Java Developer Market September 2022
The major changes in the Java market over the past 6 months involve flexibility with the type of background required. Developers with any Object-Oriented Programming language (e.g. Python, Scala, Kotlin) now have much more opportunities to get into a Java-focused role if they don’t already have this experience. The same can be said for Java developers – it has become much easier for them to move into roles that use different languages.
In terms of development, the most in-demand skills are in relation to experience with the Spring framework and Big Data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, Kafka & cloud experience with AWS, GCP, Azure or others. Communication skills are becoming increasingly important also as there are more and more roles that will involve client-facing interaction.
Salaries for Java developers have increased as companies need to stay competitive but these increases are relative and typically tend to be within larger organisations or multinationals. There is a variety of companies hiring in this sector ranging from small start-ups to organisations gearing towards IPO and large multinationals. Java skills are always in demand and Dublin has a very large tech hub so there are always opportunities for developers with these skills.
Candidates in this market are generally looking for several things when considering a new role; the opportunity for progression, remote options, a good compensation package and work-life balance. Clients typically look for developers who have experience with full ownership of a product lifecycle as well as experience with greenfield projects, cloud experience and experience with the Spring framework (Spring Boot to be specific). Essentially, clients are looking for a modern Java stack.
With the majority of people still working remotely and the threat of ransomware attacks, Cybersecurity is on the rise and more Java candidates are becoming interested in this industry.
Typical benefit schemes that are on offer include a 10% bonus, pension, healthcare, dental care, flexibility with remote working, and stock options.