Top 10 Entry-Level Backend and DevOps Jobs in 2026 (Roles, Pay, and How to Get Hired)

Table of Contents

• Why picking a tech role feels like the cereal aisle
• Junior Backend Developer
• Associate DevOps Engineer
• Cloud Support Engineer
• Associate Cloud Engineer
• Junior Systems Administrator
• Junior Site Reliability Engineer
• Entry-Level Automation Engineer
• Junior DevSecOps Engineer
• Entry-Level Database Administrator
• Junior Platform Engineer
• How to Use This List to Pick and Break In
• Frequently Asked Questions

Junior Backend Developer

Why it’s a top entry-level role in 2026

Junior backend developer is the high-fiber staple cereal of tech careers: not always the flashiest box, but it quietly powers almost everything on the shelf. Software development roles overall are projected to grow about 17% from 2023-2033, much faster than average, as summarized in multiple guides like Coursera’s back-end developer salary report. In 2026, a U.S. junior/backend developer averages around $88,976, with a typical range of roughly $71,799-$120,086, and many true entry-level offers landing in the high-$70k to high-$80k range depending on location and company size.

AI code generators sit right in the middle of this role: they can crank out boilerplate in Python, Node.js, or Java quickly, but they still struggle with designing clean architectures, understanding tradeoffs in database schemas, or debugging gnarly production issues. Hiring managers know this. Salary snapshots from firms like Robert Half’s technology salary trends report show continued strong demand for backend and API-focused developers, especially in non-glamorous sectors (healthcare, logistics, government) that quietly run huge systems and need people who understand the “ingredients list” of APIs, databases, and performance tuning.

Day-to-day responsibilities

• Build and maintain REST or GraphQL APIs used by web and mobile apps.
• Write and optimize SQL queries; work with joins, indexes, and migrations.
• Integrate third-party services like payments, email, and authentication providers.
• Fix bugs reported by QA or users and prevent regressions with tests.
• Review AI-generated code for security, correctness, and style before it ships.
• Contribute to basic CI/CD pipelines (tests, build configs, deployment scripts).

Core skills, tools, and certifications

Under the hood, most junior backend job postings rhyme: you’ll see a mix of one general-purpose language, one SQL database, basic web concepts, and some DevOps-adjacent tooling. Different stacks are like different flavors of the same cereal - slightly different taste, same core nutrition.

• Languages: Python, Java, or Node.js/TypeScript for core backend logic.
• Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB; comfort with indexing and joins.
• Web basics: REST APIs, JSON, authentication/authorization patterns.
• Tooling: Git/GitHub, Docker, and basic CI (GitHub Actions, Jenkins).
• Helpful certs (optional but nice-to-have): AWS Certified Developer - Associate, Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204), which also support future moves into DevOps or cloud engineering.

Salary, demand, and how to break in

Average pay around $88,976 with a range of $71,799-$120,086 puts junior backend work in the “decent sugar, solid protein” category: good short-term compensation plus long-term transferable skills. Demand remains very high across industries according to 2026 tech salary guides, but the junior market is crowded and AI-assisted applications make it harder to stand out without a portfolio that proves you can ship real services.

1. Follow an intentional learning path. A structured program like Nucamp’s Back End, SQL & DevOps with Python bootcamp (16 weeks, 10-20 hours/week, live weekly 4-hour workshops capped around 15 students, tuition from $2,124 early-bird with payment plans, plus 5 weeks of data structures, algorithms, and interview prep, and a 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from roughly 398 reviews) can compress the trial-and-error phase, especially if you’re switching careers.
2. Build 3 portfolio projects that look like real work. Examples: a URL shortener API, a simple SaaS-style billing clone, or a todo app with authentication and PostgreSQL. Use AI to help generate snippets, but force yourself to refactor and explain every line in your own words.
3. Be strategic about where you apply. Target titles like “Junior Backend Developer,” “Backend Engineer I,” or “Software Engineer I (Backend)” at small-to-mid-sized companies and non-tech industries (healthcare, logistics, manufacturing) where the work uses the same skills as big-name firms but competition is closer to “store-brand” levels.

Associate DevOps Engineer

Why it’s a top entry-level role in 2026

Associate DevOps Engineer is the high-protein mix with extra toppings in the tech cereal aisle: a little more complex than plain backend, but the payoff in salary and growth is hard to ignore. In the U.S., associate/entry-level DevOps engineers average about $125,908, with lower-end offers starting near $71,240, based on aggregated salary guides. Job posting volume on major boards stays very high, with thousands of active “DevOps engineer” listings, and industry trackers like Built In’s DevOps salary overview consistently place these roles in the six-figure conversation as you gain experience. AI is now “automating the automation” - tools can suggest CI/CD pipelines, Terraform modules, and Kubernetes manifests - but companies still need humans who understand Linux, networking, and failure modes enough to say “no” when an auto-generated script would blow up production.

Day-to-day responsibilities

On a typical day, you’re the person making sure code can reliably go from a developer’s laptop to a stable production environment. Instead of writing user-facing features, you’re building the rails those features travel on.

• Design, build, and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI) so code is tested and deployed consistently.
• Write automation scripts in Bash or Python to handle repetitive tasks like backups, log rotation, or environment setup.
• Manage Docker images and basic Kubernetes deployments, working with developers to containerize apps.
• Monitor logs and metrics, triage alerts, and help respond to incidents when something breaks.
• Collaborate with security and backend teams to bake testing, security scans, and rollbacks into the deployment process.

Core skills, tools, and certifications

Most associate DevOps job descriptions look like a grocery label with the same nutrients in different order: Linux, scripting, CI/CD, containers, and at least one cloud provider. Titles vary - “DevOps Engineer,” “Platform Engineer,” “Release Engineer” - but the ingredients overlap heavily, and many “DevOps” postings are really early-stage SRE or platform roles in disguise.

• OS fundamentals: solid Linux (processes, permissions, networking, logs).
• Scripting: Bash and Python to glue tools together and automate workflows.
• CI/CD tools: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI for build/test/deploy pipelines.
• Containers & orchestration: Docker basics and at least exposure to Kubernetes.
• Cloud basics: AWS, Azure, or GCP services for compute, storage, networking.

Cloud certifications often come with a noticeable bump; several cloud and DevOps career guides estimate a 15-25% salary premium when you pair certs with real experience, especially in consulting or enterprise environments.

How to break in (without already being mid-level)

The catch: many “DevOps Engineer” postings quietly expect 3-5 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 6-24 months with the right steps. A structured backend and DevOps-focused program like Nucamp’s 16-week Back End, SQL & DevOps with Python bootcamp - roughly 10-20 hours a week, early-bird tuition around $2,124, small live cohorts, plus 5 weeks of data structures, algorithms, and interview prep - can help you build both coding and CI/CD foundations while staying affordable compared with $10,000+ competitors.

• Path in: Start in a junior backend, sysadmin, or cloud support role, then move internally into DevOps after proving you can own small automations.
• Home lab: Build a mini pipeline: a simple app in a Git repo, a CI workflow that runs tests and builds a Docker image, and a script to deploy it to a small server or Kubernetes cluster.
• Portfolio: Document everything in GitHub READMEs - architecture diagrams, failure scenarios you tested, and before/after metrics (e.g., “deploy time from 20 minutes manual to 3 minutes automated”).
• Target titles: Search for “Associate DevOps,” “Release Engineer I,” “Platform Operations Engineer (Junior),” or “Automation Engineer” rather than just “DevOps Engineer.” These are often the store-brand versions of the same role with more realistic expectations for newcomers.

Cloud Support Engineer

Cloud Support Engineer is the surprisingly nutritious, accessibly priced box on the shelf: not the flashiest branding, but it gets you close to serious cloud and DevOps work without demanding a huge portfolio on day one. In the U.S., cloud support engineers average around $82,930, and hiring stays strong as more companies move infrastructure to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Job listings for “entry-level cloud” and “cloud support” remain plentiful on boards like Indeed’s entry-level cloud and DevOps searches, making this one of the more realistic on-ramps if you’re coming from help desk, customer support, or a non-tech field.

What you actually do all day

Instead of building new products, you’re the translator between customers (internal dev teams or external clients) and the cloud platform. You live in dashboards, logs, and tickets, piecing together what went wrong and how to fix it without taking systems offline.

• Troubleshoot issues with compute instances, managed databases, networking, and storage across one major cloud provider.
• Walk customers through best practices for deployments, security groups, auto-scaling, and cost controls.
• Read logs and metrics to diagnose errors, then escalate complex incidents to engineering when needed.
• Create and update knowledge base articles and internal runbooks to reduce repeat tickets.
• Write simple Bash or Python scripts to automate frequent support tasks like log collection or environment checks.

AI copilots already help here by suggesting troubleshooting steps and summarizing long error logs, but they still can’t tell whether a misconfigured security group, a DNS record, or a resource limit is the real root cause. The people who thrive in this role treat AI as a “second set of eyes,” not as an autopilot.

Core skills and the certs that actually move the needle

The ingredient list for most cloud support postings is remarkably consistent: one cloud platform, Linux comfort, basic networking, and strong communication. You don’t need to be a Kubernetes guru; you do need to explain to a stressed customer why their app can’t reach a database and what to change without breaking something else.

• Cloud basics: regions vs. availability zones, IaaS vs. PaaS, pricing models, and core services (compute, storage, databases, networking).
• Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, load balancers, VPNs, and security groups/firewalls.
• Linux: command line navigation, logs, permissions, and basic system metrics.
• Scripting: Bash or Python for simple automation and diagnostics.

Cloud career guides from providers and training firms, such as the analyses on Cloudsoft Solutions’ DevOps job outlook, repeatedly highlight these entry-level certs as strong interview boosters when combined with even small real-world projects.

How to break in this year

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on what you can do in the next 30-60 days rather than the whole career arc. One concrete path looks like this:

1. Earn one foundational cloud cert. Pick AWS Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900, and study a little each day until you pass. This forces you to learn the vocabulary that every support ticket assumes you know.
2. Build and deliberately break a tiny environment. Host a static site behind a load balancer with a managed database. Then introduce common failure modes (wrong security group, bad DNS, instance too small), use logs and metrics to diagnose each problem, and write up your findings like support tickets and resolutions.
3. Apply to communication-heavy titles. Search for “Cloud Support Engineer,” “Cloud Customer Engineer,” or “Technical Support Engineer (Cloud)” and lean on your ability to explain problems clearly, not just your command-line skills.

Cloud support may not have the flashiest job title, but it gives you daily reps with real infrastructure, customers, and incident patterns. That combination of technical fundamentals plus communication is what makes it a strong launch pad into SRE, DevOps, or cloud engineering once you’ve outgrown the entry-level aisle.

Associate Cloud Engineer

Associate Cloud Engineer is what happens when you move from just eating the cereal to actually stocking the shelves. You’re closer to the infrastructure itself - provisioning servers, wiring networks, and helping teams use AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud safely. In the U.S., associate cloud engineers average around $82,636, with many entry-level offers starting near $68,206, according to ZipRecruiter’s associate cloud engineer salary snapshot. Cloud infrastructure work keeps showing up in IT career-path roundups as one of the most in-demand skill sets, because nearly every company now runs some mix of on-prem and cloud systems that actually have to talk to each other.

What the job actually looks like

On a day-to-day basis, you’re building and maintaining the “roads and plumbing” that application teams run on. Instead of adding new product features, you make sure those features have somewhere reliable, secure, and cost-effective to live.

• Provision and manage virtual machines, containers, load balancers, and managed databases in one major cloud.
• Configure VPCs, subnets, routing tables, and security groups so traffic flows correctly and safely.
• Implement and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with tools like Terraform or native templates.
• Help with cost optimization by right-sizing instances, cleaning up unused resources, and recommending reserved/spot options.
• Assist DevOps and SRE teams with deployments, incident response, and post-incident improvements.

AI tools can now suggest Terraform modules, IAM policies, and even full network topologies, but misconfigurations at this level turn into real security incidents or outages. The value you bring is knowing when a generated policy is too broad, or when an “optimized” architecture quietly breaks high availability.

Skills, tools, and certifications that matter

The ingredient list for this role is straightforward but deep: one cloud provider, solid networking and security fundamentals, and enough automation to avoid clicking through endless web consoles. Most job descriptions ask for experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP - picking one to start and going deep is usually better than skimming all three.

• Cloud platform: AWS, Azure, or GCP for compute, storage, databases, and identity.
• IaC: Terraform or cloud-native templates (CloudFormation, ARM, Deployment Manager).
• Networking: subnets, routing, load balancers, VPNs, and hybrid connectivity.
• Security: IAM roles and policies, encryption, key management, and basic compliance awareness.
• OS: Linux administration (packages, services, logs, permissions).

Salary and career-path reports that break down cloud roles often show these associate-level certifications clustering in the upper half of the pay range once paired with hands-on experience, and they’re frequently listed as “preferred” in cloud engineer job descriptions.

How to break in from where you are

Instead of trying to “learn the cloud” in the abstract, aim to own one small but realistic slice of infrastructure end to end over the next few months. That gives you stories to tell in interviews that go beyond “I watched a course.”

1. Pick one provider and build two IaC-backed projects. For example: a three-tier web app (load balancer, app servers, managed database) defined entirely in Terraform, and a simple auto-scaling setup behind a load balancer. Commit all code to GitHub with diagrams and notes about tradeoffs and costs.
2. Practice failure and cost thinking. Deliberately break parts of your setup (delete a route, misconfigure a security group, spike load) and document how you detect and fix each issue. Then estimate monthly costs and show how you’d reduce them without hurting reliability.
3. Target the right titles. Search for “Associate Cloud Engineer,” “Cloud Infrastructure Engineer I,” or “Cloud Operations Engineer” roles - these are often the store-brand versions of cloud architect jobs, with similar work but more realistic expectations for someone early in their career.

If you already have some Python, Linux, or backend experience, layering cloud and IaC skills on top turns you into exactly the kind of person teams want: someone who can both write code and keep the shelves stocked and organized so everyone else can build faster.

Junior Systems Administrator

Junior Systems Administrator is the old-school classic on the shelf: it’s been around forever, but it’s still a rock-solid way into backend and DevOps work - especially if you’re coming from IT support or help desk. In the U.S., junior/sysadmin roles average around $121,710, with entry-level ranges roughly $61,000-$123,871, based on system administrator salary aggregations and related IT ops data. Posting volume stays high because mid-to-large organizations still run plenty of servers, internal apps, and hybrid environments that someone has to keep patched, backed up, and reachable.

What you actually do all day

Instead of writing new features, you make sure the infrastructure everyone else depends on actually works. That usually means a mix of Windows and/or Linux server work, network basics, and a lot of “this broke at 4 p.m., can you fix it before everyone goes home?”

• Manage Windows Server and/or Linux machines: updates, patching, user and group management.
• Handle Active Directory, file shares, VPNs, and internal business applications.
• Monitor system health, disk usage, CPU/memory, and respond to alerts or outages.
• Automate repetitive tasks with PowerShell, Bash, or Python (backups, user provisioning, log cleanup).
• Collaborate with security, network, and DevOps teams on incidents and infrastructure changes.

Skills, tools, and how this role ages into DevOps or cloud

The ingredient list here is heavy on fundamentals: operating systems, networking, and basic automation. That’s exactly why sysadmin experience ages well into cloud, SRE, or DevOps roles. Guides to in-demand IT careers, like the top IT jobs breakdown from Clarusway’s IT career paths overview, still call out system and network administration as foundational for many higher-paying infrastructure roles.

• OS: Windows Server and/or Linux administration (services, logs, permissions).
• Networking: DHCP, DNS, routing basics, VPN concepts.
• Virtualization: VMware, Hyper-V, or cloud VM equivalents.
• Automation: PowerShell, Bash, and intro-level Ansible or similar tools.
• Helpful certs: CompTIA Network+ or Linux+, Microsoft Windows Server certs, or RHCSA for Linux-focused paths.

“System and network administrators remain a backbone of IT operations, and their skills are increasingly important as companies adopt hybrid cloud infrastructures.” - Clarusway, Top IT Jobs & Career Paths

How to break in from help desk or a non-tech job

If you already touch computers at work - even just resetting passwords - this is one of the more attainable first steps beyond pure support. Over the next few months, focus on turning “I can follow a runbook” into “I can design and automate one.”

1. Get hands-on with a home lab. Spin up a couple of VMs (one Windows, one Linux), set up a basic domain controller, file share, and internal web app. Practice patching, backups, and user management the way you’d do it at a small company.
2. Automate one real process. At work or in your lab, use PowerShell or Bash to automate something repetitive: creating user accounts, rotating logs, or backing up configs. Commit your scripts and a short README to GitHub so you can show tangible evidence in interviews.
3. Apply to true entry-level titles. Look for “Systems Administrator I,” “Junior Sysadmin,” or “IT Systems Engineer (Entry)” - often at hospitals, schools, local governments, and manufacturing companies. These roles may not have name-brand logos, but they give you the experience that later translates into cloud, DevOps, or SRE work.

Junior sysadmin won’t win the trendiest-title contest, but if your goal is long-term “protein” - Linux, networking, automation, and incident experience - it’s one of the most reliable boxes you can put in your basket right now.

Junior Site Reliability Engineer

Junior Site Reliability Engineer is the premium performance cereal: packed with everything - systems, code, cloud, on-call - but not always the best first pick if you’ve never had “breakfast” in tech before. Junior SREs in the U.S. average about $128,625, with a typical range around $83,000-$132,583, based on compensation breakdowns from sources like ZipRecruiter and SRE salary analyses on NetCom Learning’s SRE salary guide. Job posting volume is moderate compared with generic “DevOps Engineer,” but growing quickly as more companies adopt SRE practices to keep complex, cloud-native systems reliable.

What the job actually looks like

Instead of building brand-new features all day, you sit at the intersection of software engineering and operations, making sure critical systems stay up, fast, and predictable. That usually means you own both numbers on dashboards and the code and processes that keep those numbers healthy.

• Define and monitor SLIs/SLOs (uptime, latency, error rates) for key services and respond when they drift.
• Maintain and improve monitoring, logging, and alerting stacks (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, OpenTelemetry).
• Participate in incident response: join on-call rotations, handle outages, and write postmortems focused on prevention.
• Automate reliability work: safe deployment mechanisms, rollbacks, canary releases, capacity checks.
• Work on infrastructure like Kubernetes clusters, service meshes, and internal platforms with SRE and platform teams.

Skills, tools, and certifications that set you up

The SRE “ingredient list” is heavier on fundamentals than on any one framework: strong Linux and networking, plus enough coding to build tools and fix problems in production. AI tooling increasingly helps classify incidents, correlate logs, and suggest remediation steps, but it’s still your understanding of distributed systems and failure modes that keeps outages from becoming headlines.

“SRE isn’t just about fighting fires faster; it’s about engineering systems so they don’t catch fire in the first place.” - DZone, 6 Software Development and DevOps Trends Shaping 2026

How to break in (and use AI without leaning on it)

For most people, SRE is a second step rather than a first title - junior SREs typically come from 6-24 months in backend development, systems administration, or cloud engineering. Instead of aiming straight at “SRE” from zero, treat it as a near-term upgrade once you can already own a small service or environment.

1. Get a solid base role first. Land a job as a junior backend dev, sysadmin, or associate cloud engineer and volunteer for anything related to monitoring, incident response, or deployment pipelines.
2. Build your own “mini reliability lab.” Deploy a small microservice-style app on Kubernetes, wire up metrics, logs, and traces, then run simple chaos experiments (kill pods, break network paths) and write postmortem-style docs for how you detected and fixed issues.
3. Apply to titles that hint at SRE work. Look for “Site Reliability Engineer I,” “Reliability Engineer (Junior),” or “Platform Reliability Engineer” at companies with existing SRE or platform teams, and use AI tools to help analyze log dumps or generate runbooks - then refine everything by hand so you can explain every step in interviews.

If you like the idea of being the person who keeps critical systems fast and available - and you’re okay with the occasional late-night page - junior SRE gives you some of the strongest “protein” on this list: deep, portable skills in reliability engineering that stay valuable even as job titles and tools keep shifting around the aisle.

Entry-Level Automation Engineer

Entry-Level Automation Engineer is the “no sugar added” cereal in the tech aisle: not as flashy as AI researcher, but everything else runs smoother because of it. In the U.S., entry-level automation engineers average about $105,899, with QA automation-focused roles often starting around $84,250. Job volume is high as companies push for more automated testing, infrastructure, and deployments instead of relying on fragile manual processes. DevOps job breakdowns, like those in KnowledgeHut’s guide to DevOps roles in the U.S., consistently call out test and pipeline automation as core responsibilities woven through modern teams.

What you actually do all day

“Automation engineer” can lean in two directions: QA automation (tests) and infrastructure automation (environments and deployments). In both cases, your job is to make repetitive, error-prone work happen reliably with the push of a button instead of a checklist in someone’s head.

• Build and maintain automated test suites for APIs, UIs, and performance using tools like Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, JUnit, or pytest.
• Integrate those tests into CI/CD pipelines so broken code can’t quietly slip into production.
• Create scripts and playbooks (Python, Bash, Ansible) to provision servers, configure services, or deploy applications.
• Work with developers and QA to identify high-risk areas and prioritize what gets automated first.
• Diagnose flaky tests or brittle scripts and harden them so teams trust automation instead of working around it.

Skills, tools, and how AI fits in

The ingredient label for this role is a mix of programming, testing, and DevOps basics. AI tools are already pretty good at generating boilerplate test cases or example Ansible playbooks, but they’re still bad at knowing what’s worth testing or automating. Your value is deciding where automation delivers the most impact and making sure what ships is readable, reliable, and secure.

• Languages: Python, Java, or JavaScript for test code and automation scripts.
• Testing frameworks: Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, JUnit, pytest for different layers of tests.
• CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI to run tests and deployments on every change.
• Infra automation: Ansible and basic Terraform to standardize environments.
• Helpful certs: ISTQB Foundation Level for testing fundamentals, plus cloud/DevOps certs like AWS Developer or Azure DevOps Engineer once you’re deeper in.

“Automation lies at the heart of modern DevOps practices, enabling teams to deliver software faster, with fewer errors and more confidence.” - KnowledgeHut, Top DevOps Jobs in USA

How to break in (and what to do this month)

If you like both testing and coding, this role can be a very practical first step into the DevOps world. Instead of trying to “learn automation” in the abstract, pick a lane for your first project and make something real enough that you’d be comfortable demoing it in an interview.

1. Choose your first focus. For QA automation, pick a real website (even your favorite SaaS) and build a small Playwright or Cypress suite that covers login, a core workflow, and one unhappy path; wire it into GitHub Actions so tests run on every push. For infra automation, use Ansible to configure a web server and database on cloud VMs from scratch.
2. Use AI as a helper, not the architect. Let AI suggest initial test cases or playbooks, then manually refine them: add edge cases, clean up naming, and remove anything you don’t fully understand. Commit your final version and a short README explaining design decisions to GitHub.
3. Target the right job titles. Search for “QA Automation Engineer I,” “Test Automation Engineer,” “Junior Automation Engineer,” or “DevOps Engineer (Automation focus).” These are often the store-brand equivalents of more intimidating titles, with similar work but more realistic expectations for beginners.

Once you’ve got one or two solid automation projects and can talk through what you prioritized and why, you’re no longer just someone who “likes DevOps videos” - you’re someone who has made real processes faster and safer, which is exactly what hiring managers for this role want to see.

Junior DevSecOps Engineer

Junior DevSecOps Engineer is the heart-healthy, fortified version of the classic DevOps bowl: same focus on automation and pipelines, but with a serious dose of security mixed in. Salaries in the U.S. typically range from about $76,700-$129,500, reflecting how widely responsibilities vary by company size and industry. As software supply chains get more complex and regulations tighten, organizations are under pressure to bake security into CI/CD instead of sprinkling it on at the end, and DevSecOps is where that shift shows up on job boards.

What the job actually looks like

Day to day, you live at the intersection of DevOps and security. You’re not a full-time penetration tester, and you’re not just a pipeline engineer - you’re the person wiring scanners, policies, and guardrails into the path from commit to production so teams can move fast without leaving doors wide open.

• Integrate security checks into CI/CD: SAST, DAST, software composition analysis, and dependency scanning.
• Manage and monitor IAM, secrets storage, and role-based access controls across cloud and on-prem systems.
• Work with security teams on vulnerability remediation, prioritizing what gets fixed when, and tracking SLAs.
• Help design secure architectures for new services (network segmentation, zero-trust patterns, least privilege).
• Educate developers about secure coding practices and how to interpret scanner findings without panic or fatigue.

Skills, tools, and why AI is a double-edged sword here

The ingredient list for Junior DevSecOps looks a lot like DevOps - Linux, CI/CD, cloud - but with security scanners and IAM added to the label. AI tools already help by surfacing likely vulnerabilities and suggesting patches, but they can also drown teams in noisy findings or encourage copy-paste “fixes” that introduce new problems if you don’t understand the underlying risk.

“As DevOps evolves, security is no longer an afterthought; roles that integrate security into delivery pipelines are becoming central to modern teams.” - Digital Cloud Training, Is DevOps Dead? These Roles Will Be Obsolete in 2026

How to break in (without already being a security expert)

This role is ideal if you’re security-curious but still want to ship things. You don’t need to start as a hacker; you do need solid DevOps fundamentals and enough security knowledge to ask good questions and automate guardrails. Over the next couple of months, you can make concrete progress with a small, focused plan instead of trying to learn “all of security.”

1. Layer security onto an existing project. Take any simple web app with a CI/CD pipeline (even a tutorial project), add one security scanner like Snyk or Trivy, and make the build fail on high-severity vulnerabilities. Document how you tuned the rules to reduce noise.
2. Do a mini threat model and IAM cleanup. Sketch a diagram of the app, list assets, likely threats, and basic mitigations. Then, in a cloud sandbox, practice tightening IAM roles from overly broad (“AdministratorAccess”) to least-privilege versions, testing that everything still works.
3. Target hybrid titles on job boards. Search for “Junior DevSecOps Engineer,” “Security DevOps Engineer,” or “Application Security Engineer (Entry).” High-paying tech job roundups from places like Nexford’s best-paying tech roles guide consistently show security-adjacent positions near the top, but the easiest way in is often through these blended roles where you can speak both DevOps and security.

If you’re willing to be the person who slows things down just enough to keep them safe - and you like the idea of turning security policies into code - Junior DevSecOps gives you a rare mix of “sugar and protein”: strong earning potential plus deeply transferable skills in both automation and defense.

Entry-Level Database Administrator

Entry-Level Database Administrator (DBA) is the dense, fiber-packed cereal on the shelf: not everyone’s first choice, but incredibly valuable if you can handle it. Despite the rise of “managed” databases, organizations still need humans to design schemas, tune queries, and keep data safe and recoverable. Data and database-related roles are projected to grow around 8%, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures cited in multiple tech salary outlooks, and entry-level DBAs in the U.S. average about $131,201, with starting points near $69,000. That combination of stable demand and strong pay shows up consistently in compensation analyses and salary breakdowns from sites like Salary.com, especially in data-heavy sectors like finance, healthcare, and logistics.

What you actually do all day

Instead of building new features, you’re responsible for the data those features depend on. You live in SQL consoles, monitoring dashboards, and backup logs, making sure the information layer of the system stays fast, consistent, and recoverable.

• Install, configure, and patch relational database engines like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or Oracle.
• Design and refine schemas, indexes, and queries so applications can access data efficiently.
• Monitor performance, analyze slow queries and locking issues, and work with developers on query optimization.
• Set up and regularly test backup and recovery strategies, including off-site and disaster-recovery plans.
• Enforce data security and access control policies, often with compliance requirements in mind.

AI tools can suggest indexes, generate complex SQL, or even propose schema changes, but a bad suggestion here can lock a production table for minutes or corrupt critical data. The DBA is ultimately accountable for understanding the impact of any change before it hits live systems.

Skills, tools, and certifications that matter

The ingredient list for this role is heavy on fundamentals: strong SQL, deep familiarity with one or two relational databases, and a disciplined approach to change management. That’s part of why DBA skills travel well into backend engineering, data engineering, and cloud database roles.

• SQL: joins, window functions, transactions, and indexing strategies.
• RDBMS expertise: at least one of PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or Oracle at an admin level.
• Automation: Bash or Python for maintenance scripts and routine checks.
• Helpful certs: Azure Database Administrator Associate, Oracle Database certifications, or PostgreSQL-focused training to validate your depth on a specific platform.

How to break in (and make your practice look like real work)

Compared with buzzier titles like DevOps or SRE, DBA doesn’t dominate the headlines, which can actually make the path more accessible if you’re willing to focus. The key is to turn “I know SQL” into “I’ve run and recovered a database under stress” before you walk into interviews.

1. Go beyond CRUD with a data-heavy side project. Design a normalized schema for a small SaaS-style product, seed it with realistic data, then build and document queries, indexes, and reports. Capture performance benchmarks and explain why you chose certain indexes or constraints.
2. Practice disaster and recovery drills. In your own PostgreSQL or MySQL instance, set up regular backups, simulate failures (accidental deletes, corrupted data, server loss), and practice restoring with minimal data loss. Keep a runbook of scenarios and recovery steps.
3. Use structured learning where it helps. If you’re coming from a non-technical background, a focused backend program that emphasizes SQL and databases alongside Python and DevOps practices can accelerate things. For example, a 16-week bootcamp that dedicates significant time to PostgreSQL management, SQL queries, Python-database integration, and data-structure problem-solving can give you both the theory and hands-on reps you need for junior DBA and backend roles.
4. Target the right titles. Look for “Database Administrator I,” “Junior DBA,” or “Database Engineer (Entry)” at companies that run big internal systems in finance, healthcare, retail, or logistics. These roles may not have the branding of a consumer app company, but they’re often where the most interesting database problems live.

If you enjoy thinking in tables, constraints, and edge cases - and you like the idea of being the person everyone depends on when data is on the line - entry-level DBA work offers both solid “sugar” in the form of compensation and serious “protein” in long-term, highly portable skills.

Junior Platform Engineer

Junior Platform Engineer is the next-generation cereal on the shelf: new, hyped, and packed with advanced ingredients. As more companies adopt Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), demand for people who can build and maintain those platforms has shot up. Gartner estimates that about 80% of software companies will be using IDPs by 2026, and salary snapshots put junior platform engineers around $133,026 in the U.S., especially in larger SaaS and cloud-heavy environments. DevOps and platform roles consistently rank among the better-paid infrastructure paths in guides like Innovative Academy’s DevOps career breakdown, which is why this role shows up in so many “future of DevOps” conversations.

What you actually do all day

Instead of owning a single app, you build the “paved roads” that every app team uses. Think of it as designing the store layout, shopping carts, and checkout lanes so other teams can stock their own cereal without reinventing the whole grocery store.

• Design and maintain internal developer platforms (IDPs) that provide self-service environments, CI/CD, logging, and monitoring out of the box.
• Build and operate Kubernetes clusters, service meshes, and shared tools used by many teams.
• Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform or Pulumi to standardize how resources are created and updated.
• Define and maintain “golden paths” for application teams: standard templates, pipelines, and observability setups that balance flexibility with safety.
• Monitor platform health, capacity, and performance; plan and execute upgrades with minimal disruption.

Core skills, tools, and how AI fits in

The ingredient list for junior platform engineers looks like DevOps turned up a notch: deeper cloud skills, strong Kubernetes, and a focus on developer experience. AI tools already help generate Terraform modules, Helm charts, and even GitOps configs, but they don’t decide which abstractions will be usable, secure, and maintainable across dozens of teams - that’s on you.

“DevOps and platform engineering skills are now at the core of how modern organizations build and ship software, making them some of the most future-proof roles in IT.” - Innovative Academy, Why a DevOps Bootcamp Is the Smartest Career Move in 2026

How to break in over the next few years

This is rarely a first job. Most junior platform engineers start as backend developers, DevOps engineers, or cloud engineers, then gravitate toward internal tooling and platform work. Instead of aiming straight at “Platform Engineer” from zero, treat it as a 2-4 year target and start collecting the skills and stories that map directly to the role.

1. Start in a neighboring role and volunteer for platform-ish work. As a junior backend, DevOps, or cloud engineer, offer to own shared CI/CD templates, common Helm charts, or reusable Terraform modules. Keep notes on how you reduced boilerplate or deployment pain for other teams.
2. Build a tiny internal platform for yourself. On your own time, stand up a small Kubernetes cluster, create a standard app template (code + pipeline + monitoring), and script a one-command or one-click way to spin up a new service using that template. Use AI to help draft manifests and modules, then refine them until you can explain every field.
3. Measure and document developer experience wins. Track things like “time to first deploy,” number of manual steps, or onboarding time before and after your platform work. In interviews for “Platform Engineer I,” “Developer Productivity Engineer,” or “Internal Tools Engineer” roles, these metrics become concrete stories about how you improved the store layout, not just stocked another shelf.

If you enjoy building the shared systems everyone else builds on top of - and you like the idea of multiplying other developers’ impact - junior platform engineering offers some of the highest “protein” in the aisle: deep cloud, Kubernetes, and automation skills that stay valuable even as tool names and titles keep shifting.

How to Use This List to Pick and Break In

Standing in the cereal aisle, you don’t read every box front to back; you glance at a few labels, compare, and decide what actually goes in your cart. Treat this list the same way. You don’t need to “keep all 10 options open” - that’s a recipe for analysis paralysis. The goal is to walk away with one primary role and, at most, one backup you’re genuinely willing to bet your time, budget, and energy on.

Decide what actually goes in your basket

Start by ignoring job titles for a moment and focusing on the work. Which sections made you think “I could handle that day-to-day,” not just “that salary sounds nice”? Gravitate toward roles whose ingredient lists line up with what you already have or can realistically build: maybe you’ve dabbled with Python, you enjoy troubleshooting, or you’re weirdly into organizing systems. Use that as signal, not noise.

• Pick 1 primary role + 1 backup. For example, “Junior Backend Developer” as your main target and “Cloud Support Engineer” as your backup if you like APIs and troubleshooting.
• Sanity-check against your constraints. Time, money, family responsibilities, and tolerance for on-call matter. If you can only study 8 hours a week, chasing three cert-heavy paths at once will burn you out.
• Accept that saying “yes” to one path means “not now” to the others. You can pivot later; you just can’t specialize in everything at once and still stand out in a crowded market.

Turn a role into a 3-6 month plan

Lists don’t get you hired; proof of skill does. Recruiters are seeing more AI-assisted applications than ever, which means “I watched some videos” doesn’t move the needle. What does help is a focused stretch of time where you build exactly the kind of evidence that hiring managers expect for your chosen role. Career guides like Nucamp’s breakdown of high-paying tech jobs keep circling the same themes: real projects, core skills, and a narrative that makes sense.

1. List the ingredients. For your primary role, write down the 5-7 recurring skills from its section (e.g., Linux, Python, SQL, Git, one cloud, CI/CD).
2. Define 2-3 concrete projects or a small home lab. For backend, that might be a couple of APIs and a database-backed app. For cloud or DevOps, a CI/CD pipeline and a tiny Kubernetes or VM-based environment. For data, a schema plus performance tuning and backups.
3. Pick one learning structure. That might be a targeted bootcamp, a cert path, or a curated set of courses - but one path, not five at once. If you’re budget-conscious, a 16-week program that covers Python, SQL/PostgreSQL, DevOps basics, and interview prep in a single track can be more efficient than trying to glue random resources together.
4. Block out weekly time. Even 10-15 hours a week, protected like a part-time job, is enough to build meaningful projects in a few months if you stop bouncing between roles.

Use AI as an assistant, not a substitute teacher

AI tools are now part of the job, whether you like it or not. They make it easier to write code, draft Terraform, or interpret error logs - and easier for everyone else to apply for the same roles you want. The differentiator is how you use them. People who treat AI like a senior engineer they blindly obey are going to ship bugs and insecure systems. People who treat it like a fast, slightly unreliable intern are the ones hiring managers trust.

• Have AI draft, then you debug. Ask it for a script or query, but don’t paste it into production. Step through it line by line, add logging, and deliberately break it to see how it fails.
• Use AI to explain, not just generate. Paste in your own code and ask for alternative implementations, complexity analysis, or security concerns - then test those claims yourself.
• Document what you learned without AI. In READMEs or blog posts, emphasize the design decisions, tradeoffs, and debugging you did, not just that “ChatGPT helped.”

Keep your expectations grounded (and your momentum up)

The junior market is competitive. Even with a tight plan, it may take dozens or hundreds of applications, some rejections, and maybe a lateral move (like help desk to sysadmin, or support to cloud support) before you land in your target role. That’s normal, not a verdict on your potential. What you control is whether each month leaves you with more proof than the last: another project, a stronger home lab, one more cert, a clearer story about what you’ve actually built.

If you treat this list like nutrition labels instead of marketing copy, you don’t have to solve your whole career today. Choose one role, sketch a 3-6 month plan around its core ingredients, and start building. By the time other people are still doom-scrolling “best tech jobs,” you’ll have moved from standing in the aisle to actually checking out with a basket that makes sense for you - and a portfolio that proves it.

Frequently Asked Questions