DevOps Engineer
Quick Verdict
DevOps Engineer is a tech-industry role tracked under the BLS occupation Software Developers (SOC 15-1252). The figures below are occupation-level; they cover multiple job titles sharing the same BLS measurement group.
Labor Market Context
| SOC | BLS Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Projected Change (10-yr) | Annual Openings (thousands) | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-1252 | Software Developers | $135,980 | 15.8% (much faster than average) | 115.2 | 4 |
This role is measured under the BLS occupation Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), which also covers Full-Stack Developer, QA Test Engineer.
Guardrail: These are BLS occupation-level statistics, not salary guarantees or outcome predictions for individuals. Wages vary by employer, geography, experience, and specialization.
Related Certifications
| Credential | Relationship | Exam | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | Foundation | CLF-C02 | Cloud foundations before deeper AWS work. |
| CompTIA Linux+ | Foundation | XK0-006 | Linux fluency is core to DevOps. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate | Strong signal | SAA-C03 | Cloud architecture is central to modern DevOps. |
| Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator | Strong signal | LFCS | LFCS validates the Linux foundation DevOps relies on. |
Sources
- BLS OEWS (national wage data): https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip
- BLS Employment Projections (10-year outlook): https://www.bls.gov/emp/ind-occ-matrix/occupation.xlsx
- O*NET occupational data: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
Citation Ledger
| ID | Supports | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIT-01 | Occupation wage ($135,980) | BLS OEWS national, SOC 15-1252 | BLS OEWS |
| CIT-02 | Occupation outlook (15.8%) | BLS Employment Projections, SOC 15-1252 | BLS EP |
| CIT-03 | Annual openings (115.2k) | BLS Employment Projections, SOC 15-1252 | BLS EP |
| CIT-04 | Job Zone (4) | O*NET, SOC 15-1252 | O*NET |