How to become a Java developer?

If you are one of the individuals seeking answers to similar questions, you are on the right platform.

Java is the fifth most used programming language globally, says Statista. As a result, millions of individuals are fascinated with Java and are willing to become Java developers in 2022.

Though it is getting used worldwide, Java is not everyone’s cup of tea. You need to be skilled with modern web frameworks (for example, Spring & Struts), web services (REST/SOAP), web technologies (HTML, JavaScript, JQuery, and CSS), markup languages (for example, XML & JSON), and OOP concepts to start your career as an entry level Java developer.

To help you get all the important details regarding the modern requirements and expectations from a Java developer, we are answering the below-given questions:

• What is the role of a Java developer?
• What are the skills required for a Java developer?
• How much do Java developers make?

You can apply for a Java developer job after getting a bachelor's degree in computer science or a similar niche. However, you will need a professional Java developer resume to get your targeted Java developer job.

Java Developer Job Description Written Sample

Java developers have to address numerous requirements depending on the targeted company’s products and services. Moreover, the expectations from a Java developer differ as per the experience level too.

Here are we presenting some real-time full stack Java developer job descriptions according to experience level in the United States:

Entry Level Java Developer Job Description

Here you can see the example of a real-time entry level Java developer job description:

Mid Level Java Developer Job Description

Take a look at the example of a real-time mid level java developer job description:

Senior Java Developer Job Description

Take a glance at the real-life senior Java developer job description given-below:

Also Read: Java Developer Resume

How to Become a Java Developer?

To start your career as a Java developer, you will need a bachelor’s degree in computer science. However, you can also start your career as a Java developer without formal qualifications if you have a strong command over the Java programming language.

Let us see the fundamental requirements to become a Java developer in 2022:

Java Developer Educational Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in computer science focusing on software development will make you eligible for a Java developer job. Additional educational requirements that can help you in getting a Java developer job can be seen here:

• Diploma of Information Technology or Bachelor’s Degree in Software Development
• Software Development or Java Internship while studying
• Online Course Specializing in Java

Java Developer Technical Requirements

The technical requirements for a Java developer can differ from company to company. However, You can follow the below-given approach to master the Java programming language and get Java developer jobs in your desired company:

• Learn Core Java (i.e., Java SE)
• Keep Practicing Core Java
• Learn Java EE (Enterprise Edition)
• Make Java Based Projects with JSP & Servlets
• Learn Spring & Hibernate Frameworks

These are some fundamental technical requirements to become a Java developer. Furthermore, we are listing some basic and advanced Java developer skills that will help you to grow as a Java developer effectively:

Basic Java Developer Skills

These are some fundamental Java developer skills that will help you to start your career as a Java developer:

• Web frameworks (for example, Struts & Spring)
• JavaServer pages (JSP) and servlets
• Web technologies like CSS, JQuery, HTML, & JavaScript
• Service-oriented architecture/web services (REST/SOAP)
• Object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts & patterns
• Markup languages like JSON & XML
• Constructors
• Abstract classes & interfaces
• Collections: maps, sets, lists
• File IO & serialization
• Exceptions (checked & unchecked)
• Access specifiers
• Java keywords: static, final, synchronized, volatile, transient, etc.
• Generics
• Multithreading & synchronization
• Dependency injection
• Java virtual machine (JVM) and memory management

Advanced Java Developer Skills

After mastering the basic Java developer skills, you can start learning these below-listed advanced technologies based on the Java programming language:

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
• Python
• Hadoop/Big Data
• Amazon Web Services
• Advanced JavaScript Framework (for example, React, VueJS, and Angular)
• Spring Boot/microservices
• Mobile technologies (iOS or Android)

Also Read: How to Become a Java Developer in 2022

Java Developer Salary in the United States

According to Indeed, the average annual salary of a Java developer in the United States is USD 100,127. However, the salary package differs on two key factors, i.e., work experience and Java jobs location.

Cities Paying Highest Java Developer Salaries in the US

You can see the salary difference of Java developers in different regions of the United States here:

Location	Average Java Developer Salary
New York, NY	USD 118,347
Dallas, TX	USD 101,709
San Antonio, TX	USD 96,964
Chicago, IL	USD 94,896
Houston, TX	USD 92,773
Austin, TX	USD 90,492
Atlanta, GA	USD 89,664
San Jose, CA	USD 88,326

Java Developer Hourly Salary

According to a report by Salary.com, Java developers earn an average hourly salary of USD 47 in the United States. The report further states that the salary range falls between USD 39 and USD 52.

In-Demand Skills for Java Developers

Learning Java is not an over-the-night process, you need to start with Java SE and practice with a focused mind to start your Java Developer career.

Moreover, we recommend you prioritize practical over theory while learning Java as it will benefit you more in your professional journey.

After having expertise in Java SE, you can learn these technologies to boost your Java Developer career in 2022:

• Apache Kafka
• Spring Framework
• Spring Boot
• REST API
• Microservices
• CI (Jenkins, GitLab, Bamboo, etc.)
• Hibernate
• SQL
• Cloud Computing
• Maven
• AWS
• Git
• Java EE
• SOA
• Docker
• Elastic Search
• JUnit
• TDD
• NoSQL
• MySQL

Entry Level Java Developer Job Interview

After getting your educational degree and acquiring the required Java development skills, you can apply for a Java developer job in easy steps.

However, your work doesn’t stop here, as you need to clear the interview round to bag your targeted Java developer job.

Hiration backs you up for this task with its interview question repository for more than 250 profiles. Some of the fundamental interview questions along with sample answers for an entry-level Java developer can be seen below:

1. What do you mean by platform independence in Java?

Platform independence in Java means that you can access Java on any operating system or platform without complications. This facility is possible in Java only because of bytecode.

2. Name the access specifiers for Java classes.

Access specifiers can be defined as the keywords used before every class name to define the access scope. There are mainly four types of access specifiers available in Java:

• Private
• Public
• Protected
• Default

3. What are the differences between HashSet & ArrayList in Java?

The main differences between HashSet & ArrayList can be seen in the below-given table:

ArrayList	HashSet
It implements a List interface	It implements Set interface
It allows duplicate values	It does not allow duplicate values
It has three constructors i.e. ArrayList (int capacity), ArrayList (), ArrayList (int Collection c)	It has four constructors i.e. HashSet (int capacity), HashSet (), HashSet (int capacity, float loadFactor), HashSet (Collection c)
It maintains the order of inserted objects	It does not maintain order
It allows you to add any number of null value	It allows one null value
Syntax: list=new ArrayList ();	Syntax: set=new HashSet ();

4. What do you mean by Java ClassLoader?

The Java ClassLoader is related to the Java runtime environment, which loads classes into the JVM (Java Virtual Machine). You can load classes from a remote file system, local file system, or any online resource.

Generally, three class loaders are used when you start the JVM:

• Bootstrap ClassLoader
• Extension ClassLoader
• System ClassLoader

5. What are the main differences between fail-safe & fail-fast iterators?

The fail-fast iterators operate straight on the collection and fail as soon as they realize any modifications in the collection. On the other hand, fail-safe iterators do not show any exception if the collection is modified during iteration as they operate on the collection’s cloned copy.

6. What do you understand about Loops in Java? Name three most used loops.

As its name defines, loops are used in Java to execute any statement repeatedly. There are three loops available in Java:

• For Loops
• While Loops
• Do While Loops

7. What do you mean by the final keyword in Java?

The final keyword in Java defines an entity that can be assigned only once. You can not modify the assigned value with the final keyword in the future.

8. Explain the default switch case.

The default case in a switch statement is used when no other switch condition matches available. You can declare it only after coding all other switch cases.

Key Takeaways

Take a look at the key takeaways of this intuitive guide:

• Get a bachelor’s degree in computer science to start your career as a Java developer
• Upgrade your Java development skills to get entry-level Java developer jobs
• Read the full stack Java developer job description with a focused mind to check your compatibility with the targeted Java developer jobs
• Leverage the availability of online interview question repositories to prepare for the Java developer interview process

The responsibilities of a Java developer differ based on the company requirements. Hence, reading the Java software developer job description with a focused mind is important before applying.

You can use Hiration's Career Activation Platform to build your resumes, cover letters, and digital portfolios. This AI-powered platform comes with 24/7 online chat support for a soothing user experience. For additional career related queries, you can always contact our experts at support@hiration.com.