DevOps [Remote Jobs]

What does DevOps do?

A DevOps engineer is responsible for the smooth operation of a company’s IT infrastructure. Their key roles and responsibilities include:

1. Bridging the gap between development and operations teams to facilitate collaboration and improve software delivery. They work with developers to deploy and manage code changes, and with operations staff to ensure systems are running smoothly.
2. Implementing various development, testing, and automation tools, as well as managing the IT infrastructure. This includes selecting, provisioning, and maintaining CI/CD tooling, and working with container orchestration platforms like Docker and Kubernetes.
3. Planning the team structure, activities, and involvement in project management. This involves understanding customer requirements, defining development, testing, release, and support processes, and encouraging automation.
4. Reviewing, verifying, and validating the software code developed, as well as troubleshooting and fixing bugs. They need strong technical skills across both development and operations.
5. Monitoring processes, identifying areas for improvement, and building continuous integration, continuous deployment, and continuous delivery pipelines.
6. Coordinating and communicating with the development, operations, and customer teams. They need excellent interpersonal skills to bridge divides between siloed teams.
7. Selecting and deploying appropriate DevOps tools, and mentoring team members on their use.

A DevOps engineer is an IT generalist who combines development and operations expertise to streamline the software delivery process and improve collaboration across the organization.

What are the most common job titles for DevOps?

The most common job titles for DevOps roles include:

1. DevOps Engineer – Responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations, implementing automation tools, and streamlining the software delivery process.
2. Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) – Focuses on ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of cloud-based systems and infrastructure.
3. Release Manager – Coordinates and manages the software release process, ensuring smooth deployments.
4. Automation Engineer – Designs and implements automated workflows and pipelines for building, testing, and deploying software.
5. Infrastructure Engineer – Manages and optimizes the underlying IT infrastructure, including cloud resources, to support application deployments.
6. Cloud Engineer – Responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining cloud-based solutions and infrastructure.
7. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Engineer – Specializes in building and maintaining the CI/CD pipeline to enable frequent, reliable software releases.
8. Configuration Management Engineer – Manages the configuration and deployment of software and infrastructure components.
9. Security Engineer – Ensures the security and compliance of the DevOps environment and software applications.

These job titles may vary depending on the organization and specific responsibilities, but they generally involve a combination of development, operations, and automation skills to support the DevOps approach.

What are the key skills required for DevOps?

The key skills required for a successful DevOps engineer include:

1. Linux Fundamentals and Scripting Skills – Proficiency in Linux operating system, file handling, system administration, and scripting languages like Python, Bash, etc.
2. Knowledge of Relevant DevOps Tools and Technologies – Expertise in version control, CI/CD, configuration management, containers, deployment automation, infrastructure orchestration, testing, monitoring, and cloud computing tools.
3. Coding and Automation Skills – Ability to write code and scripts to automate various DevOps processes, including integration, testing, deployment, and infrastructure management.
4. Cloud Computing Skills – Understanding of cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, and ability to manage cloud-based infrastructure and services.
5. Networking Skills – Knowledge of networking concepts, protocols, and tools to ensure seamless communication between different system components.
6. Testing and Security Skills – Proficiency in automated testing, security best practices, and tools to ensure the quality and security of applications.
7. Continuous Integration and Delivery Skills – Expertise in implementing and managing CI/CD pipelines to enable frequent, reliable software releases.
8. Soft Skills – Strong communication, collaboration, creativity, and customer-focused approach to bridge the gap between development and operations teams.
9. Troubleshooting and Maintenance Skills – Ability to monitor production systems, identify and resolve issues, and provide technical support.

What are some common tools used by DevOps?

The most common tools used by DevOps teams include:

• Version Control Systems:

• Git
• GitHub
• GitLab
• BitBucket

• Containerization:

• Docker
• Kaniko

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC):

• Hashicorp Terraform
• OpenTofu (open-source Terraform)
• AWS CloudFormation
• AWS CDK

• Configuration Management:

• Chef

• Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD):

• Jenkins
• CircleCI

• Monitoring and Observability:

• New Relic (application performance monitoring)
• Sentry (error tracking)
• Nagios (infrastructure monitoring)

• Automation and Orchestration:

• SysAid (IT service automation)
• Salt (complex IT systems)
• Spinnaker (application management and software delivery)

• Build Tools:

• Apache Maven
• Gradle

How to find a job as a DevOps?

Here are the key steps to find a job as a DevOps engineer:

1. Understand the common DevOps job titles and roles:
• The most common DevOps job titles include DevOps Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), Release Manager, Automation Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Cloud Engineer, CI/CD Engineer, Configuration Management Engineer, and Security Engineer.
• Each of these roles has slightly different responsibilities, but they all focus on bridging the gap between development and operations teams.
2. Develop the required skills and expertise:
• Key skills for DevOps engineers include Linux/scripting, DevOps tools, coding/automation, cloud computing, networking, testing, security, CI/CD, and troubleshooting.
• Gain hands-on experience with popular DevOps tools and technologies like Git, Docker, Terraform, Jenkins, Kubernetes, etc.
3. Create a strong job application:
• Craft a clear and concise job post that outlines the scope of work, required skills and qualifications, and your budget.
• Highlight your relevant experience, technical skills, and DevOps-specific expertise in your resume and cover letter.
4. Search for DevOps job opportunities:
• Look for DevOps engineer job postings on job boards like Upwork, Indeed, and LinkedIn.
• Leverage your professional network and reach out to recruiters or DevOps communities to find job leads.
5. Prepare for the interview process:
• Be ready to discuss your DevOps experience, problem-solving skills, and ability to collaborate across teams.
• Demonstrate your hands-on expertise with DevOps tools and technologies during the technical interview.

Is it possible to work remotely as a DevOps?

It is indeed possible to work remotely as a DevOps engineer. The key points are:

1. Remote DevOps jobs are available, and the demand for remote DevOps professionals is growing, especially with the increased adoption of cloud technology and DevOps practices.
2. While some companies may be more hesitant to hire remote DevOps engineers due to concerns about managing infrastructure remotely, many successful remote DevOps teams exist.
3. The key is to have strong technical skills, experience, and a proven track record of delivering results as a remote worker. Highly skilled DevOps engineers with in-demand expertise like Kubernetes are more likely to find remote opportunities.
4. Companies that are already operating with distributed, remote teams are more open to hiring remote DevOps engineers, as they have the processes and tools in place to support effective remote collaboration.
5. Once you have established your first remote DevOps role, it becomes easier to find subsequent remote opportunities, as you can demonstrate your ability to work effectively in a remote environment.

What is the job outlook for DevOps?

The job outlook for DevOps is extremely positive, with the field expected to see rapid growth and high demand for qualified professionals over the next several years.

1. The global DevOps market is expected to grow from an estimated $10.4 billion in 2023 to $25.5 billion by 2028, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.7%.
2. The projected job growth rate for DevOps engineers in the United States is 21% from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
3. It is estimated that about 284,100 new DevOps engineer jobs will be created in the US over the next decade.
4. The demand for DevOps professionals is being driven by factors like the increasing need for continuous and faster application delivery, a growing focus on lowering operational costs, and the rising preference for microservice architecture.
5. DevOps skills are in high demand across various industries like healthcare, education, and manufacturing, as companies look to improve their operational processes through DevOps.
6. A search on LinkedIn found over 46,000 DevOps job openings in the United States, further highlighting the strong demand for skilled DevOps engineers.

What are the average salaries for DevOps?

The average total compensation for a DevOps engineer in the United States ranges from around $94,000 for entry-level to over $175,000 for senior-level positions, with the national average being approximately $140,000 per year.

The average salaries for DevOps engineers in the United States are:

1. The overall average DevOps engineer salary is $140,332 per year.
2. The average base salary for a DevOps engineer is $104,441 per year, with an additional $29,133 in supplemental pay on average, resulting in a total average compensation of $133,574.
3. The average salary for an entry-level DevOps engineer with 0-1 years of experience is $94,049 base salary, or $117,217 total compensation.
4. The average salary for a senior-level DevOps engineer with 20+ years of experience is $127,081 per year.
5. The highest paying cities for DevOps engineers include Sunnyvale, CA ($145,969), Santa Rosa, CA ($141,441), and Cambridge, MA ($137,191).
6. DevOps engineers at larger companies with 11-50 employees earn the highest average salary of $131,882.
7. The average salary for female DevOps engineers is $140,403, while for male DevOps engineers it is $137,793.