Last updated on July 6th, 2023 at 11:28 am
The blockchain space is filled with different innovative jobs that are highly paid. At the moment, the competition for these jobs is not high, making them attractive and filled with lucrative reward packages. There are different ways to be involved in this realm, and one of them is by being a smart contract engineer.
A smart contract is a crucial aspect of blockchain technology, and its use cases cut across many fields. It is replacing the need for contracts drafted with the help of an intermediary or manually enforcing contracts. Manual drafting and enforcement of contracts come with issues like errors linked to human intervention, as well as the high cost that comes with an intermediary. Efficiency is the watchword of smart contracts, and that is why it is highly demanded at the moment. Some people erroneously think that the technology works only in the decentralized financial space, but that is not always the case. It can be used anywhere a traditional agreement or contract works.
IBM defines smart contracts as “programs stored on a blockchain that run when predetermined conditions are met. They typically are used to automate the execution of an agreement so that all participants can be immediately certain of the outcome, without an intermediary’s involvement or time loss. They can also automate a workflow, triggering the next action when conditions are met.”
Smart contract engineers are the ones involved in creating the codes behind smart contracts. Smart contracts are primarily codes and they work automatically. Before a smart contract is created, an engineer has to develop it.
Similar Names to Smart Contract Engineers
Smart contracts engineers are sometimes called solidity developers. They are also called smart contracts developers, blockchain and solidity developers.
MDPI further explains that:
“Smart contract engineering (SCE) is a systematized, modularized, and judgmental process for the smart contract that is based on development, maintenance, and execution, and that integrates with software engineering, intelligent methods as well as legal code technology.”
Becoming a smart contract engineer is not a Herculean task as many may think. There are some processes that software engineers could adhere to reach their goals seamlessly.
Though the work of a smart contract engineer is important, there are some decentralized platforms that are making it easy for those users that can’t afford the services of a smart contract engineer to enjoy minor smart contract features. An example is SkyeKiwi.
What are the skillsets of a smart contract engineer?
Before anyone can be called an astute smart contract engineer, they have to possess some intricate skills that surround blockchain and coding in general. Though smart contract technology is novel, one can’t ignore the need for core coding skills.
- Programming languages
Having an in-depth knowledge of programming languages like JavaScript is not a bad idea, as a large percent of the projects that exist in blockchain use this language. While learning, it is important to understand JavaScript/TypeScript because it offers a smart contract engineer a better understanding of key Ethereum libraries. This is one reason those that are familiar with JavaScript can excel when they switch to smart contract engineering.
The list of programming languages to learn won’t be complete if Solidity was not added. This language is the bedrock of the Ethereum network, and it is necessary to learn for anyone that wants to explore smart contract engineering.
Other languages that are important are Rust, Python, WebAssembly, Go, and so on. Don’t be discouraged by the languages because no one was birthed with the languages imprinted in their brains. They went through the process of learning them.
- Strong knowledge of finance
Though smart contracts are being used in other industries, a big use case is in the decentralized finance space. Many DeFi platforms are incorporating this technology in their architecture. Hence, it is important that smart contracts engineers understand the rudiments of finance in relation to technological advancement with blockchain.
- Community lead tools
Regularly, new community tools are being created in the blockchain and smart contract development space, meaning that employers expect their smart contract engineers to know how to effectively use them. These tools are designed to make the coding process a lot easier. Some of them are OpenZeppelin, Truffle, RemixIDE, ethers.js.
It is important to immerse oneself into the community of developers to be abreast with recent changes happening in the development space. Being in the know about new apps, libraries and the likes makes one’s coding process easier and seamless.
- Understand networking and distributed computing
Every smart contract engineer should understand networking and distributed communication to be able to create a smart contract that actively communicates with nodes and oracles attached to it.
What are the educational requirements of a Smart Contract Engineer?
A smart contract engineer needs to have the following educational requirements, though it is not rigidly defined.
- Bachelors in Computer Science
- Knowledge in programming languages like Java and Solidity
- Knowledge in Ethereum infrastructure
- Knowledge in smart contracts development.
Credible sources to learn smart contract engineering
The internet is a beehive of both free and paid courses for those that want to learn smart contract engineering. Various options will be discussed below
Many blockchain enthusiasts interact on Twitter. It is common to see some notable folks in the field dropping words of advice, links to free courses, and other educational tools on their timelines. For someone that wants to break into the smart contract engineering space as a junior smart contract engineer can benefit from such conversations and also interact with potential employers on Twitter. The social media space continues to bridge the gap between employers and employees.
This list wouldn’t be complete if an honorary mention was not given to Reddit. Reddit has evolved into a space where crypto lovers assemble to discuss. There are a lot of links and guides to help an upcoming smart contract engineer blossom. As much as Reddit is a helpful place, it is still besieged with trolls. It is advisable to be wary. Some subreddits that every crypto enthusiast will benefit from are r/ethdev, r/ethereum, r/CryptoCurrency, and so on. For those that want to gain access to a crypto community as a smart contract engineer, they can do this on Reddit by dropping meaningful posts regularly on the subreddit to gain authority and popularity.
- Online course platforms
There are various online courses that cater to smart contract engineering. Some are free while others are paid. They tend to offer practical examples that could help one develop the necessary skills. Some examples are freecodecamp, and Coursera.
- YouTube
YouTube has turned into an informal university where there are thousands of experts in a field ready to tutor users on different subject matters. Many self-taught smart contract engineers benefited a lot and are still benefiting from the tutoring videos available on this platform.
- Soft Skills
Smart contract engineers are expected to possess some core soft skills if they are to fit in an organization. They should be able to work both in a team and in an autonomous capacity. Communication skills, both verbal and written are expected from them because they will interact with other members of the organization.
- Knowledge in building systems
Practical knowledge is important before a typical firm will hire a smart contract engineer, and that is why there are events like hackathons that one can attend to improve their skills. Contributing to an open-source project is not a bad idea.
Which companies hire smart contract engineers?
As earlier mentioned, the use cases of smart contracts cut across different industries, meaning that the demand for engineers to code smart contracts is quite high.
Decentralized finance companies are leading those that need astute smart contract engineers. There is hardly a decentralized app that focuses on smart contracts that do not need smart contracts, and in extension, smart contract engineers. It is difficult for a professional smart contract engineer to stay without work for a long time because of the demand for their skills.
What is the salary range?
According to Cryptocurrency Jobs
The average base salary for a smart contract engineer in Asia is $125,000 per year, with a low base salary of $100,000 and a high base salary of $150,000.
The average base salary for a remote smart contract engineer is $145,000 per year, with a low base salary of $100,000 and a high base salary of $200,000.
The average base salary for a smart contract engineer in the US is $127,500 per year, with a low base salary of $80,000 and a high base salary of $180,000.
Crypto Job Lists pegs the average annual salary of a smart contract engineer at $150,000 per year.
In Conclusion
- There are a lot of resources on the internet to make the process of becoming a smart contract engineer possible.
- Both programming languages and soft skills are important to fit into this position.
- Like other tech jobs, smart contract engineering attracts a lucrative paycheck.
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