The programming Q&A hub has released a new analysis of the best-paid jobs, based on this year’s Stack Overflow Developer Survey, to coincide with its update of its Stack Overflow Salary Calculator.
Salaries differ according to location, with developers in the US earning noticeably more than the rest of the world, but here are five of the highest paying roles worldwide.
1. DevOps specialists
Earning more than any other tech workers throughout the world, these developers are focused on refining every aspect of how code is tested, built and deployed. DevOps specialists need to understand the requirements of both software developers and IT operations, and know which tools are available to automate software and infrastructure changes and roll outs.
Karthiga Sadasivan, director and head of DevOps at Happiest Minds Technologies, told important skills include:
- Source control (like Git, Bitbucket, VSTS, etc.)
- Continuous integration (like Jenkins, Bamboo, VSTS )
- Infrastructure automation (like Puppet, Chef, Ansible)
- Deployment automation and orchestration (like Jenkins, VSTS, Octopus Deploy)
- Container concepts (LXD, Docker)
- Orchestration (Kubernetes, Mesos, Swarm)
- Cloud (like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, OpenStack)
Many of these tools can be used with Python scripting, although the Go and Ruby programming languages are also commonly used by DevOps specialists.
2. Data scientist
As an increasing number of companies use machine learning, it’s likely demand for data scientists, which currently outstrips supply by some margin, will continue to grow.
The skills required are varied, but candidates will typically need good mathematical knowledge — including both statistics and multivariate calculus — programming skills in languages such as R and Python and the database query language SQL, and the ability to clean up messy data. If you want to know more, TechRepublic has a list of some of the most useful skills for those looking to break into the field.
Data scientists also recently outlined to TechRepublic the common questions new entrants should prepare for in a job interview
3. Back-end developer
A back-end developer writes the software used on servers that underpin websites and modern web services.
Such is the breadth of back-end platforms, the role can require skills in any number of languages, from the venerable PHP and Java to Python and node.js JavaScript. Beyond programming language skills, a back-end developer may also need to understand how to create APIs, front-end languages such as HTML and CSS, user interface design and more.
4. Full-stack developer
Full-stack developers are web developers who don’t just understand the core web technologies of HTML, CSS and JavaScript but also the software frameworks, databases and back-end tech needed to build modern web sites and services.
Skills typically requested include the Angular or React frameworks, node.js JavaScript and the version-control software Git.
5. Embedded developer
Embedded developers are typically engaged in writing highly efficient software to run on the low-power microprocessor and microcontroller boards found in electronic appliances, kiosks, and industrial control units.
Embedded developers may be required to write code for any layer of the stack: from the low-level firmware that interacts with a board’s hardware up to the higher-level software that will run on the board.
The languages C and C++ are often used due to being able to run extremely efficiently and offering precise control over memory use. Engineers often also have a working knowledge of assembly language.
The big takeaways for tech leaders:
- StackOverflow has released new data showing that DevOps specialists are the highest paid tech workers.
- Developers in the US are significantly better rewarded than colleagues elsewhere in the world, according to the median salary figures.
