DevOps Engineer Fresher Average Salary in India (2023)

The IT industry is rapidly evolving and new job roles are emerging every day. One of the most coveted profiles currently is that of a DevOps engineer. DevOps methodology helps deliver applications and services faster through strategies like continuous development, integration, testing, deployment and monitoring. This improves the quality and frequency of releases.

With businesses relying more and more on technology, there is a huge demand for DevOps engineers who can optimize development and operational processes. This article will provide an in-depth look at what freshers can expect as the average DevOps engineer salary in India in 2023. It covers key aspects like DevOps skills required, job responsibilities, top companies and cities hiring DevOps engineers and future outlook.

Summery of Average Salary for DevOps Engineer in India

Understanding DevOps engineer fresher salaries helps those looking to enter this career stream. It provides clarity on aspects like:

• Salary range they can expect as a beginner in this field.
• How to build the right skillsets that fetch higher pay.
• Big companies and cities paying higher for DevOps fresher roles.
• Future career growth aspects in terms of higher salaries and opportunities.

Equipped with this information, aspirants can make informed decisions and prepare accordingly through relevant certifications and training. Ultimately, this helps build a successful career in an exciting and high demand field like DevOps.

Detailed explanation of what a DevOps engineer does

A DevOps engineer is responsible for managing, monitoring, maintaining and supporting an organization’s infrastructure and operations related to development, testing and deployment of applications. Their core role involves automation of workflows to seamlessly move code from development into production.

Some typical responsibilities include:

• Developing and implementing automation scripts for building, testing and deployment. Knowledge of tools like Jenkins, Ansible, Docker etc. is essential here.
• Managing code releases from development to production deployment.
• Monitoring performance of applications and infrastructure.
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting issues proactively.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams like developers, QA professionals etc.
• Providing support during new releases and updates.
• Ensuring compliance with processes, security and regulatory needs.
• Contributing to CI/CD pipelines for faster releases.
• Leveraging cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and automation frameworks.

As is evident, DevOps engineers handle a wide variety of critical tasks that require both technical skills and soft skills like communication, collaboration and analytical thinking.

Technical and soft skills crucial for DevOps engineers

Some key technical skills required are:

• Linux, Python, Git, Jenkins
• Knowledge of monitoring tools like Nagios, Splunk
• Infrastructure as code tools like Terraform, Docker
• Cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP
• CI/CD pipelines, Ansible, Kubernetes

Soft skills needed:

• Communication and collaboration
• Analytical and solution-oriented
• Ability to understand business requirements
• Learn new tools and technologies rapidly

Engineers proficient in these areas are high in demand and can expect attractive DevOps fresher salaries.

DevOps Engineer Average Salary for Freshers in India

As per Payscale, the average salary for an entry level DevOps engineer in India with less than 1 year of experience is ₹404,553 per annum. This translates to approximately ₹33,000 per month is expected salary for a DevOps Engineering freshers.

Salaries could range from ₹300,000 to ₹600,000 based on multiple factors. Some key elements influencing fresher pay scale are:

• Relevant certifications like CCNA, AWS, and Azure.
• Quality of college/institute and academics.
• Proficiency in scripting languages like Python.
• Knowledge of tools like Jenkins, Terraform etc.
• Hands-on exposure through internships.
• Communication and analytical abilities.

Thus freshers can hike their starting salary by upto 20-30% through relevant skills and certifications.

Salary across Top Companies hiring DevOps freshers

The brand name of company you begin your career with also impacts entry level salary. Some top firms hiring DevOps freshers are:

• Amazon: ₹800,000 per annum
• Microsoft: ₹650,000 per annum
• Google: ₹700,000 per annum
• IBM: ₹500,000 per annum
• Accenture: ₹450,000 per annum
• Wipro: ₹350,000 per annum
• TCS: ₹400,000 per annum
• Infosys: ₹380,000 per annum

As is evident, product based companies like Amazon and Microsoft pay higher fresher salaries than service companies like Infosys and TCS.

How salaries vary across major Indian cities

Currently, metros like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad pay higher average fresher salaries due to concentration of top IT firms. Second tier cities are catching up gradually. Here’s a city wise comparison:

• Bangalore: ₹500,000 per annum
• Mumbai: ₹450,000 per annum
• Delhi-NCR: ₹400,000 per annum
• Hyderabad: ₹380,000 per annum
• Chennai: ₹350,000 per annum
• Pune: ₹320,000 per annum

But cost of living in metro cities is higher, so the saving potential in smaller cities might be similar.

How does India compare globally for DevOps fresher pay?

Let’s look at average entry level DevOps pay globally:

• United States: $70,000 (~₹58,00,000)
• United Kingdom: £31,000 (~₹28,00,000)
• Singapore: S$55,000 (~₹30,00,000)
• Australia: AU$65,000 (~₹35,00,000)
• UAE (Dubai): AED 90,000 (~₹18,00,000)

So India offers competitive fresher salaries but experienced professionals can get 2-3x higher earnings in countries like US and UK.

Future outlook for DevOps engineers in India

As per Nasscom, India will have over 1 million active DevOps professionals by 2025, against around 700,000 currently. This indicates tremendous growth opportunities in the field.

Demand is driven by factors like:

• Increasing use of agile methodologies.
• Automation and integration becoming critical.
• Faster release cycles required.
• Leveraging cloud infrastructure.
• Digitization and technology adoption.

This rising demand will likely translate to 30-40% higher average salaries in the next 2-3 years. Freshers can expect nearly 15-20% yearly hikes.

Tips to earn higher as a DevOps fresher

Some tips to increase your starting salary include:

• Focus on scripting languages like Python, Go.
• Get certified in AWS, Azure and GCP.
• Create DevOps focused projects and portfolios.
• Do 1-2 relevant internships before graduating.
• Develop both hard and soft skills.
• Apply to product companies over service firms.
• Build expertise in newest tools and technologies.
• Show ability to understand requirements and problems.

Conclusion

• Average DevOps fresher salary in India is ₹404,553 per annum or ₹33,000 per month.
• Salary depends on skills, certifications, academics and company brand.
• Metros pay more than smaller cities currently.
• Amazon, Microsoft pay highest fresher salaries.
• India offers competitive pay compared to global levels.
• Future demand and growth outlook is very positive.
• Building expertise in automation tools is key for higher pay.

The field of DevOps engineering is poised for strong growth in the coming years, translating to attractive salary and opportunities for freshers who develop the right skillsets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)