The Internet of Things is actively penetrating all spheres of life. According to the analytical company GlobalData, the global market for IoT devices will reach $1.077 billion by 2024. And as GSMA forecasts, by 2025 the number of IoT connections will double and reach almost 25 billion worldwide.
Since cities are slowly getting smarter, and businesses are being automated, the IoT developer will be in demand in a wide variety of areas: telecommunications, trading, transportation, medicine, housing, and communal services, production, etc.
So what skills do you need to become an IoT developer, and why is it high time to switch to this specialty? Find answers below.
Let's start with the basics: who is an IoT architect and what does he do?
An IoT architect thinks over how to organize the collection of data from "smart" devices, how to process, classify and analyze it.
An IoT developer, like a magician, can make smart even rubbish so that it will independently water the garden and mow the grass in the backyard. Or he can automate the plant so that it detects problems at the initial stage and prevents malfunctions in the operation.
In addition to architecture, such a specialist develops application software for companies and decides how to integrate it with the software and hardware systems that already work there. If necessary, he deals with issues of cybersecurity and machine learning – they are closely related to the Internet of Things and smart devices.
The main goal of an IoT architect is to teach technology to interact with each other via the Internet or to work without human intervention at all.
What skills does the IoT developer need?
Based on the TechReviewer rating, where top IT companies are represented, we concluded that at the start IoT developers should confidently program in any of the object-oriented languages, but Python, C, C++, or Go are especially welcome. Also, a specialist must understand IT technologies, Big Data processing, as well as the essence of the Internet of Things.
So, putting everything on a checklist, the requirements for an IoT developer are as follows:
- knowledge of electronics, mobile and web development, cybersecurity basics;
- understanding machine learning principles;
- understanding the principles of collecting and processing Big Data;
- ability to program in one of the languages: Python, C, C ++, Java, .NET, PHP, or Go;
- the ability to draw up plans, design complex systems, assemble circuits and microcontrollers;
- use the Linux operating system.
IoT architect salary
According to Glassdoor service, the average salary for an IoT architect is $127K per year. And the average offers on the market range from $59K- $161K.
5 promising directions in the development of IoT solutions
- Development of software for embedded systems (development of microcontrollers inside "smart" devices)
- Development of software for gateways (providing interconnection in the IoT system)
- Data management
- Data analytics
- Development of web and mobile applications for the Internet of Things
Final words
Now many companies are looking for the right specialists who understand the principles of development at all stages: interaction with the device, protocol, cloud, and client application.
The profession is so much in demand, and the shortage of personnel is so acute that specialists often don’t even have to look for vacancies – HR experts find them themselves and try to make the most tempting offer. That is why it is so useful to study the technology stack and the sphere itself now when there are not so many offers on the market. In the future, you will be welcomed both in a small startup and in a multi-million dollar corporation.
