RPA developer: salary, job description and how to become one

Working as an RPA developer is a promising choice these days. Unlike other areas in IT, which are slowly becoming saturated, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is experiencing steady growth.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that automates repetitive and rule-based processes, using software to create and orchestrate parallel automations more efficiently and accurately.

A survey by BotCity in partnership with EY revealed that 34% of companies working with RPA intend to increase their team.

This reflects in more and more opportunities, both for junior RPA developers and for senior positions, such as Python RPA developers and RPA coordinators.

In this article, we will explore in detail what involves the career of an RPA developer.

What is an RPA Developer?

An RPA developer is a professional specialized in working with RPA orchestration tools and frameworks (Robotic Process Automation). RPA developers are responsible for understanding the processes that will be automated, programming RPA robots with or without code, and implementing them with different frameworks and infrastructures.

What is an RPA developer salary?

The salaries of RPA developers can vary significantly according to various factors, including the area of operation, the type and size of the company, the level of experience, and geographical location.

In the United States, RPA professionals earn, on average, about $107,000 per year, with variations between $95,000 and $130,000, depending on their experience, according to the benchmark by Talent.com.

Types of RPA developers

There are different types of RPA developers, with different responsibilities and knowledge. Check it out:

Citizen RPA developer

Usually uses low-code RPA tools like UiPath and Power Automate to automate simple day-to-day tasks but has little or no programming knowledge.

Many companies have started to heavily invest in citizen developer programs to automate simple back-office tasks. Due to the low entry barriers with low-code tools, the RPA market has seen a transition of professionals from various areas to RPA.

RPA developer

The RPA developer does not necessarily need to have a background in programming but usually has several certifications in RPA tools, like UiPath and Power Automate.

However, the most experient developers tend to have coding skills in different programming languages, such as in Python, which tends to be an advantage for creating more complex automation projects.

RPA developer: job desciption, roles and responsibilities

The amount and complexity of activities can vary according to the developer’s level of experience and position, but generally, responsibilities include:

• Designing and developing RPA robots for various web, desktop, cloud, legacy systems, etc.;
• Creating models for intelligent document processing;
• Testing RPA automations on virtual machines, dockers, or serverless;
• Monitoring feedback and errors in RPA robots;
• Orchestrating automations: monitoring schedules, alerts, and robot queues.

Requirements to become an RPA developer

Tips to hire an RPA developer

If you are a CoE leader or an RPA coordinator seeking to build or amplify a robotic process automation team, here are a few skills you should look for in candidates:

• Having solid understanding of programming logic;
• Familiarity with programming languages, such as Python or Java;
• Knowlege of high-code and low-code specific RPA tools, like BotCity, UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Power Automate, or Blue Prism.

For senior or more advanced RPA positions, you should also seek for candidates who demonstrate:

• Understanding of process mapping;
• Knowledge in databases, SQL language, and application development;
• Understanding of the theory and practice of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technologies;
• Experience in agile methodologies;
• Great attention to detail and analytical skills;
• Excellent communication skills.

How to Become an RPA Developer?

If you wish to follow the path of an RPA developer, here is a step-by-step guide to start or improve in this area:

Learn a programming language

Dedicate time to learn a programming language, such as Python or Java. These languages are widely used in automation development and will be fundamental in your journey as an RPA developer.

Familiarize yourself with RPA tools

Explore the main RPA automation tools, like BotCity, UiPath, Automation Anywhere, or Blue Prism. Do tutorials, participate in online courses, or training offered by the tool-developing companies.

There are numerous free courses, communities, frameworks, and ready-made codes available. In a short period of time, a junior developer can master and create high-complexity automations. Practice developing small automation projects on your own to gain practical experience. BotCity also has created a RPA course with Python presented by instructor Sadip Ganguli.

📚 Free course: Developing automations with computer vision

Why invest in Python for your RPA career?

Although low-code RPA platforms are accessible for non-technical RPA developers, they have limitations in terms of customization and requirements.

However, Python is a versatile programming language widely used in the world of automation. By choosing Python, you will be prepared for a versatile career in areas such as AI, Data Science, DevOps, QA, backend, frontend, among others.

Additionally, there are numerous communities and resources available for learning.

Is the career path as an RPA developer ineresting to you?

The RPA developer career offers competitive salaries and the chance to work on projects that shape the future of companies.

To acquire more skills and valuable experiences in the area, we recommend adding BotCity to your tech stack for RPA. BotCity offers a swiss army knife of development tools to create automation on the web, desktop, legacy, and android.

Register for free and have access to BotCity Studio to create your automations in Python, more than 30 libraries for different use cases, as well as free RPA courses.