Salary report · US · 2026
DevOps Engineer Salary
The average DevOps engineer salary is $114,693 per year in the United States in 2026. Base pay runs from $77,000 at the 10th percentile to $163,000 at the 90th, with a median of $115,000. Bonuses add $2,000–$18,000, putting total pay between roughly $77,000 and $170,000.
Definition & distribution
What is the average devops engineer salary?
A DevOps engineer earns an average base salary of $114,693 per year in the US as of 2026. The role owns cloud infrastructure, automation, and delivery pipelines, and pay rises sharply with depth in cloud platforms and orchestration.
The 10th percentile at $77,000 is 33% below the $115,000 median, while the 90th at $163,000 is 42% above it. The upper tail rewards deep cloud, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code expertise; the lower end reflects engineers transitioning in from sysadmin or general engineering.
Known limitations. This record is built on 1,836 salary profiles (last updated May 2026). The median is reliable; base figures exclude equity, a meaningful part of total pay at larger technology employers.
Pay components
How is devops engineer total pay structured?
Reported total compensation for DevOps engineers has two consistent components: base salary and annual bonus. Profit sharing and equity appear at some employers but are reported unevenly.
| Component | Low | High | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $77,000 | $163,000 | Dense around the $115k median |
| Annual bonus | $2,000 | $18,000 | Up to ~11% of top-end base |
| Total pay | $77,000 | $170,000 | Excludes unreported equity |
Pay by experience
How does experience change a devops engineer salary?
DevOps engineer pay climbs steeply with experience as engineers deepen cloud and orchestration skills. Entry-level engineers sit about 29% below the role average, and experienced engineers reach roughly 30% above.
- 01
Entry level (<1 year): ~29% below average
Often engineers moving in from system administration or general software roles.
- 02
Early to mid career: −12% to +9%
Pay crosses the role average as engineers own cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines end to end.
- 03
Experienced: +30% over average
The top of the curve, held by engineers with deep cloud, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code expertise.
Skills
Which skills affect a devops engineer salary?
Reported skills split into three tiers. Linux and scripting are the baseline; cloud, containers, and infrastructure-as-code command a premium; and platform ownership opens the senior band.
- 01
Linux & scripting — the baseline
Linux and automation scripting appear across profiles. They qualify you for the role.
- 02
Cloud, K8s & IaC — the premium tier
AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD tooling map directly to the highest-paying roles and the top of the range.
- 03
Platform ownership — the promotion tier
Owning platform reliability and developer experience is what moves engineers toward staff and lead roles.
Geography
Where do devops engineers earn the most?
Reported profiles concentrate in the major technology hubs, where cloud and infrastructure demand runs highest.
| Metro | Market character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | Big tech & startups | Top of range; highest cost of living |
| New York, NY | Finance & product | Broad, high-paying demand |
| Chicago, IL | Enterprise & fintech | Steady demand, lower cost of living |
| Austin, TX | Growing tech hub | Best pay-to-cost ratio on file |
| Dallas, TX | Enterprise & cloud | Strong, diversified market |
Check your pay
Where does your salary fall?
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Raising your pay
How can devops engineers increase their salary?
Three mechanisms reliably move DevOps engineer pay, in descending order of effect:
- 01
Deepen cloud & orchestration
AWS, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code depth are the clearest path to the top of the range.
- 02
Change employers
External offers, especially at cloud-native and larger tech firms, re-price you to market and add equity.
- 03
Own platform reliability
Moving from tasks to owning platform and developer experience unlocks staff and lead pay.
FAQ
DevOps Engineer salary: FAQ
About $163,000 per year at the 90th percentile of base pay. With bonuses of up to $18,000, top-end total compensation reaches roughly $170,000 — before equity.
About $77,000 per year at the 10th percentile of base pay. Figures this low typically reflect engineers transitioning in from sysadmin or general engineering roles.
Most reliably by deepening cloud and orchestration skills (AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform), changing employers, and owning platform reliability.
Yes. Reported annual bonuses range from about $2,000 to $18,000, bringing total pay to between roughly $77,000 and $170,000 per year, before equity.
Reliable at the median, built on 1,836 salary profiles reported to PayScale (updated May 2026). Base figures exclude equity at larger employers.
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