Team6 · July 10, 2026 
Introduction
DevOps engineers are among the most sought-after professionals in the tech industry today and if you are an engineering student in India, you have probably already heard about this career path. But here is a question that troubles thousands of IT and CSE students every year: Does your choice of degree determine how far you can go in a DevOps career? The debate around a DevOps career for IT vs CSE students is real, and it deserves a clear, honest answer.
The numbers make the opportunity very clear. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global DevOps market is projected to grow from USD 10.4 billion in 2023 to USD 25.5 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 19.7% (Source: MarketsandMarkets via GlobeNewswire). Closer to home, NASSCOM has identified DevOps Engineer as one of the roles with the highest demand-supply disparity in India meaning there are far more jobs than there are skilled professionals to fill them (Source: NASSCOM State of Data Science & AI Skills in India).
Whether you are from a Computer Science and Engineering background or an Information Technology background, this blog will walk you through what each degree brings to the table, what skills truly matter for a DevOps engineer career path, and how you can build a thriving career regardless of which stream you chose.
What Exactly Is DevOps and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?
Think about how software was delivered a decade ago. A developer wrote code, sent it to a testing team, who passed it to an operations team, who handed it off to a release team. The whole process took weeks, sometimes months. DevOps changed that completely.
DevOps is a combination of cultural practices, tools, and philosophies that bring software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) teams together under one continuous, automated workflow. The goal is simple: deliver high-quality software faster and more reliably. Companies like Amazon now deploy code thousands of times per day and that is only possible with strong DevOps practices in place.
For fresh graduates in India, this translates into real job opportunities. Roles like DevOps Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), and Cloud Engineer are in high demand across sectors from startups to large MNCs and even government organisations under MeitY and NIC (Source: MySarkariNaukri DevOps Government Jobs).
IT vs CSE Are They Really That Different?
Many students assume that CSE and IT are worlds apart. In reality, they overlap more than most people think and understanding the difference is key to planning the best degree for DevOps jobs.
A Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) degree focuses heavily on programming fundamentals, algorithms, data structures, operating systems, software engineering, and compiler design. It builds a strong base in how software is written and how systems work at a deeper level.
An Information Technology (IT) degree, on the other hand, is more applied in nature. It focuses on networking, database management, systems administration, and the infrastructure that keeps technology running in real-world environments. IT students learn how to manage and maintain systems, not just build them from scratch.
Here is the honest truth: both degrees teach you something DevOps desperately needs. CSE gives you the coding and system design muscle, while IT gives you the infrastructure and networking foundation. Neither degree is a disadvantage. What matters is how you build on what you already know.
How CSE Students Enter the DevOps World
CSE students come to DevOps with a natural advantage in programming and scripting, two skills that are core to automating workflows and building CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) pipelines. Their understanding of operating systems, system design, and software engineering makes it relatively straightforward to pick up DevOps toolchains.
That said, a CSE curriculum rarely covers real-world infrastructure management in depth. To bridge that gap, CSE students need to develop hands-on familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, containerisation tools like Docker and Kubernetes, infrastructure automation using Terraform or Ansible, and version control systems like Git. The journey from a CSE degree to a DevOps role is usually about translating coding skills into automation and pipeline management. For CSE students, it is less about learning something entirely new and more about redirecting existing strengths toward operations.
Have Any Doubts?
Can IT Students Really Build a DevOps Career?
Absolutely and often more naturally than people expect. IT students bring something to the table that is enormously valuable in DevOps: a deep understanding of networks, servers, systems, and infrastructure. In a field where managing cloud infrastructure and ensuring system reliability is half the job, that background is a real asset.
Where IT students need to put in extra effort is on the development side. Building proficiency in scripting languages like Python or Bash, learning CI/CD tools such as Jenkins and GitLab CI, and getting comfortable with version control systems like Git will significantly strengthen an IT student’s DevOps profile. The good news is that none of this is beyond reach; these are learnable skills, and with the right roadmap, IT graduates can move into cloud and infrastructure-focused DevOps roles, which are among the most in-demand positions in the industry today.
IT vs CSE for DevOps: A Quick Comparison
| Factor | CSE (Computer Science) | IT (Information Technology) |
|---|---|---|
| Coding & Scripting | High (Strong Logic) | Moderate (Application Focus) |
| Networking & Infra | Moderate | High (System Focus) |
| Cloud & Infra | Moderate | High (Readiness) |
| CI/CD & Automation | High | Moderate |
| System Design | High | Moderate |
| Overall DevOps Fit | Excellent | Excellent |
As the table shows, both degrees are well-suited for a DevOps career. The gaps are fillable with the right upskilling, and in today’s market, that is exactly what employers are looking for.
What Skills Matter More Than Your Degree?
Here is something the tech industry has made very clear: DevOps hiring is skills-first. Recruiters at companies like TCS, Infosys, Amazon India, and Razorpay are not as concerned with whether your degree says CSE or IT; they care about what you can actually do.
According to NASSCOM’s 2025 India IT Skills Report, DevOps is among the top five most in-demand skills across Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. The demand-supply gap for DevOps engineers in India currently stands between 60% and 73%, which means that skilled professionals, regardless of their degree, have a strong advantage (Source: NASSCOM State of Data Science & AI Skills in India).
The core skills you need to build for a DevOps role include Linux system administration, Git and version control, CI/CD pipeline tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI), containerisation with Docker and orchestration with Kubernetes, cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, scripting in Python or Bash, and Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform or Ansible.
Certifications can also significantly strengthen your profile. AWS offers the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional certification, which validates your ability to provision, operate, and manage distributed systems on AWS, a globally recognised credential that carries real weight with employers (Source: AWS Certification DevOps Engineer Professional). Google Cloud’s A professional DevOps engineer and the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) are equally respected in the industry.
On the salary side, freshers entering DevOps in India can expect to earn between ₹4 LPA and ₹8 LPA, with those holding specialised skills in cloud, Kubernetes, Docker, and Python commanding packages closer to ₹6–8 LPA. According to Glassdoor, the average DevOps engineer salary in India is ₹9,00,000 per year, with top earners making up to ₹20,00,000 per annum (Source: Glassdoor DevOps Engineer Salary India).
How Career Plan B Helps
Choosing a DevOps career path, whether you are from IT or CSE, can feel overwhelming without the right guidance. Career Plan B helps students navigate this confusion with personalized career counselling, PsycheIntel-based career assessment tests to identify your strengths, and tailored career roadmapping that shows you exactly what skills to build and when. If you are still figuring out your academic direction, their admission and academic profile guidance can help you align your education with a strong DevOps career goal from day one.
For Latest Information
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is CSE better than IT for a DevOps career?
Neither degree is categorically better than the other for a DevOps career. CSE gives you a stronger coding foundation, while IT gives you stronger infrastructure and networking knowledge. Both are valuable starting points. What matters most is the skills you develop on top of your degree.
2. Can I get a DevOps job without a CS degree?
Yes. Many DevOps professionals come from non-CS backgrounds, including IT, electronics, and even non-engineering fields. Since DevOps hiring is primarily skills-based, a strong portfolio, relevant certifications, and hands-on project experience can open doors regardless of your degree.
3. What is the average DevOps salary for freshers in India?
Freshers in DevOps typically earn between ₹4 LPA and ₹8 LPA in India, depending on skills, location, and company size. Those with cloud or containerisation expertise often start on the higher end of that range.
4. Which certifications help IT students enter DevOps?
IT students can significantly boost their DevOps profile with the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (aws.amazon.com), Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer (cloud.google.com), and the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) offered by the Linux Foundation (training.linuxfoundation.org).
5. How long does it take to become a DevOps engineer?
With dedicated effort, most engineering graduates can build a job-ready DevOps profile in six to twelve months through structured learning, hands-on projects, and certification preparation. The timeline varies based on prior knowledge and the depth of skills you aim to develop.
Conclusion
The IT vs CSE debate, when it comes to DevOps careers, does not have a winner because both degrees can take you exactly where you want to go. CSE gives you the coding foundation; IT gives you the infrastructure instinct. DevOps, at its core, needs both. What truly determines your success is the skills you build, the certifications you earn, and the practical experience you accumulate along the way.
Your degree opens the door. Your skills define how far you walk through it.
If you are unsure where to begin or which path makes the most sense for your specific background and goals, Career Plan B can help you build a personalized roadmap from choosing the right certifications to shaping your academic and professional profile for a strong DevOps career.
The opportunity is there. The question is, are you ready to take the next step?
