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Hire Go Developers: All You Should Know

Demand for software development roles is constantly increasing worldwide, and with it demand for more specific skills and titles, such as Go software developers.

In the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers are expected to see 13% growth from 2018 over the next decade. That’s a healthy 8% higher than the average across all other jobs in the country. Go developers can expect to be even more in demand thanks to the still-growing popularity of the programming language.

The usage of Go and the demand for Go developers are both set to increase noticeably in the next decade. As a coding language, Go is practically infantile next to ancient languages like C++, but it’s already built quite the reputation for itself. You can expect Go’s full potential to be quickly explored in the coming years and for Go developer roles to be constantly in need of filling.

What Is Go Language and Why Is It in Demand?

Go language or Golang or simply Go is one of the most recent programming languages to be developed. Created by Google to solve the problem of programming at scale, Go has since become a software developer favorite, to the point that it’s become the fifth “most loved” coding language in the world in 2020 and 2021, according to the Stack Overflow annual Developer Survey. Go’s surge in popularity has seen it be used in projects that will inevitably become the building blocks of the digital infrastructure of tomorrow. Kubernetes, for example, was developed using Go. As a container management system, it’s used by 5.6 million people — a veritable third of all back-end developers.

Go definitely delivers on the purpose of its creation. It helps companies more quickly implement software projects and is constantly praised for its simplicity, which translates to valuable coding efficiency. So it’s got developer enthusiasm, but since it was made by Google and for a purpose that large tech enterprises can appreciate, it also has corporate support.

So Go is definitely in demand and will continue to be in the near future.

What Is a Go Developer?

Simply put, a Go developer is a software engineer with skills in the Go programming language. Go programming in and of itself needs to be contextualized into how it applies to a tech stack. A tech stack is composed of a three-tier framework:

• A front-end or presentation tier, which is the side of the web application or software that faces the user and communicates using interfaces.
• A back-end or application tier, where the administrative back office work, so to speak, happens. This is the side that supports the presentation tier as a logic or middle tier, processing tasks required by system users.
• A database layer or data tier, which is essentially the database where all the information is stored, accessed, and analyzed.

What you call a full stack developer has roles that encompass all three layers or tiers. So often, when you’re looking for a Golang developer, you need to contextualize with tech stack specs, or when you’re looking for a back-end developer, for instance, you need to specify Golang as the programming language required.

What Does a Go Developer Do?

Essentially, a Go engineer codes in the Go language, developing software and web applications. Generally speaking, Go developers:

• Write code in Go that is efficient, testable, and reusable
• Implement and utilize containers to support Go implementation or ensure successful application development and deployment, typically via AWS or Kubernetes based on what’s currently widely used
• Implement Docker for simpler deployments and applications of a smaller scale and employ common structures in Linux Terminal to better facilitate backend operations for members of the team who are less technical
• Structure user interfaces and ensure availability of APIs
• Conduct ongoing collaborative efforts with the rest of the DevOps team and are responsible for their own or related QA responsibilities

The breadth and depth of a Go developer’s actual responsibilities depend on many other factors, but by and large, the above snapshot captures the tasks that Go developers are usually busy with.

How Much Are Go Developers Paid?

According to Talent.com, the average salary for a Golang developer in the U.S. is $135,000 annually — that works out to around $69.23 per hour. On the low end, Go developers are paid around $119,897 every year, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, the highest-paid developers earn about $170,000 yearly.

Tech job board and data aggregator Web3 reflects similar rates for Go developers in North America and also supplies additional global averages:

• North America: $115,000 to $340,000 per year
• Europe: $62,000 to $150,000 per year
• South America: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
• Asia: $80,000 to $384,000 per year

Additionally, as Go is very remote-friendly, developers listed as working from remote locations on average earn $73,000 to $260,000 per year, according to the same source.

Entry-Level Go Developer Roles and Responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of Golang developers naturally have much overlap with other software development roles. Often, the concepts, principles, and standards that support the ongoing development or maintenance of a live tech stack are the same across programming languages — only the details change. Generally, Go developers are expected to possess the following skills:

• Proven proficiency in programming in Go — This is a no-brainer but is so critical that it bears repeating. They should be able to demonstrate working knowledge of Go’s common tools and frameworks, including:

• Godep, Sltr, and other dependency management tools
• Go’s templating language
• Stringer and other code generation tools
• Revel or other popular Go web frameworks
• Router packages, e.g., Gorilla Mux

• Relevant hands-on experience working in IT and/or programming — Even junior devs will be asked for some proof that they can deliver, even if it’s an internship, a project where they contributed, or a more comprehensive project in university.
• Knowledge of Python or Java is nice to have — Cross-language skills are always a boon in software development, as they not only allow engineers to work with more than their own primary skill set but also help them work better with developers using other programming languages.
• Knowledge of database management, version control, and networking principles and concepts — The specific requirements of their job role will depend on their actual responsibilities, but having working knowledge of these staples in tech stack development is always sought after.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills — Collaboration is a given for tech projects: between team members and between developers and clients.
• Attention to detail and strong analytical skills — Comes hand in hand with programming and all the expected troubleshooting and bug-squashing that goes into it.
• Applicable time management and organizational skills in a software development environment — The skill is transferable, but how it applies to certain environments can be nuanced, and organization and time management skills as they relate to software development are always nice to have in a Go developer’s resume.

The typically minimum educational requirement for Go developers is a bachelor’s degree in IT or computer science or commensurate experience that ensures they have a good grasp of the development principles with which they are expected to work.

Senior Go Developer Roles and Responsibilities

Senior Go developers are expected to be experts in the above-mentioned skills, with a touch of leadership potential and experience. Senior Go developers should be able to display management and leadership skills for projects that involve:

• Software design
• Software architecture
• Network design and implementation
• Presenting technical information
• Web programming
• Project and team pipelines
• Financial budgets

How Do You Find the Right Go Developers?

The success of any important endeavor is determined in large part by due diligence, and hiring Golang developers is no exception. Before even drafting a job description, you need to determine the Golang development needs of your team by discussing specifics with relevant stakeholders. You need to talk shop and involve your subject matter experts from the start, especially since your project specs define not only your software needs but also what you will be looking for in the developers who will be coding it.

After discussing what the Golang development requirements are, you need to identify the skill sets you require from a specific job role and ensure that you clearly state which technologies and frameworks you’re hiring for.

It’s worth noting that, because Go is still relatively new, experienced developers in the language are not as abundant as, say, those in Java or Python. So expect talent pools to be a bit more cramped and competitive. The good news is that, alongside Python, Golang is one of the programming languages software developers want to learn, so supply may stabilize to normal levels quickly.

Go Developer Skills and Experience

In terms of shortlisting tech talent, it’s critically important to be crystal clear about the specific languages, skills, and other relevant keywords you need to draw attention to in your job description to attract the right candidates. Roles in software development are complex with significant overlap — the right Golang developers won’t be able to reach you if they don’t understand what you’re after.

Golang use cases are diverse, spanning cloud applications, web development, distributed networking services, utilities, database implementations, and even devices in the internet of things (IoT). Go is a general-purpose language based on the highly functional and powerful C language — except simpler with less overhead and way more user-friendly — so it can really be used for practically any type of development effort. This is all the more reason to be hyper-specific.

Go Developer Certifications and Degrees

There is currently no official degree or certification attached to Golang, but there’s a wealth of available training and courses available. When hiring Go developers, you could look for official and relevant Google certifications, and it might be worth pursuing strong candidates who’ve spent time on some of the most widely used Go courses and training destinations currently.

• Build Web Applications with Golang by GitBooks
• Mastering Go Programming and Web Development with Google’s Go from Udemy
• Master Go by Applied Go

But take note, as there are no official pathways to certification for Golang yet, certificates from these courses do not genuinely reflect what you can expect from a candidate. These are ideal as supplementary material for your decision-making.

Go Interview and Evaluation Methods Like Paid Programming

When hiring for Go development projects, there are few alternatives to a good ol’ fashioned, well-executed, in-depth interview. An effectively designed interview can weed out who’s good at selling and who’s actually good at programming.

During the interview, it’s of the utmost importance to clearly ask about relevant prior experience. As mentioned earlier, even junior programmers should be able to show some hands-on experience through projects they contributed to internships they applied for. If there is limited material to work with, you can always focus on the general principles, concepts, and standards instead of the coding.

If there are enough previous materials to work with, it’s invaluable to ask a senior developer, product manager, or even CTO for their input on a code review. They can tell you a lot about a programmer from how they code.

Finally, even if there’s a lot of previous work samples to look at, always consider the use of alternative evaluation methods such as a paid programming task. Paid programming can better simulate the pressures and real-time demands of the role software developers are applying for, so they can be quite valuable when used properly.

Hire the Top Go Developers With Revelo

Go is on the rise, and it isn't stopping anytime soon. Tech companies all over the globe are realizing that Go is the new black, and Go developers are the next wave of software experts that they need to secure. This brief guide was meant to help you get ahead of the inevitable talent crunch with a little useful insight.

If you need to discuss more, Revelo can solve the challenges you face in your tech talent search by sourcing the best Go developers in Latin America. Contact us and get matched with vetted developers within three days.