Mobile and web developers are currently in high demand, not just in the United States but across the globe. If you want to become a software developer, mastering a specific programming language, framework, platform, or concept will help you increase your value in the market. One of the best programming platforms you can use to your advantage is Angular.
This article is for anyone looking to become an Angular developer. It will walk you through what Angular is, the job description for an Angular developer, the job outlook for these experts, and the potential salary and career opportunities for Angular developers.
What Is an Angular Developer?
An Angular developer is a software developer who specializes in using the Angular framework and platform to design single-page applications. These single-page applications primarily run on TypeScript and HTML.
Angular is the latest upgrade of the AngularJS framework, which was designed by Google and launched in 2012. However, Angular has become a more popular option among developers than AngularJS because it has cross-platform compatibility. This means that it can be used for mobile, web, and desktop applications.
Angular Developer Job Description
As the title implies, the main task of an Angular developer is to create Angular-based applications. They also work with graphic designers to deliver user-friendly front end applications. Even if Angular is written in TypeScript, Angular developers also know JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
After developing a cross-platform application, Angular developers are charged with optimizing performance and maintaining the application over time. The job doesn’t stop when the application is launched.
Angular Developer Salary and Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t give a specific job outlook for Angular developers. However, you can classify Angular developers as software developers. BLS predicts a 22 percent rise in the number of jobs for software developers between 2020 and 2030.
Regarding the salary, ZipRecruiter reports that Angular developers earn an average annual wage of $109,670. However, salaries can range between $43,000 and $158,500 depending on the company and location. Angular developers in California currently earn more than those in other locations in the United States.
Top Reasons to Become an Angular Developer in 2021
If you’re looking for reasons to become an Angular developer in 2021, check out the list below.
- It’s backed by Google. Google developer experts’ support of Angular projects is one of the major reasons developers are sticking to this framework in 2021. Google is one of the biggest and most popular tech companies in the world and its developers are providing long-term support (LTS) for Angular.
- The career has a high earning potential. Whether you’re in the United States or any other part of the world, earning an average annual salary of $109,670 is a big deal. You can lead an above-average life and you’ll also enjoy an increase as you gain more experience in Angular development.
- There are opportunities for skill diversification. Angular developers also tend to master JavaScript frameworks and concepts. JavaScript frameworks are among the most popular in the technology industry, and mastering any JavaScript library will give you an additional edge in the job market.
- It’s great for cross-platform development. Apart from allowing you to diversify your skills, Angular is also the perfect option for anyone who wants to dive into cross-platform development. Why focus on web, mobile, or desktop application development when you can do all three?
Angular Developer Job Requirements
As an Angular developer, your job requirements will be relatively similar across the board. However, some companies might have different requirements than others. In any case, below is a list of some of the most common requirements for becoming an Angular developer.
- Bachelor’s degree. The preferred minimum education requirement for Angular development is a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields. However, this isn’t an ironclad rule. Many companies employ people with bootcamp education and those who are self-taught.
- In-depth knowledge of programming. All Angular developers are programmers who know how to use CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and TypeScript, to mention a few of the most critical skills. It’s also important that they also know about REST API integration and web services.
- On-the-job experience. The years of practical experience required for Angular developers depend on the position and company. Entry-level positions demand about two years of experience or less. However, some companies will hire you without any professional experience if you can use Angular to code an entire project from scratch.
- Soft skills. Technical skills alone aren’t going to cut it. An Angular developer should also have a good combination of transferable skills. These include dynamic thinking, a willingness to collaborate, effective time management, and communication skills. Since you’ll likely be working with development teams, you will need interpersonal skills as well.
Types of Angular Developer Careers
While Angular developers mainly create Angular applications, there are many career opportunities for someone who learns Angular development. Some of these opportunities are listed below.
Web Developer
A web developer focuses primarily on designing or building web applications and websites. They also maintain these applications over time, ensuring that they are working as intended. In the United States, web developers earn an average of $75,073 yearly according to ZipRecruiter. An Angular developer may also work as a graphic designer.
Mobile Application Developer
Mobile application developers design, develop, and maintain software for mobile applications. You can either be a cross-platform application developer or pick one specific type of operating system. Mobile application developers earn $101,899 yearly according to ZipRecruiter.
UI/UX Front End Engineer
This kind of front end developer specializes in adding visual design principles, graphic interface, and building user interfaces for web, mobile, desktop, or any other devices during app development. UI/UX front end developers typically earn about $101,312 a year according to ZipRecruiter. They can still handle the projects of a backend developer.
Angular Developer Meaning: What Does an Angular Developer Do?
An Angular developer is someone who develops cross-platform applications using Angular components, a technology that is meant for single-page, client-side development. Even if these experts typically focus on the interactive parts of websites and applications, they have the skills to create fully functional applications from the ground up. Some of the most typical tasks they have to perform are outlined below.
Develops Front End Software Applications
Every Angular developer must know how to use the tools to create the graphical user interface of a software application, also known as the client-side of development. Angular developers must ensure that the user experience of a website is up to standard, and that the website’s core features are all working properly.
Troubleshoots and Debugs Applications
A competent developer monitors application performance and oversees unit testing. If the unit tests turn up glitches or performance issues, they need to troubleshoot and fix them. When necessary, they debug code and release updated versions of the software to the public.
Oversees Product Development
Senior Angular developers may be tasked with developing product analysis tasks or overseeing product development. Product development goes beyond just creating software. A product developer may be charged with delegating tasks to a team and ensuring that each task goes according to plan, from conceptualization to final launch.
Essential Angular Developer Skills
To be able to complete the most common tasks in the Angular application development process, you’ll need an array of technical and non-technical skills. Some of the most crucial skills for an Angular developer to have are listed below.
Angular Command Line Interface (CLI)
This Angular package allows for more consistent coding. CLI saves you time and increases your efficiency by giving you a way to configure code in bulk instead of having to write each line of code individually. Apart from using CLI during the initial configuration, you can use it to add new components and features to an existing app without having to rewrite the base code.
Web Technology Skills
Angular is indeed one of the most efficient web development technologies. However, this doesn’t mean you should not have sound knowledge of CSS, HTML, and even JavaScript. As part of your JavaScript training, you will also need to master TypeScript, the ultimate Angular language.
These languages make up the foundation of web technologies, and you will come across them from time to time as you provide internal and external web services.
Git
Learning Git allows you to experiment with new applications whenever you want. These applications can be added to your portfolio and referenced by prospective employers. Git also ensures that you never lose your data. It is an ideal virtual environment for developers.
How Long Does It Take to Become an Angular Developer?
You can learn the basics of Angular in two to three months. This is especially true for people who already have coding experience. However, to become a fully trained Angular developer, you may need to spend more time learning. The educational route you take and the time you devote to learning will also determine how long it will take to become an Angular developer.
If you teach yourself or attend a bootcamp, you can finish within a few months and land your first job. If you decide to attend a university, you will need to spend years studying to get a bachelor’s degree.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Become an Angular Developer?
Yes, it is possible to become an Angular developer by attending a bootcamp. These bootcamps typically offer accelerated training specifically for Angular development. On the other hand, you may find a bootcamp that offers Angular development as a part of software development rather than as a standalone course.
Some of the top bootcamps for learning Angular development are Skill Distillery, CareerFoundry, and Tech Elevator. All of these bootcamps have high job placement rates, proof of the excellent service they provide to people looking for careers in tech.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Can I Become an Angular Developer from Home?
Yes, it is possible to become an Angular developer without any formal education. It is easier for those who already have tech experience but a little more difficult for inexperienced people. In any case, there are several resources you can use to your advantage. Websites like Udemy, Udacity, and edX provide affordable Angular courses that you can take from home.
Below are three great courses for aspiring Angular developers.
- Angular – The Complete Guide (2021 Edition) by Udemy
- Angular Routing by Pluralsight
- Angular Essential Training by LinkedIn Learning.
How to Become an Angular Developer: A Step-by-Step Guide
The three simple steps below summarize what you need to become an Angular developer.
Step 1: Master Angular Development
The first step is mastering Angular development. You can do this on your own from home, by attending a bootcamp, or by obtaining a traditional university degree in computer science and related fields. Just make sure that you know all the frameworks, programming languages, and fundamental concepts associated with Angular.
Step 2: Build Angular Applications
An important part of the learning process for new developers is to practice what they’ve learned. You do not need to wait until you get your first job. You can start building and publishing Angular apps on GitHub. If you want, you can also develop platform-specific apps using Angular code. Each Angular project you create is another notch in your belt.
Step 3: Apply for Paid Jobs
After you’ve mastered the core concepts of the Angular framework and built a portfolio, you need to start applying for paid gigs. Remote developers who want to freelance should apply for Angular development projects on gig marketplaces and online communities like Upwork or Toptal.
Focus on the right job hunting environment for developers. For full-time jobs, check Git Jobs, LinkedIn, or Indeed. Make sure that your Angular developer resume is up to date. As you gain more experience, you can start to think about applying for principal software developer roles or project manager jobs, where you’ll get to lead an Angular team of your very own.
Best Schools and Education for an Angular Developer Career
You can become an Angular developer by attending a coding bootcamp, community college, or university. Each of these learning paths has its unique pros and cons, so the one you pick should depend on what is most suitable for your needs.
Angular Developer Bootcamps
These bootcamps offer job-specific training that runs for three to six months. They have gained popularity in recent years as one of the best options for people who want to dive into technology without attending a traditional university.
The best Angular bootcamps offer career services, mentorship, and networking opportunities that make it easier for students to join developer communities and land a tech job post-graduation.
Vocational School
Vocational schools are postsecondary institutions that offer career-oriented credentials below the associate degree level. Their purpose is to bypass academic education in favor of practical, hands-on training for specific career paths. While some vocational schools do teach coding, coding bootcamps are more likely to offer lessons on particular frameworks like Angular.
Community College
A more affordable option than going to a traditional university is to obtain a community college degree. Community colleges offer associate degrees that run for two years. It does not need to be an associate degree in Angular development. It can be an Associate Degree in Computer Science or related fields.
Make sure that the college you choose has transferable credits. This way, you can eventually get a bachelor’s degree in two years at a university without starting from scratch.
Angular Developer Degrees
A bachelor’s degree is the preferred option by those who just completed high school and want to enjoy the full college experience. Those who already have a bachelor’s degree may opt for a master’s degree as long as their undergraduate degree is in a related field.
The Most Important Angular Developer Certifications
There aren’t many professional Angular certifications in the industry. The most common certifications are offered by Angular Training. The website has options for beginners, intermediate learners, and professional Angular experts alike. You can only take your exam once after payment. If you fail, you need to repay. There are no free retakes.
Certified Angular Developer (Level 1 – Junior)
This developer certification costs $29 and it is meant for beginners who just finished studying Angular development and are seeking professional certification. The certification exam consists of an online coding exercise, which lasts for about 25 minutes. To pass, you need to get 70 percent of the questions right.
Certified Angular Developer (Level 2 – Intermediate)
If you have some professional experience with Angular concepts, this might be a good option for you. The certification exam costs $68 and runs for six to eight hours. It is a combination of a quiz, a coding exercise, and an online interview about your performance. Among other things, the exam tests your ability to create an Angular component, the building block of Angular apps.
Certified Angular Developer (Level 3 – Expert)
People with years of experience in Angular development can apply for this angular developer certification. It costs about $87 and a 70 percent score is required to pass the certification exam. After a 35-minute quiz, you will build an Angular application from scratch and then sit for an interview about what you made.
How to Prepare for Your Angular Developer Job Interview
The Angular developer interview is arguably the most important part of the job application process. Some interview questions are designed to gauge your behavioral skills, while others test your technical skills. Below is a list of some of the most common questions you can expect during your technical interview for an Angular developer job.
Angular Developer Job Interview Practice Questions
- How many Angular compilations are there and how do they work?
- What do DOM and BOM stand for in Angular development? Do they affect the complete user interface?
- During Angular data binding, what’s the difference between one-way and two-way processes?
- What is Angular and how is it different from AngularJS?
- In your experience, what are the most efficient ways to optimize Angular architecture?
Should I Become an Angular Developer in 2021?
Yes, you should become an Angular developer in 2021 if you are trying to learn a specialized skill to get an edge in the industry. Despite the popularity of React, there are still many companies, including Google, that support the current version of Angular. It is still one of the fastest, most reliable, and most popular frameworks for cross-platform front end development.
Angular Developer FAQ
Yes, the job market for developers values skills above formal education. If you’re still new to coding, you can begin your journey by getting some fundamental knowledge of JavaScript at one of the best JavaScript bootcamps. From there, it will be easier to become an Angular expert.
No, Angular development is not an especially hard skill to learn. You should, however, keep an eye on industry trends. Over the last few years, the React framework has been growing in popularity. While Angular is still receiving a lot of attention from major developers, including Google, it may eventually fall out of fashion. When it does, the jobs will start to disappear.
Angular is the newer, more efficient, and more functional version of AngularJS. AngularJS has run its course and will be discontinued soon. Apps that are built on the AngularJS framework will have to migrate to Angular or React.
Angular is a front end framework, not a backend framework. However, this doesn’t mean that Angular developers cannot create a wide range of advanced features for mobile devices and complex applications for the web from the ground up.
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