DevOps Engineer Salary for Freshers and Experienced in India: A Complete Guide

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The position of a DevOps Engineer is now among the most wanted careers in the IT sector. With more and more firms turning towards cloud computing, automation, and agile development, the call for DevOps professionals is increasing exponentially. With this call, one of the most asked questions by learners and job aspirants: "What is the salary of a DevOps Engineer for freshers and experienced professionals in India?"

The short answer: DevOps is one of the best-paying IT professions in India today. Whether you're a fresher starting your career or have some years of work experience, DevOps has great salary packages, opportunities for growth, and potential stability in your future career.

In this extensive blog, we will discuss:

  • What determines a DevOps Engineer's salary in India
  • Freshers' DevOps salary for entry-level
  • Salary trends for experienced and mid-level professionals
  • Salary distribution across various Indian cities
  • Skills and certifications that increase DevOps salary
  • Comparison with other IT job roles
  • Future scope of DevOps salaries in India
  • Why DevOps is a High-Paying Career in India

Before diving into salary figures, let’s understand why DevOps Engineer salaries in India are among the highest in IT:

  1. High demand, low supply – Skilled DevOps professionals are fewer compared to industry demand.
  2. Critical role – DevOps engineers fill the gap between development and operations, and are crucial for business success.
  3. Multi-skilled requirement – An understanding of coding, cloud, automation, and monitoring makes DevOps experts extremely valuable.
  4. Future-proof technology – Cloud, AI-powered operations, and security automation keep DevOps technology ahead for decades.

DevOps Engineer Salary for Freshers in India

For freshers and graduates inquiring, "What is the DevOps Engineer salary for freshers in India?", the response is optimistic.

Average salary at joining: Competitive with software testers or support engineers.

  • Range: Depends on skills, location, and size of employer.
  • Growth: Salaries rise considerably with 1–2 years of hands-on DevOps project experience.

Influencing the salaries of freshers:

  • Excellent familiarity with Linux, Git, Docker, and Cloud fundamentals.
  • Internships or projects while studying.
  • AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, or CI/CD tool certifications.
  • Location of job (metros pay more than small cities).

DevOps Engineer Salary for Experienced Professionals

  • For career switchers from IT, salaries are much more impressive.
  • 2–4 years experience – Significant upgrade over baseline IT work
  • 5–8 years experience – Opens to mid-senior positions like Senior DevOps Engineer or Site Reliability Engineer (SRE).
  • 10+ years experience – Roles like DevOps Architect or Consultant with high-end salary packages.

Determination factors for experienced professionals:

  • Expertise in CI/CD automation and infrastructure as code
  • Multi-cloud mastery (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • Higher skills in Kubernetes and container orchestration.
  • Capacity to head DevOps teams and manage large-scale systems.

DevOps Salary in India by Location

DevOps salaries in India also vary considerably based on the city. The best-paying cities are generally India's tech centers.

  1. Bengaluru (Bangalore) – Top IT hub, provides the best DevOps packages.
  2. Hyderabad – Well-established cloud and IT services market.
  3. Pune – Favorite among IT and manufacturing industries embracing DevOps.
  4. Chennai – IT, product, and cloud-based firms' growth.
  5. Gurugram & Noida – Booming IT corridor
  6. Small cities – Increasing opportunities, but the salary is comparatively lower.

Salary Comparison: DevOps vs Other IT Roles

Compared to other IT job roles, DevOps Engineers have better salaries on average.

  • DevOps Engineer > Software Tester
  • DevOps Engineer > System Administrator
  • DevOps Engineer, ≈ Cloud Engineer (varying depending upon skills)
  • DevOps Engineer < Data Scientist (in a few instances, but demand is picking up quickly)

This chart demonstrates why so many professionals are taking up DevOps roles.

Skills That Impact a DevOps Engineer's Salary in India

The greater the skills you possess, the better your salary prospects. Some of the highest-demanding DevOps skills are:

  • Linux administration and scripting
  • Programming languages (Python, Go, Java)
  • Git and version control
  • CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI)
  • Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
  • Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation
  • Monitoring tools – Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack
  • DevSecOps – Security integration in pipelines

DevOps Certifications That Increase Salary

Certifications contribute significantly to salary increase for both experienced and freshers. Some of the top certifications are:

  • AWS Certified DevOps Engineer
  • Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
  • Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
  • Docker Certified Associate
  • HashiCorp Terraform Associate

Certified individuals typically earn 20–30% more than their non-certified counterparts.

Growth Path: Salaries Increase as Career Advances

A typical DevOps career growth in India is as follows:

  • Fresher / Junior DevOps Engineer – Starting salaries.
  • DevOps Engineer (2–4 years) – Competitive pay with skills in automation and CI/CD.
  • Senior DevOps Engineer (5–7 years) – Slightly higher salaries with specialization in Kubernetes, cloud, and leadership.
  • DevOps Architect / Consultant (8-12 years) – Top-notch salaries for working on mass-scale systems.
  • Head of DevOps / Engineering Manager (12+ years) – Very high packages in leadership roles.

Future of DevOps Salaries in India

The future of DevOps jobs and salaries in India remains promising because:

  • Firms are making more investments in cloud computing and automation.
  • DevSecOps will generate new demand for security-oriented engineers.
  • AIOps (AI-driven operations) will open up more opportunities.
  • Startups and companies will keep fighting to hire the best DevOps professionals.
  • This implies that both new graduates and experienced personnel can anticipate steady salary increases in DevOps in the coming decade.

Tips to Get the Best DevOps Salary in India

To establish a strong DevOps career with good compensation, here are some tips:

  • Begin with Linux, Git, and Cloud basics.
  • Develop a portfolio of GitHub projects illustrating DevOps processes.
  • Get recognized certifications (AWS, Azure, Kubernetes)
  • Get familiar with the latest tools and automation trends
  • Network with experts and participate in DevOps groups.
  • Get real-world experience by way of internships, freelancing, or projects.

Conclusion

So what is the salary of a DevOps Engineer for freshers and experienced in India?

The answer is clear: DevOps Engineers are one of the highest-paid IT professionals in India today.

Freshers will enjoy good entry-level salaries, usually better than conventional IT jobs.

Skilled experts with expertise in cloud, automation, and Kubernetes can demand high-end packages.

With certifications and ongoing education, DevOps salaries in India can only go up.

If you are planning to pursue a career in IT, DevOps is not only a good choice—it's one of the best options for long-term growth and financial rewards.