What does a Java Developer do? What kind of applications do they create and what should they know?

The Java Developer is a magician in the IT world. They use a technology that is versatile enough to create web, mobile or desktop applications. They work on the backend, that is, far from the end user, building the scaffolding that supports the entire solution. They debug, test and compile code, conjuring up services that meet the client’s business requirements. 

Java Developers are real rarity on the job market. Despite the fact that Java is the second most popular programming language, there is still a shortage of Java specialists in banking, insurance or data analytics, where applications are used to perform multiple operations for thousands of clients simultaneously. Although they operate far away from the end customer, Java will also prove useful in developing mobile applications. 

Challenges for Java Developers 

Being a Java Developer is never boring because the list of problems to solve is practically endless. Each of them is a sort of a puzzle, so the ability to think logically is priceless. The Java Developer must quickly analyze the problem, notice the relationships between its components and find a solution. 

However, no one is the kind of genius, who would be able to find the needle in a haystack or a bug in kilometers of lines of code in a flash. That is why, according to the saying “two heads are better than one”, programmers work in teams. Looking at the problem with fresh eyes and sharing thoughts is facilitated by scrum meetings, when members of the group share progress in their work, plans for the coming day, and challenges to overcome, hoping for a brainstorm that will result in a tip or someone helping.
 

From Junior Java Developer to Senior Java Developer. 

However, before we start a Java virtual machine and start writing or debugging code, we need to understand the problem that the application is going to solve. Here cross the paths of the Java Developer, IT Project Manager and analysts, who design tools according to customer needs or internal demand. In-depth understanding of business requirements means the ability to come up with a better suited solution. It’s not only about programming tricks, but also an “out of the box” approach, showing a wider range of possibilities. 

These couple of points are the main difference between juniors, mids, and seniors, as we usually categorize developers by their skill levels. They differ in the time it takes them to complete a given task, the quality of their code or the ability to match the solution to business needs. At each level, it is important to want to continually develop and have soft skills to effectively provide feedback and listen to the other side. 

Software development can be very time-consuming, so determination and the ability to adapt to changes are also vital. Technologies are constantly evolving, so to stay in the industry you need to spot trends quickly and not restrict yourself only to Java. The value of developers increases proportionally to the ease with which they can use devops tools and containers, jump between contexts and understand solutions built on the front-end. This is a big challenge, because Java itself with its multitude of technologies, frameworks and libraries is more like an ecosystem than just a language. 

Earnings of a Java Developer and a Junior Java Developer 

Data from Pracuj.pl show that the median gross salary of a Java Developer is 11.5 thousand PLN. Slightly lower, around 9 thousand PLN, is given by the Wynagrodzenia.pl website. In both cases, the salary depends on education, company size, location or work experience. Bulldogjob in its study breaks down the earnings considering the latter factor. So, a Junior Java Developer earns on average PLN 4 thousand, mid twice as much, and senior PLN 14 thousand. What is interesting, the most money can be earned in companies, where there are between 51 and 500 employees. 

What skills should a Java Developer have? 

Edureka!, a platform for online courses and certificates, assigns the most important skills of Java Developers to the various tools they use every day. 

Do you want to become a Java Developer? Don’t wait – take a look at our job offers. 

FAQ 

What does the Java Developer’s job consist of? 

Maciej Aniserowicz, the author of the book “Job: Programmer”, divided a programmer’s day into four parts: 

• Fighting with machines – 30 percent. 
• Fighting with people – 30 percent. 
• Fighting with oneself – 30 percent. 
• Wonderful coding – 10 percent. 

Although this is not a serious division, it shows that programmers are not lone wolves 

• They work in teams, and together they struggle with the mischievousness of inanimate objects, as well as solve problems. 
• “Wonderful coding”, or in other words, production of huge amounts of code, does not happen all that often. 

How many programmers work in Java? 

The IT Community Survey has shown that one in five developers is a Java Developer. This gives Java the first place in the Polish market, ahead of JavaScript, C# or PHP. The same survey also showed that Spring and Hibernate are among the most popular Java frameworks. 

Which services are using Java? 

You can start the list with Minecraft, which is an extremely popular survival and exploration game. Additionally, Java is behind Gmail, OpenOffice, Eclipse or NetBeans, as well as sites that attract millions of people every day: LinkedIn, Netflix and Amazon. 

What is code-review? 

It is a good practice to inspect code. One programmer examines the code of the other to look for errors or commented out and unnecessary parts. The goal is to make the code as readable as possible, which helps you find your way through its complexities in case changes are needed in the future. 

 Aleksandra Wiśniewska, Talent Acquisition Manager