How to become a Ruby On Rails developer
If you are thinking of becoming a developer, then learning Ruby is a great idea. Even though RoR is not in the top 5 most popular technology today, it is highly lucrative. These developers are in high demand, and they have one of the best salaries in the world.
So if you are thinking of becoming a Ruby on Rails developer, you are in the right place. We are here to help you. We will talk about how long it takes to become a Ruby on Rails developer. We discussed their annual salaries and provided the best tips for learning this framework. Let’s start.
How long does it take to become a Ruby on Rails developer?
One of the most popular questions regarding becoming a developer is how long it takes to learn. The answer depends on a few factors, but it takes roughly 2 to 4 months to learn the basic of the Ruby on Rails framework.
We say around because the answer varies on the following things:
- Your previous background knowledge and experience
- Your skills
- Your time for learning
You can learn Ruby on Rails faster if you have experience with other programming languages or frameworks. If this is the situation learning RoR can take two to four months. But if you don’t have any knowledge at all, it can take around a year to learn it.
How hard is Ruby coding?
Ruby is one of the most simple programming languages to learn. And also Ruby on Rails framework is not hard either. It features a basic syntax that is very easy to understand, even for beginner learners. Its syntax is similar to Python’s. And for those more experienced developers, RoR is great for expanding their skill set.
How much do Ruby on Rails developers make?
The Ruby on Rails developer's salary will depend on a couple of factors. The average annual salary for a RoR developer is $100,542, according to Glassdoor.
These are just some rough numbers, but the salaries can fluctuate. Let’s check the factors that can influence salaries.
- Experience level
- Developer’s location
- The engagement model
To be aware of how these factors can influence salaries, let’s check the following tables.
The average annual salary of Ruby on Rails developers according to their years of experience. Credits: Glassdoor: Ruby On Rails Developer Salaries
Now, let’s see the differences in salaries according to the developers location.
The average annual salary of Ruby on Rails developers according to their locations.
This means that if you want to hire a Ruby on Rails developer, you need to have a good budget. The good thing is that you can always hire incredible talent overseas for less salary. No one will judge you!
Is a Career in Ruby On Rails Development Still in High Demand?
For some reason, many are still wondering is a career in Ruby on Rails development still in high demand. Yes, Ruby on Rails developers are in demand. Even though this framework is not as popular as Django or Angular, it is still in demand. To be precise, Ruby programming language is the 16th most popular language, according to Stack Overflow. And it has even moved one spot in comparison to the previous year.
In the same survey, the Ruby on Rails framework took 18th place out of the 34 most popular web frameworks and technologies. These numbers can tell you that RoR is still in demand. Also, there are many companies that use this framework. And there are also many popular apps made with RoR. Such as Airbnb and Shopify.
How to become a Ruby On Rails developer
Here are the 5 practical tips on how to become a Ruby on Rails developer.
1. Choose how you want to learn
The first thing you want to do is decide how you want to learn the Ruby on Rails framework. While some people prefer learning from books, others find YouTube videos more interesting. Or, you can even go to a colleague and have a degree as a developer. Or, probably the best idea is to combine all of them. Luckily, there are many available ways to learn it. Let’s check them.
Go to college
Attend university and get your diploma as a developer. This is the college of computer science. You will get the knowledge of the most renowned professors in their field. You will learn about all the necessary things. You will practice, learn from models, develop, and eventually get a degree.
Take online courses
Online courses are very popular. And no wonder why. They are cheap, sometimes even free courses, accessible to anyone at any time. These courses also allow you to learn at your own pace and, some of them provide a certificate of accomplishment.
It's also a risk-free approach to see if programming is for you. If you are serious about becoming a RoR Developer, online courses are for you. Today, these courses are really valuable and constantly updated.
Here are a few places where you can look for great online courses for becoming a RoR developer.
Learn from the RoR community
Ruby on Rails has a big community. And it is very helpful to anyone. Here’s an example, the RoR community on GitHub now has over 4,000 contributors. Joining these groups will be extremely beneficial. Especially when you deal with problems and bugs. Take advantage of what the RoR community and StackOverflow content can provide.
Don’t neglect the power of books
Many would say that books are outdated, but that’s not true. Despite the fact that technology is quickly evolving, books provide certain principles and best practices. They shape the future of RoR developers. You can always learn something new there and even old, but it still can be very useful.
Here are some of the books you can find helpful:
- Beginning Rails 6: From Novice to Professional
- Ruby on Rails Tutorial
- Agile Web Development with Rails 6
Make use of YouTube videos and podcasts
There are many free video lessons available on YouTube for learning RoR. For beginners, video education with step-by-step instructions is great. Of course, complex courses are available as well. The only thing to be cautious of is the quality of the YouTube course itself. This is because the entrance barrier is minimal. Anybody can publish a video. That's why it is important to learn from renowned professionals.
Another great thing is podcasts. RoR podcast hosts discuss their
- Development experience,
- Coding ways,
- Innovative project ideas.
This information will broaden your programming knowledge. It will also assist you in avoiding common Ruby on Rails mistakes. Each episode has a distinct topic and draws certain conclusions. The biggest advantage of podcasts is that you can listen to them anytime and anywhere you want.
Here are a few podcasts you should check:
Remember, you can combine all of these ways of learning. This way, it will be more fun, easy and interactive.
2. Start with learning programming languages
To be efficient in learning the RoR framework, you need to have a basic knowledge of other programming languages. The most important and related ones are:
- CSS
- HTML
- JavaScript
RoR is a full-stack framework. This is because it can do both front-end and back-end development. This means that you should start with learning front-end development first. And these languages can help you with that. Here’s how.
CSS - CSS is great for the RoR framework. It can simply change the style and positioning of various web page elements. You can also test how a web app might look.
HTML - For many years, HTML has been the most popular language. Everything else is practically meaningless without it. It is responsible for the final image we see on the screen. It is perfect for learning and understanding RoR better.
JavaScript - JavaScript is not necessary, but knowing the basics won’t hurt you. It can significantly increase the usability and engagement of your website.
3. Learn Ruby first
Now that you have the basics of other programming languages, it is time to start learning Ruby language. Use the above-mentioned ways. Combine them. Get to know Ruby. Remember to practice constantly. Beginners sometimes make the mistake of learning book knowledge without practicing. The theory is great, but if you can't put it into practice, it's not worth much.
Being a developer means constant learning. New updates, maintenance, and practice are required. This is the regular daily role of a Ruby on Rails developer.
4. Understand and take advantage of the open-source feature
As you know, RoR is an open-source framework. This means that anyone on the Internet can use it for free. You don’t need any license or to make a payment to be able to use it. Take advantage of that.
Thanks to this feature, RoR has constant updates. Check them out regularly. Learn about them and use them in your new projects. Also, you need to know how to understand and follow the rules. This implies to contributing to the Rails community and using Git and GitHub. As a consequence, you can write better code.
5. Join the Ruby on Rails community
RoR has an incredible community. They are big and very helpful. They can be there for you for anything you need. From learning new things to fixing mistakes. You can also be on track with the newest updates and learn accordingly. Following this will be the great career path one Ruby on Rails developer should embark upon.
In conclusion
How to become a Ruby On Rails developer? By following the tips we provided you in this post. Choose what type of learning you want to use. The best thing is to combine. Get to know the basics of other programming languages, including Ruby.
Move on to Ruby on Rails. Take courses, listen to free YouTube videos, and learn from books. Don’t forget to join the RoR community. They will be extremely helpful. Follow the new updates, practice, and make mistakes. That is the normal learning curve that every developer takes.
Was this article useful to you?
