DevOps Engineer Salary in Waco, TX — 2026
DevOps Engineer salary data for Waco, TX — adjusted for local cost of living. Entry-level to senior pay ranges, take-home pay calculator, and local job market insights.
The median DevOps Engineer salary in Waco, TX is $123,080 per year ($10,257/month, $59.17/hr). That is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Software Developers (the closest BLS occupation to DevOps Engineer) in the Waco, TX metropolitan area, which covers Waco. Salario's cost-of-living model (index 84) would have estimated $114,223; the entry, senior and top tiers below are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
Also known as: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineer, SRE, Platform Engineer. The estimates on this page are used for these related job titles in Waco, TX, although actual pay can differ by title and scope.
Median: BLS OEWS May 2025, Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), Waco, TX MSA. Entry, senior and top earner are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
DevOps Engineer Take-Home Pay in Waco
Tax Breakdown (Median Salary)
| Gross Annual | $123,080 |
| Federal Tax | -$18,273 |
| State Tax (0.0% eff.) | -$0 |
| FICA (SS + Medicare) | -$9,416 |
| Annual Take-Home | $95,391 |
| Monthly Take-Home | $7,949 |
Living Cost Comparison
DevOps Engineer Requirements
Key Skills
DevOps Engineer salary search terms in Waco
People comparing DevOps Engineer pay in Waco, TX may use related job-title wording. Salario keeps the main estimate tied to the DevOps Engineer role, then treats the terms below as comparison phrases that should be checked for licensing, employer type, seniority, and role scope.
| Comparison point | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Primary local answer | $123,080 median salary, $79,300-$161,400 modeled range, and $95,391 estimated take-home pay in Waco. |
| Title variants | DevOps, Site Reliability Engineer, SRE, Platform Engineer can point to similar searches, but some variants may represent a narrower specialty or a higher/lower seniority band. |
| Offer comparison | Compare base salary, hourly equivalent, take-home pay, certifications, local cost of living, and whether the job is employee, contractor, public-sector, commission-heavy, or management-level. |
Waco Job Market Overview
Waco, Texas has a population of 139,236 and an unemployment rate of 3.5%. The top industries are Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing. The local job growth rate is 1.5%, and the average commute time is 20minutes. These local figures come from Salario's city dataset; verify current values with BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Census QuickFacts.
DevOps Engineer Salary in Nearby Texas Cities
Salary Percentile Breakdown — DevOps Engineer in Waco
Based on Salario's cost-of-living-adjusted salary tiers for DevOps Engineer in Waco, TX, here is an estimated percentile breakdown:
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Hourly Equivalent | Career Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest) | $79,300 | $38/hr | Entry-level, < 1 yr exp. |
| 25th | $101,190 | $49/hr | Junior, 1-3 yrs exp. |
| 50th (median) | $123,080 | $59/hr | Mid-career, 3-5 years |
| 75th | $161,400 | $78/hr | Senior, 5-10 yrs exp. |
| 90th (top) | $182,400 | $88/hr | Lead/Principal, 10+ yrs |
P50 is the measured BLS OEWS May 2025 metro median; P10, P25, P75 and P90 are approximations, not measured local percentiles: they map to Salario's entry, senior and top tiers rescaled to the BLS median, with P25 interpolated halfway between entry and median. Top earners (P90) typically include managers, specialists with rare skills, or those at high-paying employers in Waco's Education sector.
5-Year Salary Trajectory
Salario's national dataset models approximately 24.0% salary growth for DevOps Engineers over the past 5 years. That national assumption is applied to the Waco estimate below; it is not a measured local trend, and it should be compared with cumulative CPI inflation before treating it as a real-terms gain:
Year-over-year, an average DevOps Engineer can expect a 10.7% annual increase moving from entry to senior level over 7 years in Waco. Negotiation, certifications (AWS DevOps Engineer, Certified Kubernetes Administrator), and changing employers strategically can accelerate this trajectory.
Waco vs National Average
The national median DevOps Engineer salary is $135,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025, Software Developers). In the Waco, TX metro, the BLS median of $123,080 is 9.5% below the national figure. Waco's cost of living index is 84 (lower than the national average of 100), so the wage premium and the cost premium do not necessarily cancel out.
For DevOps Engineers, this means: rent typically consumes 12.6% of take-home pay (households spending >30% are considered affordable), and a median home in Waco costs about 2.1× annual take-home. Homeownership is relatively attainable on this salary in Waco.
Industry Context: Education in Waco
Waco's economy is anchored by Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, with 139,236 residents and an unemployment rate of 3.5% in Salario's city dataset. Pay for DevOps Engineers can differ by sector, so compare Education employers with other local employers. The local job growth rate in Salario's city dataset is 1.5%, and Salario's job dataset lists a 22.0% growth outlook for DevOps Engineer roles; check the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for the official 2024-2034 projection for the closest matching occupation.
Methodology & Data Sources
How we calculate DevOps Engineer salaries in Waco, TX:
- Local median is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Waco, TX metropolitan statistical area, retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on September 17, 2026. BLS reports by metro area, so this is a regional figure, not a Waco-only wage.
- Cost-of-living adjustment is shown only for comparison ($114,223 modeled) using the Waco index of 84 relative to the national baseline of 100, with local rent, home price, unemployment, and tax inputs stored separately in Salario's city dataset.
- Percentile distribution (P10-P90) estimated from the entry, median, senior, and top compensation tiers in the Salario salary model rescaled to the BLS metro median rather than claimed as exact employer payroll data.
- Take-home pay calculated using 2026 federal tax brackets (10%-37%), TX 2026 state income tax brackets after the standard deduction (top rate 0.0%), and FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%).
- Tax brackets and standard deduction ($16,100 single filer for tax year 2026) sourced from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and updated annually.
Authoritative data sources:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — national and metro-area salary data
- O*NET OnLine — occupation tasks, alternate job titles, skills, and SOC crosswalks
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — occupation outlook where a matching profile is available
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) — regional inflation data (CPI measures price changes, not city-to-city price levels)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Waco QuickFacts — population and demographic data
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 summary — 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics — official local unemployment rates to verify the Waco figure above
Last reviewed: 2026. Salario's salary dataset is refreshed periodically, not automatically; check the linked BLS releases for the latest official data. DevOps Engineer salaries can vary significantly based on employer, sector (Education vs others in Waco), specific skill set (AWS, Docker, Kubernetes), and individual negotiation. Always verify current compensation through multiple sources before making career decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average DevOps Engineer salary in Waco, TX?
How much does a DevOps Engineer take home in Waco after taxes?
Is Waco a good city for DevOps Engineers?
What skills are needed for a DevOps Engineer in Waco?
How does DevOps Engineer salary in Waco compare to the national average?
What job titles are similar to DevOps Engineer in Waco?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average DevOps Engineer salary in Waco, TX?
The median DevOps Engineer salary in Waco, TX is $123,080 per year: the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Waco, TX metropolitan area. BLS publishes wages by metro area, not by city. The entry-level estimate of around $79,300 and the senior estimate of $161,400 or more are Salario tiers calibrated to that BLS median, not BLS percentiles.
How much does a DevOps Engineer take home in Waco after taxes?
A DevOps Engineer earning the median salary of $123,080 in Waco, TX takes home approximately $95,391 per year ($7,949/month) after federal, state, and local taxes. The effective tax rate is 22.5%.
Is Waco a good city for DevOps Engineers?
Waco, TX has a cost of living index of 84 (below national average). DevOps Engineers here earn above the city median. The local unemployment rate is 3.5% and top industries include Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing.
What skills are needed for a DevOps Engineer in Waco?
Key skills for DevOps Engineers include AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Linux. Typical education requirement is Bachelor's Degree. Valuable certifications include AWS DevOps Engineer, Certified Kubernetes Administrator.
How does DevOps Engineer salary in Waco compare to the national average?
The national median for Software Developers is $135,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). In the Waco, TX metro, the BLS median is $123,080, which is 9.5% lower than the national figure. For comparison, Salario's cost-of-living model (index 84) would have estimated $114,223.
What job titles are similar to DevOps Engineer in Waco?
Related search terms for DevOps Engineer in Waco, TX include DevOps, Site Reliability Engineer, SRE, Platform Engineer. Use them as comparison terms, not always exact matches: licensing, employer type, seniority, public-sector rules, and whether the role is W-2, contractor, clinical, technical, management, or sales-focused can change the salary range.