17 Coder Kids’ Career Paths

If you ask coder kids or—children who know how to code—what kind of career path they want to follow in the future, you probably won’t get a firm response; which is totally fine. Kids should be allowed to be kids and this does apply to programmer kids too. But as parents, we want to ensure that our children plan their careers wisely and successfully.

This is why we at Embassy.Education decided to make a list of some of the coder kids’ probable career paths to put parents in the picture where these whole coding courses for kids will direct them (other than having fun, learning fundamentals of coding, and soft skills). Some of these jobs can be started after learning some programming languages and some of them need specific technical skills and a college degree. They do have one thing in common though; programming skills.

1. Android Developer

An android developer is a software developer that designs software for the android operating system. This means these people make all the applications people use on their tablets and smartphones (except for iPhone and iPad of course). This is a likely path for a lot of coder kids and children who love programming. 

Skills Needed: Proficiency in Android Studio and programming languages like /C++/Javascript, Problem-solving skills,  Analytical Skills. Teamwork

Median Salary (USA): $96,000

2. Game developer

The job title speaks for itself. A game developer works within a team to build a game for a variety of platforms: game consoles, computers, or mobile devices. Their job duties involve writing scripts to turn the design specifications of games into playable games. We bet that this is the kind of job most programmer kids are into.

Check out our Roblox course designed to teach kids game development.

Skills Needed: Proficiency in programming languages like C++/Java/C#/Javascript, Strong passion for video games, Collaborate with cross teams

Median Salary: $83,000

3. Web developer

This is a bright and in-demand career path for kids who know how to code. Web developers build websites from scratch and are responsible for the design and the maintenance in most cases so they’ll never be out of work. With more and more active internet users the demand for online services and consequently new websites is reaching a high level. Programmer kids can start out their careers as web developers even before entering college.

Skills Needed: Proficiency in markup languages like HTML5 and CSS- Javascript, jQuery, AngularJS- Passion for learning-patience

Median Salary (USA): $75,000

4. Database administrator

Database administrators install, configure, and maintain the storage of information with the help of certain platforms like MySQL and Oracle. Being familiar with programming languages is a must for them. This kind of career might not appeal to coder kids right now but it’s a wise career choice.

Skills Needed: Database Languages-A Bachelor’s degree in CS or related fields- Certifications- Soft Skills

Median Salary (USA): $95,000

5. Software QA engineer

Another coder kids’ career path could be this one. A software quality assurance engineer’s job is to examine every phase of developing a new software design to make sure it runs smoothly before reaching the consumer market. This job is like being the middle person between the programmers and the clients.

Skills Needed: A Bachelor’s degree in CS, IT, or software engineering is usually needed- Proficient in the programming languages the team uses- Excellent communication skills

Median Salary (USA): $97,000

6. UI/UX Designer

User Interface and User Experience design is a relatively new field in this industry. In the past, programmers used to be responsible for the design of their websites/software (most of them still are in the case of websites) but more and more the importance of a user-friendly design has become eminent. In a nutshell, these designers’ job is to make sure that users navigate through a digital product flawlessly. Programmer kids with artistic spirits will definitely enjoy becoming a UI/UX designer.

Skills Needed: Familiarity with HTML5, CSS, Javascript- Proficiency in software like Sketch, Invision, Miro, Photoshop, Illustrator

Median Salary (USA): $97,000

7. Digital Product Manager

This isn’t one of those kinds of jobs that coder kids can start fast but it deals with knowledge of programming. A digital product manager’s duty includes deciding what digital products to develop and assists the team s/he is working with all through the way. Although knowledge of coding is not a must for this job it is certainly an asset that enables managers to speak the same language that programmers do.  

Skills Needed: Knowledge of front-end and back-end development- Strong negotiation, analytical, and prioritization skills

Median Salary (USA): $100,000

8. Project Manager

Although it seems like the same job as being a product manager these are very different roles even though they may overlap in leadership skills. Briefly, the project manager’s role is to ensure that the vision a product manager has set is executed precisely. Learning how to code is vital to understand what is going on within the technical team if they are working in the tech industry. One of the most versatile career paths for coder kids who are keen on management.

Skills Needed: Management skills- Technical knowledge of the field

Median Salary (USA): $99,000

9. Data scientist

Data scientists use scientific methods, algorithms, and processes to extract knowledge for the company they are working for. They gather and analyze the data to achieve the company’s goals. In fact, this job is related to machine learning, data mining, and big data; all of them need strong coding skills. A perfect match for programmer kids who are good at analytical thinking.

Skills Needed: Proficiency in programming languages like Python, R, Scala, SQL, Julia- Machine learning and AI

Median Salary (USA): $120,000

Embassy.Education Python course for kids is a good starting point.

10. Business intelligence analyst

Another career path for kids who love coding could be this one. Business intelligence analysts gather and review data to provide finance and market intelligence reports to guide the decision-making process within a company. Being familiar with programming languages like Python and Java is certainly an asset.

Skills Needed: Knowledge of SQL in most companies – Industry knowledge- Degree in C.S, statistics, or Business administration

Median Salary (USA): $95,000

11. Security analyst

In a few words, a security analyst’s job is to ensure that the company’s data and the digital asset are safe. However, today’s security analysts should also be able to prevent intrusion by detecting potential threats, manage the negative effects of cyberattacks, and identify and correct flaws in the security system of the company. Programmer kids will be definitely fascinated just by the idea of how cool it is.

Skills Needed: Knowledge of firewalls, antivirus, and IDPS concepts- Ethical Hacking- a degree in related field- Knowing how to code is an asset

Median Salary (USA): $95,000

12. IT technician

This career path for kids who know how to code is familiar, isn’t it? The IT technician’s job is to install and maintain the hardware and software of the company’s computers. Depending on the size of the company they may have extra duties such as internet security and data privacy maintenance. You may ask how it is related to programming. Well, managing help tickets and automation is a lot easier when you have programming skills.

Skills Needed: In-depth knowledge of networks and operating systems- Excellent troubleshooting skills- Good communication skills

Median Salary (USA): $74,000

13. System Architect

This career path for coder kids is one of the most prestigious ones in the tech industry. A system’s architect role is key to the design, development, and implementation of the computer systems and the network of their clients’ companies. To do this, they consider the company’s budget, size, needs, and resources to come up with the best strategy. Their job duties (based on their level of expertise) revolve around deciding the right IT strategy from A-Z (at the highest level) and advising on the best hardware, software, and tools (at the low and medium levels).

Skills Needed: Any skill that a skilled software engineer or a developer has: Cloud Architecture- Java- .Net- PaaS- Solution Architecture- Azure- Spring- APIs-AWS- Cloud Infrastructure- DevOps- IaaS

Median Salary (USA): $135,000

14. System Engineer

A system engineer must build and program the solutions that a system architect designs. A talented system engineer can become a system architect after gaining expertise. Certainly a good long-term career path for kids who love programming.

Skills Needed: Knowledge of different operating systems, languages and application/web servers Tomcat, Jboss, Apache, Ruby, NGINX

Median Salary (USA): $99,000

15. Scrum Master

Another career path for programmer kids can be this one. A scrum master is the coach of a scrum team, but what is a scrum team? A self-organizing cross-functional team with no detailed description of how things will be done. You may ask if there’s no leader, what does the scrum master do then? Doesn’t it seem contradictory? Well, a scrum master has no authority over the members but s/he does have the power over the process. In other words, s/he can’t assign tasks to members but can say what needs to be done.

Skills Needed: Scrum framework- continuous integration- critical thinking- coaching and teaching

Median Salary (USA): $105,000

16. Blockchain developer

This may not seem a conventional career path for coder kids but it’s one of the most talked-about careers right now.To put it simply, a blockchain developer is any kind of developer that is involved in the process of blockchain development. To go beyond stating the obvious, there are two types of blockchain developers; core blockchain developers and blockchain software developers. The first group designs the architecture of the blockchain system while the second group builds applications that run on blockchain technology.

Skills Needed: Cryptography- Web Development- Data Structures- Blockchain Architecture

Median Salary (USA): $127,000

17. Entrepreneur

Many programmer kids can eventually become entrepreneurs even at a young age. By learning how to code, anyone gets the chance to build their own business because not only it teaches kids some of the tools they need to launch their tiny business but it also does give them the mindset to do so.

Skills Needed: Soft Skills- Coding Skills

Median Salary (USA): $74,000- Depends on the success of the business

Read our article on time management skills for parents.

We end our list of coder kids’ career paths here. As you may know, there are different kinds of programming languages to learn in order to find a job in this industry but the most important thing is to start early. We offer Python, Roblox, Coding with Minecraft, Scratch, and ScratchJr courses for kids which are the perfect starting point to step into this field.

Editor: Michael Mitryakov | Writer: Negin P

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