A Tableau Developer manages software development tasks by utilizing the Tableau platform. They help businesses manage projects by offering support via software management and data visualization. What’s like to be a Tableau developer?
What is Tableau?
The technology sector is one of the most competitive sectors worldwide characterized by its progress and growth in the development of new applications.
In a rapidly changing environment, it is necessary to stay up to date with the most relevant technology and applications. One such application is Tableau, one of the most used BI tools.
Tableau is a data visualization tool that allows its users to visually process information. It offers control and ease of access to an organization’s data in an intuitive manner, allowing users to perform analysis using interactive dashboards.
This helps in generating additional value from data collected by IT systems.
Tableau offers the following installation modes:
- Tableau Server: Whereby you install Tableau on a server and access data remotely
- Tableau Desktop: Local installation – a more comfortable environment for when you need to develop more complicated graphics.
- Tableau Online: A cloud-based option that is hosted in the Tableau data center.
Tableau stands out in the market for many aspects that differentiate it from other visualization tools. One of the things that set Tableau apart is the ease of use: the learning curve for the Tableau graphical interface is quite easy to beginners.
Additionally, it also offers greater accessibility: It is endorsed by a large number of companies internationally, which is why many companies choose to use it.
One of the factors that help this is the huge community of users from all sectors who constantly share knowledge and experiences with the tool, which provides incalculable value in its positioning.
Tableau can be employed in a wide range of environments from servers in physical facilities to virtual machines or to public cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, or on a fully managed SaaS platform.
What is the role of a Tableau Developer?
The exact set of tasks and responsibilities for a Tableau Developer depends on the organization or work environment they are employed by.
In essence, a Tableau developer is responsible for multiple software development tasks for the Tableau software.
Their main role is to support companies in critical tasks for software development and projects on Tableau by creating computer systems and data visualization solutions to improve business processes.
They do this by first analyzing the business needs and then converting these into tangible requirements.
The developers then work on these requirements to come up with innovative solutions by working on strategies and ideas.
The final stage is then working with the team to create and implement the application or solution.
Tableau developers also create tools that help manage and store data effectively.
Furthermore, they conduct unit tests and manage database queries in order to troubleshoot issues that may crop up.
This job involves an additional range of tasks such as analyzing data and then creating Tableau dashboard reports, working with developers, creating business intelligence reports and visualizations, and attending feedback sessions to improve systems.
Responsibilities of a Tableau developer:
- Management of software development tasks throughout the life cycle of a project
- Design and development of data visualizations for dashboards and reports
- Create effective Business Intelligence (BI) solutions
- Execution of data analysis and generation of strategic solutions as needed
- Design search schemas to integrate data into Tableau
- Providing advice in relation to software updates and data migration
- Managing debugging and troubleshooting
- Collaboration with other developer teams and technical personnel
- Troubleshoot Tableau Visualization issues
- Working with relational databases including – Oracle, Hadoop, and SQL Server
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Skills Required for Becoming a Tableau Developer
In order to succeed as a Tableau Developer, certain skills are required. For starters, on the technical side of things, developers need to be proficient in SQL and extensive data sets.
Besides, they must be familiar with most Tableau software tools such as Desktop, Server, and Public.
Additionally, excellent analytical skills are crucial in this role. The ability to be detail-focused also helps. This job is well-suited to people who have problem-solving skills, work well as part of a team, and can manage their time effectively to meet deadlines and keep to projected schedules.
What does a Tableau developer need to know?
- Ability to Integrate Tableau visualizations into web applications
- Familiar with script automation tasks and custom data extracts
- Knowledge of web data connections
- Ability to develop dashboard extension plugins for custom workflows
- ETL Development knowledge
- Excellent analytical skills to analyze business needs
- Strong communication and technical writing skills
- Team player and good leadership abilities
- Knowledge of database management SQL
- Familiar with Tableau products and platforms
- Understanding of Python / R / ServiceNow in advantage
- Strong analytical and logical thinking
Background
In order to be considered for a job as a Tableau Developer, most employers require at least a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in computer science, information technology, or a similar subject.
On the other hand, if you come from an alternate academic background, you can also gain an appropriate certification in Tableau to learn the necessary skills and requirements.
Some certifications and/or courses to consider:
- Tableau Certifications (Tableau official certification)
- Udemy – Tableau 20 Advanced Training: Master Tableau in Data Science
- Tableau Certification training course (Simplilearn)
- Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business Specialization (Coursera)
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Tableau Developer Salary & Hourly rate
The average salary for a Tableau Developer is $74,000 per year in the US. Developers new to the industry or junior developers can expect to earn around $62,000 annually. With years of experience and/or increased skills, a senior developer can earn $98,000 per year.
However, it is important to note that salaries vary considerably depending on the specific experience, industry, company, and location.
How much does a Tableau Developer make?
| Junior salary | $62,000 |
| Average salary | $74,000 |
| Senior salary | $98,000 |
What does a Tableau Developer charge on a freelance basis?
| Average rate Tableau Developers (2022) | $81/hr |
According to freelancermap’s price and rate index in September 2022, freelance Tableau Developers charge $81/hour on average.
Freelance rates in Tableau Development range between $51 and $101 for the majority of freelancers.
If we consider an 8-hour working day at $81/hour, the daily rate for freelance Tableau Developers is around $648/day.
