If you are choosing between software engineer and DevOps engineer, my honest starting answer is that most people should aim at software engineer first, because it is a real entry-level role with a huge number of openings, while DevOps is usually a second job you grow into. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median software developer wage at $133,080 (BLS 2024), and Glassdoor puts the average DevOps engineer around $144,000 (Glassdoor 2026), so the pay ceilings are close. The difference that actually matters for your decision is not the salary. It is what you spend your days doing, and how hard each role is to break into from a standing start. I will lay out the skills, the day-to-day, the entry paths, the demand, and the mobility between the two, using verified 2026 numbers and flagging anything I could not confirm.
What each role actually does
A software engineer designs, writes, and maintains the applications people use: the mobile app, the checkout flow, the banking backend, the API another team calls. The work is coding-heavy. You spend your time in a codebase, turning a product requirement into working features, fixing bugs, reviewing pull requests, and thinking about how the system should be structured so it does not fall apart as it grows. In 2026 the job has shifted: AI assistants like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Claude Code handle a lot of the boilerplate, so more of your attention goes to architecture, edge cases, and judgment about what to build. The core skill set is programming languages (Python and JavaScript or TypeScript cover most jobs), data structures, databases, and web frameworks like React or Next.js on the front and Node or Django on the back.
A DevOps engineer builds and runs the machinery that gets that application from a laptop into production, reliably and repeatedly. Instead of shipping features, you ship the system that ships features: continuous integration and delivery pipelines, cloud infrastructure defined as code, container orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes, and the monitoring that tells you when something breaks at 3am. The day-to-day is automation, configuration, and firefighting rather than product coding. You still write code, but it is scripts, pipeline definitions, and infrastructure config in tools like Terraform, not application logic. The mindset is different too. A software engineer asks how do I build this feature; a DevOps engineer asks how do I make deploying and running it boring and safe.
| Feature | Software Engineer | DevOps Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Core output | Product features and app code | Pipelines, infrastructure, reliability |
| Main skills | Languages, algorithms, frameworks | Linux, cloud, CI/CD, Terraform, K8s |
| Common first job? | Yes, a real entry point | Rarely, usually a second role |
| US median / average pay | $133,080 median (BLS 2024) | ~$144K average (Glassdoor 2026) |
| Job volume | ~1.7M jobs, huge | Smaller but fast-growing |
The skills each path demands
The two skill sets overlap at the base and diverge fast. Both need Git, the command line, and enough coding to be dangerous. From there, a software engineer goes deep on programming: data structures and algorithms, one or two languages done well, a full stack (React or Next.js, a backend framework, a SQL or NoSQL database), plus system design once you are past junior. A DevOps engineer goes deep on operations: Linux administration, networking basics, a cloud provider (AWS has the most jobs), Docker and Kubernetes, infrastructure as code with Terraform, CI/CD with something like GitHub Actions, and observability with tools like Prometheus and Grafana. The catch that trips people up is that DevOps is broad and shallow-looking but actually demands real depth in each layer, which is exactly why it is hard to do as a first job. You cannot automate a deployment you have never done by hand, and you cannot debug a production incident without understanding the system underneath it.
- Software engineer: the largest pool of entry-level tech jobs, so the first job is more reachable
- Software engineer: skills transfer widely across products, startups, and big tech
- DevOps engineer: strong pay and very high demand, with 35% year-on-year posting growth cited in role data
- DevOps engineer: fewer people can do it well, so less competition once you qualify
- Software engineer: entry-level competition is fierce and coding interviews are a grind
- Software engineer: AI tooling is compressing junior boilerplate work, raising the bar for what juniors must add
- DevOps engineer: rarely a first job; many postings quietly expect 3 to 5 years of experience
- DevOps engineer: on-call and production incidents are part of the deal, which suits some people and not others
Salary: how the money really compares
The headline numbers are closer than most comparison posts admit. For software engineers, the cleanest figure is the BLS median software developer wage of $133,080, with the lowest 10% under $79,850 and the highest 10% over $211,450 (BLS 2024). Those are broad national numbers across every employer, not just high-paying tech firms, so at the top end big-tech total compensation runs far higher once you add equity. For DevOps engineers, Glassdoor reports an average base of about $144,000, with entry level around $118,000 and senior roles averaging about $181,000, and the 90th percentile near $220,000 (Glassdoor 2026). Note the two sources are not measuring the same thing: BLS is a government median wage, Glassdoor is a self-reported average that skews higher and covers a role that is rarely entry-level. So the fair read is that experienced pay is similar, but DevOps has a higher floor because so few of its jobs are junior, while software engineering has a lower entry salary precisely because it has real junior roles at all.
“Many DevOps Engineer postings quietly expect 3 to 5 years of experience, so instead of treating DevOps as your very first job title, think of it as a near-term target you can reach in 6 to 24 months with the right steps.”
Which is easier to break into?
This is where the honest beat lives, and it is the single most useful thing in this comparison. Software engineer is a genuine entry-level job. There are roughly 1.7 million software developer positions in the US and about 129,200 openings projected each year through 2034 (BLS 2024), and a meaningful share of those are junior roles a self-taught or bootcamp graduate can realistically land in 4 to 8 months of focused work. DevOps is different. It is usually not a first job. The people who fill DevOps roles overwhelmingly arrive from somewhere else: most come from software engineering, and the rest from systems administration, cloud support, or networking (Dev 2026). A software engineer who already codes well can move into DevOps in about 3 to 6 months of targeted study, and a sysadmin can do it in 6 to 9 months. But trying to make DevOps your very first title, with no production experience behind you, is the hard road, and it is why so many DevOps guides quietly assume you already work in tech. If you are starting from zero, aim at software engineer or a junior cloud or support role first, then pivot.
- If You are starting from zero and want a realistic first tech job →
- If You love building products and enjoy writing application code →
- If You already code and prefer systems, automation, and reliability over features →
- If You come from sysadmin, IT support, or networking →
Demand and job security in 2026
Both roles are in demand, but the shape of that demand differs. Software engineering is the larger, more stable market: 1.7 million jobs and 15% projected growth through 2034, much faster than the average occupation (BLS 2024). The wrinkle for 2026 is that AI coding tools are absorbing a lot of the routine work that used to fill a junior engineer's week, so entry-level roles are more competitive and employers expect new hires to add judgment, not just type code. DevOps is a smaller but faster-growing field, with role guides citing roughly 35% year-on-year growth in job postings and near-universal adoption across companies that ship software. I could not verify that exact 35% figure against a primary government source, so treat it as an industry estimate rather than a hard statistic. The durable point is that every company running software in the cloud needs people who can deploy and operate it safely, and that demand is not going away. Neither path is a bad bet; they are bets on different kinds of work.
How to actually move between the two
The good news is that this is not a one-way door. Software engineer and DevOps engineer share a foundation, so mobility between them is real and common. A software engineer moving to DevOps needs to add cloud fundamentals, containers, infrastructure as code, and pipeline design; the fastest way to signal that is a certification plus a portfolio project. The two highest-signal credentials for DevOps hiring are the AWS Solutions Architect Associate, which proves you understand cloud architecture, and the Certified Kubernetes Administrator, which proves you can run container orchestration in production. Pair one of those with a project that deploys a containerized app to AWS through a Terraform-managed pipeline, and you have a credible DevOps story built on your existing coding skills. Going the other way, a DevOps engineer who wants to write more product code leans on the scripting and systems knowledge they already have and deepens their application-framework skills. If you want a structured path, a focused prep course can compress the study, and our roadmaps for both roles break down the exact steps.
- Months 0 to 4Land or target software engineer: fundamentals, Python and JavaScript, a full-stack project portfolioEntry path
- Months 4 to 12On the job, learn Linux, Git deeply, cloud basics, and Docker. Automate something real at workCross-train
- Months 12 to 15Add CI/CD with GitHub Actions and Terraform. Study for AWS Solutions Architect AssociateCert + IaC
- Months 15 to 18Ship a full CI/CD pipeline project, add Kubernetes, then apply to DevOps rolesPivot
“Software engineer is a first job you can reach in months. DevOps is a second job you grow into. Choose your starting line accordingly.”
TechCerted
To go deeper, read our full roadmaps for the <a href="/careers/software-engineer">software engineer career path</a> and the <a href="/careers/devops-engineer">DevOps engineer career path</a>, which lay out the exact steps, timelines, and costs for each. If DevOps is your target, our guides to the <a href="/certifications/aws-solutions-architect">AWS Solutions Architect Associate</a> and the <a href="/certifications/cka-kubernetes">Certified Kubernetes Administrator</a> cover the two credentials that move the needle most in DevOps hiring. When you are ready to build the cloud and pipeline skills, a <a href="https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=devops%20aws%20terraform%20kubernetes">focused DevOps prep course</a> can compress the study into a structured path.
If you are starting from zero, choose software engineer. It has real entry-level roles, roughly 1.7 million jobs, and 15% growth (BLS 2024), and it is the most reliable first step into tech. Choose DevOps engineer if you already code and prefer systems, automation, and reliability over building features, or if you come from a sysadmin or IT background where operations knowledge gives you a head start. The pay is close, with software developers at a $133,080 median (BLS 2024) and DevOps averaging about $144,000 (Glassdoor 2026), so decide on the work, not the money. The honest catch is that DevOps is rarely a first job; most people reach it from software engineering or operations, so treat it as a 6 to 24 month target rather than an entry point.
Does DevOps or software engineering pay more?+
They are close. US software developers earn a median of $133,080 (BLS 2024), while DevOps engineers average about $144,000 on Glassdoor, with senior roles near $181,000 (Glassdoor 2026). DevOps looks higher partly because it is rarely an entry-level role, so its average excludes many junior salaries. At senior levels the two are comparable, and big-tech software roles can exceed both once equity is included.
Is DevOps a good first job?+
Usually not. DevOps is typically a second role. Most DevOps engineers arrive from software engineering or systems administration, and many postings expect 3 to 5 years of experience. If you are starting from zero, aim at software engineer or a junior cloud or support role first, then pivot into DevOps in 6 to 24 months.
Which is easier to break into with no degree?+
Software engineer, because it has the largest number of genuine junior openings, roughly 1.7 million jobs total and about 129,200 openings a year (BLS 2024). A self-taught or bootcamp path can land a first software role in 4 to 8 months. DevOps has fewer junior roles, so it is harder as a true first job.
Can I switch from software engineer to DevOps later?+
Yes, and it is one of the most common moves. A software engineer who already codes well can reach a DevOps role in about 3 to 6 months by adding cloud fundamentals, Docker and Kubernetes, CI/CD, and Terraform, plus a portfolio pipeline project. An AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Certified Kubernetes Administrator certification strengthens the case.
Do DevOps engineers write code?+
Yes, but a different kind. Instead of application features, DevOps engineers write scripts, pipeline definitions, and infrastructure as code in tools like Terraform, plus automation in Python and Bash. You need to be comfortable coding, but you are not building the product itself the way a software engineer does.
Is AI going to replace either role?+
Neither, but both are changing. AI tools like Copilot and Claude Code absorb routine coding, which raises the bar for junior software engineers to add judgment beyond boilerplate. In DevOps, AI speeds up scripting and troubleshooting but does not remove the need to understand systems. Both roles reward people who use AI well rather than compete with it.