How Much Do DevOps Engineers, Cloud Architects and Security Analysts Earn in 2026

If you’re considering a career in DevOps, cloud architecture or cybersecurity — or you’re already in one of these roles and wondering whether your salary matches market rates — this article will provide you with current data from the Polish job market in 2026. We’re talking about three roles that consistently rank amongst the best-paid IT specialisations in Poland: DevOps Engineer, Cloud Architect and Security Analyst (or Security Engineer). These aren’t abstract positions from futuristic visions of the job market — they’re roles that are already defining modern IT infrastructure in Polish tech companies, international corporations and startups.

These three career paths share one fundamental element: each requires a combination of technical skills, knowledge of best practices, the ability to work in a team and — increasingly often — possession of certifications confirming competencies. In 2026, certificates have ceased to be merely “nice to have” on a CV — in many job offers they’ve become a necessary condition for passing through the recruitment process. This is important because the impact of certifications on salary is not marginal — we’re talking about differences of around 20-40% in salary ranges between people with certifications and those without formal credentials.

In this article, I present a complete overview of current salaries in these three roles, based on data from leading recruitment portals (Bulldogjob, Just Join IT, No Fluff Jobs) and conversations with recruiters and managers hiring specialists in these positions. I analyse how salaries change with level of experience, what the differences are between B2B and employment contracts, which certifications have the greatest impact on earnings and what factors — beyond seniority — really determine whether you receive an offer from the upper or lower end of the salary range. This won’t be a theoretical comparison of roles — it’s a practical guide that will help you assess whether your current salary is market-rate, and how you can increase it through strategic development decisions.

How did we collect data on IT salaries in 2026?

Before we move to specific figures, it’s important to explain the methodology we applied when collecting data. IT salaries are a sensitive subject and difficult to measure precisely — companies don’t publish salary ranges publicly, and job offers often show very broad ranges that say little about actual rates.

Our data comes from three main sources. Firstly, we analysed job offers published in February 2026 on the three largest recruitment portals for IT specialists in Poland: Bulldogjob, Just Join IT and No Fluff Jobs. We selected only those offers that contained explicit salary ranges (i.e. we excluded announcements of the type “salary to be agreed”). This gave us a base of approximately 850 job offers for the three roles analysed.

Secondly, we used salary reports published by recruitment and consulting agencies operating in the Polish market — Hays Poland Salary Guide 2026, No Fluff Jobs IT Salary Report and Bulldogjob IT Job Market Q1 2026. These reports aggregate data from thousands of offers and recruitment processes, which provides broader context than analysis of individual advertisements.

Thirdly, we supplemented the data with information from conversations with recruiters and hiring managers who recruit DevOps, Cloud and Security specialists on a daily basis. These conversations allowed us to verify whether the salary ranges published in offers correspond to actual rates offered at the job offer stage and what additional factors (certificates, projects, soft skills) influence the final salary proposal.

All amounts stated in the article relate to gross salaries in the case of employment contracts (UoP) and net rates in the case of B2B contracts. We assume that a B2B contract is settlement based on an invoice through one’s own business activity without employing workers. We don’t include bonuses, stock packages (equity) or non-salary benefits — we focus on basic fixed salary, which is most easily comparable between offers.

I emphasise that we’re talking about data from the Polish job market — mainly Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Tri-City, Poznan and Katowice, plus remote work offers from Polish companies. Salaries in international corporations based outside Poland may be significantly higher, particularly in the case of work for American technology companies.

How much does a DevOps Engineer earn in 2026?

DevOps Engineer is a role that in recent years has become standard in technology teams — where previously there were system administrators or “IT ops”, today DevOps Engineers work, responsible for automation, CI/CD, infrastructure as code and monitoring. This position combines programming competencies with administrative ones and requires knowledge of a broad technology stack: from Linux systems through Kubernetes and Terraform to monitoring and observability tools.

DevOps Engineer Junior (0-2 years’ experience in DevOps)

For people at the beginning of their DevOps career — often after transitioning from a junior developer role, system administrator or graduate with first commercial experience — salary ranges in 2026 look as follows:

• Employment contract (UoP): 8,000 - 13,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 10,000 - 16,000 PLN net monthly

The lower end of the range refers to people with minimal commercial experience, who know the basics of Docker, CI/CD (e.g. GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) and have theoretical knowledge about Kubernetes. The upper end applies to juniors who have already gone through their first commercial projects, independently deploy applications, manage simpler pipelines and have basic knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or Ansible).

In this group, certificates have a moderate impact — possession of AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals or Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) can increase an offer by approximately 1,000-1,500 PLN, but most employers don’t require certificates at junior level.

DevOps Engineer Mid (2-4 years’ experience)

This is the most sought-after group in the market — people who already have experience in several projects, independently manage infrastructure, implement CI/CD pipelines and can debug production problems. Salary ranges for mid-level DevOps:

• Employment contract (UoP): 13,000 - 20,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 16,000 - 25,000 PLN net monthly

At this level of advancement, certificates begin to have a significant impact. A person with AWS Solutions Architect Associate, Azure Administrator Associate or Certified Kubernetes Administrator certification can count on offers closer to the upper end of the range — the difference between mid-level DevOps with a certificate and without one averages 2,000-3,000 PLN monthly.

In this group, employers expect knowledge of at least one public cloud (AWS, Azure or GCP), practical experience with Kubernetes, knowledge of Terraform or Ansible, ability to write scripts in Bash/Python and experience with monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack). An additional asset is knowledge of GitOps practices (ArgoCD, Flux) and experience with security tools (Vault, SOPS).

DevOps Engineer Senior (4+ years’ experience)

Seniors in DevOps are people who design CI/CD architectures for entire organisations, manage complex multi-cloud environments, implement Infrastructure as Code standards and often perform a mentoring role for younger team members. Salary ranges at senior level:

• Employment contract (UoP): 18,000 - 30,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 22,000 - 38,000 PLN net monthly

At senior level, certificates become the standard rather than the exception. Most offers in the upper half of the range require or strongly prefer AWS DevOps Engineer Professional, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, Certified Kubernetes Administrator or a combination of certificates from different areas (cloud + Kubernetes + security). Possession of two or more certificates at Associate/Professional level can increase an offer by 3,000-5,000 PLN monthly compared to a candidate without certification.

In practice, offers in the upper end of the range (28,000+ PLN UoP, 35,000+ PLN B2B) almost always require certification and documented experience in managing infrastructure for large-scale applications. Employers expect from seniors not only technical skills but also the ability to design solutions in accordance with best practices, optimise cloud costs and mentor the team.

What influences DevOps Engineer salary?

Beyond seniority and certificates, key factors are:

• Technology stack: Knowledge of Kubernetes can increase salary by 15-20% compared to pure AWS/Azure without containerisation
• Industry: Fintechs and e-commerce pay on average 10-15% more than corporations, startups pay less at junior level but competitively at senior level
• Location: Warsaw and Krakow offer on average 10-15% higher ranges than Wroclaw or Poznan; remote work for foreign companies can increase salary by 20-40%
• Additional skills: Knowledge of security practices (SAST/DAST, secrets management), FinOps or SRE approaches can add 2,000-4,000 PLN to an offer

How much does a Cloud Architect earn in 2026?

Cloud Architect is an architectural role that requires a broad view of IT infrastructure — from designing reference architectures through selection of cloud services, governance, security to cost optimisation. Unlike DevOps Engineer, who operates mainly in the area of implementation and automation, Cloud Architect works at the level of system design and cloud strategy for the entire organisation. It’s one of the best-paid roles in IT infrastructure.

It should be noted that the Cloud Architect position is rarely offered at junior level — most people transition to this role after several years working as DevOps Engineer, System Administrator, Solutions Architect or Infrastructure Engineer. Employers expect not only knowledge of cloud technologies but also experience in designing solutions for real business cases, knowledge of architectural patterns (microservices, event-driven, serverless) and the ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders.

Cloud Architect Mid (3-5 years’ experience in cloud/infrastructure)

The first level of Cloud Architect is people who have solid experience working with public cloud (AWS, Azure or GCP), know architectural patterns, can design secure and scalable application architecture and have initial experience in cloud migration projects. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 16,000 - 24,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 20,000 - 30,000 PLN net monthly

At this level, certifications have a very large impact on the offer. Possession of AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Azure Solutions Architect Expert has practically become a requirement in most offers — candidates without certificates rarely pass through the recruitment process for a position with the title “Architect”. The difference in salary between a candidate with architectural certification and without it averages 3,000-4,000 PLN monthly.

Employers expect knowledge of design patterns (well-architected framework in AWS, Cloud Adoption Framework in Azure), ability to design for high availability and disaster recovery, knowledge of Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform is practically standard) and basic knowledge of security and compliance (IAM, encryption, network security).

Cloud Architect Senior (5+ years’ experience)

Seniors in the Cloud Architect role are people who have designed architectures for several dozen applications, conducted cloud migrations, have experience in multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environments and often perform an advisory role for technical teams. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 22,000 - 35,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 28,000 - 45,000 PLN net monthly

At senior level, certificates at Professional/Expert level are practically mandatory. AWS Solutions Architect Professional or Azure Solutions Architect Expert appear in requirements in over 70% of offers for senior Cloud Architect. Possession of additional certificates — e.g. AWS Security Specialty, Certified Kubernetes Administrator or certificates from the networking area — can increase an offer by another 3,000-5,000 PLN monthly.

Offers in the upper end of the range (32,000+ PLN UoP, 40,000+ PLN B2B) are reserved for architects with documented experience in large cloud transformation projects, knowledge of FinOps (cloud cost optimisation), governance and compliance (particularly important in the context of regulations such as NIS2, DORA) and communication skills allowing cooperation with C-level.

Cloud Architect Lead / Principal (8+ years’ experience)

The highest level in the Cloud Architect role is Lead or Principal Architect — people defining cloud strategy for the entire organisation, designing landing zones, governance frameworks and architectural standards for dozens of applications. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 28,000 - 42,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 35,000 - 55,000 PLN net monthly

At this level, certificates are a necessary but insufficient condition. Employers expect a combination of architectural, security and specialist certificates (e.g. AWS Advanced Networking, Azure Security Engineer) and documented experience in leading transformation projects for large organisations. Additional value comes from enterprise architecture certificates (TOGAF) and experience working for clients from the regulated sector (banking, insurance, public sector).

What influences Cloud Architect salary?

Key factors differentiating salary:

• Multi-cloud experience: Knowledge of two or more cloud platforms (AWS + Azure, Azure + GCP) increases salary by 15-25%
• Professional/Expert certifications: AWS SA Pro or Azure SA Expert is standard for senior, lack of certification excludes from most offers in the upper half of the range
• Security and compliance knowledge: Experience with NIS2, DORA, GDPR and security frameworks (Zero Trust, SASE) increases salary by 10-20%
• FinOps: Documented experience in cloud cost optimisation (10%+ cost reduction in previous projects) can add 3,000-5,000 PLN to an offer
• Industry: Fintechs, insurtechs and e-commerce companies pay on average 15-20% more than corporations and the public sector

How much does a Security Analyst and Security Engineer earn in 2026?

Security Analyst and Security Engineer are two roles that are often used interchangeably, although in practice they differ in scope of responsibilities. Security Analyst focuses on security monitoring, incident analysis, threat intelligence and threat response (SOC). Security Engineer deals with designing and implementing security solutions — firewalls, SIEM, EDR, vulnerability management, identity and access management. In practice, many job offers combine both profiles, particularly in smaller companies where the same people both design security controls and respond to incidents.

In 2026, demand for cybersecurity specialists in Poland is very high — growing regulatory requirements (NIS2, DORA), increase in number of cyberattacks and widespread digitalisation mean that every organisation needs dedicated people responsible for security. This translates into very competitive salaries, which in the upper range equal or exceed Cloud Architect earnings.

Security Analyst Junior (0-2 years’ experience in security)

Juniors in security are often people after IT or cybersecurity studies, security bootcamp graduates or system administrators transitioning to security-focused roles. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 8,000 - 12,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 10,000 - 15,000 PLN net monthly

At junior level, certificates are very significant because lack of commercial experience must be compensated by formal confirmation of knowledge. CompTIA Security+ is the most popular certificate for people starting a career in security — possession of Security+ can increase an offer by 1,000-2,000 PLN monthly. Alternatively, ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) or Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900) certificates are well received by employers.

Employers expect juniors to know security basics (CIA triad, authentication vs authorisation, encryption, network security), ability to analyse logs, basic knowledge of SIEM tools (Splunk, ELK, Microsoft Sentinel) and knowledge of operating systems (Linux and Windows) from a security perspective.

Security Analyst / Security Engineer Mid (2-4 years’ experience)

Mid-level security professionals are people with practical experience in SOC monitoring, incident analysis, security controls implementation or pentesting. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 13,000 - 21,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 16,000 - 26,000 PLN net monthly

At this level, certifications become very important. The most popular certificates are Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA CySA+ (for analytical roles), Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) or AWS Security Specialty (for cloud security roles). Possession of one of these certificates can increase salary by 2,500-4,000 PLN monthly.

Employers expect knowledge of SIEM, EDR/XDR, vulnerability scanners (Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS), incident response skills, knowledge of security frameworks (MITRE ATT&CK, NIST Cybersecurity Framework) and — increasingly often — practical experience in cloud security (IAM, security groups, encryption, compliance).

Security Engineer Senior (4+ years’ experience)

Seniors in security are people designing security architecture for entire organisations, managing SOC teams, conducting red team / blue team exercises or responsible for compliance and governance. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 19,000 - 32,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 24,000 - 40,000 PLN net monthly

At senior level, certificates are practically mandatory. The most valuable certificates are Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) — recognised as the gold standard in the security industry — and Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) for offensive roles (pentesting, red team). Cloud security certificates (AWS Security Specialty, Azure Security Engineer Associate) are becoming increasingly important in the context of the growing share of cloud in companies’ infrastructure.

Possession of CISSP can increase salary by 4,000-6,000 PLN monthly compared to a candidate without certification. OSCP has similar value in offers for offensive roles. In practice, seniors often possess a combination of certificates — e.g. CISSP + cloud security + specialist certificate (GIAC, Offensive Security).

Security Architect / Lead Security Engineer (6+ years’ experience)

The highest level in security is Security Architect or Lead Security Engineer — people defining security strategy for the organisation, designing security frameworks, managing compliance and often reporting directly to CISO or CTO. Salary ranges:

• Employment contract (UoP): 25,000 - 40,000 PLN gross monthly
• B2B contract: 32,000 - 52,000 PLN net monthly

At this level, employers expect CISSP or equivalent certification (CISM, CISA), practical experience in compliance management (ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIS2, DORA) and documented successes in security transformation projects. Additional specialist certificates (SANS GIAC, Offensive Security, cloud security) are a significant asset.

What influences Security Analyst / Engineer salary?

Key differentiating factors:

• Premium certifications: CISSP or OSCP can increase salary by 20-30% compared to basic certificates (Security+, CEH)
• Specialisation: Pentesting and red team are on average 15-20% better paid than blue team / SOC, cloud security is 10-15% better paid than traditional on-premise security
• Industry: Banking and fintechs pay on average 20-25% more than other sectors due to regulatory requirements and high risk of cyberattacks
• Compliance experience: Practical experience with NIS2, DORA, PCI-DSS or SOC 2 increases salary by 10-15%
• Threat intelligence and threat hunting: Advanced analytical skills and knowledge of MITRE ATT&CK can add 3,000-5,000 PLN to an offer

Salary comparison: DevOps, Cloud Architect, Security — summary table

The table below presents a comparison of salary ranges for all three roles at different levels of experience. All amounts refer to the Polish market (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Tri-City, Poznan, Katowice) in February 2026.

Role / Level	Experience	UoP (gross/month)	B2B (net/month)
DevOps Engineer Junior	0-2 years	8,000 - 13,000 PLN	10,000 - 16,000 PLN
DevOps Engineer Mid	2-4 years	13,000 - 20,000 PLN	16,000 - 25,000 PLN
DevOps Engineer Senior	4+ years	18,000 - 30,000 PLN	22,000 - 38,000 PLN
Cloud Architect Mid	3-5 years	16,000 - 24,000 PLN	20,000 - 30,000 PLN
Cloud Architect Senior	5+ years	22,000 - 35,000 PLN	28,000 - 45,000 PLN
Cloud Architect Lead/Principal	8+ years	28,000 - 42,000 PLN	35,000 - 55,000 PLN
Security Analyst Junior	0-2 years	8,000 - 12,000 PLN	10,000 - 15,000 PLN
Security Analyst/Engineer Mid	2-4 years	13,000 - 21,000 PLN	16,000 - 26,000 PLN
Security Engineer Senior	4+ years	19,000 - 32,000 PLN	24,000 - 40,000 PLN
Security Architect/Lead	6+ years	25,000 - 40,000 PLN	32,000 - 52,000 PLN

Key conclusions from the comparison:

1. Cloud Architect and Security Architecture are the best-paid roles — in the upper end of the range they exceed DevOps Engineer by 20-30%
2. Differences between UoP and B2B average 25-35% — B2B contract is significantly better paid but involves lack of benefits (holiday, sick leave, pension contributions)
3. The biggest salary jump occurs when transitioning from mid to senior — the difference averages 4,000-7,000 PLN monthly, corresponding to an increase of approximately 35-40%
4. At senior level and above, differences in salaries between individual candidates are greater than differences between roles — certificates, project experience and soft skills have greater impact than job title alone

What factors influence salaries in DevOps, Cloud and Security roles?

IT salary doesn’t depend only on work experience and job title. There are many factors that can increase or decrease an offer by several thousand zlotys monthly. Below I discuss the most important of them, from the perspective of both a candidate negotiating salary and an employer setting ranges.

Certificates and formal qualifications

This is the most easily measurable factor influencing salary. Data from job offers shows that possession of a certificate at Associate/Professional level can increase salary by 15-30% compared to a candidate without certification, with identical seniority and project experience. For Cloud Architect and Security Engineer roles at senior level, certificates have practically become a requirement — offers in the upper half of the range almost always require or strongly prefer certificates.

However, not all certificates have the same impact. Fundamentals certificates (AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure AZ-900, CompTIA A+) have minimal impact on salary — they’re perceived as basic introduction rather than confirmation of advanced competencies. Associate certificates (AWS SAA, Azure AZ-104, CompTIA Security+) have significant impact at junior and mid level, but at senior level are treated as standard. Real impact on salary comes from Professional/Expert certificates (AWS SA Pro, Azure SA Expert, CISSP, OSCP) — these certificates can increase an offer by 4,000-6,000 PLN monthly.

Location and work model

Geography still matters, despite growing popularity of remote work. Warsaw and Krakow offer on average 10-15% higher ranges than Wroclaw, Poznan or Katowice, and the difference compared to smaller cities can reach 20-30%. This reflects both higher living costs in the largest cities and greater competition for talent.

Remote work for Polish companies usually doesn’t increase salary — remote offers have comparable ranges to on-site or hybrid offers. However, remote work for foreign companies (particularly American or Western European) can increase salary by 30-50% compared to Polish rates. US companies pay according to local standards (which are significantly higher than Polish ones), but at the same time expect very high competencies and availability during American working hours.

Industry and type of organisation

Not all companies pay equally. Fintechs, insurtechs and e-commerce offer on average 15-20% higher salaries than corporations and the public sector. Early-stage startups (series A, series B) pay less than corporations at junior and mid level but offer competitive rates at senior level — often compensating lower salary with equity (shares, options).

Banking and financial sector offer very high salaries for Security Engineer and Cloud Architect roles — on average 20-25% higher than in other industries. This results from high regulatory requirements, cyberattack risk and critical importance of IT infrastructure. Public sector and budget sphere offer the lowest ranges — often 20-30% below market rates.

Technology stack and specialisation

Knowledge of popular and sought-after technologies directly translates into salary. Kubernetes is the technology that in 2026 has the greatest impact on earnings in DevOps and Cloud roles — knowledge of Kubernetes can increase salary by 15-20%. Terraform has become the Infrastructure as Code standard — lack of Terraform knowledge excludes from most offers for senior DevOps and Cloud Architect.

In the security area, cloud security (AWS, Azure) is significantly better paid than traditional on-premise security — the difference averages 10-15%. Pentesting and red team offer on average 15-20% higher salaries than blue team and SOC. DevSecOps — combination of DevOps and security — is a specialisation that in 2026 is amongst the most sought-after and can increase salary by 20-25% compared to pure DevOps.

Soft skills and project experience

At senior level and above, soft skills have almost the same impact on salary as technical competencies. Ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders (product managers, business, C-level) is crucial for Cloud Architect and Security Architect — people who can translate technical decisions into business language are significantly better paid.

Experience in leading transformational projects (cloud migration, security framework implementation, DevOps platform building) has enormous impact on offers for senior and above. Employers ask about specific projects, achieved results (e.g. “by what percentage did we reduce cloud costs”, “what was the onboarding time for new developer to the team”) and lessons learned. Candidates who can talk about their projects in the context of business impact receive significantly higher offers than those who focus only on technical aspects.

English language knowledge

In 2026, knowledge of English at a level enabling free technical communication is practically standard in DevOps, Cloud and Security roles. However, advanced level (C1/C2) — allowing presentations, participation in international projects and cooperation with foreign clients — can increase salary by 10-15%, particularly in international corporations and product companies with global reach.

How do certifications impact IT earnings?

The question about the real impact of certificates on salary is one of the most frequently asked by people planning to invest in certification. The answer is unambiguous: certificates have a significant, measurable impact on earnings, but their value depends on several factors — certificate level, role, work experience and market context.

Certificates at different career levels

The impact of certificates is not constant — it changes with level of experience. For juniors (0-2 years’ experience), certificates have the greatest relative impact — possession of an Associate certificate (AWS SAA, Azure AZ-104, CompTIA Security+) can increase salary by 15-25% compared to a candidate without certification. This is because juniors often don’t have sufficient project experience to convince an employer — the certificate compensates for lack of practice with formal confirmation of knowledge.

At mid level (2-4 years’ experience), certificates still have great importance, but their impact is smaller than at junior level — we’re talking about 10-20% difference in salary. In this group, employers primarily assess project experience, and the certificate is an additional asset confirming systematicity and willingness to develop.

For seniors (4+ years’ experience), certificates at Professional/Expert level (AWS SA Pro, CISSP, OSCP) practically become a requirement in offers from the upper half of the range. Lack of certification doesn’t exclude from the job market but narrows available offers and lowers potential salary by 15-25%. On the other hand, possession of a combination of certificates (e.g. AWS SA Pro + Kubernetes CKA + Security Specialty) can increase salary by 20-30% compared to a senior with one Associate certificate.

Which certificates have the greatest impact on earnings?

Not all certificates are equal in terms of impact on salary. Below I present a hierarchy of certificates according to their impact on earnings in 2026, separately for each of the three roles.

For DevOps Engineer:

1. AWS Solutions Architect Professional or Azure DevOps Engineer Expert — most valuable certificates, impact on salary: +20-30% (senior)
2. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) — very highly valued, impact: +15-25% (mid/senior)
3. AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Azure Administrator Associate — standard for mid, impact: +10-20% (mid)
4. HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate — growing importance, impact: +8-15% (mid/senior)
5. AWS Security Specialty — important for DevSecOps, impact: +10-18% (senior)

For Cloud Architect:

1. AWS Solutions Architect Professional — gold standard, impact: +25-35% (senior)
2. Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) — equivalent to AWS SA Pro, impact: +25-35% (senior)
3. AWS Security Specialty or Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500) — critical for enterprise, impact: +15-25% (senior)
4. Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect — valuable in multi-cloud environments, impact: +12-20% (senior)
5. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) — important for cloud-native, impact: +10-18% (mid/senior)

For Security Analyst / Security Engineer:

1. CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) — most valued certificate in security, impact: +25-40% (senior)
2. OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) — premium for pentesting/red team, impact: +20-35% (senior)
3. AWS Security Specialty or Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500) — crucial for cloud security, impact: +15-25% (mid/senior)
4. CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) — popular for mid-level, impact: +10-20% (mid)
5. CompTIA Security+ — foundation for juniors, impact: +10-15% (junior)

Are certificates a necessary condition?

The answer depends on level of experience and role. For juniors, a certificate is not formally required, but in practice greatly facilitates finding first employment — approximately 60% of offers for junior DevOps or junior Security Analyst require or prefer possession of an Associate/basic certificate.

For mid-level, a certificate becomes standard — approximately 70-75% of offers for mid DevOps, Cloud or Security require or strongly prefer certification. Lack of certificate doesn’t exclude from the market but narrows available offers and lowers ranges.

For seniors in Cloud Architect and Security Engineer roles, certificates at Professional/Expert level are practically mandatory — over 80% of offers in the upper half of the range require certification. In practice, this means that without certification you won’t receive an offer with salary 30,000+ PLN (UoP) or 40,000+ PLN (B2B), even if you have appropriate experience.

An exception is offers for very experienced specialists (10+ years) with documented successes in large projects — in such cases employers may waive the certification requirement, particularly if the candidate has industry recognition (conferences, publications, open source contributions).

Is it worth investing in certificates?

From an ROI (return on investment) perspective, certificates are one of the most profitable investments in IT career development. The cost of obtaining an Associate certificate (exam + preparatory materials) averages 800-1,500 PLN. Impact on salary is an increase of 1,500-3,000 PLN monthly, which gives return on investment in less than a month. Professional/Expert certificates cost more (1,500-3,000 PLN), but their impact on salary is even greater (3,000-6,000 PLN monthly), which gives return on investment in several weeks.

An additional benefit is that certificates open access to offers that without certification are out of reach — many companies use certificates as a filter at the initial recruitment stage (ATS — Applicant Tracking System), which means that applications without required certificates may not reach the recruiter at all.

Job market forecasts for 2026-2027: what awaits DevOps, Cloud and Security?

The IT job market in Poland in 2026 is going through a transformation phase. After years of explosive salary growth and talent shortage, we’re observing stabilisation — but not decline — of rates in most roles. Forecasts for 2027 indicate continuation of several key trends worth knowing when planning your career in DevOps, Cloud or Security.

Growth in demand for Cloud and Security roles, stabilisation for DevOps

Demand for Cloud Architects will continue to grow at a rate of 12-15% annually, driven by continuation of cloud migration in the enterprise sector and growing multi-cloud adoption. Companies that have deferred migration in recent years are beginning to treat it as a strategic priority — particularly in the context of IT cost optimisation and operational flexibility. This means that salary ranges for Cloud Architects will grow on average by 5-8% annually, and the most sought-after specialists (multi-cloud, FinOps, governance) can count on increases of 10-12%.

Demand for Security Engineers and Security Analysts will grow even faster — estimates speak of 15-20% annually. This is a direct effect of the entry into force of the NIS2 directive (from October 2024) and DORA regulation (from January 2025), which impose strict cybersecurity requirements on thousands of European companies. Companies must employ dedicated security specialists, build SOC and implement security frameworks — this generates enormous demand for competencies in this area. Forecasts indicate that security salaries will grow on average by 8-12% annually in 2026-2027.

Demand for DevOps Engineers will remain stable, but growth rate will slow. DevOps as a practice is already mature and widely adopted — most technology companies have dedicated DevOps teams, and the CI/CD automation process is largely completed. New offers will arise mainly as a result of employee rotation and development of new products, not mass DevOps implementation (as was the case 5-7 years ago). Salaries will grow on average by 4-6% annually — at a rate similar to inflation.

Cloud-native and Kubernetes as standard

In 2027, knowledge of Kubernetes will cease to be a competitive advantage and become a basic requirement for most DevOps and Cloud roles. Companies that until now based their deployments on traditional VMs or simple Docker containers are transitioning to Kubernetes — driven by better scalability, easier management and growing availability of managed Kubernetes services (EKS, AKS, GKE).

This means that DevOps Engineers without Kubernetes knowledge will have limited access to the best job offers. On the other hand, specialisation in Kubernetes — particularly combined with CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) or CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) certification — will open doors to offers from the upper half of the range.

Similarly, cloud-native architecture (microservices, serverless, event-driven) will become standard for Cloud Architects. Offers for architects designing monolithic applications on VMs will decline, whilst demand for architects with experience in designing cloud-native systems will grow by 12-15% annually.

DevSecOps and shift-left security

One of the fastest-growing specialisations in 2026-2027 is DevSecOps — integration of security practices with DevOps processes. The traditional model in which security was tested at the end of the development cycle doesn’t work in environments where deployments occur several times daily. Companies are looking for people who can embed security in CI/CD pipelines, automate security testing (SAST, DAST, SCA) and educate development teams in secure coding.

DevSecOps specialists with experience in SAST/DAST tools (Snyk, Checkmarx, SonarQube), secrets management (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager), container security (Aqua, Twistlock) and infrastructure security as code can count on salaries 20-25% higher than pure DevOps without security focus.

FinOps and cloud cost optimisation

Another trend is the growing importance of FinOps — a discipline combining finance, technology and business for cloud cost optimisation. Companies that migrated to the cloud in recent years often experienced “cloud bill shock” — cloud bills grew faster than predicted, and lack of governance led to resource waste.

Cloud Architects and DevOps Engineers with documented experience in cloud cost reduction (rightsizing, reserved instances, spot instances, storage optimisation, automated shutdown) are highly sought after. Offers for people with FinOps certification (FinOps Certified Practitioner) or documented achievements in cost optimisation (e.g. “I reduced AWS costs by 35% in 6 months”) offer salaries 15-20% higher than average for the role.

Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud

Most enterprises in 2026 already operate in a multi-cloud model — they use services from two or more cloud providers (most commonly AWS + Azure, less often with addition of GCP). Reasons vary: strategic risk diversification, utilisation of best services from each platform, compliance requirements, avoiding vendor lock-in.

This means that Cloud Architects with multi-cloud experience are significantly better paid than those who specialise in only one platform. The difference averages 15-20% — but only when multi-cloud experience is practical (real projects integrating AWS and Azure), not theoretical (possession of certificates from both platforms without projects).

Compliance automation and regulatory technology

The entry into force of NIS2 and DORA in 2024-2025 created enormous demand for specialists able to automate compliance. Companies don’t want to employ dozens of auditors manually checking compliance with regulations — they’re looking for engineers who will build automated compliance checking (Infrastructure as Code validation, policy as code, continuous compliance monitoring).

Security Engineers and Cloud Architects with experience in compliance automation (Open Policy Agent, AWS Config, Azure Policy, CloudFormation Guard) and knowledge of regulations (NIS2, DORA, GDPR, ISO 27001) can count on salaries 15-25% higher than average for their role. This is one of the most underestimated specialisations that in coming years will become critical for thousands of European companies.

How does EITT help increase IT specialists’ earnings?

If the goal is to increase salary in DevOps, Cloud or Security roles, the most effective path is a combination of practical experience with formal certificates confirming competencies. As shown by data presented in this article, certificates can increase salary by 15-40% — but on condition that certification preparation is professional and conducted by experienced trainers.

EITT (Effective IT Training) has for over a decade specialised in certification training for IT specialists in Poland. We organise annually over 2,500 training courses, and our team includes over 500 experts with practical experience in DevOps, Cloud and Security areas. The average rating of our training courses is 4.8/5 — the effect of combining content, practical workshops and support in preparing for certification exams.

Our certification training covers all key certificates discussed in this article:

For DevOps Engineers:

• AWS Solutions Architect Associate
• Azure Administrator Associate
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate
• AWS DevOps Engineer Professional

For Cloud Architects:

• AWS Solutions Architect Professional
• Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-104 → AZ-305 path)
• AWS Security Specialty
• Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)
• Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect

For Security Analysts and Engineers:

• CompTIA Security+
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
• AWS Security Specialty
• Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500)

Our training courses are not limited to dry theory and memorisation of exam questions. We emphasise practical workshops, case studies from real projects and exam simulations preparing for the format and difficulty level of certification exams. EITT trainers are practitioners with active experience in cloud, DevOps and security projects — people who not only possess certificates but above all apply this knowledge daily in work with clients.

We offer flexible training formats: on-site (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw), online live (synchronous classes with trainer) and on-site (closed training at client premises). All certification training includes access to preparatory materials (practice exams, labs, documentation) and trainer support after training — you can ask questions and consult doubts at the exam preparation stage.

The effectiveness of our training is confirmed by the exam pass rate of our graduates — over 85% of participants pass the certification exam on first attempt, compared to market average of 55-65%. This is a direct effect of combining solid content preparation with practical workshops and exam simulations.

We cooperate with hundreds of companies in Poland — from technology startups to corporations and public sector institutions — which finance certifications for their employees as part of development budgets. If your employer offers a training budget, we can prepare an offer tailored to your team’s needs. We also offer individual training for people who invest in their own development and want to increase their earnings by obtaining certificates.

Beyond certification training, EITT organises advanced training in areas of Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, cloud security, DevSecOps, FinOps and many other specialisations. These are training courses for people who already possess basic certificates and want to develop specific practical skills — those that have the greatest impact on salary and employment opportunities.

We encourage contact and consultation — our training advisors will help choose certificates and training most suited to your career path, level of experience and professional goals.

Frequently asked questions about DevOps, Cloud and Security salaries

Do certificates really increase earnings, or is it a myth?

This is not a myth — certificates have a measurable impact on salary. Data from recruitment portals shows that offers requiring certificates offer on average 15-30% higher ranges than offers without certification requirement. For Cloud Architect and Security Engineer roles at senior level, possession of Professional/Expert certificates (AWS SA Pro, CISSP) has practically become a condition of access to offers with highest ranges. Certificates have the greatest impact at the beginning of a career (junior/mid), where they can increase salary by 20-30%, and at senior level in architectural and security roles, where lack of certification excludes from 70-80% of best-paid offers.

Which position is better paid: DevOps, Cloud Architect or Security?

At senior level and above, Cloud Architect and Security Architect offer the highest earnings — in the upper end of the range they exceed DevOps Engineer by 20-30%. Lead/Principal Cloud Architect and Security Architect can earn 35,000-55,000 PLN net monthly (B2B), whilst senior DevOps Engineer rarely exceeds 38,000 PLN net. However, differences between candidates within the same role may be greater than differences between roles — senior DevOps with AWS SA Pro + CKA certificates + multi-cloud experience can earn more than average Cloud Architect without certification.

Is it worth transitioning from DevOps role to Cloud Architect?

If you have 4+ years’ experience as DevOps Engineer, have obtained certificates at Associate/Professional level and want to increase your earnings by 20-30%, transition to Cloud Architect role may be a good step. Cloud Architect requires different competencies than DevOps — less implementation and automation, more architecture design, documentation, communication with business and strategic thinking. If you prefer hands-on work (configuration, scripting, troubleshooting), DevOps may be a better choice. If you prefer high-level design and work at the intersection of technology and business, Cloud Architect is a natural progression path.

Is B2B always better financially than UoP?

In most cases yes — B2B contract offers on average 25-35% higher net salary than employment contract. However, one must consider that B2B involves lack of benefits (paid holiday, sick leave, pension contributions paid by employer), greater risk (no notice period, possibility of contract termination at short notice) and additional administrative obligations (running business, settling VAT and ZUS). For younger people (junior/mid), UoP may be a better choice due to stability and benefits. For seniors with high rates, B2B is usually more profitable.

Which certificates should I obtain first?

It depends on role and level of experience. For DevOps Engineer at junior/mid level, the best first certificate is AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Azure Administrator Associate — both are widely recognised, open access to many job offers and have solid impact on salary (15-25%). For Security Analyst at the beginning of a career, the best choice is CompTIA Security+ — it’s a foundation that facilitates finding first employment in security. For Cloud Architect at mid level, the best certificate is AWS Solutions Architect Professional or Azure AZ-104 → AZ-305 path.

Is Kubernetes knowledge mandatory in 2026?

For DevOps Engineer at mid and senior level — practically yes. Approximately 70-75% of offers for mid/senior DevOps require or strongly prefer Kubernetes knowledge. For Cloud Architect, Kubernetes knowledge is not mandatory but is a significant asset (approximately 50% of offers require). For Security Engineer, Kubernetes knowledge is becoming increasingly important in the context of cloud-native security but is not yet standard (approximately 30-40% of offers). In 2027, Kubernetes knowledge will become a basic requirement for most infrastructure roles.

Are IT salaries in Poland still growing in 2026?

Yes, but growth rate has slowed compared to 2020-2023. Salaries in DevOps, Cloud and Security roles are growing on average by 5-8% annually — faster than inflation but significantly slower than during the boom years of 2020-2022, when increases reached 15-20% annually. Security area salaries are growing fastest (8-12% annually) driven by NIS2 and DORA regulations. Cloud Architect is also noting rapid growth (5-8%). DevOps is stabilising (4-6% annual growth), because the market has matured and most companies have already implemented DevOps practices.

Is it worth specialising in AWS or Azure?

Both choices are good but depend on career context. AWS dominates in startups, product companies, e-commerce and fintechs — if you’re planning a career in these sectors, AWS is a better choice. Azure is stronger in corporations, public sector, banking and wherever organisation uses the Microsoft ecosystem — if you prefer an enterprise environment, Azure may be strategically a better choice. In practice, at senior level knowledge of both platforms (multi-cloud) is most valuable and can increase salary by 15-20% compared to specialisation in one cloud.

Summary: how to increase your IT earnings in 2026?

The IT job market in Poland in 2026 offers very competitive salaries for DevOps, Cloud and Security specialists — particularly at senior level, where ranges reach 30,000-55,000 PLN net monthly (B2B). However, access to the best-paid offers requires a combination of practical experience with formal certificates confirming competencies.

If your goal is to increase salary by 20-40% in the next 12-24 months, key steps are:

1. Obtain certificates appropriate to your role and level of experience — AWS Solutions Architect Associate/Professional, Azure Administrator/Architect, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, CISSP or OSCP depending on path
2. Build a portfolio of projects from areas most sought after by employers — Kubernetes, Terraform, cloud security, DevSecOps, multi-cloud, FinOps
3. Develop soft skills — communication with business, documenting architectural decisions, presenting technical solutions in the language of business value
4. Monitor the job market and apply for offers in the upper half of the range — don’t agree to offers below market average for your level of experience and certification
5. Consider specialisation — DevSecOps, cloud-native architecture, FinOps, pentesting, compliance automation — these are areas that in 2026-2027 will grow fastest and offer highest earnings

EITT supports IT specialists in achieving these goals through certification training conducted by practitioners, workshops on the latest technologies and support in exam preparation. Regardless of whether you’re at the beginning of your IT career or an experienced senior planning the next development step — investment in certificates and specialisation is the fastest path to increasing your earnings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which role pays the most: DevOps Engineer, Cloud Architect, or Security Analyst?

Cloud Architects typically command the highest salaries among the three roles in Poland in 2026, especially at senior levels on B2B contracts. Their compensation reflects the strategic nature of the role and the deep expertise required in multi-cloud environments and enterprise architecture.

How much does contract type (B2B vs employment) affect IT salaries in Poland?

The difference is significant. B2B contractors generally earn 20-40% more in gross terms compared to employment contracts, though they must cover their own taxes, insurance, and benefits. The net difference narrows once these costs are factored in, but B2B still tends to offer higher take-home pay for experienced professionals.

What certifications have the biggest impact on salary for these roles?

For DevOps Engineers, AWS/Azure/GCP certifications and Kubernetes (CKA/CKAD) have the strongest impact. Cloud Architects benefit most from professional-level cloud certifications (AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert). Security Analysts see the best returns from CISSP, CISM, and cloud security specializations.

Are salaries for these IT roles expected to keep rising in 2026?

Yes, demand continues to outpace supply for all three roles in Poland. Cloud Architects and Security Analysts are seeing particularly strong growth due to accelerating cloud migration and increasing cybersecurity regulations. Salary growth is projected at 8-15% year-over-year depending on specialization and experience level.