of postings. You will also see varied job descriptions with different salary ranges. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, is the federal government’s agency tasked with assessing the job market and career outlooks for the United States. Devops engineering is such a new position that the agency doesn’t dedicate a specific page to it yet. Rather, it offers information on current jobs in the country that are similar to what a devops engineer does. The closest thing to it is a software developer, so keep reading to learn its outlook.

2017 Median Salary

The one thing that is most important to many is the answer to one simple question: “How much?” Devops engineers tend to make a little bit more than software developers do because they are in charge of software development and operations. When you take into account that the average median pay for a software developer was $103,560 per year in 2017, you realize you will easily command a six-figure salary if you study and work toward becoming a devops engineer. An hourly wage of about $50 or more will suit you nicely no matter where you live in the U.S., well, except maybe Manhattan or San Francisco.

Educational Requirements

If you’re already working higher up in information technology, you probably have the education required to become a devops engineers: a bachelor’s degree. This being said, earn your master’s degree in some type of operations or management like IT leadership degree at Deakin and you’ll find yourself an even hotter commodity on the job market. You’ll also find yourself able to negotiate higher salaries, which is important if you want to live in the aforementioned cities or anywhere in the Silicon Valley. A postgraduate degree increases your chances of finding topnotch employment and benefits.

Career Outlook

The occupational outlook for software developers through 2026 is above average, which means you can bet that devops engineers will be in high demand, too. The BLS anticipates an increase of 24 percent in the demand for software developers in the job market, and in 2016, there were over 1.2 million software developer jobs in the country. If the demand grows as projected, the BLS believes there will be another 302,500 software development jobs added to the industry. If you add operations to your skill set, you set yourself high above the rest in an already tight candidate pool.

More and more businesses are streamlining their technology processes, which is why devops engineers are in demand. Secure the education and experience you need to enter into this relatively new and dynamic field. You can be a mover and shaker in the industry.

Tags: career, DevOps, future, job, occupation

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.