ABAP Cloud Developer Roadmap 2025: From Beginner to Expert

Category
Career
Published
Author
Johannes

Want to become an ABAP Cloud Developer? This roadmap shows you step by step which skills you should learn and in which order - from complete beginner to Senior Developer.

Overview: The 5 Levels

LevelDurationSalary (DE, Avg)Skills
0. Beginner0-3 months-ABAP Basics, Syntax
1. Junior3-9 months45-55k EURCDS, simple RAP Apps
2. Mid-Level9-18 months55-70k EURComplex RAP, Fiori
3. Senior18-30 months70-90k EURArchitecture, Performance
4. Expert/Lead30+ months90-120k EURTeam Lead, Consulting

Total: 18-30 months from beginner to senior (with full-time learning/working)

Level 0: Beginner (0-3 Months)

Goal

Master ABAP basics, write first simple programs.

Skills

ABAP Syntax Basics

  • Data types (string, i, p, d, t)
  • Variable declaration (DATA, CONSTANTS)
  • Control structures (IF, CASE, LOOP, DO, WHILE)
  • Internal tables (STANDARD, SORTED, HASHED)
  • String operations (String Templates)
  • SELECT statements (Basics)

Code Example (First Program):

REPORT z_hello_world.


DATA(lv_name) = 'ABAP Cloud Developer'.
DATA(lv_greeting) = |Hello { lv_name }!|.


WRITE: / lv_greeting.


" Internal table
DATA(lt_numbers) = VALUE int4_table( ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ).
LOOP AT lt_numbers INTO DATA(lv_num).
  WRITE: / |Number: { lv_num }|.
ENDLOOP.

Tools

  • Eclipse + ADT install & configure
  • Create SAP BTP Trial Account
  • Create ABAP Cloud Project

Guide: Set Up ABAP Cloud Development Environment

Learning Resources

Free:

Books:

  • “ABAP to the Future” (SAP Press, 2021)
  • “ABAP Objects” (SAP Press, latest edition)

Time Investment

  • Full-time learning: 1-2 months
  • Part-time (10h/week): 3-4 months

Certification

Optional: SAP Certified Development Associate - ABAP with SAP NetWeaver

(Not ABAP Cloud-specific, but good foundation)

Level 1: Junior Developer (3-9 Months)

Goal

Independently develop simple ABAP Cloud apps.

Skills

CDS Views

  • Create basic CDS Views
  • Joins & Associations
  • Annotations (@EndUserText, @Semantics)
  • Parameters
  • Aggregations (SUM, COUNT, GROUP BY)

Code Example:

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZVSALES'
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #CHECK
@EndUserText.label: 'Sales Data View'


define view Z_SalesData
  as select from vbak as Sales
  association [0..1] to kna1 as _Customer
    on Sales.kunnr = _Customer.kunnr
{
  key Sales.vbeln   as SalesOrder,
      Sales.kunnr   as Customer,
      Sales.audat   as OrderDate,


      @Semantics.amount.currencyCode: 'Currency'
      Sales.netwr   as NetValue,


      Sales.waerk   as Currency,


      _Customer // Expose association
}

RAP Basics

  • Managed Scenario
  • CRUD Operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
  • Interface vs. Projection Layer
  • Service Definition & Binding
  • Simple Fiori Elements App

Tutorial: RAP Tutorial Part 1

Modern ABAP Syntax

  • Inline declarations (DATA(...))
  • VALUE Constructor
  • CORRESPONDING
  • FOR Expressions
  • COND/SWITCH
  • Table Expressions

See: ABAP Cloud Cheat Sheet

Git Basics

  • Understand repositories
  • Commits, Push, Pull
  • Use abapGit

Projects (for Practice)

  1. Todo List App (CRUD with RAP)
  2. Contact Management (with Fiori Elements)
  3. Simple CDS Reporting (Sales Overview)

Learning Resources

Free:

Paid:

  • SAP Learning Hub (Subscription)
  • Udemy: “SAP ABAP RAP Development” courses

Time Investment

  • Full-time: 3-4 months
  • Part-time: 6-9 months

Salary

45,000 - 55,000 EUR (Germany, Junior Position)

Certification

SAP Certified Development Associate - SAP Cloud Platform ABAP Environment

Level 2: Mid-Level Developer (9-18 Months)

Goal

Develop complex business applications, apply best practices.

Skills

Advanced RAP

  • Actions (with parameters)
  • Validations & Determinations
  • Feature Control (dynamic buttons)
  • Virtual Elements
  • Draft Handling
  • Side Effects
  • Compositions (Parent-Child)

Tutorial: RAP Tutorial Part 2

SAP Fiori

  • Fiori Elements Annotations
  • Metadata Extensions
  • Value Helps
  • Custom Actions in UI
  • Layouts (List Report, Object Page)

See: SAP Fiori Elements - UI Without Code

Unit Testing

  • ABAP Unit Basics
  • Test Doubles
  • CDS Test Environment
  • RAP Testing
  • Code Coverage >70%

See: ABAP Unit Testing

Performance Optimization

  • SELECT Optimization
  • EML Batching
  • CDS View Performance
  • Analyze SQL Trace

See: ABAP Cloud Performance Optimization

Integration

  • Consume OData Services
  • HTTP Client
  • RFC Calls (where permitted)
  • Business Events

Projects

  1. E-Commerce Backend (with shopping cart, orders)
  2. Ticket System (with status management, assignments)
  3. Reporting Dashboard (Analytics with CDS)

Learning Resources

Free:

Paid:

  • SAP Training: “Advanced ABAP Cloud Development” (Classroom)
  • SAP Press: “ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model” (Book)

Time Investment

  • Full-time: 6-9 months
  • Part-time: 12-18 months

Salary

55,000 - 70,000 EUR (Germany, Mid-Level)

Certification

SAP Certified Development Professional - SAP Extension Suite

Level 3: Senior Developer (18-30 Months)

Goal

Make architecture decisions, design complex systems, lead teams.

Skills

Solution Architecture

  • Multi-Tier Architectures
  • Microservices vs. Monolith
  • API Design Principles
  • Integration Patterns
  • Security Best Practices

Clean Core & Migration

  • Custom Code Migration
  • Configure ATC Checks
  • Released API Strategy
  • Extensibility Concepts

See: ABAP Cloud Migration Guide

DevOps & CI/CD

  • abapGit Workflows
  • Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions
  • Automated Testing Pipelines
  • Continuous Deployment

Advanced CDS

  • Analytics (@Analytics.*)
  • Virtual Data Model (VDM)
  • Hierarchies
  • CDS Access Control

See: CDS Views Deep Dive

Debugging & Troubleshooting

  • ADT Debugger Proficiency
  • SQL Trace Advanced
  • Performance Analysis
  • Application Logs

See: ABAP Cloud Debugging

Soft Skills

  • Conduct code reviews
  • Write technical concepts
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Mentor junior developers

Projects

  1. Enterprise App Migration (Classic → Cloud)
  2. Multi-System Integration (S/4HANA ↔ BTP ↔ Third-Party)
  3. Framework Development (e.g., Logging, Error Handling)

Learning Resources

Community:

  • SAP TechEd Sessions (annual)
  • SAP CodeJam Events
  • SAP Community Contribution

Certification:

SAP Certified Technology Specialist - System Administration (SAP HANA as a Database) with SAP NetWeaver

(Deepens system understanding)

Time Investment

  • Full-time: 12-18 months
  • With practical experience: 18-30 months

Salary

70,000 - 90,000 EUR (Germany, Senior Position)

Level 4: Expert / Lead (30+ Months)

Goal

Thought Leader, Architecture responsibility, Team Lead.

Skills

Leadership

  • Lead team (5-10 developers)
  • Hiring & Onboarding
  • Roadmap planning
  • Budget responsibility

Consulting

  • Lead customer workshops
  • Solution Design
  • Proof of Concepts
  • Project pitches

Innovation

  • Integrate AI/ML in ABAP
  • SAP Build Integration
  • Evaluate bleeding-edge features
  • Community Contributions (Blogs, Talks)

Business Acumen

  • ROI Analysis
  • TCO Calculations
  • Write Business Cases

Activities

  • Speaker at SAP TechEd
  • Blog Author in SAP Community
  • Open-Source Maintainer (abapGit, etc.)
  • SAP Mentor (optional)

Salary

90,000 - 120,000+ EUR (Germany, Lead / Principal Engineer)

Freelance: 800 - 1,500 EUR/Day

Visualized Roadmap

Months 0-3: BEGINNER
├─ ABAP Basics
├─ ADT Setup
└─ First Program


Months 3-9: JUNIOR
├─ CDS Views
├─ RAP Basics (Managed)
├─ Modern Syntax
└─ First Fiori App
    └─ Certification: Dev Associate


Months 9-18: MID-LEVEL
├─ Advanced RAP (Actions, Validations)
├─ Fiori Elements (Annotations)
├─ Unit Testing
├─ Performance
└─ Integration (OData, HTTP)
    └─ Certification: Dev Professional


Months 18-30: SENIOR
├─ Architecture
├─ Clean Core & Migration
├─ DevOps & CI/CD
├─ Advanced CDS
└─ Mentoring


Months 30+: EXPERT/LEAD
├─ Team Lead
├─ Consulting
├─ Innovation (AI/ML)
└─ Thought Leadership

Salary Development (Germany)

LevelJuniorMidSeniorLead
Entry45k55k70k90k
After 2 Years52k65k80k105k
After 5 Years58k75k90k120k+

Factors:

  • Region (Munich/Frankfurt higher than Leipzig)
  • Company size (Corporation vs. Mid-size)
  • Industry (Automotive/Finance higher)
  • Remote option (often 5-10% more)

See also: SAP ABAP Developer Salary

Learning Plan (Example: 18 Months to Senior)

Months 1-3: Fundamentals

WeekTopicEffort
1-2ABAP Syntax Basics20h
3-4Internal Tables & SELECT20h
5-6ADT Setup, first project15h
7-9Modern Syntax (VALUE, FOR, etc.)25h
10-12Git & abapGit10h

Total: ~90h (Full-time: 3 months, Part-time: 9 weeks)

Months 4-9: RAP & CDS

MonthTopicProject
4CDS Views BasicsSales Reporting
5RAP Managed ScenarioTodo App
6Fiori ElementsContact App
7Advanced CDS (Joins, Associations)Customer 360° View
8RAP Actions & ValidationsTicket System
9Certification PreparationPractice Exams

Months 10-18: Advanced Topics

MonthTopicProject
10Unit Testing & TDDTests for Ticket System
11Performance OptimizationSQL Trace, EML Batching
12Integration (OData, HTTP)Third-Party API Integration
13Draft Handling & Side EffectsE-Commerce Backend
14Clean Core ConceptsMigration Analysis own Apps
15DevOps (CI/CD, abapGit)Set up Pipeline
16-17Real Project (Company/Freelance)Production App
18Build Portfolio, ApplicationsAim for Senior Position

Certifications in Detail

See: Top 10 ABAP Cloud Certifications

Must-Have:

  1. SAP Certified Development Associate - ABAP with SAP NetWeaver (Basics)
  2. SAP Certified Development Associate - SAP Cloud Platform ABAP Environment (ABAP Cloud)

Nice-to-Have:

  1. SAP Certified Development Professional - SAP Extension Suite
  2. SAP Certified Technology Specialist (for Architects)

Checklist: Am I Ready for the Next Level?

Junior → Mid-Level?

  • Can independently develop simple RAP apps
  • Write CDS Views with joins
  • Deploy Fiori Elements App
  • Use Git for versioning
  • Understand & implement code reviews
  • Dev Associate Certification (or equivalent skills)

Mid-Level → Senior?

  • Complex RAP apps with Actions/Validations
  • Write unit tests (>70% coverage)
  • Perform performance analysis
  • Planned/executed Classic → Cloud migration
  • Helped/mentored junior colleagues
  • Set up DevOps pipeline

Senior → Lead?

  • Made architecture decisions
  • Led team of 3+ developers
  • Led customer workshops
  • Written technical concepts
  • Community Contribution (Blog, Talk, Open Source)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know Classic ABAP before learning ABAP Cloud?

No! You can start directly with ABAP Cloud. Advantage: You learn modern best practices right away.

But: Classic ABAP knowledge helps with understanding migration.

What programming language should I know beforehand?

None! ABAP is beginner-friendly.

Helpful: Java, C#, Python (because of OOP concepts)

How much time should I invest per week?

  • Full-time learning: 40h/week → 18 months to Senior
  • Part-time: 10-15h/week → 30+ months to Senior
  • Minimum: 5h/week → Very slow progress

Is ABAP Cloud still worth it in 2025?

Yes! SAP is investing heavily in ABAP Cloud. Jobs are growing, salaries are rising.

Trend: More remote jobs, higher demand than supply.

Your Next Step

Today:

  1. Create SAP BTP Trial Account (Guide)
  2. Install ADT (Setup Guide)
  3. Write first “Hello World”

This Week:

  1. Work through RAP Tutorial Part 1
  2. Create abapGit repository

This Month:

  1. Start your own mini project
  2. Join SAP Community
  3. Update LinkedIn profile

Good luck on your ABAP Cloud Developer Journey!