Using programming languages is a skill many aspire to learn. Communicating with software or computers to make them perform various tasks is a lucrative job indeed. Among the many programming languages available, JavaScript is considered one of the more popular programs; it’s easy to learn, versatile, has a “write once and run anywhere” principle, and offers a highly profitable career.
The U.S bureau of labor statistics projects employment for software developers, testers, and more to grow by 25% by 2031, with 162,900 job openings each year, with Java developers being the one of the most in-demand professionals within the tech industry.
Let us look at how you can expand your career path a Java Developer, what jobs are available to you, and how much they pay.
Top Career Options for Java Developers
You can find many career opportunities for Java developers, which vary according to experience, skill level, and qualifications. Here are our top suggestions for both low-level and highly experienced Java developers.
1. Java Web Developers
Java web developers design, write, maintain, check, and debug web applications or serving websites for computer and mobile devices using the Java programming language. You will handle data requests, update security protocols, troubleshoot issues, and develop software applications with different frameworks such as HTML, Javascript, and CSS.
You will also integrate Java-based applications with programs using other technologies, such as API (application programming interface)
Eligibility for entry-level jobs requires an associate degree in computer science along with experience in the practical world. However, you must earn a bachelor’s in computer engineering, computer science, or management information systems to advance your career. The average salary of a Java Web developer is $89,137 per year, and they can make up to $6,253 additional pay through commissions, tips, bonuses, and profit sharing.
2. Solutions Architect
Companies need solution architecture to redesign their IT landscape. A solution architect needs a mix of business and technical skills as they provide the groundwork for software development by tailoring specific IT solutions to different business needs. They do this by evaluating an organization’s business requirements to develop a technical vision to solve arising business problems. They provide recommendations and roadmaps to proposed solutions and debug and create performance analyses on implemented solutions.
As a solution architect, you need experience in software design, architecture, and languages like Java or JavaScript.
You also need practical experience in project management and strong organizational skills. Companies require a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree in software engineering, IT, or computer science and five years of work experience in technology-based roles, such as software developer.
An experienced solution architect can earn as high as $196,196 per year and cash bonuses of $10,000 annually.
3. DevOps Engineer
If you’re an experienced Java developer interested in deployment, network operations, scripting, or coding, consider becoming a DevOps Engineer. Your work will entail a combination of the following:
- Release engineering: here, you build and deploy application codes. Tools and processes vary according to the code’s language, the pipeline’s automation level, and whether it’s on-premise or in the cloud production infrastructure. You also maintain CI/CD tooling.
- DevOps advocacy: you have to advocate collaboration between developers and operations staff throughout the software development lifecycle to increase efficiency.
- Infrastructure provisioning and system administration: You will deploy and maintain storage and servers and manage resources required for host applications.
The average DevOps engineer salary is $129,927 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $164,447 annually.
Java vs. Javascript Developers: What’s Better?
Javascript is an interpreted scripting language, while Java is a compiled programming language. Java is primarily used for developing complex enterprise applications, while you use javascript to create interactive and dynamic web pages. Javascript objects are prototype-based; you can share object methods and properties through generalized objects which can be extended or cloned. Meanwhile, Java objects are class-based, where a class is a blueprint or template from which you create an object.
Java is mainly used for the backend, while you primarily use javascript for the backend and frontend both. You use Java on the server side for building web, desktop, and mobile-based applications. In contrast, you use Javascript for web applications on the client and server sides.
Javascript is easier to learn than Java because it is interpreted and does not require a lot of technology. If you want to work as a back-end developer or on the server side, opt for Java, but if you want to create applications used on the web, go for Javascript.
You don’t need to know Java to learn JavaScript or vice versa, but learning one programming language and getting the basics down, makes expanding to other languages easier. Coding bootcamps online are the optimal solution to learning another language while working.
It comes in handy to learn both languages as they can help expand career opportunities, such as JavaScript architects who can earn up to $166,000 per year or Frontend JavaScript developers who can make as high as $150,000.
Expanding Your Career Opportunities
Here is how you can accelerate your Java career path to stay ahead of your peers.
1. Join a Bootcamp
Instead of opting for a four-year computer science degree, you can quickly ramp up your skills with online coding boot camps. They will help you prepare for technical interviews for higher positions, learn other programming languages, get industry support, and access large open-source libraries (it denotes free software for you to use, modify, or even publish). Boot camps can increase your chances of employment in good organizations with better salary packages.
2. Explore spring frameworks and Learn Software Design and Architecture
Spring framework promotes practices, such as dependency injection, which make your applications easier to test and help you develop modern Java applications. Many businesses prefer development through spring frameworks, such as spring boots.
Deciding on the right architecture and technology stack for your application implementation are valued skills, so learning about software design and architecture will help you take on a senior Java developer role in companies.
3. Learn Java APIs and Libraries
There are several APIs and libraries available for Java. While you don’t need to know about each, you should be able to utilize critical APIs, such as JSON processing APIs which include APIs like Gson or Jackson, or unit testing libraries like Junit or Mockito, and have a basic understanding and usage of parsing, concurrency, and bytecode manipulation to proceed further in your career.
Endnote
In order to strive hard in your career, find and explore new opportunities and career options, and accelerate through your Java developer career, there are many skills you need to learn and improve. Be it learning Java better or a different coding language, you can do many things to set yourself apart and show yourself as someone exemplary, so keep learning more and more.
