With more than 10 million developers worldwide, Java is one of the most popular developer platforms in the world. Java is the backbone of the online world and finds applications in a variety of fields from Android applications, enterprise software and web-based tools. According to a report by Quess Corp, new-age digital skills like Java, Data Analytics, UI/UX, and Full Stack are in high demand in India as organizations work on fighting attrition. Hyderabad and Bangalore are among the top cities that hire junior and entry-level Java developers.
Java is used by 95% of enterprises as their main primary language. It is not only used by tech giants like Google, Amazon, etc but even in start-ups. Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that helps programmers write once and run everywhere (WORA). The average salary of a Java Developer with an experience of 4 – 9 years ranges from INR 8 – 9 LPA in India. Java Developers have a plethora of career options such as Software Developer, Web Developer, Web Programmer, or Application Developer. Organizations, retailers, insurance companies, banks, and manufacturers all use Java programming language in their day-to-day tasks.
There are various perks of learning java, be it the lucrative pay packages or the career opportunities it offers. Becoming a Java developer requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Those with relevant certifications can easily climb to top posts in IT such as Project managers, Senior Programmers. As a result, students are looking to upgrade their skills by learning Java which is the in-demand programming language of 2022 and is offered as a certification course by many top universities and online platforms.
Educational Requirements to Become a Java Developer
As mentioned before, a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science is suitable to become a Java developer. The rest of the skills can be learned with the help of skill-based courses and certifications. Object-oriented programming, database management, and project management are the most important topics that Java developers need to know about.
The top online Java Courses and certifications from various online platforms are mentioned below.
| Top Courses | Rating | Course Fee | Duration |
| Object-Oriented Programming in Java Specialization by Coursera | 4.7/5 | Free to Audit | 39 hours |
| The Complete Java Masterclass by Udemy | 4.5/5 | INR 449 | 80 hours |
| Java Programming: Solving Problems with Software by Coursera | 4.6/5 | Free to Audit | 17 hours |
| Java In-Depth by Udemy | 4.5/5 | INR 449 | 67 hours |
| Java Programming for Complete Beginners by Udemy | 4.5/5 | INR 449 | 31 hours |
Note: The prices may vary time-to-time as Udemy Java Courses are subject to flash sales and student discounts on several occasions.
Top 5 Career Options for Java Developers in 2022
The top 5 career options for Java professionals are mentioned below:
- DevOps Engineer
A DevOps engineer is an IT professional who works with system operators (SysOps), software developers, and other production IT staff to oversee code deployments and releases.
The role of a DevOps engineer is critical to the project’s overall success, right from planning to supporting primary KPI as customer satisfaction and productivity.
A DevOps Engineer Expert has an essential role in integrating the project functions and resources across the product life cycle, right from planning, testing, building, and deployment to support.
Average Salary: INR 6,52,069 per annum
2. Solution Architect
A solution architect is responsible for managing and handling the design of one or more services or applications within an organization and is part of a solution development team.
Solution Architects must have a balanced mix of technical and business skills, and will often work with an enterprise architect for strategic direction.
A solutions architect creates the overall technical vision for a particular solution to a business problem.
They design, describe and manage the solution to a business problem. In many ways, this person builds the bridge between a business problem and the technology solution and outlines each of the phases and requirements required to make the solution work.
Average Salary: INR 21,00,000 per annum
- Scrum Master
The task of Scrum Master is to run Scrum meetings daily and solve any blocker on the way.
This is an emerging career option when compared to Business Analyst and Project Manager but becoming increasingly famous among companies that follow Agile methodologies for development.
The Scrum Master is also responsible for improving interactions between the organization and the scrum team in order to maximize the productivity of the Scrum team. Finally, the Scrum Master is responsible for arranging and facilitating the team’s meetings – daily Scrum, planning sessions, sprint retrospective, etc.
Average Salary: INR 13,00,000 per annum
4. Business Analyst
The role of an IT Business Analyst is to understand the business landscape and the changing requirements of the business. A Business Analyst will communicate with the top stakeholders to observe and analyze business requirements, processes, and information systems, and will also help drive the business in the right direction by improving the services, products, and software with the help of data analytics.
An IT Business Analyst must have excellent technical knowledge requirements as well as soft skills apart from the domain. He/she must be able to make reports and analyze data streams to identify useful trends. An IT Business Analyst must be from a technical background with a basic understanding of the necessary technologies and tools.
Average Salary: INR 7,00,000 per annum
5. Project Manager
The project manager takes care of the day-to-day management of the project and must be efficient in managing the six aspects of a project that is schedule, scope, finance, risk, quality, and resources.
The project manager’s duty is to plan, budget, oversee, and document all aspects of the specific project you are working on. Project managers may work in proximity with upper management.
Project managers (PMs) are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the completion of specific projects for an organization while ensuring these projects are on time, on budget, and within scope.
Average Salary: INR 15,00,000 per annum
Tips to Kickstart your Career as a Java Developer
The tips to kickstart your career as a Java developer are mentioned below.
- Learn to write code in Java
If you want to learn and develop Java applications, you must know how to write code in Java. There are a variety of programming languages that support Java. For creating programs, developers can pick from these languages for different operating systems. The main difference that makes Java unique from the rest of the programming languages is that it is platform-independent. This means that you can use this programming language in any operating system such as Linux/Unix, Mac OS X, Windows, etc.
- Daily practice of coding is the key
To get the best jobs as a Java Developer, you need to have a firm grip on the concepts of coding. Theoretical concepts related to coding may seem simpler however it is more important to learn them practically. To sharpen your knowledge and skills, practice is the key. You can also apply for an internship to gain practical experience.
- Refer to open source projects
You can increase your chances of acing your skills by participating in open source projects and also subscribing to these forums. Take part in the discussions and try to gain ideas on the loopholes in your methods of developing a particular code. You will always benefit from exchanging ideas with your peers. Being a part of these open forums will expose you to practical skills and challenges that can help you to prepare for the Java Developer jobs professionally.
- Test your knowledge
While you are confident that you have all the knowledge to be a successful java developer, you must test your skills. Taking exams would be a great way to verify your abilities and knowledge. While certain companies hire java developers with no relevant experience, it is a good way to test your knowledge, as it will let the companies know that you have what it takes to be a Skilled java developer.
Java is used in almost every company, whether they are start-ups or tech giants like Google, Amazon, etc. Hence, Java Developer jobs can immensely boost your career aspirations in today’s world.
Java is an extremely popular and versatile language. Even in 2022, Java is considered one of the most in-demand and highly relevant computer programming languages for software development, project management, business analysis, and more. With a diverse and lucrative range of career opportunities available, learning the Java language will be totally worth it not only in 2022 but in the upcoming years as well.
There is no age bar or restriction to learn Java coding. With the ever-increasing demand and numerous benefits of learning it, Java can be clearly named one of the top programming languages of the century.
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