Java Career Opportunities

by FC Team · Published March 13, 2023 · Updated July 17, 2023

Acquiring skills in Java does not go unworthy. It is because of the growing demand in the market for various applications created using Java. Through this article, you can learn about the various career opportunities that exist by depending on Java. And if you are looking for a perfect designation in the field of Java, you have clicked the right link! Let us now get into the topic.

What do I have in this article?

Once you get to the conclusion of this article, you will have grasped loads of information regarding:

The set of skills that companies look for in Java developers.
Various roles and designations are available in the job market.
Salary and earning information in this field.

Skills required to work in Java:

Skill is the key formula that could make your job equation a successful one. You need the right amount of the right skills in any domain you wish to work in.

You might want to look into the following:

Object-Oriented Programming(OOP) concepts.
Basics, including the syntax of Core Java.
Understanding the working of Java.
Working with JVM.
Debugging code.
Deployment of code to in-house or remote servers.
Integrating Java with web and enterprise applications.

Though there are various skills according to the domain you will be working in, these are the basics that a Java developer should know.

Top Job titles in Java stream:

As Java is the primary language in various fields, you get various job opportunities. Here are a few top ones:

1. Java Junior Developer:

This will be the starting stage for most Java developers, and it lasts around 3 to 4 years. While working in this position, you will be required to write, analyse, test, and debug code and take part in code reviews and technical documentation. Therefore, developing the skillset is the most important aspect at this stage.

As there are high possibilities of this being your first job, you should also adapt to the industry’s expectations of a Software Engineer. Being eager to learn various other skills will take you to a better position in another company or the same one.

2. Java Senior Developer:

Experience and expertise will take you to the Senior developer role. As a senior developer, you must handle an entire project and your team members. Writing code and reporting to the executive officers and managers are a part of the job. Senior developers are also responsible for being a guide and mentoring new developers. Your responsibilities also include facing the customer.

3. Java Architect:

An architect designs the layout and design for an application. Wide knowledge of the latest technologies and compatible software would be an additional strength.
The other roles of an architect are: finding the business problems and framing solutions. It also includes evaluating the current architecture system existing in the company.

4. Java Web Developer:

As we already know, Java revolutionised the internet age. This depicts the role of Java in web pages and the web development stream. Programmers use Java for server-side programming and also for the backend of a web application.

In web development, you should also be aware of basic languages like HTML, and CSS, including APIs and other languages used for the particular web page.

Speaking of building a Java web application, there are a few dynamic resources and tools that you might want to look into:

Servlets: This concept deals with a Java class that handles HTTP requests.
Jars: Programmers typically use Jars to aggregate files and metadata into a single file.
JavaServer Pages: This is where you will write Java code along with HTML.

5. Mobile App developer:

Apps are an integral part of our daily lives these days. Java plays a crucial role in making apps that integrate with android studio. In addition to Java, the other skillset that you must possess to become an app developer are:

1. Android Studio: The IDE or the Integrated Development Environment for android OS is Android Studio. It supports various languages like C++, Kotlin, and Java. With the help of these languages and android development tools, you can create a good and standard mobile application.

2. Emulator: An emulator helps to test and debug the mobile applications you develop. It stimulates a mobile environment in your PC. You can use the Android Studio emulator extension or other emulators like vMac, Dolphone, NoxPlayer, etc.

3. User-Interface design: UI and UX designs play a vital role in mobile app development. It is enough for you to know just the basics if you have a separate team to handle the UI and UX.

6. Java EE Developer:

If you master the Java language and all of its frameworks like Java SE, Java EE, and Java FX, you can for sure give a shot for the Java EE Developer role. For all the API applications and loads of frameworks it contains, Java EE acts as an umbrella to it.

Some of the concepts that you must be well aware of include: JSP, Servlets, EJB, JMS, JAX-RS/ JAX-WS, and so on.

7. DevOps Engineer:

Do you know there are a lot of companies that hire professionals to perform DevOps? So, what’s so important about that role?

A DevOps engineer bridges the gap between real-world expectations and the industry’s product development. Mostly in today’s agile environment, the developers, system administrators, and programmers are likely to be glued to their work more than sharing the information that the end users need.

The adaption of DevOps is to unify the automation process, maintenance, and application management. Hence, your role as a DevOps engineer would be indispensable.

Some skillsets that you would require are Coding, Cloud skills, automation, IT Operations & Production Systems Management, Collaboration, and obviously strong Communication.

8. Full-Stack Java Developer:

The roles and skillset of a Web Developer are already discussed above in this article. So, what is so special about the role of a Full-stack Java developer?

If you are a web programmer who uses Java in developing all three layers of a web application like the front-end, back-end, and the database, you are called a Full-Stack Java developer.

For this role, you must be good in basics like HTML, CSS, and another client-side programming language – JavaScript. Backend technologies and frameworks like Spring and Java Server face, NodeJS, Express JS of JavaScript, Django, and Flak of Python would be helpful.

As a full-stack developer, you would also require a working knowledge of DBMS like MySQL, SQL SERVER, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Oracle Database.

9. Java Solutions Architect:

Do you have an experience in the IT industry for at least about 6 to 7 years and a truckload of knowledge about the tech field? You can opt to become a Solutions Architect.

The primary roles of a Solution Architect include: analyzing the industry and technologies that are available, the idea for new software to deal with the current issues, and a technical vision to frame budgeting to develop that software.

The Solutions Architect is also responsible to monitor the software development process once it is approved. You would aim to narrow the gap between the technical and the non-technical stakeholders.

10. Scrum Master:

The presence of a scrum master is cardinal to an organization. Scrum masters assist their members in groups or individually to develop them. They facilitate people to help them arrive at their own conclusions.

Being a Scrum master is not a piece of cake for everyone out there. If you want to become one, you must master soft skills like being a leader, a facilitator, a mentor, a manager, a teacher, a hindrance remover, and so on

11. Game Developer:

Is it not exciting to know that we can develop games using Java? Some popular games that use this language are Minecraft, Spiral Knights, Revenge of Titans, etc.

If you are interested in the gaming industry, you can take Java as your core to develop one. Be it 2D or 3D games; Java has its hands on everything.

Some concepts you should be well aware of include garbage collection, new versions of JVM, multi-threading, etc., which also requires understanding physics involved in developing a game.

Though the emergence of game engines like Unity and Unreal are in high demand these days, Java still has a strong foundation in the gaming industry.

12. Freelancing:

If you do not wish to work daily under various constraints, then freelancing would be the best option for you. Platforms like LinkedIn work the best to get clients from the nooks and corners of the world. You can also do freelancing during your free time to generate a second source of income.

When it comes to freelancing, there are other constraints that you have to look into other than the required skills.
The frequency of work would be irregular. You cannot expect the clients to provide offers all the time.
Fixing the payment might be quite hectic, especially if they are unaware of your potential.
Clients expect more than they offer the payment for.
The freelancing market is highly competitive too.

When it comes to freelancing in Java, you can pick up the role that suits you better from the given options:

1. Coder: Many gigs exist where it looks out for people who are good at coding Java. Most tasks do not require you to visit the office as they are remote. It is an added advantage. You can scale as high as an App developer or a website developer in Java.

2. Consulting Developers: In this case, you should be a developer with a few years of experience in the industry. Various companies that are rushing towards their deadline will post the jobs. You might want to work on-site in some situations to complete the task. A contract is signed that becomes void at the end of the project.

Apart from these roles, you can also have a shot at creating applications as listed below:

13. Enterprise Application:

The role of these applications is to organise and model business processes for various organisations. It can be any organisation like schools, clubs, businesses, charities, and even governments. You need Java tools like Java Platform/Java EE and Enterprise Edition to develop enterprise software.

14. Desktop GUI Application:

The Java Swing Toolkit is popular in developing desktop applications in this field. First, you should know how to create widgets using the Swing GUI toolkit. The Abstract Window Toolkit, also known as the AWT, is present in the Java Development Kit(JDK) and plays a role in building cross-platform applications.

Oracle and JavaFX develop the Java swing GUI toolkit. In addition to IBM’s programming library, Standard Widget Toolkit(SWT) will also help you build Desktop Applications. These days, SWT and Eclipse RCP are popular among developers to build such applications.

15. Scientific Applications:

Here is another field where Java’s role is immense. Scientific calculations or scientific research-related applications are also built using Java. In addition, due to the limited computing speed that the language provides, and the popularly known computing environment, MATLAB’s UI is also developed using Java.

In this case, a special toolkit named CUDA supports GPU computing. It comes along with a compiler, Rootbeer GPU, to carry out an enormous amount of scientific calculations.

Salary for Java Jobs:

Various sources imply that the median salary for a Senior Java Developer in developed countries like the United States range around $109,000 annually. Developers with high experience and expertise also receive around $140,000 annually.
When it comes to India, an average salary for the same designation would be around 818k Rupees per annum.

Below is a table that displays the average salary of a few designations:

Java Developer Software Engineer	$71,000
Mobile Application Developer Manager	$99,000
Core Java Developer	$82,000
Mobile Lead Software Engineer	$111,000
Senior Software Engineer C	$110,000
SQL Analyst Developer	$61,000
Java	$91,000
Java Developer	$87,000
Senior Android Developer	$115,000
Lead Java Developer	$99,000
Free Training and Placement	$61,000
Junior Java Developer	$21,000
Senior Java Developer	$100,000
Senior Java Web Developer	$95,000
SQL Analyst Developer	$61,000
Lead Java Developer	$99,000
Senior Android Developer	$115,000

With recent trends and development in the IT industry, changes in salary take place eventually.

Conclusion:

Java still dominates the IT industry in the 21st century in various aspects. Learning skills like JSP, Service Oriented Architecture, Java web-based services, Java Servlet technology, Oracle info SQL and JDBC, J2EEE framework, Enterprise Java Beans, etc will make your career steady with good payment.