Brief — the essence of the study
DOU records: the median salary for DevOps in Ukraine in 2026 is $4,200, SRE — $4,550, security specialists — $2,000, and system administrators — $1,100. These figures matter not only for career expectations — they show how the market is adapting to the needs of wartime and cyberthreats.
Where pay is higher — product or service
The highest salaries for DevOps are in product companies: the median is $5,000. Meanwhile, system administrators earn more in service companies — around $2,000. Companies outside IT pay roughly half as much, reflecting a difference in understanding the value of infrastructure and the willingness to invest in it.
The role of English and position levels
English proficiency significantly affects income: Upper‑Intermediate — about $4,500, Advanced — $4,638. By positions: DevOps Team Lead up to $8,000, Senior — up to $6,300, Middle — ~$3,255, Junior — around $1,400. Infrastructure Engineers — up to $7,500, SRE — up to $5,400, SysAdmin — up to $1,888.
Geography of salaries
Kyiv shows the highest figures: DevOps / SRE — $4,600, SysAdmin — $1,550. Lviv and Odesa are slightly lower; in other cities DevOps — $3,600–3,700, system administrators — approximately $785. This underscores the persistent problem of regional inequality in access to talent.
"DOU's analytics confirm: infrastructure engineers remain critically important for the resilience of products and services — and the market pays for that."
— DOU, analytical service
What this means for businesses and the state
First, higher DevOps/SRE salaries indicate competition for specialists, which forces companies to invest in automation and security. Second, investments in infrastructure directly translate into cyber‑resilience of products — important during war. Third, regional pay differences mean a risk of talent draining to large cities or abroad.
Practical conclusions for three audiences
For professionals: invest in English and specialization (SRE/Infrastructure) — these are among the fastest ways to increase income. For employers: to retain talent, you need to offer not only salary but clear career paths, training, and flexible infrastructure. For the state and investors: supporting IT education and encouraging distributed development centers will reduce regional imbalances.
DOU also reminds about employer reputation: in the ranking of popular employers two companies — mono and N‑iX — were in the top 10, which adds social proof: where specialists go, standards and expectations emerge.
Summary
These salary medians are not just numbers. They reflect competition for personnel, investment priorities, and the level of cyber‑resilience of Ukrainian IT. If you are deciding — whether to choose a job, invest in a team, or shape policy — these indicators are worth using as a guide.
