How to Become a DevOps Engineer in 2025: Complete Roadmap

DevOps engineering is one of the hottest career paths in 2025, with an average salary of ₹10-20 LPA in India and $100k-150k in the US. Here's your complete roadmap.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It aims to shorten the development lifecycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality.

Essential Skills for DevOps Engineers

1. Linux & Operating Systems (Foundation)

• Linux commands and shell scripting
• File systems and permissions
• Process management and networking
• System administration basics

2. Version Control (Git & GitHub)

• Git basics: clone, commit, push, pull
• Branching strategies (GitFlow, trunk-based)
• Pull requests and code reviews
• GitHub Actions for CI/CD

3. Cloud Platforms (Essential)

• AWS: EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, VPC, IAM
• Azure: Virtual Machines, App Services, Azure DevOps
• GCP: Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, Kubernetes Engine

4. Containerization & Orchestration

• Docker: Images, containers, Dockerfile, Docker Compose
• Kubernetes: Pods, Services, Deployments, ConfigMaps
• Container registries (Docker Hub, ECR, ACR)

5. CI/CD Tools

• Jenkins: Pipeline automation, plugins
• GitLab CI/CD: .gitlab-ci.yml, runners
• GitHub Actions: Workflows, actions marketplace
• Azure DevOps: Pipelines, release management

6. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

• Terraform: Resource provisioning, state management
• Ansible: Configuration management, playbooks
• CloudFormation: AWS infrastructure automation

7. Monitoring & Logging

• Prometheus & Grafana: Metrics and dashboards
• ELK Stack: Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana
• Datadog/New Relic: APM and infrastructure monitoring

DevOps Learning Path (6-Month Roadmap)

Month 1-2: Foundations

• Linux fundamentals & shell scripting
• Git & GitHub mastery
• Python basics for automation
• Networking fundamentals

Month 3-4: Cloud & Containerization

• AWS/Azure fundamentals (choose one)
• Docker deep dive
• Kubernetes basics
• CI/CD with Jenkins/GitHub Actions

Month 5-6: Advanced Topics

• Terraform for IaC
• Ansible for configuration management
• Monitoring with Prometheus & Grafana
• DevSecOps basics

Top Certifications for DevOps Engineers

1. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
2. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
3. HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
4. Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
5. Docker Certified Associate

Salary Expectations (2025)

• Entry-Level (0-2 years): ₹4-8 LPA
• Mid-Level (3-5 years): ₹10-18 LPA
• Senior (5+ years): ₹20-35 LPA
• Lead DevOps Engineer: ₹35-50 LPA

Free Resources to Get Started

• Linux Journey (linuxjourney.com)
• Docker Documentation (docs.docker.com)
• Kubernetes Tutorials (kubernetes.io/docs/tutorials)
• AWS Free Tier (12 months free)
• YouTube channels: TechWorld with Nana, DevOps Toolkit

Conclusion

Becoming a DevOps engineer in 2025 requires dedication and continuous learning. Focus on hands-on practice, build projects, and get certified. With the right skills, you can land a high-paying DevOps role within 6-12 months.

Ready to start your DevOps journey? Check out our comprehensive AWS and Azure Cloud Computing & DevOps course with 100% placement assistance!