10 Best Blockchain and Crypto Jobs (and Where to Find Them)
Want to start a career in the crypto industry? Find out about the best crypto jobs, the best crypto job sites, and how to get started with a career in crypto.
Can you have a career in crypto?
Yes - from blockchain engineers to community managers… there are plenty of crypto jobs to pick from.
Even in turbulent market conditions, the global crypto market is still one of the fastest growing - with a predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% from 2023 to 2027. So even though there have been some layoffs from large exchanges throughout the crypto winter, you can expect to see more and more companies hiring as the market grows throughout this period.
What careers are there in crypto?
If you don’t know the first thing about blockchain technology, don’t panic - it’s not all devs and engineers. You’ll find all the usual roles in crypto companies that you’d find in any other company - like HR, sales, marketing, IT, customer service, legal, PR, and more. And don't forget the accounting roles, especially if you're working at Koinly!
But if you’re looking for blockchain jobs that pay the big bucks, let’s take a look at some of the most sought-after roles in the crypto industry in 2023.
Why work in the crypto industry?
The crypto industry is one of the most exciting industries to work in 2023, and even though we're biased, it's got some serious perks.
For starters, on average, the crypto industry pays better than other industries. This is partially due to a talent shortage, with blockchain developers in particular reporting some seriously generous compensation packages.
As well as this, crypto companies tend to be remote first, either offering entirely remote roles or hybrid roles near headquarters.
Other perks depending on the crypto company you work for include equity options, travel, crypto event opportunities and even getting paid in crypto.
Of course, the industry isn’t for everyone. As a developing market full of startups, you can expect a fast pace and fast growth. You’ll need to be passionate about the industry, technology, and finance to thrive.
Best crypto jobs
Here are some of the best blockchain and crypto jobs in 2023:
Blockchain developer
UI/UX designer
Security architect
Risk analyst
Cryptocurrency analyst
Data analyst
Product manager
Community manager
Backend and frontend engineers
Technical researchers
Let’s take a look in-depth at what each role entails.
Blockchain developer
Blockchain developers are unsurprisingly in high demand in the crypto industry. Blockchain developers build, maintain, and design both core blockchains and blockchain apps.
These roles are in high demand, and they pay well, with Glassdoor reporting an average salary of more than $119,000 a year in the US.
To become a blockchain developer, you'll likely need an advanced degree in computer sciences, although this isn't always a requirement if you have the discipline to teach yourself to code. There's a variety of programming languages in use in blockchain development, each with its pros and cons. Solidity developers are in particularly high demand as Ethereum smart contracts are written in solidity.
UX designer
An exchange or another crypto service is only as good as its user experience. There’s a reason the largest crypto exchanges are as popular as they are, and in large part, it's thanks to their UX designers.
User experience (UX) designers optimize products for human interaction. They're the ones who make apps, websites, and other products user-friendly.
UX designers need a variety of skills including IT architecture, graphic design, and software development so it's no small skillset, but there are many dedicated UX design courses you can take to help you get started.
According to Glassdoor, UX designers can expect a base salary of $95,000 and the role has notably been listed as one of the 50 best jobs in 2023 thanks to a high salary, high job satisfaction, and many roles available.
Security architect
Any platform dealing with large amounts of cryptocurrency makes an appealing target for hackers. In fact, hackers stole more than $2 billion in crypto throughout 2022, with a particular increase in exploiting DeFi protocol security vulnerabilities.
All this to say, it’s never been more important for crypto companies to keep their users’ assets safe - which is exactly what security architects do. Security architects assess their company's systems for weaknesses and improve and adapt them accordingly. The role includes penetration testing, risk analyses, and ethical hacking to ensure an organization's network is secure.
It pays to keep crypto safe as well. Glassdoor shows the average salary for a security architect is $126,000.
As expected with technical roles like this, you'll generally need at least a bachelor's degree and potentially additional cryptography and cybersecurity qualifications to work in blockchain cybersecurity.
Risk analyst
Risk analysts help companies navigate and mitigate a variety of risks, but predominantly economic risks in the crypto market.
With an ever-volatile market, it's important for companies to stay ahead of the curve and plan as best possible for a variety of economic conditions and this is what risk analysts help these businesses do.
Risk analysts trawl through heaps of internal and external data using risk information management software to help identify activities and practices that create increased financial risk, and help plan strategies to decrease financial risk.
Glassdoor says risk analysts can expect to earn an average annual salary of $70,000.
To become a risk analyst, you'll need strong numeracy and analytical skills, but there are a variety of paths into the field and unlike many other roles in the industry, you may not need a bachelor's degree, as commercial experience and professional qualifications are equally sought after.
Cryptocurrency analyst
Looking for a crypto job where you'll be more hands-on with the crypto market? A crypto analyst role might be right for you.
Cryptocurrency analyst roles vary depending on the company you're working for and the specific market you're looking at. You could be researching securities or derivatives markets and analyzing data for opportunities, monitoring and analyzing DeFi protocols to help platforms develop product offerings, or even helping crypto wealth management platforms research low-risk opportunities for large-volume clients.
As the roles vary so much, it can be difficult to estimate an average salary, with roles varying from anywhere between $60,000 to $150,000 depending on the technical knowledge and experience required.
As you'd expect, to become a crypto analyst you'll need an excellent understanding of crypto technologies, the market, and potentially industry-specific professional qualifications to stand out from the crowd.
Data analyst
Similar to the analyst roles above, data analysts review specific data to reveal key insights to help companies make better decisions and boost profits.
Data analysts need excellent analytical, numerical, and technical skills to succeed and generally need a bachelor's degree in either math, statistics, or economics, as well as potentially a variety of professional qualifications in specific analytical programs.
According to Glassdoor, data analysts can expect to earn an average of $96,000 annually, and this figure rises significantly for data analytics managers.
In the crypto industry specifically, data analyst roles are exploding in the Web3 market and you can expect to see these roles increase as the Web3 revolution continues.
Product manager
Product managers aren't unique to the crypto industry, but they're in high demand. Product managers help businesses match objectives with customer needs by identifying product development opportunities.
Day-to-day responsibilities for product managers include creating product strategies, defining releases, evaluating and prioritizing product development features, and creating product roadmaps to help execute all of the above.
As you can expect from a varied industry, crypto product manager jobs can vary - a lot. You might be looking at developing features for a crypto portfolio tracker to ensure it's a market leader, creating and developing a new crypto wallet or exchange, or even identifying Web3 development opportunities for existing products.
Glassdoor shows that the average annual salary for a product manager in the USA is $117,000 in 2023.
Unlike with many other technical roles, a bachelor's degree isn't a requirement for product managers - there are a variety of paths into the field, although many successful product managers share strong analytical and organizational skills and generally have professional qualifications in product management, as well as potentially industry qualifications to match.
Community manager
Crypto community managers are in high demand and rightfully so. You can think of a crypto community manager as the face and voice of a company. Community managers run a given company's communication channels and engage with the community.
Unlike with many other crypto jobs, community managers don't need specific qualifications generally, but they do need to be extremely knowledgeable in the field and even about specific products.
Day-to-day responsibilities will include engaging with customers through a variety of mediums like Reddit, Twitter, and Discord, ensuring customers feel heard, and communicating internally to relay any issues identified.
The average annual salary for a community manager in the USA is $67,000 and crypto businesses of all kinds from blockchain technology companies to DeFi protocols are hiring, making it an exciting career path to get into if you're passionate about the future of crypto.
Backend and frontend engineers
Frontend and backend engineers are both in high demand in the crypto industry and other industries, with the role generally offering entirely remote work, high salaries, and a variety of other perks to lure in the best talent.
Front-end developers design the visual aspects of a website or other product while back-end developers create the infrastructure that helps that website or product run. So for example, frontend developers for a crypto exchange would work on how the exchange looks for customers, while backend developers would work on the functionality of specific product offerings on the exchange.
As with blockchain developers, you'll need strong coding skills to become a frontend or backend developer, and there are a variety of programming languages in demand. For frontend developers, JavaScript and CSS tend to be the most in-demand, while Java, Ruby, and Python tend to be the most in-demand for backend developers.
Glassdoor says the average annual salary for a frontend developer in the USA is $109,000 plus bonuses while the average annual salary for a backend developer is $77,000 plus bonuses.
Technical researchers
Technical researchers are analysts and problem solvers. They explore a given subject, whether that's a market, a product, or a specific technology, and gather information about the challenges and opportunities around that subject, creating a report to help explain all this to key stakeholders both internally and externally.
So for example, for crypto technical researchers, you might be researching Dapp development to then present research to development and product teams to help improve product offerings for customers.
Industry experience is key for technical researchers due to the nature of the research required, as well as a variety of potential qualifications, including a degree in computer science and a variety of industry-specific qualifications.
Technical researchers are handsomely compensated for their education and experience though, with Glassdoor marking the average annual salary at $111,000.
Where can I find crypto jobs?
Everywhere! You’ll find crypto jobs listed on all the usual suspects you’d search for jobs on including Indeed, LinkedIn, Otta, and Glassdoor.
Like with all industries, it’s always worth keeping an eye on the career page for companies you love. Large exchanges like Binance, Kraken, and Coinbase are often hiring for new roles, and it's not just crypto exchanges. Crypto products like portfolio trackers, tax tools, and even crypto gaming companies are always seeking new talent to fill a variety of roles - including us, so make sure to check out Koinly’s career opportunities.
If you’d like to build a portfolio and experience, contract gig sites like Upwork and Fiverr can help you find temporary projects crypto businesses are trying to find help with.
As well as this, there are several specific crypto job sites to check out.
Best crypto and blockchain job sites
One of the best ways to find crypto jobs is to keep a keen eye on crypto job sites. Some of the best crypto job sites include:
Cryptocurrency Jobs: CryptocurrencyJobs.co is a leading job board, dedicated to blockchain jobs and jobs for crypto companies. There are hundreds of jobs listed in all kinds of fields including customer support, engineering, finance, marketing, sales, and more.
Crypto.Jobs: Another leading crypto jobs site, Crypto.Jobs has a huge number of roles listed for leading crypto companies including Kraken, Binance, Polygon, and OpenSea at the time of writing. The crypto job site also lets companies search for talent to find ideal candidates and even features an events board for those looking for networking opportunities.
Crypto Jobs List: CryptoJobsList is another leading crypto job site, helping you find opportunities in the crypto industry easily. Some unique features include the salaries feature that helps you benchmark your salary against others and a company search tool to help you find a good fit based on company culture and working practices.
Crypto Careers: Crypto Careers helps job seekers start and further their careers in blockchain around the world, with market leaders like Binance posting jobs on the site. The filter options for jobseekers will please those looking for something specific, letting users filter by skills, ecosystem, and even company growth stage - from startups to established companies.
Crypto Jobs: Crypto Jobs is a Web3 employment platform that utilizes AI to help match jobs with job seekers. The platform specializes in more technical roles in the crypto industry including blockchain security architecture, smart contract development, and product security engineering.
Web3 Jobs: Web3 Jobs helps you find a career in Web3 with thousands of crypto and blockchain jobs listed, both remote and on-site. As well as this, the site lets you compare salaries, and find internships for those new to the industry and has a wealth of educational content to help you find web3 courses to further your career and improve your skills.
Bitcoin Jobs: As the name might suggest, Bitcoin jobs focus on Bitcoin-specific roles. The job opportunities are fewer and often more technical, but there's still a wide array of opportunities around developing products or content for Bitcoin. As an added bonus, many of the roles pay in Bitcoin too!
Blockew: Blockew helps you find blockchain jobs, including those at companies outside the crypto industry looking to expand their blockchain technologies internally. You'll find roles for developers, designers, sales, and more on the site. Users can set up telegram alerts to make sure they're always notified of new opportunities that might interest them.
How do I start a crypto career?
With such a wide variety of careers in crypto available, there is no set path to a career in crypto, but the following steps will certainly get you started:
Learn the industry firsthand. Although you don’t need to be a diehard degen to work in crypto… it certainly helps. A strong understanding of the state of the crypto market and blockchain technologies can help you stand out from candidates who come from more traditional backgrounds.
Be an active part of the community. There’s a reason community managers are in high demand in the crypto market. Crypto communities are active, with thousands of subreddits, discord chats, and telegram channels to pick from. Getting involved in communities that interest you can help you learn more, as well as find job opportunities you might not otherwise be aware of.
Get qualified. Although knowledge about the market is important, so are your hard skills and qualifications. So research the role you want and figure out the qualifications you need to get there - whether that’s professional qualifications, crypto courses, or even degrees for technology careers.
Search and set up alerts. Those crypto job sites we mentioned above? You’ll want to keep an eye on them, and on the career pages of companies you’re interested in working for. You can also set up Google Job Alerts to make sure you always have your finger on the pulse.
Apply and interview. Interviews are all part of the process and they’re as much for you as they are for the company looking to hire you. Make sure to ask questions to ensure you’re a good match for the company culture and that you understand the role requirements before you dive in head first. And remember, not every interview will end in an offer - so don’t get disheartened!
Will I get paid in crypto?
Yes, you can! One of the big perks of working in the crypto industry is that you can get paid in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies instead of in your country’s fiat currency.
Don’t panic if you don’t want to be paid in crypto though, only a few companies say they’ll only pay in crypto, so it's not a requirement to work in the industry by any means.
In fact, getting paid in Bitcoin can have some significant downsides when it comes to your taxes as it's potentially subject to both Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax. You can find out more in Koinly's getting paid in crypto tax guide.
Want to come work with us? Check out Koinly’s current job openings - we can’t wait to hear from you.
