DevOps Engineer Salary in Australia: Where Does It Sit?
If you are a devops engineer in Australia, you are likely earning a salary that tracks close to the national full-time average. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish a specific figure for devops engineers, but the occupation group Professionals – which includes software engineers, IT project managers, and related roles – gives a reliable proxy. In the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025, Professionals had average weekly total cash earnings of $2,049.60. That works out to about $106,579 a year (multiplied by 52 weeks).
For context, the national full-time adult ordinary-time average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 is $2,083.70 a week, or $108,352 a year. So a devops engineer’s pay is broadly in line with the national benchmark – perhaps a touch below the overall average, but within a similar range. The full-time median for all employees is lower, at about $90,532 a year, meaning devops engineers tend to earn above the middle of the pack.
A Resident Take-Home Sketch
To understand what a devops engineer might actually take home, we can apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the Medicare levy to the national full-time average. This is a rough illustration; your individual situation will vary.
- Annual salary: $108,352
- Tax-free threshold: $0 on the first $18,200
- 15% bracket: $4,020 on earnings from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% bracket: $18,900 on earnings from $45,001 to $108,352 (the portion above $45,000)
- Total income tax: $22,920
- Medicare levy (2%): $2,167
- Total tax and Medicare: $25,087
- Estimated take-home pay: $83,265 a year, or $1,601 a week
If a devops engineer earns the Professionals average of $106,579, the take-home would be similar – around $82,000 a year. These figures assume no deductions, no HELP debt, and no tax offsets. They give a sense of the net income you could expect.
How the Figures Are Set
The national full-time average comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, which is published twice a year (May and November). The latest release (May 2026) shows a 3.7% annual increase in ordinary-time earnings. The data page explains how the ABS collects and calculates these estimates. For occupation-specific medians and distributions, the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (last released for May 2025) is the key source. It provides median weekly earnings for all employees ($1,436) and for full-time employees ($1,887).
State and Territory Comparisons
Devops engineer salaries can vary by location. The ABS state-level full-time averages (May 2026) show:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090 a year – the highest, reflecting the concentration of public-sector and tech roles.
- Western Australia: $115,825 a year, driven by mining and resources.
- New South Wales: $109,658 a year.
- Victoria: $106,137 a year.
- Queensland: $106,064 a year.
- Northern Territory: $103,173 a year.
- South Australia: $102,450 a year.
- Tasmania: $96,008 a year – the lowest.
If you are a devops engineer in Canberra or Perth, you might expect a premium over the national average. In Tasmania, the market may be softer. See the states and territories page for more detail.
Minimum Wage and Award Coverage
From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on a 38-hour week ($52,255 a year). Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the latest Annual Wage Review. Most devops engineers are covered by the Professional Employees Award or an enterprise agreement, which set higher minimum rates. The Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database contains the detailed classification rates. A devops engineer would typically be classified at a level well above the award minimum, often under an individual arrangement (38.5% of all employees have pay set this way, per the ABS).
Occupation Benchmarks
The ABS Employee Earnings survey breaks down earnings by occupation. For Professionals, the median weekly total cash earnings was $1,758 for full-time females and $1,994 for full-time males. The hourly rate for Professionals averaged $64.50. These figures can help you gauge where your own salary sits. The job medians page provides a broader view.
Industry Context
Devops engineers often work in information technology, which falls under the Information Media and Telecommunications or Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industries. The ABS industry data shows that Mining has the highest average weekly earnings ($1,710 for all employees), while Accommodation and Food Services is lowest. The industry medians page can help you compare.
Key Takeaways
- The ABS does not publish a specific devops engineer salary, but the Professionals category is a good proxy, with average earnings around $106,579 a year.
- This is close to the national full-time average of $108,352 a year.
- After tax and Medicare, a devops engineer on that average would take home roughly $83,000 a year.
- Salaries vary by state, with the ACT and WA offering the highest averages.
- The role is well above the national minimum wage and typically covered by professional awards or enterprise agreements.
For more detailed guidance on how your salary compares, use the line tool to see where you stand against the national average. And if you want to understand the methodology behind these figures, visit the about this site page.