DevOps freelancers:
What the market really pays and wants.
Demand, rates and trends for DevOps – calculated from 485 real project and job postings of the last 90 days. No survey, no guesswork without data.
- Listings (90 d)
- 485
- Rank 18 of 531 skills
- Trend (90 d)
- ▼ 14 %
- Market share compared with the 90 days before. IT postings overall: ▲ 42 %
- Of which must-have
- 32 %
- Rated for 485 postings (AI analysis), otherwise “nice to have”
- Median hourly rate
- €84
- 40 data points, incl. converted salaries
- Remote possible
- 86 %
- 25 % fully remote · stated in 88 % of postings
In demand, but declining.
DevOps is among the most in-demand skills, at rank 18 of 531. Its market share is falling (▼ 14 % vs. the 90 days before).
What is DevOps – and why do companies hire DevOps freelancers?
The postings that mention DevOps fall into these types of project (share of the classified postings):
Typical roles
The roles hired most often are DevOps Engineer (30 %), Fullstack Developer (14 %), Backend Developer (12 %) and Project Manager (12 %). Of the postings that state an experience level, 77 % explicitly ask for senior profiles.
Demand over the last 12 weeks
new listings per weekWeekly postings for DevOps are rising: from an average of 36 to 52 per week (+45 %). Volume is developing more weakly than the IT market overall (▲ 42 %).
What do DevOps freelancers earn?
The median is €84 per hour. The middle 50 % of all figures lie between €75 and €96.
| Segment | Median | Middle 50 % | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|
| All figures | €84 | €75–96 | 40 |
| Senior | – | not enough data | 29 |
| Mid-level | – | not enough data | 8 |
| Fully remote | – | not enough data | 7 |
| Partly remote | €85 | €78–100 | 32 |
| On site | – | not enough data | 1 |
Basis: 40 figures of the last 90 days – 19 hourly rates from postings and 21 converted annual salaries from job ads (salary ÷ 1,000). We do not show segments with fewer than 30 data points. Figures in CHF are not included.
Which skills DevOps is wanted with – and which ones pay off
Kubernetes appears in 33 % of DevOps postings.
Often named together
Kubernetes33 %(opens in new tab)Docker26 %(opens in new tab)Python22 %(opens in new tab)Java22 %(opens in new tab)AWS22 %(opens in new tab)Scrum18 %(opens in new tab)Infrastructure as Code17 %(opens in new tab)Azure16 %(opens in new tab)Share of DevOps postings that also name the skill.Who wants DevOps – and under which conditions
Seniority
Senior dominates (77 %). Pure junior roles are rare (3 %).
Stated in 98 % of listings
Industries
public_sector grows the most (+39 % vs. the previous quarter).
Stated in 68 % of listings
Contract type
Freelance dominates (75 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Workplace
Partly remote dominates (61 %). Anyone working fully remote only reaches 25 % of postings.
Stated in 88 % of listings
Regions (on site)
Frankfurt am Main grows the most (+34 % vs. the previous quarter).
Stated in 65 % of listings
Project language
German dominates (85 %).
Stated in 100 % of listings
Market dynamics: how contested is DevOps?
Who posts DevOps projects
Current DevOps projects
- Do you fit? CheckHamburg · 50 % remote · 13 months · 01.01.2027
- Do you fit? Checkfully remote · ASAP
- Do you fit? CheckMünchen · 80 % remote · 24 months · Januar 2027
- Do you fit? Checkfully remote · ASAP
- Do you fit? CheckZürich · on site · 12 months · Januar 2027
- Do you fit? CheckZürich · on site · 24 months · 01.11.2026
Frequently asked questions about DevOps freelancing
How much does a DevOps freelancer earn per hour?
The median is currently €84 per hour, with the middle 50 % between €75 and €96.
How many DevOps projects are there right now?
In the last 90 days, 485 projects and jobs mentioning DevOps were posted. That is around 39 per week. The market share changed by ▼ 14 % compared with the previous quarter.
Is DevOps still in demand for freelancers?
DevOps ranks 18 of 531 skills.
Are DevOps projects possible remotely?
86 % of DevOps postings allow remote work. 25 % are fully remote.
Which skills should I learn as a DevOps freelancer?
Kubernetes (33 %), Docker (26 %) and Python (22 %) are most often required together with DevOps. What actually pays off for your profile is shown by the free CV check.
Who posts DevOps projects?
The 6 most active recruiters account for 40 % of all DevOps postings of the last 90 days.
Methodology: We count IT postings of the last 90 days that mention DevOps. Projects posted several times that are detected as duplicates count once; postings without an assignable IT category are missing, so the figures are a lower bound. The trend compares the share of all IT postings with the 90 days before and only appears with enough comparison data. We do not show figures based on fewer than 30 data points. The rating “must have” or “nice to have” comes from an AI analysis of the posting texts. Hourly rates come from postings and from annual salaries in job ads that we convert into hourly rates (salary ÷ 1,000); we state the basis for each analysis. Distributions only refer to postings that state the respective attribute; we state the coverage alongside. Recruiters are the posters of the listing according to the source, only above a minimum number of postings. An AI assigns the project type and role of each posting from its title, category and skills; the shares are counted postings, not estimates, and only appear with enough classified postings.
Basis: 10,565 IT listings in the window
You now know the DevOps market.
Now let the jury judge your profile.
Your CV against 485 DevOps listings – with findings, strengths and an hourly-rate check.