There were 1,775 blockchain-related job openings in the U.S. in August, a 300 percent increase from 446 relevant job listings posted during same period last year, according to a recent report from job search website Glassdoor.
Glassdoor analyzed the millions of U.S. job listings posted to its website in August for the report, performing a text search of its job listings database for posts containing keywords related to blockchain, bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Glassdoor then used its salary tool to estimate the median base pay for each job.
Blockchain describes a decentralized, permanent distributed ledger of online transactions or exchanges. In recent years, industry and government stakeholders have supported efforts to use blockchain to streamline healthcare operations. Unlike a traditional database that is centrally located and maintained by one party, a blockchain record is shared among a network of users.
"While the applications of blockchain technology are diverse, most of the recent interest has focused on cryptocurrencies," Glassdoor's report reads. "Cryptocurrencies utilize blockchain to perform transactions without the need of a formal authority (like a central bank), an idea that has appealed to proponents of privacy and democratic technology."
Here are the five job titles most frequently seeking blockchain talent, according to the report:
1. Software engineer
2. Analyst relations manager
3. Product manager
4. Front-end engineer
5. Technology architect
The median annual salary for blockchain-related job openings was $84,884, according to Glassdoor's analysis, with salaries ranging from $36,046 to $223,667 per year. The $84,884 figure is 61.8 percent more than the overall median annual salary in the U.S., which is $52,461.
Glassdoor attributed the high salaries associated with blockchain-related jobs to the "high skill" nature of the positions, along with the high cost of living in cities where the job openings were clustered.
"High cost-of-living cities like New York City and San Francisco dominate the blockchain job market and employers there must offer higher salaries in order to attract talent," the report reads. "After accounting for those effects, the high salaries we see for these roles are not unusual. For example, in New York City, the median pay for all software engineers was $104,630 per year in August 2018, essentially equal to the $102,104 median salary we see for blockchain-related jobs of the same occupation and location."
To read Glassdoor's report, click here.