Hi Everyone, I am currently navigating a career change and I am in the early stages of my DevOps training. As I start this new chapter, I've been wondering how the integration of AI will evolve the landscape by the time I'm fully established in the industry. It seems that with the rise of agentic AI, the focus for DevOps professionals is shifting away from manual configuration and reactive troubleshooting toward designing and supervising intelligent, self-healing systems. Do you think skills in cloud architecture, AI integration, security, and strategic communication will be the primary drivers for success as a DevOps Engineer in 2026 and in the future?

Docker Hardened Images used to be locked behind Docker Business and Enterprise plans, typically costing teams $200–300 per developer per year. Now they are open source and available to everyone. This matters because most container CVEs come from base images, not application code. Teams paid to reduce that noise or accepted the risk. By removing the paywall, Docker is pushing secure base images from “enterprise upgrade” to baseline. https://www.docker.com/products/hardened-images/

I read a story about a DevOps engineer who spent hours fighting a broken Kubernetes deployment, only to discover the issue was a tiny detail the base image didn’t have npm. One missing tool caused a full-blown crisis. The lesson is simple: before jumping into a new language or platform, learn how to debug. Tools change fast, but the ability to read logs, inspect configs, trace root causes, and stay calm under pressure is what actually saves you when things break. New tools make you productive. Debugging makes you unstoppable.

Good evening or morning depending on where you live. I have been in IT for about twenty years and in 2021 took a career change to get into the telecommunications field. But I found that I just missed IT too much and am trying but struggling to get back into it seeing the changes that have taken place over the last 4+ years, its hardly recognizable. AI and devops are really the new niche fields and although I began to see it at the end of my last IT job back in 2021, as I was already taking AWS and Azure certifications I never really got into getting to know the other tools, concepts of Devops like Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform and Ansible. I am still in the telecomm field but want to begin again in IT/Devops/AI. Currently refreshing my skills in Linux and Git. But I would be open to some of your suggestions as to what I should be studying, doing as I look to obtain a job in Devops in 2026

In 2025, DevOps engineers in the U.S. earn an average salary of $141,357 annually. Source: Coursera Specializing in Kubernetes can further enhance earning potential, with salaries ranging from $142,000 to $162,000, depending on experience. Source: Bluelight Software Solutions The demand for DevOps skills remains high, with yearly growth projected at 17% between 2023 and 2033. Souce: Coursera Proficiency in tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure is highly sought after. Source: Brokee