How do you become a DevOps engineer?

Start with one scripting language, then Git, then automation, containers, CI/CD and one cloud. That order follows the skill areas on the roadmap.sh DevOps roadmap. The same page says mastering every area is hardly ever possible, so most engineers specialize in a few. Treat the order as advice. No source we checked sets a timeline. CompTIA posting data gives you a way to check which of those skills a target employer actually names.

What skills do you need to become a DevOps engineer?

roadmap.sh names development and scripting, source control, automation and configuration, infrastructure as code, containerization, cloud, and monitoring and logging. Job postings point the same way. CompTIA counted 786,332 postings for cloud infrastructure, 488,269 for Python, 408,903 for automation and 393,674 for CI/CD between January and October 2025. Add one cloud platform, since cloud infrastructure sits at the top of the posting list.

Is DevOps in demand in 2026?

CompTIA's September 2026 report lists DevOps engineers among the most sought roles, with 625,633 active tech postings and a 22.4 percent year-over-year rise. BLS projects a 4 percent decline for systems administrators and 10 percent growth for software developers, and notes that some admin tasks shift to developers focused on DevOps.

How long does it take to become a DevOps engineer?

No source we checked gives a time estimate. The roadmap.sh DevOps roadmap page has none, and the posting data has none either. Our advice is to pick one skill area a month and ship one project that uses it. No source we opened gives a DevOps salary figure, a degree rule, or a timeline, so we do not quote one.

How to Become DevOps Engineer in 2026

Q: Do you need a degree to become a DevOps engineer?

The sources we checked give no DevOps degree rule, because BLS has no DevOps category. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical entry-level education for systems administrators and for software developers. It also notes that employers may require certification in the products they use. So read the postings for the roles you want instead of assuming a rule. Our guide to IT certifications that need no degree covers the certificate route for people without one.

How to become DevOps engineer in 2026 step by step?

BLS spells DevOps out as development operations. It reports that systems administrators automate more routine tasks. Some of those tasks now go to software developers focused on DevOps.

That shift does not give you a syllabus. Each source below supplies one piece: a skill map, a demand count, and two adjacent occupations.

Each area comes with example tools. Python and JavaScript cover scripting. Git covers source control. Ansible covers configuration management. Terraform covers infrastructure as code. Docker and Kubernetes cover containers. Jenkins covers pipelines. AWS covers cloud.

The same page says mastering all of them is hardly ever possible. Most engineers specialize in a few of these areas.

The skill areas and their example tools:

Skill area	Example tools named
Development and scripting	Python, JavaScript
Source control	Git
Automation and configuration	Ansible
Infrastructure as code	Terraform
Containerization	Docker, Kubernetes
CI/CD pipelines	Jenkins
Cloud	AWS
Observability	Monitoring and logging tools

Each area covers one job in the release process. Scripting glues tools together. Configuration management applies the same settings to many machines. Infrastructure as code describes servers in files that get reviewed. Containers package an app with what it needs to run. Pipelines move code through build and release steps. Monitoring and logging show whether a service is healthy.

Skill	Postings
Cloud infrastructure	786,332
Python	488,269
Automation	408,903
CI/CD	393,674
Artificial intelligence	323,056

Demand for the title showed up in a CompTIA report from September 2026. Active tech postings reached 625,633. That was the highest in more than three years. It was up 22.4 percent year over year. The most sought roles were software developers and engineers, systems engineers, tech support, data analysts, and DevOps engineers. Developers and engineers led the list with 47,598 new openings.

The Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2026 asked a separate question about cloud work. 9,659 of 16,241 respondents, or 59.5 percent, said they used a cloud platform or other cloud tools. The survey did not break that figure down by vendor or DevOps tool.

What does BLS data say about DevOps work?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no DevOps category. Its Occupational Outlook Handbook has no DevOps row. So no DevOps salary, degree rule, or outlook exists to quote. The two BLS jobs below sit closest to DevOps work. Both are adjacent occupations.

Closest BLS occupations to DevOps work:

Occupation	Median pay May 2025	Growth 2025-35	Openings a year
Network and computer systems administrators	$99,130	-4%	13,400
Software developers, QA analysts and testers	$134,040	10%	106,100

The BLS page for network and computer systems administrators reports 323,600 jobs in 2025. It projects a decline of 13,200 jobs through 2035. Its 13,400 yearly openings come from replacing workers who leave. The page lists a bachelor's degree as typical entry-level education. It also notes that employers may require certification in the products they use.

The developer page covers software developers, QA analysts, and testers together. It reports 1,905,400 jobs in 2025. It projects 10 percent growth through 2035. About 106,100 openings appear each year. The page never mentions DevOps or cloud.

Put the two rows next to each other and the direction shows. Admin work shrinks while the developer side grows. BLS says some of that work moves to developers focused on DevOps.

What should you learn first?

No source above sets a schedule, so read this as advice, not a rule. The order follows the posting counts and the way the skill areas build on each other.

Learn one scripting language. Python sits second in the posting list with 488,269 postings. JavaScript is the other option the roadmap names.
Track code with Git. It is the source control tool on the roadmap. Every pipeline step that follows sits on top of it.
Automate configuration with Ansible. Automation drew 408,903 postings, the third most requested skill.
Describe infrastructure with Terraform. The roadmap lists it as the infrastructure as code tool.
Package apps with Docker, then learn Kubernetes. Both sit in the containerization area of the roadmap.
Build a pipeline with Jenkins. CI/CD drew 393,674 postings, the fourth most requested skill.
Pick one cloud and go deep. AWS is the cloud tool the roadmap names. Cloud infrastructure led all postings.
Add monitoring and logging last. That area tells you whether what you shipped is healthy.

Choose one area to specialize in, since mastering every area is hardly ever possible. Then ship one project end to end. Deploy a small app through a pipeline you wrote. Describe its servers in Terraform. Run the app in a Docker container on one cloud.

Certificates help where an employer screens for them. BLS notes that employers may require certification in the products they use. Our guide to the best DevOps certifications compares what each credential proves.

Where should you go next?

Start with the skill area your current job touches most. Then check your target postings against the counts above. Cloud infrastructure and Python lead the list.

If you are still building the base, our self-taught software engineer path covers the study side. For credentials, compare cloud certifications for career growth with IT certifications that need no degree. For the daily work, read what a DevOps engineer does in 2026.

Photo: jamesmarkosborne, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/code-html-digital-coding-web-1076536/)

How to Become DevOps Engineer in 2026