DevOps Engineer Salary: Why US Companies Pay Six Figures for DevOps Skills

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Key Takeaways

• Six Figures is the Norm: US DevOps engineers average $145,766 in total pay, according to Glassdoor.
• Entry Level Starts Lower: Junior DevOps pay runs $94K – $159K, and PayScale puts entry-level base pay 29% below average.
• Senior Pay Jumps Faster: Senior DevOps engineers earn a $183,026 median, about 51% more than juniors.
• Base and Total Pay Differ: Sources range from $114,777 base to $150,355 total, so compare like with like.
• Skills Set the Premium: AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform and Python are the skills PayScale links to higher DevOps pay.
• DevOps Engineer Traineeship builds Linux, CI/CD, Docker, and Kubernetes skills through live sessions, 1:1 mentorship, and 12 hands-on projects.

Let’s take an example of two engineers at the same company. One gets the alert when a server falls over and fixes it by hand. The other built the pipeline that ships the fix in ten minutes, plus the automation that stops it happening again.

Glassdoor reports that the first role, IT support engineer, averages $101,710 in total pay. The second? DevOps engineer averages $145,766. That $44,000 gap explains the DevOps engineer salary in the US better than any job description: companies pay for people who remove work, not repeat it.

Below, you’ll see what DevOps pays at each level, why, and how to climb. Fortray US helps career changers and IT professionals train for these roles.

What Is the Average DevOps Engineer Salary in the US in 2026?

The average DevOps engineer salary in the US is $145,766 in total pay, according to Glassdoor, with the middle half of engineers earning $118K – $182K. Other trackers land lower or higher, depending on what each one counts.

• Built In: Reports $133,817 base salary and $150,355 total compensation once cash bonuses are added.
• ZipRecruiter: Puts the national average at $125,908, based largely on advertised pay in job listings.
• PayScale: Shows a $114,777 average base salary from self-reported profiles, with a 10th–90th percentile spread of $77K – $163K.