How To Become A Junior Java Developer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a junior java developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Brian Glas

Junior java developer is an entry-level job in a software development organization. The primary task is to build applications. Junior java developers may work on the front end or back end codes and require a broad knowledge of JavaScript.

Junior Java Developers may troubleshoot bugs, run tests, migrate code, or integrate programs with relevant systems. As an entry-level staff member, junior java developers have to prove themselves through excellent job delivery and high availability. They are also expected to write efficient and stable code, manage java application development, and conduct software analysis.

Junior Java Developers may also be expected to have project management skills. They have to juggle multiple tasks and deliver them all according to specifications.

To become a junior java developer, you need mastery of the programming language. This can be done through self-study or by obtaining a bachelor's degree. Since it's an entry-level position, employers favor proficiency when hiring to fill the role.

What general advice would you give to a junior java developer?

Brian Glas

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Union University

Build relationships: Different technologies will interest and challenge you, but throughout your career, you'll find that it's the relationships that are the most important. This is harder to grasp earlier in your career, but much easier to understand after 15-20 years.
Gain different perspectives: Spend time with people in other roles that your job interacts with, and gain a solid understanding of how they view things; this is most valuable for career progression and understanding of how your work fits into the big picture.

ScoreJunior Java DeveloperUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,548

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.2

Growth rate 13%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 16.17%

Black or African American 6.50%

Hispanic or Latino 12.10%

Unknown 6.53%

White 58.29%

Gender

female 26.05%

male 73.95%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a junior java developer

Explore junior java developer education requirements

Most common junior java developer degrees

Bachelor's

83.8 %

Master's

12.6 %

Associate

2.1 %

Start to develop specific junior java developer skills

Skills	Percentages
Java	19.54%
JavaScript	8.72%
Spring Boot	4.75%
CSS	4.43%
HTML	3.51%

Complete relevant junior java developer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior java developers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior java developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior java developer resumes.

Research junior java developer duties and responsibilities

Manage connectivity using JDBC for querying/inserting & data management including triggers and store procedures.
Design and develop UI with AJAX, HTML, XHTML, DHTML and java script for more interactive web pages.
Create user-friendly GUI interface and dynamic web pages using HTML, CSS and JSP for user access management service application.
Design and develop UI screens with JSP, JSTL, CSS in struts framework to provide interactive screens to display data.

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