Pandemic-driven digitalization and talent shortages pegged as drivers of salary trends and even gender equity in the past two years.

In a salary survey of more than 2,600 global technology professionals regarding infrastructure automation for 2021, significant global growth in DevOps salaries was noted, but it was also found that the Asia Pacific region (APAC) lagged behind other regions in the highest salary brackets. 

Nothing that pandemic-driven digital transformation efforts had directly impacted the DevOps landscape, the survey report concludes that transformational enterprise shifts had forced companies in the survey to offer more competitive compensation and invest in top talent to ensure sustainable success. As a result, more workers were moving into higher income levels than at any time studied in the past three years. 

In addition, organizations in the survey with high-evolution DevOps were compensating their employees at the highest level, with more managers and practitioners entering the salary group of more than US$150,000.

Key findings

The survey data has revealed that the women polled were steadily increasing their earning status across regions, roles, and industries. Also:

  • Only 4% of managers and practitioners in the region polled were earning more than US$150,000 in 2021, compared to 6% of those polled in Europe and U.K.; 12% in Canada; and 35% in the United States. In the $100,000-plus salary range, APAC was ahead (33%) of Europe/the U.K. (24%), as was the case in 2019 and 2020.
  • In the data, more than double the number of women had entered the higher income level of US$150,000-plus than in previous surveys (17% in 2021 compared to 8% in 2020 and 10% in 2019). This points to a narrowing salary gap between male and female practitionersin the annual studies.
  • The share of those earning more than US$150,000 at high-evolution firms had increased from 8% in 2020 to 20% in 2021. 
  • Respondents working in financial services earned the highest salaries, followed by those working in healthcare and technology. There were substantial increases across all sectors, with financial services nearly doubling from 16% in 2020 to 29% in 2021.

According to Rachel Lew, Senior Director, APAC, Puppet, the firm that commissioned the yearly salary survey: “The survey findings show that companies must keep pace with the competitive compensation globally in order to attract and nurture DevOps talent and critical skills in great demand.”