AWS DevOps Engineer Salary: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
We explore AWS DevOps Engineer salaries from almost every angle—location, experience, skills, and more.
Helpful summary
- Overview: We explore AWS DevOps Engineer salaries from almost every angle—location, experience, skills, and more.
- Why you can trust us: We’ve helped hundreds of engineers find and land their dream jobs with up-to-date listings, informative guides, and employment resources.
- Why this is important: Understanding the salary landscape for any job you're applying for is an important part of understanding your value and getting the best offer possible.
- Action points: Use platforms like ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and talent.com to compare salary offerings across different regions. Pursue AWS certifications to increase your salary, and work on your negotiation skills to articulate your value better during salary discussions.
- Further research: Check out the EchoJobs blog for more interview and salary guides, and start searching for open positions to see what’s out there.
Curious About How Much AWS DevOps Engineers Make?
AWS DevOps Engineer is a hot career right now, thanks to the massive demand for cloud services (and the expertise to take full advantage of them).
But what does that mean for your paycheck? According to most sources, the average salary for an AWS DevOps Engineer in the United States is around $135,000 per year. But this number can vary depending on factors like location, experience level, and skills.
Want to dive into the specifics? We’ve got you covered. In this EchoJobs guide, we’re exploring AWS DevOps Engineer salaries from every angle to help you decide whether this career is the one for you.
But first…
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What Is an AWS DevOps Engineer?
An AWS DevOps Engineer is a professional skilled in software development and IT operations who utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) to automate and optimize the processes involved in software delivery.
Translation? They use AWS to make development and deployment easier.
They manage AWS cloud-based production systems to ensure maximum efficiency, availability, and security. The role requires an expert-level understanding of different AWS products and services, plus a foundation in software development and IT operations.
AWS DevOps Engineer Salary Overview
Here’s an overview of the salary trends for AWS DevOps Engineers in the US.
- AWS DevOps Engineers average $60.53 per hour (pro rata).
- AWS DevOps Engineers earn an average of $135,089 annually (with an average range of $117,381 to $165,295).
- The cities with the highest annual salaries for AWS DevOps Engineers are Berkeley, CA ($161,430), Bailey’s Crossroads, VA ($153,206), and Palo Alto, CA ($152,928).
Overall, a ton of factors influence AWS DevOps Engineer salaries—from geographic location and experience to certifications. Despite the variance, the huge demand for AWS expertise drives competitive compensation packages across the board.
Factors That Influence AWS DevOps Engineer Salary
Location
Salaries can vary dramatically from one US city or state to another due to variations in the cost of living, the concentration of tech industries, and regional demand for specialized skills. These are the approximate high and low-end AWS-certified DevOps engineer salaries across the US:
| City/State | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Berkeley, California | $161,430 |
| --- | --- |
| Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia | $153,206 |
| --- | --- |
| Palo Alto, California | $152,928 |
| --- | --- |
| Idaho Falls, Idaho | $126,750 |
| --- | --- |
| Lynchburg, Virginia | $96,545 |
| --- | --- |
| Youngstown, Ohio | $75,000 |
| --- | --- |
Generally, you’ll find the highest salaries on the West Coast (California and Washington), followed by the East Coast (Massachusetts and New York), followed by inland states and less tech-dense regions.
That said, there are definite exceptions. According to some sources, Alabama actually has the highest annual salary for AWS DevOps Engineers ($162,501), although the sample size is pretty small.
Experience
Experience plays a huge role in your salary. Junior engineers start with a (comparatively) lower baseline, but salary growth picks up quickly as you gain more hands-on experience with AWS services and DevOps practices.
According to Glassdoor, these are the average salaries for AWS DevOps engineers based on years of experience across all industries.
| Experience | Average Base Pay | Average Additional Pay | Average Total Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 Year | $70,000 - $120,000 | $19,000 - $35,000 | $89,000 - $155,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1–3 Years | $82,000 - $133,000 | $20,000 - $38,000 | $102,000 - $171,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4–6 Years | $89,000 - $142,000 | $21,000 - $40,000 | $111,000 - $182,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 7–9 Years | $93,000 - $147,000 | $22,000 - $41,000 | $115,000 - $187,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 10–14 Years | $100,000 - $156,000 | $23,000 - $43,000 | $123,000 - $199,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 15+ Years | $107,000 - $166,000 | $25,000 - $46,000 | $132,000 - $212,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
Certifications & Education
Holding AWS certifications, especially at the professional and specialty levels, can significantly boost your earning potential. Certifications validate your expertise and commitment to staying abreast of the latest technologies.
Here are approximate average starting salaries per certification according to Skillsoft.
| Certification | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| AWS Certified Security - Specialty | $138,053 |
| --- | --- |
| AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty | $137,698 |
| --- | --- |
| AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty | $136,595 |
| --- | --- |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Professional | $132,852 |
| --- | --- |
| AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional | $124,695 |
| --- | --- |
As you can see, a certification can give you a major boost as an AWS DevOps Engineer with little experience. But it’s important to mention that the difference they make becomes much less noticeable as you gain experience.
Negotiation Skills
Your ability to negotiate is a major factor in your earning potential. We couldn’t find any data on negotiation for AWS DevOps Engineers specifically, but some studies have found that not negotiating your first salary can cost you $500,000 in lifetime earnings.
Size and Type of Organization
Larger corporations tend to offer higher salaries and more extensive benefits packages than startups or smaller companies.
According to Glassdoor, the top companies hiring AWS DevOps Engineers in the US include:
- IBM
- Amazon
- Deloitte
- Accenture
- Cognizant Technology
We see a lot of AWS DevOps Engineer job listings
There are a few potential reasons for this:
- Cost of living: AWS DevOps Engineers often live in major metro areas where the cost of living is very high. This can eat up a large salary quickly.
- Stress: The fast-paced DevOps environment can be stressful and demanding. As a result, higher compensation packages are needed to keep employees engaged and happy.
How Do AWS DevOps Engineer Salaries Compare to Similar Jobs?
All kinds of adjacent roles use a skill set similar to that of an AWS DevOps Engineer.
How do they stack up in terms of salary? Fairly well, but the average salaries just aren’t quite as high.
| Job | Average Base Salary |
|---|---|
| DevOps Engineer | $135,089 |
| --- | --- |
| Cloud Solutions Architect | $132,225 |
| --- | --- |
| Software Release Manager | $102,613 |
| --- | --- |
| Security Engineer | $100,482 |
| --- | --- |
| Automation Engineer | $84,064 |
| --- | --- |
| Quality Assurance Specialist | $66,259 |
| --- | --- |
How Do AWS DevOps Engineer Salaries Compare in Various Industries?
AWS DevOps Engineers are needed in almost every industry. But… not all industries will pay equally well for your skills and experience.
Here are the approximate salaries for AWS DevOps Engineers in some popular industries.
| Industry | Base Pay | Additional Pay | Total Pay Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | $108,000 - $155,000 | $26,000 - $48,000 | $134,000 - $203,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Manufacturing | $107,000 - $153,000 | $22,000 - $41,000 | $129,000 - $194,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Financial Services | $100,000 - $144,000 | $21,000 - $39,000 | $121,000 - $183,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Telecommunications | $111,000 - $146,000 | $19,000 - $35,000 | $130,000 - $181,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Government & Public Administration | $98,000 - $142,000 | $20,000 - $37,000 | $118,000 - $180,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Retail & Wholesale | $98,000 - $142,000 | $20,000 - $37,000 | $118,000 - $180,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Information Technology | $99,000 - $140,000 | $20,000 - $37,000 | $119,000 - $177,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education | $84,000 - $128,000 | $18,000 - $33,000 | $102,000 - $162,000 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
How to Become an AWS DevOps Engineer
1. Learn DevOps and AWS Fundamentals
Start with the basics. Read resources on DevOps like "The Phoenix Project" and "The DevOps Handbook" to learn how the process works and why companies are adopting it. Then, familiarize yourself with AWS services and how to use them in a DevOps environment.
AWS certifications are a great way to do this.
2. Work on Real Projects
Education is becoming much less important than concrete, provable knowledge. And the best way to prove you know how to do something?
Do it!
Find problems that you can solve using AWS and DevOps principles. Work on personal projects or join open-source projects to gain experience and build a portfolio. Choose your projects strategically to demonstrate key skills and techniques like:
- IaC using tools like AWS CloudFormation or Terraform
- CI/CD pipelines using tools like Jenkins or AWS CodePipeline
- Automation of manual tasks through scripting using tools like Python or Bash
3. Apply for Jobs
Apply for AWS DevOps Engineering positions on the job board for software engineers like EchoJobs. Our 60,000+ software engineer job listings are updated every hour, so you’ll always have access to the most current job opportunities.
You can fine-tune your search with:
- Skill tags
- Experience tags
- Location tags (with an option for remote-only)
- Negative keywords
Plus, you can easily set up highly targeted job alerts so that your resume makes it to the top of the list.
Once you’ve found a job you’re interested in, make sure to tailor your resume and cover letter specifically for that role. Highlight any relevant skills or experience you have with AWS DevOps tools like CloudFormation, Terraform, Jenkins, or CodePipeline.
Conclusion
A career as an AWS DevOps Engineer can be both exciting and lucrative. Remember—salaries vary based on many factors, including where you live (or where you're willing to move). Staying current with new skills and technologies is key, as is networking and connecting with peers in the industry.
For engineers looking to change things up, EchoJobs offers a comprehensive database filled with up-to-date opportunities at leading companies around the world. Start searching today and find your dream job.
