What is a Python developer?
Python developer skills and qualifications
Responsibilities of a Python developer
Challenges for a Python developer
Team collaboration and stakeholders: Who do Python developers work with?
Python Developer salary range

What is a Python developer?

Python is easy to learn, reliable, and versatile – and it has become one of the most widely used programming languages, as confirmed by data from the TIOBE index, which regularly ranks it in the Top 10 – and recently, in the top spot!

Further, data analysis, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are largely based on this programming language.

These are among the reasons why Python developers are increasingly in demand. In addition to web development, Python provides businesses, such as sales or marketing, with readable data sets to help them in their decision-making and refine their business strategy.

Role of the Python developer in an Agile team

With the versatility of the language, the field of activity of Python developers covers multiple areas.

For starters, we could mention creating and administrating websites, developing applications and software, and automating system scripts.

Python developers are also needed to manage the back-end development of applications. So the choice of architecture and the implementation of the technical environment are part of the developer’s principal missions.

The Python language is further characterized by flexibility. While it is easy to understand and learn, it allows developers, through its numerous frameworks and libraries, to perform the most complex tasks of big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Finally, the responsibilities of Python developers extend beyond the technical sphere: they play a key role in collecting, processing, and analyzing the data that will be used to support a company’s strategic decisions.

In terms of organization, Python developers participate in Agile ceremonies to provide continuous visibility on the project. Like other members of the Agile team, they make sure that they are constantly producing value to achieve the objectives.

Differences between a Python developer and a Ruby developer

The Ruby and Python programming languages have a lot in common, which is why they are neck and neck in the Tiobe index.

For example, both of them are object-oriented and cross-platform, and since they are both high-level scripting languages, compilation is not necessary. Their syntax is simple and the frameworks for web development offer the same advantages.

While Ruby is a more “elegant” language than Python, it also makes bug detection more difficult. Conversely, Python is more practical, because everything is written, making it possible to identify problems more quickly.

The main difference is in Data Science. In point of fact, Python developers have more tools and resources for machine learning.

Python developer skills and qualifications

With the versatility of the language, the field of activity of Python developers covers multiple areas.

To carry out web development projects, Python developers need to master the following technologies:

Web languages: JavaScript, HTML, CSS
Python frameworks: Django and Flask
Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle
DevOps tools: Ansible, SaltStack, Fabric
Cloud: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud

To develop the back-end for a site, database configuration and server management are prerequisites for the Python developer.

The libraries for Pandas, Matplotlib, Numpy, and SCiPy are dedicated to Data Science, and can help Python developers optimize their time with pre-written code.

The Python language is widely used for web scraping: a method that consists of automatically collecting data from different sources on the Internet, then converting and structuring the data so that it is easily usable. To do this, the Python developer relies on specific libraries, such as Pyspider, Beautiful Soup, or Scrapy.

With the rise of artificial intelligence and deep learning, training to become a Python developer is multiplying, and is aimed at both students and people in professional retraining.

OpenClassroom, Udemy, and MyMooc offer online training ranging from a few hours to several months.

Universities and engineering or computer schools allow obtaining a diploma in a few years then putting skills into practice through work-study programs or internships.

Responsibilities of a Python developer

In order for the product to remain efficient and easy to maintain, Python developers are responsible for writing ‘clean code’.

To do this, developers respect a set of principles, such as:

Keeping code as simple as possible
Avoiding unnecessary repetitions
Ensuring that code is readable by other developers

The concept of clean code is found in the philosophy of Software Craftsmanship, which encourages Python developers to prefer quality of the code to quantity of lines written, and emphasizes collaboration by promoting exchanges and peer programming.

Challenges for a Python developer

The first challenge for a Python developer is the need to keep up-to-date with developments in the language and its different versions, to facilitate maintenance of the digital product or service. Additionally, new releases come with brand new features or bug fixes that help improve Python developer productivity.

Data security and management are at the heart of business concerns. Through their technical skills, Python developers ensure that there are no security breaches and that data is collected, processed, and stored in accordance with the recommendations of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

Team collaboration and stakeholders: Who do Python developers work with?

On a daily basis, the Python developer collaborates with:

Other project developers
Scrum Masters
CTOs
DevOps engineers
Architects

The stakeholders for Python developers are just as varied, and could include:

Positions elsewhere in the company, such as marketing, sales, HR
Investors
Clients

Python Developer salary range

Clearly, a variety of factors influence how much Python developers can make – factors such as the country , the company, the type of project, and the developer’s experience, skills, and education. So ‘average’ salaries need to be understood with many qualifications and take account of the local cost of living and fluctuating exchange rates. But with those caveats in mind, the following salaries are at least proportionately representative of what ‘average’ Python developers could expect:

US – $96,890
UK – $89,193
Canada – $68,868
Germany – $62,954
France – $53,751
Poland – $37,487
Mexico –$20,854
Romania – $16,461
Vietnam – $11,627

Equally clearly, experience also counts. In the US for example, while ‘average’ Junior Python Developers can expect $72,020, Senior Developers, at $115,944, are positioned at a little better than one-and-a-half times the Junior salary. Similar proportions apply worldwide.