Are you choosing between a DevOps and DevSecOps career path? Are you wondering if the extra security classes are worth the DevSecOps designation?
After all, a DevSecOps position requires all the education of a DevOps plus the security training.
Does the extra training translate to a better salary?
We will explore the salary potential of DevOps and DevSecOps in this article.
TLDR DevOps vs DevSecOps Salaries:
- A DevSecOps career requires more education than a DevOps career
- There are significantly fewer DevSecOps opportunities in the job marketplace
- The market does not pay extra for DevSecOps education, based on a snapshot of job listings I gathered and then analyzed below.
- The salaries offered DevOps vs DevSecOps are substantially the same
- Python continues to be the top skill for DevOps and DevSecOps engineers
- Most listings seek Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees for both professions
DevOps vs DevSecOps: Which is Worth More?
I took a snapshot of Indeed.com’s job listings for DevOps and DevSecOps positions, and this is what I found.
The pool of job listings for DevOps is about seven times larger than the DevSecOps market, based on a snapshot of job listing data I gathered.
A DevOps candidate could choose from 1,410 listings, while the DevSecOps job seeker got only 190 possible interviews.
DevOps vs DevSecOps Salaries Offered by Number of Job Listings
There were 1,410 DevOps and 190 DevSecOps job listings with salaries from $105K to $150K+.
| DevOps vs DevSecOps Salaries by Number of Job Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
| DevOps Salaries | DevOps | DevSecOps |
| Salaries | Listings | Listings |
| $0K-$105K | 303 | 49 |
| $105K-$120K | 210 | 16 |
| $120K-$130K | 188 | 25 |
| $130K-$145K | 225 | 34 |
| $145K-$150K | 74 | 37 |
| $150K+ | 410 | 29 |
| 1,410 | 190 | |
DevOps vs DevSecOps Salaries Offered by Percentage of Job Listings
The percentage of jobs offered in each field have similar distributions. For example, 16% of the DevOps and 18% of the DevSecOps jobs pay $130K to $140K per year.
| DevOps vs DevSecOps Salaries by Percentage of Job Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
| DevOps Salaries | DevOps | DevSecOps |
| Salaries | Listings | Listings |
| $0K-$105K | 21% | 26% |
| $105K-$120K | 15% | 8% |
| $120K-$130K | 13% | 13% |
| $130K-$145K | 16% | 18% |
| $145K-$150K | 5% | 19% |
| $150K+ | 29% | 15% |
The DevOps Job Market: Salaries, Skills and Education
DevOps Job Market Salaries Offered
Data collected from Indeed.com included 1,410 listings for the search query “DevOps.”
- 303 of the 1,410 job listings offered $0 to $105K to prospective DevOps candidates
- 210 listings offered $105K to $120K
- 188 offered $120K to $130K
- 225 offered $130K to $145K
- 74 offered $145K to $150K
- 410 offered $150K+
| DevOps Salaries | |
|---|---|
| Salaries | Listings |
| $0K-$105K | 303 |
| $105K-$120K | 210 |
| $120K-$130K | 188 |
| $130K-$145K | 225 |
| $145K-$150K | 74 |
| $150K+ | 410 |
| 1,410 | |
DevOps Job Market Skills Requirements
Python is the most in-demand skill for DevOps job candidates, followed distantly by Java, Go, SQL and Javascript.
- 875 job listings called for DevOps candidates with Python skills
- 301 listings sought Java skills
- 285 sought Go skills
- 187 looked for SQL skills
- 183 looked for Javascript skills
| DevOps Skills | |
|---|---|
| Skill | Listings |
| Python | 857 |
| Java | 301 |
| Go | 285 |
| SQL | 187 |
| Javascript | 183 |
DevOps Job Market Education Requirements
A Master’s Degree is the most popular education level sought in DevOps candidates.
- 51 DevOps job listings sought a high school education
- 78 listings required an Associate’s degree
- 1,037 listings sought a Bachelor’s degree
- 1,405 looked for a Master’s degree
- 59 looked for a PhD
| DevOps Education | |
|---|---|
| Education | Listings |
| HS | 51 |
| AS | 78 |
| BA | 1,037 |
| MA | 1,405 |
| PhD | 59 |
DevOps Data
Data gathered: November 4, 2023
Search Link: https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=title%3Adevops
Total Listings: 1,410
The DevSecOps Job Marketing: Salaries, Skills and Education
DevSecOps Job Market Salaries Offered
Data collected from Indeed.com included 190 listings for the search query “DevSecOps.”
- 49 listings offered $0 to $115K to prospective DevSecOps candidates
- 16 listings offered $115K to $120K
- 25 offered $120K to $130K
- 34 offered $130K to $140K
- 37 offered $140K to $160K
- 29 offered $160K+
| DevSecOps Salaries | |
|---|---|
| Salaries | Listings |
| $0-$115K | 49 |
| $115K-$120K | 16 |
| $120K-$130K | 25 |
| $130K-$140K | 34 |
| $140K-$160K | 37 |
| $160K+ | 29 |
| 190 | |
DevSecOps Job Market Skills Requirements
Python is the most in-demand skill for DevSecOps job candidates as well.
- 104 of the job listings sought DevSecOps candidates with Python skills
- 74 listings sought Java skills
- 11 sought Go skills
- 20 looked for SQL skills
- 39 looked for Javascript skills
| DevSecOps Skills | |
|---|---|
| Skill | Listings |
| Python | 104 |
| Java | 74 |
| Go | 11 |
| SQL | 20 |
| Javascript | 39 |
DevSecOps Job Market Education Requirements
A Master’s Degree is the most popular education level sought in DevSecOps candidates.
- 4 of the DevSecOps job listings sought a high school education
- 10 listings required an Associate’s degree
- 162 listings sought a Bachelor’s degree
- 213 looked for a Master’s degree
- 21 looked for a PhD
| DevSecOps Education | |
|---|---|
| Education | Listings |
| HS | 4 |
| AS | 10 |
| BA | 162 |
| MA | 213 |
| PhD | 21 |
DevSecOps Data
Data gathered: November 4, 2023
Search Link: https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=title%3Adevsecops
Total Listings: 190
What is DevOps?
DevOps emphasizes collaboration and integration between development and operations teams.
It automates the software development pipeline to accelerate the deployment of applications, increase efficiency, and improve overall software quality.
DevOps combines software development practices with IT operations, allowing organizations to deliver applications at a faster pace.
Principles that guide DevOps include:
- Continuous Integration automates testing and includes frequent code merges.
- Continuous Delivery makes sure that the application is always in a deployable state.
- Continuous Deployment automates the release process.
What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps extends the principles of DevOps by integrating security into the software development process.
While DevOps primarily focuses on collaboration between development and operations teams, DevSecOps recognizes the importance of incorporating security practices right from the start.
It emphasizes a shift-left approach, where security is prioritized and integrated throughout the entire development life cycle.
As organizations increasingly rely on applications to run their businesses, ensuring the security of these applications becomes critical.
Traditional security practices often come into play at later stages of the development process, leading to vulnerabilities that can be exploited. DevSecOps promotes a proactive approach to security, integrating security testing and automation early in the development process to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Adopting DevSecOps reduces the risk of security breaches and minimizes the potential impact of security incidents.
By integrating security into the development process, organizations can prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced and address them before deployment.
DevSecOps also promotes collaboration between development, operations, and security teams, fostering a shared responsibility for application security.
DevOps vs DevSecOps: How are They Different?
While DevOps and DevSecOps share common goals of accelerating software delivery and improving collaboration, they differ in their approach to security.
DevOps focuses on the integration of development and operations teams, streamlining the development process and increasing efficiency.
On the other hand, DevSecOps extends this approach to include security considerations at every stage of the software development life cycle.
Automation plays a crucial role in both DevOps and DevSecOps.
In DevOps, automation is primarily focused on the development and deployment of applications, with the aim of reducing manual errors and increasing efficiency.
In DevSecOps, automation extends to security testing and vulnerability scans, enabling proactive identification and mitigation of security risks.
In DevOps, security is often addressed towards the end of the development process, leading to potential vulnerabilities.
In contrast, DevSecOps integrates security from the beginning, ensuring that applications are built securely from the ground up. By incorporating security practices into the development cycle, organizations can mitigate risks and protect their applications.
Conclusion
While DevSecOps may require extra education, it doesn’t necessarily translate to more job offers.
There are many more opportunities for DevOps than DevSecOps engineers, but there’s another way to look at it. A DevSecOps engineer can apply for jobs in either DevOps ro DevSecOps, so in that sense, the DevSecOps market is larger.
The salary distribution, education requirements and skills sought are approximately the same for DevOps vs DevSecOps job listings.
