Devops vs. Data Engineer: What Are the Differences?

Devops and data engineering are two of the most in-demand jobs in tech right now. But what exactly do these roles entail? And how do they differ from one another?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at devops and data engineering, compare and contrast the two job titles, and give you some insights into which one might be a better fit for you.

What is a Devops?

DevOps is a term for a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and information technology operations (Ops). The goal of DevOps is to shorten the software development life cycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. DevOps is also characterized by a culture of collaboration between developers and operation teams, as well as automation of the software development process.

What is a Data Engineer?

Data Engineers design, build, maintain and troubleshoot data processing systems. They work with Data Analysts, Data Scientists and software engineers to understand the business needs and design data processing systems that can collect, clean, transform and load data for further analysis. Data Engineers also develop tools and processes to automate data pipelines and monitor data quality. They often work with large data sets and need to have strong technical skills in programming, databases and cloud computing.

Devops vs. Data Engineer

Here are the main differences between a Devops and a data engineer.

Job Duties

Both of these IT professionals have a variety of job duties. The primary responsibility for devops is to ensure the proper communication between software developers and operations teams. They do this by creating tools that help both groups more easily communicate with each other. Another important duty is to monitor the performance of applications after they’re deployed. They also perform security audits on systems to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Data engineers often work with large amounts of data, so one of their main duties is to create infrastructure that can support the storage needs of an organization. They also build ETL (extract, transform and load) processes to make it easier for data analysts to access information. Another important task is to ensure the quality of the data before passing it along to other departments.

Job Requirements

DevOps engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or another related field. They also need to have experience working with software development and coding languages, as well as knowledge of how to use DevOps tools. Data engineers need a similar skill set, as they also need to be able to code and work with data. However, data engineers often focus on designing and building databases, so they may need to have experience with database management systems. Additionally, data engineers may need to have a background in statistics or mathematics.

Work Environment

Both data engineers and devops professionals work in a variety of environments. They may work for companies that have large IT departments or they may work for smaller businesses with fewer employees. Some data engineers work in office settings, while others travel to clients’ locations to perform on-site maintenance.

Devops professionals often work in an office setting because their job requires them to collaborate with other team members. However, some also work remotely from home offices.

Skills

Both Devops and Data Engineers need to have a strong understanding of computer systems and how they work together. They also both need to be able to code, although Data Engineers may need to be more proficient in coding languages than Devops professionals.

Both Devops and Data Engineers need to have problem-solving skills to identify issues and develop solutions. However, Data Engineers may need to use more analytical skills than Devops professionals as they often work with large data sets and need to be able to find trends and patterns.

Devops professionals need to have excellent communication skills as they often work with teams of people to coordinate the implementation of new systems or changes to existing systems. Data Engineers may not need to communicate as often with others, but they still need to be able to effectively communicate their findings when they present them.

Salary

DevOps engineers earn an average salary of $122,203 per year, while data engineers earn an average salary of $113,717 per year. Both of these salaries can vary depending on the size of the company, the location of the job and the level of experience you have prior to pursuing either position.