Working as a Blockchain developer? Is it worth it?

Blockchain technology is one of the most exciting and innovative sectors with high demand, opportunity and rewarding monetary incentives. Blockchain development has become one of the highest paying jobs in the technological sector.

The salaries are typically dependant on the qualifications, experience, and skills. With results from blockchain developer platforms, some key figures have been identified. On Ziprecruiter.com Blockchain developers are paid as much as roughly $150,550 annually. The higher end of the salary is roughly $158k and the lower end roughly $145k dependant on the current market.

To gain perspective on the different salary earned in by blockchain developers, a geographical approach must be considered according to location. Hired.com suggests that companies based in the US specifically San Francisco pay the most around roughly $169k annually. This is most likely due to the well-known tech community and a considerably higher cost of living.

When considering these locations, bear in mind that you do not necessarily have to live in these areas to get a high paying wage. Blockchain work is mostly remote friendly, so it is making competition very competitive and creates opportunities to developers globally. The remote style of work in blockchain mainly to allow companies to hire outside of their environment which can potentially lead to new strategies and ideas that can be implemented. By collaborating remotely, it allows the introduction global resources, new perspective, and new skillsets.

Large corporations such as Walmart, Facebook, Google, and Amazon have all incorporated or plan to use blockchain integration. Google’s Query service supports the Ethereum smart contracts analytics allowing the authorisation of Ethereum transactions. Amazon manages their blockchain service on AWS, on June 1st, 2020, Amazon announced they were seeking patents in Blockchain for a supply chain. Facebook has its own libra Blockchain, although faced with challenges they are in the makings of their own cryptocurrency. Walmart has also distributed letter technology, undergoing research with their supply chain.

There are several uses for Blockchain technology however, the biggest sector are financial uses of it:

Cryptocurrency: According to coinmarketcap.com Blockchain powers most or all of the cryptocurrencies. Some have their own blockchain and some are built using other blockchains that support custom tokens such as Ethereum.

Payments: Websites and applications enable users to make purchases using cryptocurrency. Blockchain developers can implement solutions to support the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin.

DeFi: DeFi is taking already existing products and transferring them to blockchain, for example savings, loans, and trading.

Other popular uses of blockchain which are still being tested and carried out are sectors including gaming, supply chain, real estate, and healthcare.

If you are a new developer in the Blockchain industry the most recommended platform to use is Ethereum. It is a general purpose blockchain meaning it supports most uses that support smart contracts with the most active developer community. Ethereum also has high levels of active users. Bitcoin and Hy.perledger are recommended for people who specifically need to use specific protocols for example if you are a developer and need to accept bitcoin payments then the Bitcoin platform is advised. Starting with Ethereum is useful because developer tools are very important. Avoid using blockchain platform with no support, Ethereum has a lot of resources and support growth.

Some of the most popular programming languages in blockchain development are Solidity, JavaScript, Python, Go, Rust, and C++. For first starter developers Solidity and JavaScript are recommended as it is common for developers to learn front end languages and back-end languages. Solidity will be back end and JavaScript will be front end. However, if you have your eyes set on a specific role then focus on the role but best to focus on these two.

Python is also a powerful language, but it cannot be able to use it to build mobile apps or clients that have applications that easily. Go, rust and C++ are more low-level infrastructure and different smart contracts platforms.

Depending on the skills you have and how quickly you can adapt to the programming languages it can take between 1 month to a year, but it ultimately depends on the learner. When learning the different languages, you can opt to learn blockchain as your first language. It is highly recommended, as it’s the most efficient and effective way to add skills as you excel in the long term. On the other hand, users may choose to only learn what the essential tools are to specialise in specific sectors.

In conclusion, this article covers a few topics under blockchain development. But anybody can self-teach themselves and it does not require any specific skillsets to get into it but once you gain control over basic tasks and functions, you can start building your portfolio with the different projects and launches that you are a part of. Do you think you are highly skilled in blockchain or are you looking to start within the space soon? Let us know!