The world of tech is constantly evolving, and one of the most exciting roles today is DevOps Engineer. But what does a DevOps Engineer do, and how do you get started on the path to this career? Simply put, DevOps is all about bringing development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams together to create smoother workflows, faster software releases, and better collaboration across the board. In this blog, we will explain everything you need to know about becoming a DevOps Engineer.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is the combination of two key teams: Development and Operations. Instead of working in silos, the teams collaborate throughout the lifecycle of an app, from development and testing to deployment and ongoing operations.

But here’s the important thing to know: DevOps isn’t a tool, software, or programming language. It’s a mindset and a way of working. It’s about how a team takes an idea for a product or service and brings it to life for millions of users. Think of it as the process that helps get your favorite apps from the drawing board into your hands and keeps them running perfectly once they’re out there.

Who is a DevOps Engineer?

A DevOps Engineer is a professional who works to streamline and improve the process of developing, testing, and deploying software. The role of the DevOps Engineer is to ensure that the software development cycle, from coding to deployment, is seamless. The best DevOps engineers see the big picture while optimizing individual processes for better efficiency. By enabling faster application delivery, they help companies stay competitive, drive innovation, and quickly release updates. They also ensure systems are resilient, scalable, and fault-tolerant.

How to Become a DevOps engineer – roadmap

Becoming a DevOps engineer requires a mix of technical skills, problem-solving abilities, & a solid understanding of both development and operations. Below is a simplified roadmap to help guide you on your journey.

Learn the Basics of DevOps and Programming Languages

DevOps is more than just a set of tools; it’s a cultural shift that bridges the gap between development and operations teams. To get started, you need to understand the core principles of DevOps, such as Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), automation, collaboration, and monitoring. The DevOps lifecycle consists of planning, development, testing, deployment, and monitoring, all of which must be done seamlessly and efficiently. A good understanding of these fundamentals will set a strong foundation for everything that follows.

To be a skilled DevOps engineer, one must master tools for each lifecycle stage. Below are the key tools and stages.

• Planning – Planning involves managing product backlogs, assigning tasks, and organizing scrum schedules. Tools like Jira, Asana, Atlassian, and Confluence help DevOps engineers effectively prioritize tasks and manage features, ensuring a seamless development process.
• Continuous Development – Continuous development includes four key operations: Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Testing, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment. In Continuous Integration (CI), developers commit code frequently to a central repository. Jenkins is a popular tool for automating CI. In Continuous Testing, automation tools like JUnit, TestNG, and Selenium help test the software for bugs and ensure quality.
• Continuous Monitoring – It tracks compliance issues, security threats, and system health. Tools like Nagios, Splunk, ELK Stack, and NewRelic help teams monitor system activities in real-time.
• Continuous Deployment – This phase involves deploying code to production automatically, following successful tests. Chef, Puppet, Ansible, Docker, and Vagrant help automate configuration management and containerization for streamlined deployment.
• Continuous Feedback – It is essential for assessing performance and gathering stakeholder input to refine the product. This feedback loop drives improvement and faster iterations, keeping the software aligned with user needs.
• Continuous Operation – The final stage focuses on automating the release process and accelerating time-to-market by automating updates and deployments.

Know the Programming and Scripting Languages

DevOps engineers often write scripts to automate tasks and manage deployment pipelines. Learning programming languages like Python, Ruby, or Go will help you write more advanced scripts, while Bash and Shell scripting will be essential for automating system tasks. Having a good command of coding will allow you to troubleshoot issues, enhance processes, and make the software delivery cycle smoother.

Master Version Control (Git)

Version control systems, especially Git, are fundamental in DevOps. Git helps manage code changes and allows developers and operations teams to collaborate without overwriting each other’s work. Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket enable version tracking, making it easier to keep track of changes, create branches for new features, and merge code seamlessly. Mastering Git is a necessary skill for any DevOps engineer to ensure smooth collaboration and project management.

Get Hands-On with Linux & Networking Basics

Linux is the most commonly used operating system in DevOps, so getting comfortable with Linux commands, file systems, and server management is crucial. Additionally, understanding networking basics such as DNS, IP addresses, HTTP, and FTP will be essential when deploying applications and managing infrastructure. Since most DevOps tools and server management tasks are Linux-based, becoming proficient in this environment will help you effectively manage and troubleshoot production environments.

Learn Automation and CI/CD Tools

Automation is at the heart of DevOps, and learning how to automate testing, building, and deployment processes is key. Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, and GitLab CI are essential in a DevOps pipeline. These tools enable automation at every stage of the development lifecycle, ensuring that code changes are tested, integrated, and deployed quickly and reliably.

Get Comfortable with Configuration Management

Configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, and Chef automate the setup and maintenance of systems. By using these tools, DevOps engineers ensure that development, testing, and production environments are consistent. Configuration management tools also help in the automatic provisioning of servers and the management of software dependencies, making infrastructure easier to scale and maintain.

Dive Into Containerization & Orchestration

Containerization, particularly with Docker, is a game-changer in DevOps. Containers allow you to package an app with all of its dependencies into a single unit that can run anywhere, ensuring consistency across different environments. Kubernetes, the most popular container orchestration platform, manages containers at scale, automating deployment, scaling, and operation. Together, Docker and Kubernetes provide the flexibility and reliability needed in modern DevOps practices.

Get Hands-On with Cloud Platforms

Most DevOps work today happens in the cloud, with services from AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. These cloud platforms provide scalable infrastructure and services that are vital for the CI/CD process. They allow DevOps engineers to build, deploy, and manage applications in the cloud, taking advantage of features like storage, networking, computing power, and security. Becoming familiar with at least one major cloud platform is essential for handling modern DevOps practices.

Learn Monitoring & Logging Tools

DevOps is all about ensuring that software is running smoothly, and monitoring and logging tools help make that possible. Tools like Prometheus, Nagios, and New Relic enable real-time monitoring of applications and infrastructure, alerting teams about performance issues or downtime. Meanwhile, logging tools like ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) and Splunk help capture detailed logs for troubleshooting and system diagnostics. Monitoring and logging are critical to proactively identifying and resolving issues.

Develop Collaboration and Soft Skills

A DevOps engineer is the bridge between the development & operations teams, so strong collaboration and communication skills are required. You’ll need to be able to communicate clearly, handle conflict resolution, and work with different departments to ensure smooth workflows. Tools like Jira, Confluence, and Slack can assist in task management and team communication, but your ability to collaborate and problem-solve effectively will make you a valuable team player.

Get Certified (Optional but Recommended)

While certifications aren’t mandatory, they can help demonstrate your expertise and commitment to the role. Certifications from major cloud providers like AWS Certified DevOps Engineer or Google Cloud Certified – Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, along with tools like Docker or Kubernetes, can give you a competitive edge. These certifications provide validation of your skills & knowledge and are often valued by employers looking for expertise in specific DevOps tools and practices.

Certification Courses for DevOps Engineers

• DevOps on AWS (Coursera)
• The Complete Kubernetes Course (Udemy)
• Configuration Management with Chef, Ansible, and Puppet (Simplilearn)
• Docker Certification Training Course (Edureka)
• Continuous Delivery and DevOps (Coursera)

Community for DevOps Engineers to Discuss

• Facebook Community – DevOps Community, Site Reliability Engineering Certified Professional, DevOps School
• LinkedIn Community- DevOps Certified Professionals, AWS – Azure – Google Cloud – Certified Professionals
• Slack Community – Azure Stack blog, Kubernetes, HangOps
• Reddit Community – DevOps Subreddit

Work on Real-World Projects

Hands-on experience is crucial in DevOps. Start by working on your own personal projects, contributing to open-source projects, or even seeking internships. Building and deploying applications, automating processes, and managing infrastructure in real-world scenarios will help you gain practical experience. By applying what you’ve learned in real projects, you’ll gain invaluable insights into how DevOps works in practice.

Stay Up-to-Date with DevOps Trends

DevOps is a rapidly growing field, with new tools, technologies, and practices emerging regularly. To stay relevant, make sure to keep learning and adapting. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, join DevOps communities, and continue exploring new tools and techniques. Staying updated will help you remain at the forefront of the field and ensure that you’re using the most efficient tools and practices available.

Technical Skills Required for DevOps engineer

As technology advances, numerous DevOps tools have been developed to make the DevOps process (collaboration and development) easier. DevOps tools also allow teams to automate most of the software development processes, like building, conflict management, dependency management, and deployment. The following table comprises a curated list of the major DevOps tools.

Non-Technical Skills Required for DevOps Engineer

These are the non-technical skills you need to become a DevOps engineer.

Collaboration and Communication

Communication is sharing or exchanging information, such as sending an email, conversing with a colleague in the break room or lobby, and messaging. These are only a few ways employees communicate at work. Conversations are mostly work-related but usually include happenings of daily life. A team cannot pursue a goal together without exchanging knowledge and ideas. In an organization, employees with diverse experiences and ideas collaborate to achieve an objective more effectively. Instead of working separately, group members discuss matters along the way, posing questions and giving feedback. Everyone applies and shares their skills throughout a project’s duration to achieve greater results than the sum of their individual work.

Problem Solving

Problem-solving is one of the most in-demand skills among employers, especially in DevOps. These individuals aren’t just troubleshooters; they take the time to properly identify and define a problem, gather data to avoid making assumptions, and consult with experts from diverse backgrounds to find creative solutions.

DevOps professionals are constantly identifying and solving problems. Problem-solving requires the individual to be part detective, part scientist to identify the root cause and then mitigate the problem.

Empathy

Empathy in DevOps is about imagining oneself in the shoes of colleagues and clients. Suggesting new ideas is easier in an understanding and friendly environment.

Salary of DevOps Engineer

The salary of a DevOps Engineer can vary depending on experience, skills, location, and the company you work for. In India, DevOps Engineers are in high demand due to the trend of automation and cloud computing in the tech industry.

• Entry-level (0-2 years of experience): A DevOps Engineer starting out can earn anywhere between ₹4-7 Lakhs per annum.
• Mid-level (2-5 years of experience): With a few years of experience, the salary can increase to ₹8-15 Lakhs per annum, depending on the skillset and expertise.
• Senior-level (5+ years of experience): Experienced DevOps Engineers with advanced skills and leadership roles can earn anywhere from ₹15-25 Lakhs per annum or even more at top companies.

The salary also depends on the specific technologies you’re familiar with, such as cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD practices.

Overall, DevOps is considered a high-paying role in India, especially for those who continue to improve their skill set and stay updated with the new industry trends.

Alternative Career Paths for a DevOps Engineer

Explore the various roles you can transition to or specialize in with the skills gained as a DevOps Engineer.

• DevOps Architect
• Software Test Engineer
• System Engineer / Automation Engineer
• Cloud Engineer
• Security Engineer
• Integration Engineer
• AWS Web Services Engineer
• Release Engineering Manager

Have a Promising Future as a DevOps Engineer

The future of DevOps is bright and full of opportunities. According to a report by Xpheno, DevOps engineers with 5-8 years of experience have seen salary hikes of 50-70% across sectors like IT products, IT services, and GICs. Research from Global Market Insights also highlights the rapid growth of the DevOps market, which exceeded $4 billion in 2019 and is expected to increase at a 20% CAGR from 2020 to 2026.

The role of DevOps is evolving into DevOps 2.0 or BizDevOps, where business stakeholders are more actively involved in building products. Professionals from diverse backgrounds, such as product support or IT support, are transitioning into DevOps roles, further expanding the career landscape.

In short, if you’re aiming to become a DevOps engineer, the road ahead looks not only promising but also filled with growth and exciting new opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions