We're smack in the middle of a crypto winter — with a bearish market sentiment compounded by several blockchain and crypto companies laying off workers. And yet, blockchain jobs are more popular than ever. Job searches containing the phrase "remote crypto jobs'' went through the roof from June 12th through 18th this year — a leap of 614% from the same period in 2021.
Hiring companies have sustained the momentum for blockchain-based jobs from five years ago. A 2020 LinkedIn report cited blockchain as the most desirable hard skill, beating ten others, with blockchain job postings shooting up by 395% from 2020 to 2021, per another LinkedIn report.
This demand for blockchain skills translates into good pay — with blockchain companies ready to pay a premium for the right talent.
If you're a blockchain enthusiast or a skilled individual looking to dive into the blockchain job market, it's time to dust off that resume.
Highest Paying Blockchain Job Positions
A broad spectrum of companies — from health, to music, to identity are all experimenting with the technology.
Let's take a look at some industries hiring for blockchain right now:
Cryptocurrency startups: Nearly every cryptocurrency company employs blockchain professionals. Blockchain is the underpinning technology of cryptocurrencies and plays a massive role in their security. Cryptocurrency startups that hire individuals who are well versed in the fundamentals of blockchain allows them to intelligently allocate their limited resources.
Tech companies: From Facebook to Google to Microsoft to Amazon, tech companies are pushing to incorporate blockchain in one aspect or another within or into their operations. These companies are contending with one another, as aside from payments, the role of blockchain has yet to be concretely defined for big tech companies.
Financial institutions: To capitalize on blockchain and stave off competition from crypto startups, traditional banks are introducing blockchain into their operations. Examples are US' JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, France's Sociètè Générale, UK's Citibank, Switzerland's UBS and more.
Governments: Many governments and government agencies are utilizing the unique qualities of blockchain to innovate on solutions for health care, identity management and passport services, as well as other utilities. This enables governments to take advantage of the security and speed of blockchain while edging off cryptocurrencies.
Examples of countries that are utilizing blockchain solutions are Nigeria, China, Sweden, and The Bahamas. Such countries partner with blockchain companies for the rollout, e.g. Nigeria partnered with Bitt.
Below are five of the most lucrative jobs in blockchain.
1. Blockchain Developer
Blockchain developers are the most sought after professionals in the programming world. This role involves:
- Designing, developing, deploying, and testing blockchains
- Running and maintaining blockchains
- Upgrading and scaling blockchains
To be a competitive blockchain developer, you must demonstrate advanced knowledge in relevant programming languages such as Rust, Solidity, WebAssembly, JavaScript, and C++.
Blockchain developers make on average $100,000 per annum, according to Web3 jobs.
2. Blockchain Solutions Architect
As a blockchain solutions architect, you're responsible for working with all divisions within a company to formulate blockchain solutions that employ the various concepts of blockchain to fulfill the given use case. It is the job of solutions architects to ensure that the proposed blockchain actually solves the problem at hand.
To be successful in this job, you need to be knowledgeable in:
- Blockchain architecture
- Cryptography
- Programming languages including Rust, Solidity, Web Assembly, CSS
- Smart contracts
- Consensus mechanisms
- Distributed systems and networking
According to Glassdoor, blockchain architects can expect an average of $105,491 and up to $181,115 annually.
3. Blockchain Project Manager
A blockchain project manager is in charge of overseeing all aspects of a project. You're required to coordinate the staff, tasks, and resources to realize a successful project within the allocated budget. Responsibilities include:
- Seeing to the highest standards possible for operations
- Create and manage the project's deployment
- Coordinating the launch of the project via both traditional and digital marketing
You should also have experience with project management and collaboration software like Asana and Atlassian. Having experience with agile methodology and the principles of scrum will put you ahead with some potential employers.
Blockchain project managers earn a base pay of $85,891 annually.
4. Blockchain Security Professional
A blockchain security professional institutes safety and security measures to ward off blockchain attack vectors like phishing, eclipse, routing, and Sybil attacks. You'll also need to:
- Be conversant with crypto crime and ransomware prevention tools like CipherTrace
- Be up to speed with past blockchain security breaches
- Have mastery of best blockchain security practices
- Have experience with threat modeling for blockchain
This job attracts a salary between $90,000 and $250,000. Due to blockchain attacks intensifying, some companies are willing to shell out up to $430,000.
5. Blockchain UX Designer
Blockchain UX designers focus on the customer-facing end of blockchain applications. You're responsible for shaping the end-to-end user interaction with a blockchain platform or product. You'll also showcase your creative streak with user interfaces that are user-centered, friendly, intuitive, and more.
To be commissioned as a blockchain UX designer, you'll need to have experience with UX designer tools such as Figma, Axure, Adobe XD, and others. Glassdoor's estimate of a blockchain UX designer's salary is $82,327 in base pay, with the total pay coming in at around $98,795 annually.
Summary: How to Get a Job in Blockchain?
As blockchain is purely internet-native, getting a job in blockchain might require a slightly different technique than traditional jobs.
Learn Blockchain Fundamentals
When learning about blockchain, it is best to start with the basics. To do so, enroll in one of our fundamentals courses in your preferred niche or participate in our instructor led bootcamp.
Showcase Your Work
If you're an aspiring blockchain UX designer it is good practice to create mockups and share them on your website or social media page. Publish your ideas on Medium or blockchain-specific sites like Publish0x and Mirror.xyz.
Apply for jobs
The last play in the book is applying for jobs. Here are some job sites you can look at when you’re ready to apply:
Author: Hope Mutie
