5 Popular DevOps Certifications in 2025

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 can enhance your CV, 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. 

Explore five popular DevOps certifications to consider and understand the potential benefits of getting certified. 

Ready to explore DevOps?

Get started now if you're ready to learn DevOps. Take the first course in IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate today. It's risk-free with our free 7-day trial of Coursera Plus.

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. Discover five DevOps certifications that employers respect and most often request:

1. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional

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. 

According to Q1 2024 data gathered by Synergy Research Group [1], AWS is the leading cloud provider in the world, holding 31 percent of the market share.

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

Cost: 300 USD [2]

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

specialization

Python for Everybody

Learn to Program and Analyze Data with Python. Develop programs to gather, clean, analyze, and visualize data.

4.8

(215,014 ratings)

1,752,643 already enrolled

Beginner level

Learn More

Average time: 2 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Json, Xml, Python Programming, Database (DBMS), Python Syntax And Semantics, Basic Programming Language, Computer Programming, Sqlite, SQL, Data Structure, Tuple, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Web Scraping

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. Expect tests 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: No prerequisites 

Cost: 395 USD [3]

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, 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

Cost: 195 USD [4]

Looking for a course to help you prepare for the DCA exam? Try the Docker Certified Associate (DCA) Specialisation on Coursera to learn how Docker operates in the DevOps lifecycle. 

4. Puppet Certified Professional

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

Passing the Puppet Certified Professional exam validates your ability to use Puppet IT automation software. It tests your technical skills and real-world experience. Expect tests focusing on your understanding and use of 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 to advanced understanding and use of Puppet

Cost: 200 USD [5]

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 deliver business value continuously" [6]. 

Expect assessments on your skills, including 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. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate or Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate Certification is required as a prerequisite.

Cost: 165 USD / £113 [6]

How to choose a DevOps certification 

Choosing a DevOps certification depends on your career goals, background knowledge, and interests. DevOps certifications come from several sources, including Red Hat, HashiCorp, DevOps Institute, Linux, 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 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 UK, 25 percent of the top DevOps earners have salaries of more than £80,000, much higher than the national average [7]. 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 CV. 

• 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 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. 

Salary range for DevOps career pathway 

The average base pay for a DevOps engineer in the UK is £49,104, and typical average salaries range from £39,000 to £62,000 [8]. 

Next steps in DevOps with Coursera

DevOps is a field that offers high salaries and an excellent job outlook, providing you have the relevant technical skills and experience. 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.

professional certificate

Google IT Automation with Python

Learn in-demand skills like Python, Git, and IT automation to advance your career

4.8

(38,703 ratings)

761,591 already enrolled

Beginner level

Learn More

Average time: 6 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Configuration Management, Python Programming, Using Version Control, Troubleshooting & Debugging, Automation, Managing Scarce Resources, Improving Software Performance, Finding the Root Cause of a Problem, Advanced Troubleshooting, Understanding Errors, Automation at Scale, Cloud Computing, Basic Monitoring & Alerting, Using Puppet, Building a Solution, Interacting with Web Services, Serialization, Creating and Translating Media Files, Automating System Administration Tasks with Python, Setting up your Development Environment, Bash Scripting, Regular Expression (REGEX), Testing in Python, Reverting Changes, Interacting with GitHub, Version Control Systems, Creating Pull Requests, Using Git, Basic Python Syntax, Basic Python Data Structures, Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), Fundamental Programming Concepts