5 Popular DevOps Certifications in 2024

DevOps combines the efforts of software developers (devs) and operations (ops) teams to create software that runs faster, more efficiently, and with greater security. 

A DevOps certification could enhance your resume, boost your salary potential, validate your expertise in development cycles, and set you up for more advanced career opportunities. DevOps positions are consistently ranked among the highest paying in the technical field. 

In this article, we'll go through five popular DevOps certifications to consider and walk through some of the potential benefits of getting certified. 

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5 In-demand DevOps certifications

You'll find numerous DevOps certifications on the market, and the best for you will depend on your industry, current market trends, and experience level. Here are five of the most respected and commonly requested DevOps certifications from employers:

1. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional Certificate

This certification from Amazon Web Services shows employers you can test and deploy AWS applications and infrastructure. It also validates your expertise in cloud platforms in general, including implementing and automating compliance validation, governance processes, and security controls. 

AWS is considered the leading cloud computing platform. AWS certification is one of the most in-demand credentials, with Indeed advertising over 32,000 AWS-certified DevOps engineer jobs in the United States in November 2022.    

Who it's for: DevOps engineers who work with cloud technology, especially in an Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment

Recommended experience: Two or more years working in AWS environments and the ability to code in a high-level programming language

Start building DevOps skills and methodologies with the AWS professional certificate:

2. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

Kubernetes is a popular container-based open-source platform used to manage workloads and services. Earning CKA certification demonstrates you can manage and configure production-grade Kubernetes clusters and perform a basic installation. You'll be tested on your skills in Kubernetes troubleshooting; cluster architecture, installation, and configuration; services and networking; workloads and scheduling; and storage.

Who it's for: IT professionals who manage Kubernetes instances, including Kubernetes administrators and cloud administrators

Recommended experience: Foundational understanding of Kubernetes 

3. Docker Certified Associate (DCA)

Docker is a tool that simplifies the development and deployment of software and programming projects using containers. It's considered one of the leading container runtime platforms, so having Docker certification is advantageous. 

It will validate your skills with Docker and containers in general, including orchestration; image creation, management, and registry; installation and configuration; networking; security; and storage and volumes.

Who it's for: DevOps engineers, software engineers, and others who work with Docker

Recommended experience: Six to 12 months using Docker and a good understanding of Linux

4. Puppet Certified Professional

DevOps professionals use Puppet to automate processes to deliver infrastructure changes more quickly and create better software. Puppet software is a system management tool that helps automate and manage server configuration. 

Passing the Puppet Certified Professional exam validates that you can use Puppet IT automation software as it tests both your technical skills and real-world experience. You'll be expected to understand and use concepts related to classification strategies, troubleshooting Puppet code, module authoring, orchestration and tasks, environments, administration, language, and concepts.

Who it's for: DevOps engineers and IT professionals

Recommended experience: Foundational understanding and use of Puppet

5. Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert

Formerly called Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, this certification demonstrates your expertise in DevOps processes, specifically "working with people, processes, and technologies to continuously deliver business value" [1]. 

Some of your skills that will be assessed include developing instrumentation strategies, site reliability engineering strategies, and security and compliance plans. You'll also show your skill level for managing source control, facilitating communication and collaboration, and implementing continuous integration and management strategies.

Who it's for: DevOps engineers

Recommended experience: Expert in Azure administration or development and familiarity with both. Either Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate or Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate Certification required as a prerequisite.

How to choose a DevOps certification 

Choosing a DevOps certification depends on your career goals, background knowledge, and personal interests. DevOps certifications come from several sources, including Red Hat, HashiCorp, DevOps Institute, MIT, Linux, Jenkins, and more.

Automation is a huge part of DevOps, and many of these certifications deal with the knowledge of cloud concepts, configuration management, and networking. Deciding which certification to explore all depends on where in the development cycle you prefer and what systems you are familiar with. 

Benefits of getting DevOps certified

As a current or aspiring DevOps professional, you might choose to pursue certification for many reasons. Here are a few to consider:

• Potential salary increase: In the United States, 95 percent of DevOps professionals earned more than $75,000 in salary in 2020, a 93 percent increase from 2019 [2]. With DevOps skills and expertise increasingly in demand over the past few years, getting certified in many DevOps architectures is a valuable way to supplement your resume. 

• Recognition: When you achieve your DevOps certification, you demonstrate expert knowledge in DevOps and understand the processes of producing code, managing versions, testing, integration, and deployment. Your certification could lead to opportunities for you to stand out and take on more advanced leadership roles within your company. 

• Develop skills: If you’re a developer, engineer, or working with the deployment team, strong DevOps skills can give you a better understanding of all stages of deployment and working to deploy software as a cohesive unit rather than siloed teams. 

• New career path: DevOps is widely considered the future of software development. Make yourself more marketable and valuable in the market and adjust to current trends in development with a certification in DevOps. 

Job outlook and salary range for DevOps career pathway 

The average base pay for a DevOps engineer in the United States is $112,192, and salaries range from $93,000 to $135,000 [3]. Demand is high for DevOps engineers. Thirty-nine percent of tech companies are recruiting DevOps engineers and managers, and 22 percent are hiring DevOps consultants [4]. 

Get certified in DevOps today 

Prepare for an in-demand career in DevOps with the IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate. Practice Agile and Scrum methodologies as you build applications and deploy using containers and serverless technologies while learning at your own pace. Get started with a seven-day free trial of Coursera Plus.