Businesses across multiple industries want to capitalize on the power of distributed ledger technology through blockchain. It offers the advantages of security, transparency, and immutability. The fast pace of blockchain adoption across different industries has drawn the limelight towards career opportunities in blockchain.
The variety of blockchain jobs for professionals can be quite confusing. However, the blockchain developer role is the in-demand position in the blockchain and web3 labor markets worldwide. Blockchain developers are the most popular category of blockchain professionals, as any business working on blockchain adoption needs their services.
Do you want to become a blockchain developer? You must have many doubts regarding the path to becoming a blockchain developer, including the expected salary, responsibilities, and important skills required for the job. Let us find out these important details and the best practices to prove your capabilities as a blockchain developer.
Why Should You Look for Jobs in Blockchain?
The first doubt on the mind of a beginner about pursuing a career in blockchain would focus on the potential outcomes. Will a blockchain career help you achieve your professional objectives? Does a blockchain developer job guarantee job security? How much can you earn as a blockchain developer? Beginners need answers to such types of questions before setting off on a path to achieve their goals of becoming blockchain developers.
First of all, you must take a look at the expected growth of blockchain technology. Gartner has predicted that the business value generated by blockchain will cross $3 trillion by 2030. The average blockchain developer salary estimate ranges between $90,000 and $260,000, depending on the skills and experience of candidates.
In addition, the advantages of remote work and professional growth in the blockchain labor market provide convincing reasons to pursue blockchain developer career paths. As a matter of fact, blockchain would generate over 40 million new jobs worldwide by 2030. With the right set of skills, you can find multiple job prospects in blockchain development across different industries.
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Role of Blockchain Developers
The six-figure salary estimates for blockchain developers might appear as a convincing reason to pursue jobs in blockchain development. However, it is also important to understand that you would have to assume a crucial role in blockchain projects. Candidates preparing for blockchain developer jobs must understand that the role involves developing decentralized apps for blockchain networks or new blockchain protocols.
Qualified blockchain developers should leverage their knowledge of DLT and blockchain for implementing individual components in a dApp or blockchain network. Blockchain developers must also have a clear understanding of the ways in which data structures and cryptography align with the blockchain architecture. On top of it, the role of blockchain developers also focuses on implementation of consensus protocols alongside developing smart contracts and dApps.
What Would You Do as a Blockchain Developer?
Before you start the preparations for blockchain development jobs, it is important to understand your responsibilities in the job. The job responsibilities can help you identify the blockchain developer skills you need to achieve your career goals. It is important to note that the responsibilities of blockchain developers would vary according to the specific project requirements. On the other hand, the job description for blockchain developers would emphasize the following responsibilities.
- Development of blockchain protocols and consensus mechanisms alongside the ideal network security patterns.
- Designing and guiding the development of network topology.
- Utilizing different types of programming languages for developing and testing blockchain systems alongside improving application functionalities.
- Implementation of security measures for fighting against different blockchain security threats alongside leveraging encryption to strengthen the defenses.
- Introduction of new tools and frameworks for improving security of blockchain networks alongside increasing awareness regarding new upgrades.
- Monitoring the backend development tasks for blockchain protocols and development of intuitive frontend experiences in decentralized applications.
What are the Essential Skills Required to Become Blockchain Developers?
As a qualified blockchain developer, you would need a broad assortment of skills. You can review listings for blockchain jobs to identify the important skills required for blockchain developers. However, the job listings might incline toward the specific requirements of the employer or the organization. On the other hand, you must learn the general skills required for blockchain developers, such as the following.
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Blockchain Architecture
The first thing you need to do to become a blockchain developer is to learn about blockchain and understand how it works. You can prepare for blockchain developer jobs only with a clear understanding of the ways in which network architecture supports blockchain functionalities.
An aspiring blockchain developer must have fluency in different concepts such as smart contracts, cryptography, hash functions, dApps, and distributed ledgers. In addition, you should also learn about the different consensus mechanisms and the types of blockchain architecture.
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Cryptography
The job of a blockchain developer is incomplete without knowledge of cryptography. Effective implementation of cryptography is essential for preparing a secure blockchain environment alongside preventing tampering of transactions. As a matter of fact, any individual seeking a career in blockchain must know the essential cryptography concepts and best practices.
You should have the skills to use wallets, keys, symmetric/asymmetric encryption, and digital signatures. Blockchain developers must also know about the effective use of public key cryptography to prevent unauthorized data access. Furthermore, aspiring blockchain developers must also know the difference between different cryptographic hashing functions.
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Smart Contracts
The most vital addition to the list of blockchain developer skills would point to smart contracts. The self-executing pieces of code can help in ensuring faster and more automatic execution of transactions for dApps or blockchain networks. Smart contracts are a staple ingredient in most blockchain implementations.
Therefore, blockchain developers must understand how smart contracts work and how they can implement the business logic for blockchain applications. Blockchain developers should know about the best practices for designing, building and testing smart contracts to achieve desired goals. Most important of all, blockchain developers must have fluency in smart contract programming languages such as Solidity and Vyper.
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Programming Skills
Speaking of smart contract programming, you must also work on your general programming skills to become a blockchain developer. The common assumption about blockchain jobs is that you would have to learn specialized programming to develop blockchain solutions.
However, you must know that blockchain technologies utilize different programming languages according to the platforms used for implementing blockchain solutions. Some of the common languages required for blockchain development include C++, JavaScript, and Python. Developers should have a fluent understanding of object-oriented programming concepts alongside skills for using different development libraries and frameworks.
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Data Structures
The next entry among the skills required for blockchain developers focuses on data structures. Every block in a blockchain is a data structure that combines different transactions for the ledger. Knowledge of data structures is an essential requirement for blockchain developer jobs, as you must know how blockchain networks use data structures.
Aspiring blockchain developers must also learn about different types of data structures such as Merkle trees, graphs, hash trees, linked lists, and heaps. Another important data structure skill is the ability to access, search, and modify data in different data structures. You should also know about the best practices for working with metadata in the header of a block.
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Web Development
Another important entry among blockchain developer skills points to web development skills. Blockchain focuses on decentralized applications, which are user-facing applications with the power of blockchain. As a blockchain developer, you should have skills in different areas of web development.
For example, you must have an in-depth understanding of different technologies for supporting web applications. Most important of all, blockchain developers should have the ability to use their web development skills to create user-friendly and effective blockchain applications.
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How Can You Become a Blockchain Developer?
The average salary estimate for blockchain developers and the continuously expanding business value of blockchain technology provide favorable opportunities for aspiring blockchain developers. However, pursuing a career in blockchain development can be a challenging task for beginners. What are the ideal steps you must cover to become a blockchain developer? Here is an outline of the best practices included in a blockchain developer career path.
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Earn the Academic Qualifications
The foremost requirement to become a blockchain developer is academic qualification. You should have an academic background in computer science and mathematics to build your path to the position of a blockchain developer. While academic qualifications or background in technical disciplines are not mandatory, they can strengthen your foundation for a career as a blockchain developer.
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Learn the Important Technical Skills
Candidates who want to become blockchain developers to earn a lucrative salary should also understand the responsibilities of the role. You can earn promising blockchain developer salary figures only with proof of your technical skills. The important skills required for blockchain developer roles include programming, data structures, cryptography, and web development. With the fundamental technical skills on your side, you can explore desired avenues for professional growth as a blockchain developer.
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Familiarize yourself with Ethereum, Smart Contracts, Solidity, and dApps
Another important step in your journey of becoming a blockchain developer focuses on learning about Ethereum, smart contracts, and dApps. Ethereum is a top addition among mandatory blockchain developer skills as it provides the foundation for programming blockchain apps. Ethereum developers utilize smart contracts for designing and developing dApps.
You can learn about Ethereum technology and how it works to understand the different ways in which you can use it for blockchain development. In addition, you must also work on improving your skills in using Solidity for creating smart contracts and executing business logic.
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Certification for Your Skills
The next vital step in your journey towards jobs in blockchain development involves professional certifications. You must rely on professional certifications to prove your skills and knowledge regarding blockchain architecture. The Certified Enterprise Blockchain Professional certification and Certified Enterprise Blockchain Architect certification on 101 Blockchains can provide the ideal tools for proving your skills in designing and developing blockchain solutions.
On top of it, you can also rely on the Certified Blockchain Security Expert certification to prove your knowledge of the best practices for securing blockchain solutions. The certifications provide recognizable proof of your blockchain development skills alongside offering flexibility for expanding your skills.
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Practical Experience
You could not become a blockchain developer through training courses and certifications. The assortment of learning resources available online can help you prepare for blockchain jobs with a comprehensive conceptual understanding. However, you would also need practical experience to implement your skills to achieve real-world objectives.
For example, you should have the ability to identify the type of blockchain suited for a specific application desired by the client. In addition, you should also have the ability to translate the requirements of the client into technical specifications for a blockchain solution. You can gain practical fluency in blockchain development by developing a real-world app rather than mimicking the instructions in tutorials or examples.
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Professional Networking
The most crucial factor in finding blockchain developer jobs with a six-figure salary is professional networking. You could not find jobs in blockchain development without doing anything. Professional networking for jobs in blockchain landscape involves creating your portfolio with details of your academic qualifications, technical skills, and details of certifications.
In addition, you must participate in different online communities and professional networking platforms where you can advertise your portfolio. Professional networking offers dual advantages by helping you learn from experts and peers alongside developing your professional identity.
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Bottom Line
The guide to becoming a blockchain developer focused on the roles and responsibilities of blockchain developers. In addition, you could understand how the blockchain developer salary is an appealing factor for many aspiring candidates. With annual salaries ranging from $90,000 to $260,000, it is reasonable for any professional to seek jobs in blockchain.
However, the journey of finding the desired blockchain jobs involves multiple obstacles. You can stand up to the challenges by learning essential skills such as blockchain fundamentals, smart contract development, Solidity programming, and working on data structures.
Candidates would also have to familiarize themselves with cryptography principles and best practices alongside the important requirements for successful web development projects. Remember that your chances of becoming a blockchain developer depend on how effectively you can implement your skills in the real world. Learn more about blockchain development and find your dream jobs in blockchain now.
*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!
