How To Become A Software Developer in the Blockchain Industry in 2020

Recently, I talked to Artur Meyster at Career Karma about jobs in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. He put together an article you might enjoy, which I’m publishing on his behalf.

Read below for some “food for thought” and useful links.

Looking to break into the blockchain industry in this unprecedented year of 2020?

Good choice. The blockchain industry has exploded over the past couple of years and the demand for software developers is continuing to increase.

The pay is great, and like so many areas of the tech industry, a traditional college degree is not required. Instead, blockchain companies prefer experience over education. In a sense, practical software development experience is the new form of education.

To become a blockchain software developer you will need to know how to code in programming languages like Solidity, Hyperledger, and Multichain. You will also need a working understanding of cryptocurrency and an innovative mindset.

Software Developer Bootcamp

Luckily, you can learn the coding skills needed in the blockchain industry through a software development coding bootcamp.

A traditional university degree in software development can take anywhere from 2 to 5 years to complete, and it will likely leave you with a mountain of student debt. You can learn the necessary blockchain coding skills through a coding bootcamp in just 2 to 4 months, and at a fraction of the cost.

Software development bootcamps prepare their students through intensive, hands-on classroom experience.

This type of coding education easily translates to the real-world software development industry. You will learn how to develop actual workable and practical software instead of spending time learning theory and completing busy work programming assignments.

A software development bootcamp can be completed in a number of ways, ranging from full-time in-person programs to part-time, self-paced class structures.

A full-time program is the best option if you want to knock it out as fast as possible. The sooner you complete the program, the faster you can start your software development career in the blockchain industry.

Coding Bootcamp Financing

Coding schools know that a full-time program can create financial stress on current working professionals.

That’s why schools like Hack Reactor offer financing options like income-sharing agreements. An income-sharing agreement — also known as ISA — is a new kind of student loan. It covers the full cost of the bootcamp tuition, as well as living expenses for the duration of the program.

Traditional student loans set the loan repayment at a set rate without regard for the graduate’s income, or if they have even obtained employment from their education.

This is not the case with an ISA. Instead, coding schools set the loan repayment based on the graduate’s income level, and repayment starts only after they obtained employment as a result of their bootcamp experience.

This allows graduates to pay back their tuition at a rate that allows them to still enjoy the financial comfort that comes with their new software development salary.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a new form of currency.

Safeguarded from both governments and banks, it is untaxed and widely accessible.

It also puts the entire world on the same currency level, versus foreign currency exchange rates. Blockchain is responsible for developing the ledger platforms in which individuals use, trade, and store their cryptocurrency. These ledger platforms are self-run and self-governed. This means that anyone with platform credentials can modify the ledger accounting system.

As a software developer in the blockchain industry, you will likely build and maintain some of the cryptocurrency ledger platforms. Having an understanding of how common cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are acquired and traded is necessary to work on the platforms that provide a space for those purposes.

Blockchain Developer’s Salary

Blockchain software developers make some of the highest salaries of all software developers. The average salary for a blockchain developer is between $150,000 and $175,000 per year.

If you have an innovative personality, then this is the software development area you want to be in. For comparison, non-blockchain software developers earn an average salary of $110,000 per year.

When you factor in the minimal education cost of a coding bootcamp, the payoff of a blockchain career can be exceeding beneficial.

Another added benefit of an ISA program is the coding school’s partnerships with local and national tech companies. These partnerships allow coding schools to place their graduates more easily. When you consider that their repayment begins only after their graduates find work as a software developer, it’s in their interest to make sure their graduates are well prepared for the tech industry job market.

I hope you found that interesting. Catch up with Artur on Twitter and let him know you read this post!

Mark Helfman publishes the Crypto is Easy newsletter. He is also a Noonie-nominated writer on Hacker Noon and top bitcoin writer on Medium. His books, Consensusland and Bitcoin or Bust: Wall Street’s Entry Into Cryptocurrency, explore the social, cultural, and business challenges of cryptocurrency. Learn more about him in his bio.

Previously published at https://markhelfman.com/2020/09/23/how-to-start-your-career-as-a-software-developer-in-the-blockchain-industry-in-2020/