Hadoop Developer Career Path

Career Path to Become Hadoop Developer

One of the most noticeable areas that provide reliable opportunities for businesses to gather competitive advantage is Big Data. Recently, the number of online searches for big data Hadoop developer jobs has been increasing considerably. Hadoop is one of the most popular Big Data tools in the big data landscape.

You can even consider it as the standard benchmark tool adopted by enterprises worldwide for storing, managing, and analysis of big data. However, many individuals don’t have the proper guidance regarding the ideal Hadoop developer career path. 

The following discussion provides some crucial details that would serve as a guide for any aspiring Hadoop developer. You can find important details such as the definition of a Hadoop developer and the roles and responsibilities of a Hadoop developer. Then, readers could find important skills required to navigate the Hadoop developer career path successfully.

Enroll Now: Hadoop Basics Training Course

The next important aspect in the following discussion will be the reasons for pursuing the career path of Hadoop developer. Finally, the discussion will illustrate the ideal steps as the answer to ‘how to become Hadoop developer’. The concluding section would focus on future opportunities with Hadoop that can strengthen career prospects for aspiring professionals. 

What is Hadoop?

The first thing that you should clarify before proceeding ahead with this discussion is the definition of Hadoop. You can find the description of Hadoop on the official website as a clear indication of what it is actually. Apache Hadoop software library is basically a framework for supporting the distributed proceeding of massive data sets on clusters of systems by leveraging simple programming models.

Hadoop is designed with the objective of scaling up from single servers to multiple machines without compromising on capabilities of local computation and storage. Understanding the definition of Hadoop is one of the first steps while learning Hadoop for beginners, that any aspiring candidate should follow in their Hadoop developer career path.

The collection of software in the Hadoop ecosystem provides support in resolving issues pertaining to massive volumes of data and computation. So, you can define Hadoop as the ideal instrument for managing the massive volumes of information arising from big data. It can help in the efficient development of feasible solutions and strategies based on the analysis of such information. 

What is a Hadoop Developer?

So, if you have decided to become a Hadoop developer, then you must know what you would have to do in that role. The Hadoop developer job description is a crucial element to help aspiring professionals estimate the type of professional responsibilities they have to follow as a Hadoop developer.

Most important of all, the job description can help you estimate the perfect milestones in your Hadoop developer career path. For example, candidates can identify the necessary skills and knowledge required for executing crucial professional responsibilities of Hadoop developers. Hadoop developers are professional programmers with sophisticated knowledge and skills for utilizing Hadoop components and tools.

The basic responsibilities of Hadoop developers include the design, development, and deployment of Hadoop applications. Hadoop developers are also required to have promising documentation skills for carrying out their professional responsibilities. Some of the other related roles for Hadoop developers include Hadoop Lead Developer, Hadoop Architect, Big Data Developer, and Hadoop Engineer. 

While learning Hadoop, it is important to understand various terms to get ahead. Let’s begin with these top 20 Hadoop terms!

Professional Responsibilities of Hadoop Developer

A closer look at the professional responsibilities in the Hadoop developer job description can widen our understanding of the requirements to become a Hadoop developer. As a Hadoop developer, you will be expected to do the following tasks.

  • Taking responsibility for designing, development, architecting, and documentation for all Hadoop applications.
  • Ensuring installation, configuration, and support for Hadoop.
  • Management of Hadoop jobs through a scheduler.
  • Conversion of complex techniques and functional requirements into comprehensively articulated designs.
  • Writing MapReduce code for Hadoop clusters and providing help for building new Hadoop clusters.
  • Performance of software prototype testing and monitoring of subsequent transfer to operational teams.
  • Designing web applications for data querying and faster data tracking.
  • Management and deployment of HBase.
  • Recommending the best practices and standards for an organization before handing over to the operations teams.
  • Conducting analysis of large data stores and deriving insights from them.
  • Management of company data security alongside the privacy of Hadoop clusters.
  • Pre-processing of data through the use of Pig and Hive.

Also Read: Hadoop Developer Job Responsibilities

Skills Required for Hadoop Developers

Therefore, you can clearly notice that there are many complex responsibilities for a Hadoop developer. So, one can obviously conclude that an individual would need specialized skills to carry out the above-mentioned professional responsibilities. If you want to pursue a highly-rewarding career in Hadoop, then you must know about the following Hadoop developer skills.

The skills mentioned here are recommended for every candidate aspiring for the role of Hadoop developer. Enterprises emphasize different skills according to their requirements, thereby implying the significance of every skill mentioned here. However, it is not mandatory for candidates to master all these skills.

  • Mandatory knowledge about Hadoop and the related components such as Hive, Sqoop, Pig, Oozie, Flume, HBase, and others.
  • Talent for writing code with the features of higher performance, reliability, and maintenance.
  • Comprehensive understanding of back-end programming with considerable focus on Java, OOAD, Node.js, and JavaScript.
  • Hands-on working experience with HiveQL.
  • Relevant knowledge in multi-threading and concurrency concepts.
  • The ability for writing Pig Latin scripts and MapReduce jobs.
  • Promising analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly related to the sector of Big Data.
  • Formidable working knowledge regarding theories, practices, and principles related to SQL and database structures.

Want to read some more Hadoop books? Here are the Best Books for HortonWorks Certification with detailed information about the books.

Reasons to Become Hadoop Developer

The next important concern in this discussion on the Hadoop developer career path is the reason to pursue the path. Now, readers might have anticipated the level of difficulties required for becoming a Hadoop developer. You can see that there are a lot of complex professional responsibilities to take on as a Hadoop developer.

And, a Hadoop developer needs to develop some tough skills for carrying out their jobs effectively. So, it is reasonable to think about potential results from the efforts that you would invest in achieving the skills. Furthermore, aspirants would need some formidable reasons to justify the various professional responsibilities they would take on as Hadoop developers. 

  • Constantly Increasing Demand for Hadoop

The foremost reason to choose the career path of Hadoop developer is the constantly increasing demand for Hadoop developer skills. Almost 90% of organizations make small to high levels of investment in big data analytics. Furthermore, enterprises report significant influences on their revenues with the adoption of big data and analytics. So, pursuing your career in Hadoop development can not only provide the promises of better remunerations but also a substantial boost to your career growth. 

  • Increasing Skill Gap

The skill gap in big data is also one of the prominent reasons to choose the Hadoop developer career path. The substantial growth in the big data market worldwide presents promising predictions about the rise in demand for big data professionals. Therefore, the massive skill gap that enterprises face now for hiring Hadoop developers is a prominent reason to pursue a career in this field. 

  • Companies Using Hadoop

One of the most prominent reasons to showcase the promises with a career as a Hadoop developer is the list of companies using Hadoop. You can find many notable names such as Dell, IBM, and AWS using Hadoop technology for their various data analytics requirements. Enterprises prefer Hadoop because of the considerable benefits of flexibility and fault tolerance.

In addition, Hadoop is also capable of showcasing exceptional data processing capabilities and cost-effectiveness in comparison to conventional data servers. Hadoop also presents notable support for scalability and ease of maintenance.    

Also Read: Why a Java Developer Should Learn Hadoop?

Salary of a Hadoop Developer

Above all the aspects mentioned here, the most promising reason for a candidate to pursue a Hadoop developer career path is salary. The estimate of Hadoop developer salary can serve as the most noticeable driver for professionals to pursue learning Hadoop. According to estimates by Dice, Hadoop professionals commanded a slightly higher salary than big data professionals.

In 2013, Dice estimated that the annual Hadoop developer salary is $108,669 on an average. Many years have passed since then, and the number of enterprises using Hadoop has increased exponentially. Recent reports indicate that the average annual salary of entry-level Hadoop developers is $112,687. Furthermore, IT professionals with expert-level Hadoop skills are currently aiming at jobs with remunerations amounting to more than $100,000 annually.         

How to Become a Hadoop Developer?

Now, let us arrive at the main theme of our discussion on the Hadoop developer career path. Readers should have an idea about the best approaches to establish their career as a competent Hadoop developer. The information presented until now in this discussion clearly shows the difficulty of becoming a Hadoop developer with all the necessary skill and experience requirements. However, you can overcome the difficulties to become a Hadoop developer by following the steps mentioned below.

  • Formal Education Requirements 

The first requirement in any Hadoop developer career path refers directly to formal education. However, it is not mandatory to have a degree in Computer Science only to pursue the career of Hadoop developer. You could opt for any basic degree in Statistics, Electronics, or Analytics would be just the perfect option. You just have to ensure that your degree certification has some sort of relevance for the IT sector. 

  • Gain the Important Skills for Hadoop Developers

The next important step is to develop a thorough understanding of the skills mentioned above in this discussion. The best platforms to achieve proficiency in the skills required for a Hadoop developer are easily accessible through an online search. You can also opt for paid instructor-led classes to learn the mandatory skills for the role of Hadoop developers.

Start with Hadoop basics initially and leverage the open-source nature of Hadoop for exploring its ecosystem and various functionalities. The Hadoop developer career path would not rely solely on knowledge of theoretical concepts in Hadoop. You have to develop fluency in the tasks that are highly relevant for Hadoop.

Basically, you have to follow the tenet of practice leads to perfection. Once you gain hands-on experience with Hadoop, you can develop the confidence to take on complex Hadoop-based job roles. Practical experience will improve your fluency in decoding, analysis, and transformation of data. 

  • Training and Official Certification

The final course of action for candidates aspiring to become Hadoop developers refers to organized training and certification. Many reliable online training portals can provide comprehensive and highly relevant training courses for Hadoop.

In addition, the professional Hadoop certifications can also strengthen your credibility as a potential Hadoop developer for employers. A simple online search would help you identify the ideal training and certification programs for your career aspirations as a Hadoop developer. 

Preparing for a Hadoop Interview? Go through these top Hadoop Interview Questions and get ready to ace the interview.

Are You Ready to Become a Hadoop Developer?

Now, you can go ahead and start your preparations for a promising career as a Hadoop developer. However, it is also important for readers to look at the scope of Hadoop in 2020. There is no doubt that the amount of data would increase considerably on a continuous basis in the coming years.

The primary reason for the increase in data would be the rise in the number of devices connected with various networks. In addition, the rise of the Internet of Things also plays a considerable role in expanding the ecosystem of connected devices. According to a PWC report, the number of job postings in the Data Science and Analytics category in the US would reach around 2.7 million.

So, you should aim at making the most of these opportunities that will arrive for Hadoop in the future. Enroll in the Hadoop Basics Training Course and start learning for a better future ahead!  

About Aditi Malhotra

Aditi Malhotra is the Content Marketing Manager at Whizlabs. Having a Master in Journalism and Mass Communication, she helps businesses stop playing around with Content Marketing and start seeing tangible ROI. A writer by day and a reader by night, she is a fine blend of both reality and fantasy. Apart from her professional commitments, she is also endearing to publish a book authored by her very soon.

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