Aspiring to become an Ethereum developer? Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to become an Ethereum Developer.
Blockchain is undoubtedly a promising technology and has the potential for transforming various sectors. Therefore, many enterprises want to use blockchain-based solutions, and there are good reasons for the same. This has resulted in the growth of various job opportunities for aspiring developers and blockchain enthusiasts. However, an individual who wants to become an Ethereum developer, may not have the right direction to pursue his career. This guide on how to become an Ethereum developer will prove a great resource for such aspirants!
Ethereum is an open-source blockchain platform that could support the development of applications tailored for different use cases. The flexibility of Ethereum is an important aspect improving the scope for Ethereum developer jobs in the existing labor market. Here is an outline of the promising approaches through which you can find good career prospects as an Ethereum blockchain developer. Let’s first have a basic understanding of what is ethereum and its market demand.
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What is Ethereum – Understand the Basics
The foremost aspect required in an Ethereum developer roadmap is the understanding of Ethereum fundamentals. When you have a clear impression of the basics associated with Ethereum, such as its definition and working, you can approach the prospects of learning about the blockchain platform confidently.
Ethereum is basically a decentralized platform, which involves the execution of smart contracts. What are smart contracts? They are also important elements in any Ethereum developer course. Smart contracts are applications that can run as per the instructions programmed in them. Interestingly, smart contracts provide the unique advantage of freedom from fraud, downtime, third-party interference, or censorship.
The smart contracts run on a custom-design blockchain, which has the power of a massive shared global infrastructure. The Ethereum blockchain is eligible for moving value around alongside offering representation for ownership of property. So, Ethereum plans to serve as a comprehensive software platform that can help in building decentralized apps for the future. Since Ethereum encompasses a wider scope of possibilities with blockchain, Ethereum developer jobs would require comprehensive training.
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Salary Prospects for Ethereum Developers
The salary in a job is also an important factor for encouraging aspirants to learn skills for the job. The average Ethereum developer salary can be an indicator of the demand for Ethereum developers. According to reports by ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary of experienced Ethereum developers could be almost $172,000. In addition, Ethereum blockchain developers also earn around $50-$100 on an hourly basis on freelancing platforms like Upwork.
However, aspiring candidates must also remember that the salary for an Ethereum blockchain developer depends on many other factors. For example, the years of experience, specialization in skill set, or location can influence the salary for an Ethereum developer. So, one can clearly notice the potential monetary benefits they stand to achieve in the role of Ethereum blockchain developer.
Firms Hiring Ethereum Blockchain Developers
Any candidate aspiring for a blockchain developer job would also look for the companies hiring Ethereum developers. After all, blockchain professionals also need the tag of a renowned employer in their professional portfolio. As a matter of fact, the names of notable employers offering Ethereum developer jobs make quite a long list. Here are some of the big names which hire talented professionals for developing enterprise solutions on Ethereum blockchain.
- Accenture
- Deloitte
- Ernst & Young
- IBM
- Amazon
- KPMG
- Microsoft
- JPMorgan Chase
- Cisco
Reasons to Become an Ethereum Blockchain Developer
So, you can clearly see that there is a lot of professional development opportunities for Ethereum developers. You can work with top companies at promisingly high salary estimates in comparison to software developers with Ethereum developer jobs. However, you need to establish strong reasons to build the perfect foundation for your career as an Ethereum blockchain developer.
Here is an outline of a few reasons for which you should think about pursuing a career in Ethereum development –
1. Intellectual and Professional Development
First of all, the field of blockchain offers the chance for learning and improving continuously. The blockchain industry provides a comprehensive platform for learning about various intellectually empowering disciplines. Some of the notable disciplines referred to in this case include finance, cryptography, software development, and economics.
2. Scope for Growth
The next prominent reason to pursue the job of an Ethereum developer is the relatively new arrival of blockchain and Ethereum. The concept of blockchain arrived in 2009, and Ethereum was one of the earliest blockchain platforms for application development. Although a decade has passed, blockchain and Ethereum continue to mature and experience new innovations in technology. So, you are less likely to encounter cut-throat competition in your Ethereum developer roadmap.
3. Job Satisfaction
Furthermore, the perception of blockchain developer jobs as convenient and satisfying can also be a reliable factor in preparing for Ethereum development jobs. According to a Developer Survey by Stack Overflow in 2019, almost 68% of web developers perceive blockchain technology positively. In addition, around 30% of the developers in the survey indicated that blockchain could have profoundly ‘life-altering’ effects.
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Responsibilities of Ethereum Developers
With promising clarity regarding the benefits of Ethereum development jobs, it is reasonable to start seeking out jobs. However, you need to take a step back and think of the fundamental requirements. The career benefits and Ethereum developer salary can motivate any individual to start looking for ways to become one.
Do you think it is easy to land up an Ethereum development job? As a matter of fact, you should start by looking at how difficult the job will be for you. How can you do this? Just take a look at the important responsibilities of Ethereum developers outlined as follows,
- Development of Ethereum smart contracts with Solidity programming language
- Supporting the creation of teams for smart contract and decentralized app development
- Creation and testing of customer-facing decentralized applications
- Coordination of work with partners and contractors
- Safeguarding security of enterprise blockchain applications with basic cryptography techniques
- Communicating the application specifications and project details for all stakeholders alongside adapting to fast-paced team environments
- Ability for explaining technical jargon to uninitiated stakeholders
Therefore, candidates can notice how tough the job of an Ethereum developer could be. However, the significant responsibilities of Ethereum developers should not dampen your aspirations for the job. The job description of Ethereum developers can help you improve your confidence in the job. How? When you know what you have to do on the job, you can easily identify the skill and knowledge requirements.
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Knowledge and Skills Requirements for Ethereum Development Jobs
In the modern technological landscape, almost everyone must have come across the blockchain. Developers are looking for opportunities to create blockchain applications and explore the technology comprehensively on a conceptual level. However, you need a certain set of skills for earning eligibility to become an Ethereum developer.
1. Fluency in Blockchain Fundamentals
The foremost requirement for any individual to become an Ethereum blockchain developer is blockchain knowledge. Candidates must have in-depth knowledge regarding the working of blockchains. If you are starting your Ethereum developer roadmap, make sure that you learn about the fundamentals of the working of Ethereum, its use cases, and challenges in its development. Some of the notable topics required for fundamental blockchain knowledge include the following,
- Consensus algorithms
- Smart contracts
- Transactions, Gas and Prices of Gas
- Incentives for Miners and Security
- Comparison of proof of work and proof of stake
- Token standards
- Sharding
2. Understanding of Cryptography
Candidates looking for answers to ‘How do I become an Ethereum developer?’ should also have cryptography knowledge. A comprehensive understanding of cryptography is important for understanding the capabilities of Ethereum comprehensively. Cryptography is one of the fundamental technologies of Ethereum and enables the assurance of better security. So, you cannot skip out on cryptography as an essential prerequisite for Ethereum development jobs. Here is an outline of the notable topics regarding cryptography that you need for Ethereum developer jobs.
- Digital signatures
- Public key encryption
- Private key encryption
- Hash functions
- Encrypted storage
- Key exchange or agreement
- Ring signatures
- Trusted execution environments
- Zero-knowledge proofs
- Elliptic curve encryption
3. Programming Knowledge
Any candidate aspiring for the job of Ethereum blockchain developer should have a strong grasp of programming. As a matter of fact, any Ethereum developer course would include programming exercises for designing Ethereum-based solutions to resolve real-world issues. However, the good news is that you have the option of learning various programming languages.
Once you gain fluency with a supported programming language on Ethereum, development could become easier. Some of the notable programming languages that are important for Ethereum developers include Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, Go, Rust, .NET, and C++. On the other hand, Solidity is the most popular programming language for Ethereum development. With syntax similar to JavaScript, Solidity is the preferred language for any Ethereum developer due to its simplicity.
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Steps to Become an Ethereum Developer
So, you have a major portion of your journey planned out with the information mentioned till now. You learned about the reasons to become an Ethereum blockchain developer and the prospects associated with the role. Most importantly, you have gained insights into the prerequisites for the job and the job responsibilities.
Now the question is, “How do I become a Ethereum developer?” and the answer is quite simple with the right information. The best practices recommended by experts could help you find the suitable direction towards your desired career goals. Let us take a look at the different steps that can help you become an Ethereum blockchain developer.
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Start with the Basics
Even if you have a fundamental knowledge of blockchain and Ethereum concepts, it is better to get a revision. Fundamental blockchain knowledge is important, and you should also opt for a fundamental level Ethereum developer course for learning the basic concepts. Whether it is about smart contracts or how mining works on Ethereum, you need to know it all. Getting all your basics right before the main game helps you keep everything in order on your journey to becoming an Ethereum blockchain developer.
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Get Solid on Solidity
As you must know, Solidity is a fan favorite of Ethereum developers. It’s got quite a simple syntax and helps JavaScript users shift bases easily without complications. The interesting fact about Solidity is that it is a dedicated language for crafting Ethereum smart contracts.
So, candidates aspiring to become an Ethereum developer must familiarize themselves with the official documentation of Solidity. Experts would also recommend that you should understand all fundamental components of Solidity. In addition, candidates should also learn how to create their first Ethereum smart contract not only on paper but also in action.
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Specialize in Ethereum Toolset
The efficiency of a professional always depends on their abilities to use relevant tools suited for their job. Interestingly, Ethereum developers have to stay updated with the latest technological trends to find suitable tools. Presently, Metamask, web3.js, and Truffle are the top ethereum tools for integration in terms of popularity.
Therefore, it is important to learn about any potential alternatives to these tools, which can offer better advantages. A truffle is a helpful tool for the automation of complicated Ethereum deployment tasks. Web3.js works effectively to ensure the flexible interaction with any Ethereum node and the smart contracts which could possibly be deployed on the node.
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Go Open Source
An Ethereum developer has to utilize their blockchain and Ethereum expertise for developing new solutions. So, learning about creating your first smart contract is not enough for becoming an Ethereum blockchain developer. Practical experience with Ethereum development is a proven approach for ensuring adequate skill development. Many Ethereum projects alongside GitHub communities are available to help out candidates in getting their hands dirty with Ethereum. Build, test, fail and build again till you get it right!
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Certification Works Wonders
A professional certification is one of the solid methods to obtain a job as an Ethereum blockchain developer. Certification offers tangible proof of your skills in Ethereum development alongside your commitment to the field. Certified candidates can deliver better value to the enterprises alongside accessing prospects for professional networking.
Bottom Line
As you can see, it is quite easy to become an Ethereum developer. Is it so? There are so many skill and knowledge requirements, lots of responsibilities, and many preparation steps in the journey. Although it is not an easy ride, you should look forward to the lucrative opportunities in Ethereum development jobs.
Ethereum is a dominant platform in the existing blockchain landscape and will continue to do so in the future. Therefore, it is a reasonable bet to think of starting your career as a blockchain developer on Ethereum. Choose the right learning resources and platforms to gain the expertise needed for Ethereum development now. We recommend you to start your Ethereum learning with the Ethereum Development Fundamentals course and move ahead!
*Disclaimer: The article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide any investment advice. Claims made in this article do not constitute investment advice and should not be taken as such. 101 Blockchains shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this article. Do your own research!