What programming languages should a DevOps Engineer know?

DevOps Engineers play a crucial role in bridging the gap between development and operations by automating workflows, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring system reliability. To do this effectively, they rely on a range of programming and scripting languages. While not all DevOps roles require deep software engineering experience, knowing the right languages allows professionals to build CI/CD pipelines, manage configuration, write automation scripts, and integrate with cloud platforms. Here's a breakdown of the most important languages every DevOps Engineer should consider learning.

1. Python ? The DevOps Powerhouse

Python is one of the most versatile and widely used languages in DevOps for scripting, automation, and tool development.

• Automate routine tasks like backups, monitoring, and log parsing
• Integrate with AWS, GCP, and Azure SDKs for cloud infrastructure management
• Write Ansible modules and extend existing DevOps tooling

Python's readability and massive ecosystem make it ideal for building scalable automation scripts.

2. Bash ? Essential for Shell Scripting

Bash (or shell scripting) is foundational for interacting with Unix/Linux systems — the backbone of most server environments.

• Create startup scripts, cron jobs, and system monitoring routines
• Manage deployment tasks and server configuration
• Chain commands to orchestrate multi-step processes efficiently

For DevOps Engineers, Bash is an indispensable language for on-the-fly operations and troubleshooting.

3. YAML and JSON ? Infrastructure as Code Formats

While not programming languages per se, YAML and JSON are essential for defining configuration files and working with IaC tools.

• Write declarative configurations for Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker Compose, and GitHub Actions
• Manage cloud infrastructure templates in tools like Terraform and CloudFormation
• Structure environment variables, secrets, and workflows cleanly

Understanding these formats ensures reliable and human-readable configurations.

4. Groovy ? Scripting Jenkins Pipelines

Groovy is primarily used for configuring Jenkins pipelines and managing Jenkinsfiles in CI/CD setups.

• Define multi-stage builds, deployments, and tests
• Create reusable pipeline libraries and shared modules
• Automate integration testing and artifact promotion

DevOps Engineers working with Jenkins will benefit from a solid grasp of Groovy syntax and structure.

5. Go (Golang) ? High-Performance Automation

Go is becoming increasingly popular in the DevOps world for building CLI tools, APIs, and cloud-native applications.

• Develop lightweight tools for infrastructure and container orchestration
• Contribute to or customize open-source projects like Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform
• Write fast, concurrent programs for scalable system operations

Go is a go-to language for performance-critical tasks in modern DevOps stacks.

6. JavaScript/TypeScript ? Front-End for DevOps Tools

Though not traditionally a DevOps language, JavaScript and TypeScript are useful for building internal dashboards, visual monitoring tools, or customizing front ends for CI/CD platforms.

• Create web-based UIs for build monitoring or deployment control panels
• Integrate with APIs from GitLab, Jenkins, or Grafana
• Work with tools like Node.js for scripting or backend automation

These languages are valuable for DevOps Engineers who touch web UIs or develop internal tools.

Conclusion

DevOps Engineers are most effective when they combine scripting fluency with a deep understanding of infrastructure and automation. Python and Bash are foundational, while knowledge of YAML, Groovy, Go, and JavaScript/TypeScript broadens your toolkit for working across various tools and platforms. The more versatile your language skills, the more efficiently you can build robust DevOps solutions that scale and adapt to your organization’s needs.