Hiring Rust Developers: The Complete Guide

What Rust Developers Actually Build

Rust isn't just for systems programming anymore. Here's where Rust developers work:

Backend Services & APIs

Rust is increasingly used for high-performance web backends:

• API servers - Fast, concurrent request handling (Actix-web, Axum frameworks)
• Microservices - Low-latency services that need to scale
• Real-time systems - Chat, gaming backends, financial trading systems

Companies: Discord (switched from Go to Rust for performance), Dropbox (core storage systems), Cloudflare (edge computing)

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Rust is the dominant language in crypto:

• Blockchain infrastructure - Ethereum clients, Solana validators
• Smart contract platforms - Near Protocol, Polkadot
• DeFi protocols - High-security financial applications

Companies: Solana, Near Protocol, Polkadot, many DeFi projects

WebAssembly (WASM)

Rust compiles to WebAssembly for browser performance:

• Frontend performance - Heavy computation in the browser
• Game engines - Web-based games and simulations
• Image/video processing - Client-side media manipulation

Systems Programming

Traditional Rust territory:

• Operating systems - Redox OS, embedded systems
• CLI tools - ripgrep, fd, bat (faster alternatives to Unix tools)
• Infrastructure - Database engines, networking stacks

Companies: Mozilla (Firefox components), AWS (Firecracker microVMs)

Performance-Critical Applications

Anywhere speed and safety matter:

• Database engines - ScyllaDB, Materialize
• Search engines - Meilisearch
• Game engines - Amethyst, Bevy

Why Rust Developers Are Different

Rust's unique characteristics shape the developers who use it:

The Ownership System Changes How You Think

Rust's ownership model (no garbage collector, no manual memory management) forces developers to think carefully about:

• Lifetimes - How long data lives
• Borrowing - Temporary access to data
• Ownership - Who owns and is responsible for data

This isn't just syntax—it's a fundamental shift in how you architect software. Developers who master Rust tend to write better code in other languages too.

Memory Safety Without Performance Cost

Rust provides C++-level performance with memory safety guarantees:

• No null pointer dereferences - Compiler prevents them
• No data races - Concurrency bugs caught at compile time
• No use-after-free - Ownership system prevents it

This means Rust developers can write concurrent code confidently, without the debugging nightmares common in C++.

The Learning Curve Filters for Quality

Rust is hard. The borrow checker rejects code that would compile in other languages. This means:

• Only dedicated developers stick with Rust - They've proven they can learn difficult concepts
• Rust developers tend to be self-motivated - They chose Rust despite easier alternatives
• Strong fundamentals - Understanding Rust requires understanding systems concepts

Skill Levels: What to Test For

Level 1: Rust Learner

• Can write basic Rust programs
• Understands ownership conceptually but struggles with borrow checker errors
• Uses clone() liberally to make code compile
• Relies heavily on compiler error messages

This is fine for junior roles if they show learning ability.

Level 2: Productive Rust Developer

• Writes idiomatic Rust (uses match, Option, Result properly)
• Understands when to use references vs owned values
• Can debug borrow checker errors independently
• Has built something real in Rust (not just tutorials)

This is the minimum for most Rust roles.

Level 3: Rust Expert

• Designs APIs with ownership in mind
• Understands lifetimes deeply (can write generic code with lifetime parameters)
• Comfortable with unsafe Rust when needed (and knows when it's needed)
• Can mentor others and explain Rust concepts clearly

This is senior/staff level territory.

Common Use Cases and What to Look For

Backend API Development

Building web services with Rust:

• Priority skills: Async/await, HTTP frameworks (Actix-web, Axum), database integration
• Interview signal: "How would you handle 10,000 concurrent connections?"
• Red flag: Only knows synchronous Rust, never used async

Blockchain/Crypto Development

Smart contracts and blockchain infrastructure:

• Priority skills: Cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, consensus algorithms
• Interview signal: "Explain how Rust's memory safety helps prevent smart contract bugs"
• Red flag: No understanding of blockchain concepts beyond "it's decentralized"

Systems Programming

Low-level systems work:

• Priority skills: Unsafe Rust, FFI (Foreign Function Interface), performance optimization
• Interview signal: "When would you use unsafe Rust?"
• Red flag: Avoids unsafe Rust entirely (shows lack of systems understanding)

WebAssembly Development

Compiling Rust to WASM:

• Priority skills: wasm-bindgen, performance optimization, browser APIs
• Interview signal: "How do you minimize WASM binary size?"
• Red flag: Never heard of wasm-bindgen

Common Hiring Mistakes

1. Requiring Years of Rust Experience

Rust has only been stable since 2015. "5+ years Rust experience" excludes 99% of candidates. Focus on:

• Can they learn Rust? - Give them a take-home or pair programming session
• Do they understand systems concepts? - Memory, concurrency, performance
• Are they motivated? - Rust developers are self-selected for dedication

2. Testing Only Syntax Knowledge

Asking "What's the difference between &str and String?" tests trivia, not skill. Better questions:

• "Here's some Rust code with borrow checker errors. Fix it."
• "Design an API that takes ownership vs borrowing into account."
• "Explain why this concurrent code is safe (or unsafe)."

3. Ignoring the Learning Curve

If a candidate has 6 months of Rust experience but strong systems programming background (C++, Go), they might be better than someone with 2 years of Rust but weak fundamentals. Rust can be learned; systems thinking is harder to teach.

4. Overemphasizing "Pure Rust" Experience

Many great Rust developers came from other languages. A Go developer who's learning Rust might bring valuable perspectives. Don't exclude candidates just because Rust isn't their primary language yet.

Recruiter's Cheat Sheet

Questions That Reveal Skill Level

Resume Green Flags

• Specific projects ("Built a high-performance API handling 1M requests/sec")
• Open source Rust contributions (shows they can write code others review)
• Mentions of async Rust, performance optimization, or systems work
• Learning journey documented (blog posts, talks about learning Rust)

Resume Red Flags

• "Expert in Rust" with no projects to show
• Only tutorial projects (Rust book examples, no original work)
• No understanding of why they chose Rust (just "it's fast")
• Can't explain what makes Rust different from other languages

The Rust Developer Market Reality

Rust developers are scarce. Here's what that means:

Why Supply is Low

• Steep learning curve - Many developers try Rust, few stick with it
• Newer language - Only stable since 2015, smaller ecosystem
• Self-selection - Only motivated developers learn Rust
• High bar - Companies using Rust often have high standards

Why Demand is High

• Performance needs - Companies hitting Go/Python limits
• Safety requirements - Financial, blockchain, systems software
• Modern concurrency - Fearless concurrency is compelling
• Growing adoption - More companies trying Rust each year

What This Means for Hiring

• Expect longer time-to-hire - 6-10 weeks is normal
• Be flexible on experience - Consider strong developers learning Rust
• Competitive salaries - Rust developers know their value
• Sell your project - Rust developers care about interesting problems

Trust Angles for Rust Developers

Rust developers are often passionate about the language and have strong opinions. Here's how to build trust:

1. Respect the Learning Curve

Don't minimize Rust's difficulty. Acknowledging that "Rust is hard, but we'll support your learning" is more honest than "Rust is easy, you'll pick it up quickly." Rust developers appreciate honesty about challenges.

2. Show You Understand Rust's Value

If you're using Rust, explain why. "We need the performance" or "Memory safety is critical for our use case" shows you understand Rust's strengths. "We're using Rust because it's trendy" is a red flag.

3. Provide Real Rust Work

Rust developers want to write Rust, not maintain legacy systems in other languages. If the role is "mostly Go, but we're exploring Rust," be upfront. Rust developers often have other options and won't take roles that don't let them use Rust.