National median base salary of $138,000, with a typical range of $88,000 to $250,000 depending on level, metro and industry.
DevOps engineers in the United States typically earn a base salary between $88,000 and $250,000, with a national median near $138,000. Entry-level DevOps engineers commonly start between $88,000 and $115,000; mid-level engineers earn about $138,000; senior engineers cluster near $175,000; and lead or site-reliability engineers reach $212,000 and above. Kubernetes and infrastructure-as-code depth are the clearest drivers of pay above the band.
Base salary bands by seniority. Ranges are national; see the metro table below for location adjustments.
| Level | Experience | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior DevOps Engineer | 0–2 years | $88K – $115K | $100,000 |
| Mid-level DevOps Engineer | 2–5 years | $118K – $160K | $138,000 |
| Senior DevOps / SRE | 5–8 years | $150K – $205K | $175,000 |
| Lead / Principal SRE | 8+ years | $185K – $250K | $212,000 |
Indicative US base-salary ranges for 2026, compiled from publicly posted pay ranges and published industry salary surveys. Figures are base salary only — they exclude bonus, equity and benefits — and actual pay varies by employer, metro, industry and individual experience.
Cost of labour is the largest single source of pay variance. These figures apply each metro's adjustment to the $138,000 national median.
| Metro | vs national | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area, CA | +28% | $176,500 |
| Seattle, WA | +20% | $165,500 |
| New York, NY | +18% | $163,000 |
| Boston, MA | +12% | $154,500 |
| Los Angeles, CA | +10% | $152,000 |
| Washington, DC | +8% | $149,000 |
| Austin, TX | +6% | $146,500 |
| Chicago, IL | +4% | $143,500 |
| Denver, CO | +2% | $141,000 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | +1% | $139,500 |
| Atlanta, GA | -3% | $134,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | -5% | $131,000 |
Demand has shifted from CI/CD maintenance toward platform engineering — building internal developer platforms and owning reliability outcomes. Postings pairing Kubernetes with security or cost governance pay furthest above the median.
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