How to Become a Site Reliability Engineer
Ensure the reliability, availability, and performance of large-scale production systems through software engineering and infrastructure automation. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $116,580 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$116,580/yr
Middle half
$79,370 to $157,500
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
31,300
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Linux Systems
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Automation
- Monitoring and Observability
- Incident Management
Helpful certifications
- AWS Solutions Architect
- Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer
- CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
90/100
Work-life balance
60/100
Stress level
55/100
Satisfaction
77/100
Related careers
- Product Manager$166,790 median
- DevOps Engineer$135,980 median
- Software Developer$135,980 median
- Cybersecurity Analyst$129,180 median
- Data Scientist$120,230 median
- IT Project Manager$116,580 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Site Reliability Engineer make?
The median pay for a Site Reliability Engineer is $116,580 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $79,370 and $157,500 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Site Reliability Engineer?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering.
Is Site Reliability Engineer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 31,300 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Site Reliability Engineer use most?
Common skills for this role are Linux Systems, Cloud Infrastructure, Automation, Monitoring and Observability, and Incident Management.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).