Who should actually consider DEVASC

The Cisco 200-901 DevNet Associate (DEVASC) is not a general networking cert and it is not a pure software engineering credential either. It sits in the middle: network operations, infrastructure engineering, and software-driven automation.

That matters because employers read this cert in a pretty specific way. They usually do not see it and think, "senior developer." They also usually do not see it and think, "traditional network admin only." What they see is someone who understands that modern infrastructure is managed through APIs, Python, automation workflows, CI/CD concepts, and Cisco platforms.

If you are coming from a Cisco networking background, DEVASC tells employers you are moving beyond CLI-only administration. If you are coming from a software or scripting background, it tells employers you understand how code applies to real enterprise infrastructure: switches, routers, controllers, SD-WAN, security products, collaboration APIs, and cloud-connected network services.

This cert is most useful for people in one of these situations:

Network engineers who want to get into automation and programmability
NOC or operations engineers trying to move up from ticket execution into tooling and orchestration
Systems or infrastructure engineers working in Cisco-heavy environments
Junior DevOps engineers whose work touches enterprise networking rather than only cloud-native application stacks
Early-career professionals who want a first credential in network automation rather than a classic routing-and-switching-only path

If your goal is to become a backend application developer at a software company, DEVASC is usually not the best first cert. If your goal is to automate infrastructure, integrate Cisco platforms, or work in NetDevOps-style roles, it is much more relevant.

What hiring teams think this certification proves

When hiring managers mention DEVASC in job postings, they are usually looking for evidence of four things.

1. You can script, not just configure.
The cert has real signaling value because it covers Python basics, JSON, REST APIs, data formats, and automation workflows. Plenty of network candidates still stop at device configuration. DEVASC helps separate candidates who can use code to interact with infrastructure.

2. You understand Cisco's automation ecosystem.
This is one of the reasons the cert shows up in Cisco partner, reseller, and enterprise job postings. Employers using DNA Center, Meraki APIs, Webex APIs, SD-WAN, ACI, UCS, or security platform integrations want people who are comfortable with vendor-specific programmability, not just abstract automation theory.

3. You can work across teams.
A good DevNet Associate candidate can talk to network engineers, systems teams, cloud engineers, and developers. That cross-functional ability is valuable in enterprises where infrastructure modernization is happening unevenly.

4. You are likely trainable for NetDevOps work.
This is a big one. DEVASC alone does not make you a fully formed automation engineer, but it often tells employers you can grow into one faster than someone with only manual operations experience.

What it does not prove by itself:

Deep software engineering ability
Senior-level architecture judgment
Production-scale automation design experience
Advanced cloud platform expertise
Expert routing, security, or data center specialization

That honesty matters. The cert gets attention because it maps to a real skills gap, but employers still want examples: scripts you wrote, APIs you used, automation you deployed, or labs you built.

The jobs that really align with 200-901

You will see DEVASC mentioned most often in jobs where networking and automation overlap. The best-fit titles are not always identical from company to company, but these are the ones that show up repeatedly in Cisco-heavy environments:

Network Automation Engineer
DevNet Engineer
Network Engineer – Automation
NetDevOps Engineer
Infrastructure Automation Engineer
Cisco Collaboration Developer

A few notes on how these titles differ in practice:

Network Automation Engineer roles are the cleanest fit. These jobs often involve Python, Ansible, REST APIs, templating, source control, and integrating with Cisco controllers or device APIs.

DevNet Engineer is more common at Cisco partners, resellers, consulting firms, and large enterprises aligned closely with Cisco technologies. Sometimes this title is broad, covering everything from Webex integrations to Meraki automation to DNA Center orchestration.

Network Engineer – Automation is common when a company is still transitioning from traditional network operations. In these jobs, you may still spend part of your week doing standard network engineering work while gradually taking on more scripting and automation projects.

NetDevOps Engineer tends to appear in more mature teams. These employers usually expect stronger Git, CI/CD, testing, and infrastructure-as-code habits. DEVASC helps, but this title often requires more hands-on experience than the cert alone provides.

Infrastructure Automation Engineer can be a good target if the role spans compute, network, and security tooling. Here, DEVASC is useful when Cisco networking is a major part of the environment.

Cisco Collaboration Developer is more niche but very real. In organizations using Webex and Cisco collaboration APIs, DEVASC can support roles involving integrations, bots, workflow automation, and communications tooling.

Where these jobs tend to be found:

Cisco partners and VARs building managed services and automation practices
Large enterprises with Cisco-heavy campus, branch, or data center environments
Managed service providers supporting multiple client networks
Financial services firms with mature infrastructure operations teams
Healthcare systems standardizing enterprise networking across many sites
Higher education and large public-sector organizations with Cisco-centric environments
Consulting firms doing SD-WAN, ACI, Meraki, or network modernization projects

This is not the broadest certification market in IT. It is somewhat niche compared with AWS or general cybersecurity certs. But within Cisco-oriented infrastructure teams, it is recognizable and useful.

What the pay looks like in the U.S. market

For salary, the key is to price this cert against the kinds of jobs it actually supports: associate-level network automation, infrastructure engineering, and Cisco programmability roles. This is not entry-level help desk pay, but it is also not senior cloud architect money.

The market tends to break down like this:

Entry level: $72,000 to $98,000
This range usually covers junior network automation roles, network engineer positions with scripting responsibilities, NOC-to-automation transition roles, and some early-career DevNet support positions. At the lower end, you may have the cert but limited production experience. At the upper end, you usually have a year or two of networking work, a portfolio of Python/API projects, or existing Cisco operations experience.

Mid level: $98,000 to $132,000
This is where DEVASC becomes more valuable if paired with real execution. Typical candidates here have built automations, worked with APIs in production, used Git and CI workflows, and can support platforms like DNA Center, Meraki, ACI, SD-WAN, or Webex. Many strong Network Automation Engineer and NetDevOps Engineer jobs sit here, especially outside the highest-cost metro areas.

Senior: $132,000 to $168,000
Senior compensation usually requires much more than the cert. Employers want design responsibility, platform ownership, production automation strategy, mentoring, and often broader infrastructure depth. In high-cost markets or specialized consulting roles, compensation can go above this, but DEVASC by itself is not what creates that salary. Experience does.

A few candid salary realities:

Geography still matters a lot. New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, DC, and Boston can push salaries higher, but not always enough to offset cost of living.
Cisco partner and consulting shops can pay well if billable automation skills are strong, though expectations are usually higher and travel may be involved.
Internal enterprise roles may offer slightly lower cash compensation than consulting, but often come with better stability and work-life balance.
Public sector and higher education may pay below private-sector midpoints, but they can be good entry points for Cisco-heavy automation experience.

The cert helps most when it moves you from traditional network administration into automation-oriented work. That transition can create a meaningful salary jump over purely manual operations roles.

What DEVASC alone gets you — and what it does not

This is where people often misjudge the value of the cert.

DEVASC alone can help you get interviews for:

Junior Network Automation Engineer roles
Network Engineer roles that mention Python or APIs
DevNet support or enablement roles
Cisco-focused infrastructure positions at partners or managed service providers
Internal mobility opportunities inside a company already using Cisco platforms

DEVASC alone usually will not get you:

Senior automation engineering jobs
Pure software developer roles
Lead DevOps positions
Architecture jobs
High-paying consulting roles without delivery experience

The reason is simple: employers want proof that you can do more than pass an exam. They want to know whether you can actually automate something useful.

For this cert, the strongest proof usually includes:

A GitHub repo with Python scripts interacting with network APIs
Small projects using REST, JSON, requests, Postman, or Ansible
Labs involving Meraki, Webex, Cisco DNA Center, or sandbox environments
Evidence that you understand version control and basic testing
A story about reducing manual network work through automation

If you already have CCNA-level networking knowledge, DEVASC becomes much more powerful. That combination tells employers you understand both the infrastructure and the programmability layer. Without networking fundamentals, some hiring teams will worry that you can call an API but do not really understand the environment you are changing.

How careers usually progress from this certification

The career path around DEVASC is less linear than traditional networking. It is usually a branching path, depending on whether you lean more toward infrastructure, software, or platform specialization.

A common progression looks like this:

Stage 1: Traditional operations or junior engineering
People often start in NOC roles, network support, systems administration, or junior network engineering. At this stage, they may know troubleshooting and device basics but still do most work manually.

Stage 2: Automation-enabled engineer
After earning DEVASC and building hands-on skills, they begin taking ownership of scripts, repeatable workflows, API integrations, templated configs, or reporting automations. Titles here include Network Engineer – Automation or Junior Network Automation Engineer.

Stage 3: Platform-focused automation engineer
This is where specialization usually starts. Some people go deeper into Meraki automation, some into DNA Center, ACI, SD-WAN, security automation, or collaboration integrations. Others broaden into NetDevOps practices across multiple platforms.

Stage 4: Senior automation or infrastructure engineering
At this point, the work shifts from writing one-off scripts to designing maintainable automation systems. You may standardize pipelines, review code, define templates, integrate source control into operations, or lead infrastructure modernization.

Stage 5: Branch into one of three directions

Senior Network Automation / NetDevOps: deeper engineering and tooling ownership
Solutions consulting / architecture: especially in Cisco partner ecosystems
Platform engineering / SRE-adjacent infrastructure work: if you broaden into cloud, IaC, and observability

That branching matters because DEVASC can be a bridge cert. It is often not the endpoint. People who get the most from it usually pair it with one of these next steps:

CCNP Enterprise or specialist Cisco certs if they stay infrastructure-heavy
DevNet Professional track if they go deeper into automation and Cisco programmability
Cloud and IaC skills if they move toward platform engineering
Security automation skills if they work around firewalls, segmentation, or SOC tooling

So the realistic value of DEVASC is that it helps you pivot into a more modern infrastructure path. It is rarely the final credential in that path.

Skills that make this cert pay off

If you want this certification to produce job offers rather than just a line on LinkedIn, build skills around it that hiring teams can actually test.

Python for infrastructure work
Not academic Python. Practical Python. Parsing JSON, handling authentication, making API calls, processing responses, reading from CSV/YAML, and writing scripts that solve repetitive operations tasks.

REST APIs and Postman
DEVASC employers often care less about fancy algorithm knowledge and more about whether you can read API docs, authenticate, test endpoints, and turn API calls into useful workflows.

Git and version control
This is one of the easiest ways to stand out against traditional network candidates. Even basic comfort with branches, commits, pull requests, and repository hygiene helps.

Ansible and templating
Many infrastructure teams still use Ansible as the practical bridge between manual administration and full engineering maturity. Jinja2 templating also comes up frequently.

Cisco platform familiarity
For this cert specifically, hands-on exposure to one or more of these matters: Meraki, DNA Center, Webex, ACI, SD-WAN, UCS, or Cisco security APIs. General automation skill is good; platform relevance is better.

Networking fundamentals
Do not neglect this. You still need to understand IP addressing, VLANs, routing basics, switching behavior, access policies, and troubleshooting logic. Automation without operational understanding makes employers nervous.

Basic CI/CD and testing habits
You do not need to be a full DevOps engineer, but knowing how changes are validated, versioned, and promoted is increasingly useful in NetDevOps teams.

If I were advising a candidate trying to maximize DEVASC, I would say: build three small portfolio projects instead of chasing five more certs. A hiring manager will remember a working Meraki automation script faster than a badge collection.

How to present 200-901 on your resume and in interviews

The best way to list this cert is in a way that supports a clear career story.

If you are a network engineer, position it as evidence that you can modernize infrastructure operations. If you are a systems or DevOps candidate, position it as proof that you can work confidently with enterprise networking and Cisco APIs.

On the resume, do not just list:

Cisco DevNet Associate (DEVASC)

Add supporting bullets in your experience or projects section such as:

Built Python scripts to query network device and controller APIs and export operational data
Automated repetitive network tasks using REST APIs, JSON parsing, and version-controlled scripts
Used Postman and Cisco sandbox environments to test integrations with Meraki/Webex/DNA Center APIs
Collaborated with network operations teams to reduce manual configuration and reporting effort

In interviews, be ready for practical questions like:

Tell me about an API you worked with
How would you safely automate a network change?
What would you store in Git versus a secrets manager?
How do you handle failures in an automation script?
What is the difference between using CLI automation and controller APIs?

A strong interview answer for a DEVASC-level role usually combines three things:

A real technical example
An understanding of operational risk
A willingness to learn platform specifics quickly

That combination is more persuasive than reciting exam topics.

One final candid point: if you are applying cold to jobs, DEVASC is most effective when the target employer already has a Cisco footprint. In non-Cisco environments, the cert may still help, but the brand-specific value is lower. Tailor your applications accordingly.

Salary Information

Level	Salary Range
Entry Level	$72,000 - $98,000
Mid Level	$98,000 - $132,000
Senior	$132,000 - $168,000

Common Job Titles

Network Automation Engineer
DevNet Engineer
Network Engineer - Automation
NetDevOps Engineer
Infrastructure Automation Engineer
Cisco Collaboration Developer