Platform / DevOps Engineer → SRE
Build the systems other engineers depend on. Requires coding fluency. Rarely entry-level.
Phased progression
Foundations → first role → specialisation → advanced. The realistic order, not a script.
- 010–6 monthsFoundations
Literacy, lab habits, the cert that opens first conversations.
AWS Solutions Architect Associate - 026–18 monthsFirst paid role
Land a Junior DevOps / SRE. Operational time, not more certs, earns the next move.
Junior DevOps / SRE$90–140k entry - 031.5–3 yearsSpecialisation
Add a specialist credential aligned to the work you're already doing.
Terraform AssociateCKAD$150–220k senior - 043+ yearsAdvanced
Move into adjacent roles. Long-term credentials become worth their cost.
SRE$150–220k senior
- 01Foundations0–6 months
Literacy, lab habits, the cert that opens first conversations.
AWS Solutions Architect Associate - 02First paid role6–18 months
Land a Junior DevOps / SRE. Operational time, not more certs, earns the next move.
Junior DevOps / SRE$90–140k entry - 03Specialisation1.5–3 years
Add a specialist credential aligned to the work you're already doing.
Terraform AssociateCKAD$150–220k senior - 04Advanced3+ years
Move into adjacent roles. Long-term credentials become worth their cost.
SRE$150–220k senior
Certification sequence
Ordered by realistic relevance, not vendor marketing.
Practical projects
What to actually build, the portfolio that opens interviews.
- Self-hosted CI with GitHub Actions runners
- GitOps with ArgoCD on a homelab cluster
- SLO dashboards in Grafana with synthetic checks
- ·Cloud-first then add automation
- ·Backend dev then add ops
Realistic expectations
What no recruiter will tell you.
That stacking certifications shortcuts the timeline. It doesn't. Operational time and a public portfolio are what compress the path.
12–24 months from cloud or backend is the realistic time to the first role on this route. Most people overshoot by 6–12 months. Plan for it; don't panic when it happens.