DevOps Report 2026 Reveals Top Locations & Rates by Role

Jun 17, 2026

Explore the top 8 tech hubs for hiring DevOps professionals and salary benchmarks across five in-demand roles.

Qubit Labs released a new report showcasing where scarce DevOps talent is and what the relevant rates are. Our key findings show that traditional DevOps experts command salaries ranging from $48,000 to $66,000 in Eastern Europe; AIOps and MLOps are the highest-paying roles, with a median monthly pay of $61,800. Additionally, we have identified that South Africa is a hidden gem for hiring DevOps specialists.

This report provides a data-backed view of where the best DevOps engineers are, how much they cost by role and seniority, and which locations offer the best value. With these insights, tech leaders, HR professionals, and investors can make wise hiring decisions and set competitive offers to attract top talent.

DevOps Talent Map, Rates & Insights Report 2026

Explore the latest DevOps talent market report covering top hiring destinations, salary benchmarks, and in-demand DevOps roles in 2026.

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“Our comprehensive report will help you uncover the top hiring location for building dedicated development teams, build the right team structure, and plan budgets with real numbers behind you.” — Iva Kozlovska, CEO of Qubit Labs.

Key Insights

Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Portugal, and South Africa are among the top tech hubs with the highest concentrations of DevOps talent.
Salaries for DevOps engineers range from $54,000 to $66,000 in Eastern Europe; in South Africa, the rate is $66,000 annually.
AIOps specialists earn the highest salary in South Africa at $81,600. In Eastern Europe, Poland offers the highest salary of $64,800.
DevOps specialists with AWS and Azure expertise command annual salaries of $61,200 in Eastern Europe and $63,000 in South Africa.
MLOps experts are highly compensated across all analyzed countries; their annual pay is $61,200 in Eastern Europe and $84,000 in South Africa.

The full DevOps talent map and salary benchmarking report is available here: LINK

This data-backed report is a valuable resource for all hiring decision-makers who need essential data on the right locations, roles, and budgets to build a DevOps team.