Are Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Careers Wave of the Future?
Statistics published by CoinDesk show that in 2017, the US market for blockchain and cryptocurrency jobs grew more than 200 percent.
Blockchain jobs have attained the second position among the fastest growing US labor market segments, as reported by TechCrunch. With one blockchain developer available for 14 unfilled positions, the demand currently surpasses supply by far.
Latest Market Trends
Out of the 5,000 or so skills in demand on Upwork (a popular freelancing portal), demand for blockchain and crypto skills has surged recently, making it top the list of fastest growing skills.
The final quarter of 2017 alone witnessed as many as 2,000 jobs related to blockchain manifest themselves. On LinkedIn, the number of users citing cryptocurrency skills has grown by a factor of 28 since October 2013.
Blockchain jobs pay very well and that is not surprising, considering the demand-supply mismatch.
Burning Glass Technologies, an expert in the area of job analytics and research, found that while a mainstream software developer earned a median pay of $105,000 annually, a blockchain expert drew $130,000. The pay was even higher in certain regions.
How to Make a Job Shift
Here’s how you can get your foot in the door. The ideal candidate would have blockchain related work experience, but companies will also consider outstanding coders proficient in C++, Python, and JavaScript.
You will find many online blockchain development related courses, which you can pursue to upgrade your skills. The blockchain startups also seek professionals with skills in general domains, including finance, sales, and marketing.
Necessary Skills
The hiring patterns of big companies developing apps based on blockchain technology reveal a growing demand for designers, project managers, and developers with blockchain domain experience.
The pay offered for these roles with niche skills was pegged higher than that for similar roles in other domains, as per findings of business consulting firm, Janco Associates.
BusinessStudent.com, a website specializing in B-School reviews, has stated that apart from engineering and software design skills, companies are also seeking professionals with knowledge and skills in finance and legal aspects of blockchain development.
Potential Career Opportunities in the Domain
Here is a list of blockchain and cryptocurrency related positions in the market today:
Blockchain Programmers
Financial services, technology companies, and the public sector are adopting blockchain. All of these employment categories need blockchain programmers and developers.
Blockchain Testers
They perform the role of quality control (QC) and testing of the blockchain-based platforms. Both manual and automated testing expertise is necessary to ensure error-free blockchain operations across web and mobile.
Cryptocurrency Web Designers
BusinessStudent.com points out that large corporations as well as start-ups interested in incorporating blockchain usually begin by adopting cryptocurrency payments.
They require resilient web platforms to allow for efficient and secure crypto transactions. These platforms can be built by experienced web designers who can create appropriate crypto user interfaces.
Crypto Engineers
The key responsibilities of a crypto engineer are to determine the technology requirements of the company, and use blockchain technologies to design and execute suitable solutions.
They may also be called upon to set up enterprise-wide frameworks for cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum; set-up accelerators; and evaluate code and train employees in using these frameworks.
Cryptocurrency Attorneys and Consultants
Legal minds specializing in cryptocurrencies are needed by businesses across various stages of the Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), such as designing and overseeing ICOs, because the regulatory framework governing them is growing more stringent each day.
The spurt in number of fintech projects and their numerous implementation challenges have led to a high dependence on tech experts for timely solutions. This has translated into new job opportunities for engineers and consultants with expertise in the blockchain and crypto domain.
