Tier 1: Entry Level (0-6 months)
📅 Timeline: 6 months | 💰 Cost: $0-$200 | 💼 Career: $45K-$65K
Goal: "I can write functional Python scripts that automate tasks and call APIs"
Time Commitment: 10-15 hours/week
🎓 Free Learning Resources
Python.org Official Tutorial FREE
Start here! The official Python tutorial covering all fundamentals.
Start Learning →
Automate the Boring Stuff FREE
Practical Python for everyday tasks. Perfect for beginners.
Read Online →
freeCodeCamp Python Course FREE
Comprehensive 4+ hour video course covering Python fundamentals.
Watch Course →
Corey Schafer Tutorials FREE
In-depth YouTube tutorials on specific Python topics.
Watch Tutorials →
💳 Paid Learning Options
Codecademy Python $120/6mo
Interactive learning with hands-on exercises and projects.
Start Free Trial →
LinkedIn Learning $90/3mo
Professional Python courses with business context.
Explore Courses →
Python Institute PCEP $59
Entry-level Python certification exam. Optional but valuable.
Learn More →
💡 Portfolio Project Ideas
- API Data Fetcher: Pull weather/stock data from public API, save to CSV
- File Organizer: Sort photos by date, rename files in batch
- Data Dashboard: Analyze CSV with pandas, create charts
- Web Scraper: Collect job postings, track salaries
🎯 Career Opportunities at Tier 1
- Junior Data Analyst: $45K-$65K
- Entry Automation roles: $50K-$70K
- Technical Support with scripting: $45K-$60K
- Healthcare Data Coordinator: $52K-$58K
Tier 2: Intermediate (6-12 months total)
📅 Timeline: 6 more months | 💰 Cost: +$300-$1,500 | 💼 Career: $75K-$130K
Goal: "I can build production systems that other people depend on"
Prerequisites: Complete Tier 1 first
🏆 Recommended Certifications
AWS Solutions Architect $150
MOST VALUABLE certification. Cloud deployment fundamentals.
Learn More →
Python Institute PCAP $295
Associate-level Python certification. Advanced concepts.
Learn More →
Real Python Membership $60/year
Professional tutorials, ongoing learning, community support.
Subscribe →
📚 Learning Resources
AWS Free Tier FREE
Practice cloud deployment with 12 months free access.
Sign Up →
Flask Documentation FREE
Build REST APIs with Flask framework.
Read Docs →
FastAPI Tutorial FREE
Modern API framework with automatic documentation.
Learn FastAPI →
pytest Documentation FREE
Testing framework - essential for production code.
Learn Testing →
💡 Portfolio Project Ideas
- Full-Stack API: REST API + database, deployed to AWS with Swagger docs
- Data Pipeline: Automated ETL pulling from multiple APIs with monitoring
- Integration Tool: Connect Salesforce to Slack, or GitHub to Jira
- Production Script: Scheduled job with comprehensive logging and alerts
🎯 Career Opportunities at Tier 2
- Forward Deployed Engineer (entry): $85K-$110K
- Data Engineer: $80K-$120K
- Backend Developer: $90K-$130K
- Technical Solutions Consultant: $75K-$110K
Tier 3: Advanced (12-24 months total)
📅 Timeline: 12 more months | 💰 Cost: +$1,000-$3,000 | 💼 Career: $130K-$220K+
Goal: "I architect systems, make technology decisions, and mentor others"
Prerequisites: Complete Tier 1 & 2 first
🏆 Professional Certifications
AWS Solutions Architect Pro $300
Advanced cloud architecture. Industry gold standard.
Learn More →
Kubernetes CKAD $395
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer.
Learn More →
Google Cloud Architect $200
Multi-cloud strategy expertise.
Learn More →
📚 Advanced Learning
System Design Interview $79
Master system architecture and design patterns.
Take Course →
Kubernetes Documentation FREE
Container orchestration - essential for modern infrastructure.
Read Docs →
PyCon Conferences $500-$1,500
Annual Python conference - network and learn from experts.
Attend PyCon →
AWS re:Invent $1,000-$2,000
Cloud computing conference - cutting-edge AWS training.
Register →
💡 Portfolio Project Ideas
- Scalable System: Handle 1000+ requests/min with auto-scaling
- Open Source: Contribute features to Flask, Pandas, or FastAPI
- Technical Writing: 3-5 blog posts teaching advanced concepts
- Conference Talk: Present at local meetup or regional conference
🎯 Career Opportunities at Tier 3
- Senior Forward Deployed Engineer: $150K-$200K
- Principal Engineer: $160K-$220K+
- Solutions Architect: $140K-$200K
- Technical Lead / Engineering Manager: $150K-$220K+
- AI Infrastructure Engineer: $160K-$230K+