The internet is a ubiquitous part of everyday life. A large number of companies and institutions rely on the web to carry out their business.
For this reason, many people with IT (Information Technology) backgrounds are in high demand. Web developers make up the largest percentage of the IT profession, and salaries reflect this.
According to Indeed, starting salary web developer has ranges from $46k to $87k, with a median of $67k.
Starting Salary Web Developer Earns
The terms web designers can be used to apply to someone on the technical side of the project. Job titles include web developer front-end development, back-end, and a complete stack developer.
Senior web developers get anywhere from $52,000 to $107,000 in compensation and are particularly able to achieve high salaries through using technologies like C# and Java.
Back-end developers work under several conditions to build databases for the data of your website. Full-stack developers know front and back-end technologies well but not to the same extent as those who primarily focus on one thing. They receive a minimum wage of 102,000.
Web Developer Earnings
Starting level web developer earnings start at around $15.53 an hour $47.416 a year. Approximative value based on the highest and lowest-grossing segment.
1. Salary By State
In general, the highest paying states for web developers are Washington DC, Massachusetts, New York, and California.
The lowest paying state is West Virginia, where an entry-level web developer can expect to earn an average of $42k.
2. Salary By City
There are a number of cities that offer high salaries for entry-level web developers.
San Jose, California is the city with the highest starting salary at $102k, followed by Seattle, Washington ($89k) and Sunnyvale, California ($88k).
The city with the lowest average salary for web developers is Wichita, Kansas ($39k).
3. Salary By Experience
Web developers with 1-2 years of experience see a significant salary bump. The average salary for web devs between 3 and 4 years of experience is $92k, and an experienced developer (5+ years) makes an average of $100k.
There is also a significant salary bump between junior developers (0-2 years of experience) and mid-level developers (3-5 years).
An average mid-level web developer makes $92k, whereas an entry-level developer (0-2 years) makes an average of $70k.
The most common titles for web developers are “senior web developer” and “web developer”, with salaries of $90k and $86k, respectively.
4. Salary By Company Size
There is a significant difference between starting salaries for developers employed by small companies (1-10 employees) compared to those at large firms (>1000 employees).
Web devs working at small companies make an average of $65k, whereas devs at large companies make an average of $89k.
In the small company category, there is a significant difference between web developers at small (<100 employees) and medium-sized (100-1000 employees) firms.
A developer employed by a small firm makes an average of $66k, while one employed by a medium-sized firm makes $64k.
Are Web Developers in Demand?
According to Burning Glass, web developers could increase jobs a record – 14.9 percent over a period of 10 years.
In the near term, the current period to fill a post open will be 38 days (on average), which suggests that it will take a while for employers to find suitable candidates.
There is a good likelihood that web developer employment is rising in the U.S. This is an indicator that there is a growing demand for Web developers.
Web Developer Salary Compared to Other Careers
Web developers in the USA earn about the same as similar careers. They make less than Bioinformatics scientists but more than manufacturing engineers.
It gets less income from bioinformatics scientists but more income than industrial designing. They earn more than a mathematician but less than a market research analyst.
Of all occupations, Web Developers have one of the highest projected growth rates until 2022.
The labor department expects employment to rise by another 9% over the next decade which is faster than the average for other professions.
Duties of a Web Developer
Web developers and digital designers typically do the following when creating a website: Developers and designers must make their client’s vision a reality.
They build special types of websites including e-commerce websites, news websites, and games websites to fit the needs of clients.
Back-end developers are primarily responsible for the technical construction of the website. Front End Developers are technical engineers who work on an application’s look and functionality.
Webmasters maintain and update websites and they test for errors like broken links. According to data on web developers’ jobs, there will be some 199,400 positions by 2020. The largest employer of web development companies and. Digital design:
List the Most Valuable Skills of a Web Developer
A web developer needs to have a range of technical and creative skills. They must be able to think both creatively and logically while keeping up with the latest technologies and trends in programming.
Specific essential skills include:
- A deep understanding of web design & architecture
- Ability to create wireframes and mock-ups
- Proficiency in one or more scripting languages (JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, etc.)
- Experience working with Content Management Systems (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, etc)
- Development experience using PHP & MySQL
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Experience using version control software (Subversion, Git, Mercurial)
- Team leadership and collaboration skills
- A firm grasp of interactive design principles
- Analytical and critical thinking skills Working knowledge of SEO best practices
- Good understanding of web analytics tools & metrics
- A knack for problem-solving
What Makes a Good Web Developer?
To become a successful web developer you need to possess certain personal and professional qualities and skills. There’s a lot you can do to improve your chances, for example:
1. Be Curious
Web developers rely on their curiosity to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in their industry. That means routinely exploring new tools, resources, and techniques that help them build fantastic websites.
2. Self-drive
You should have strong motivation because web development is an occupation that involves long hours of self-study.
3. Take initiative
Don’t wait for someone to tell you what needs to be done, show your employer how valuable you are by making constructive suggestions about how things could be improved.
4. Learn continuously
It becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of all the changes in this industry so it takes continuous learning to remain relevant.
5. Great communicator
Websites are seen by people of all ages and from all walks of life. Web developers must be able to explain their design decisions clearly to clients, many of whom may not have technical backgrounds.
What Education is Needed to Become a Web Developer?
Many employers prefer job candidates with some college education in technology or the equivalent in industry experience.
However, many web developers are self-taught programmers who gained their skills through independent study and practice.
This is not possible for all positions, so if you obtain a position as a web developer be prepared to work very hard to maintain your employer’s respect.
Best Language for Web Development?
There are many programming languages that can be used for web development; they vary in their usability, popularity, and complexity. Some of the more popular languages include:
- JavaScript (client-side)
- PHP (server-side scripting language)
- HTML, HTML5 (markup language)
- Python (general purpose/scripting language)
- CSS3;(Cascading Style Sheets)
Today, companies prefer candidates who have knowledge of back-end programming like Python or Ruby on Rails as well as front-end technology like JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
It has always been a challenge to find developers with both skills. Certain locations may favor specific technologies due to the concentration of experienced workers available.
Therefore, it is important to research what languages are most in-demand in your area when looking for jobs.
It is difficult to pinpoint which language is the best to learn when beginning web development, it will depend on many different factors like what you want to do with your degree and also where you live.
It’s always good advice to follow trends in order to stay relevant but ultimately, your skills will largely depend on who you work for.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Web Development?
It depends on the technology you choose. For example, languages like HTML and CSS are fairly simple to learn so it will not take long to become proficient.
On the other hand, JavaScript is a difficult language to learn since there are many versions of it with different syntaxes, so mastering this language can take quite some time.
The key is to find good resources that provide high-quality information about the techniques you need to know in order to succeed, as well as learning from your peers by joining forums or attending web development conferences.
It’s important not to get discouraged during the long learning process especially if you experience frustration dealing with new technologies.
Try not to be too hard on yourself but continue pushing through until you reach your goal.
Conclusion
Web development is a rewarding career that allows you to create functional websites for businesses, organizations, and individuals around the world.
The appropriate education depends on what type of web developer you wish to become; however, most entry-level web developers have an associate’s degree in computer science, information technology, or similar.
Software certifications are also beneficial when looking for employment opportunities since many hiring managers prefer candidates with some type of certification under their belts.
Hopefully, this article gave you some insight into web development and the salary for web developers.
FAQ
Yes, web developers are in very high demand. One of the reasons for the high demand is that companies want to adapt their marketing strategy to new marketing trends.
Web developers are paid well. They can also work remotely and build a flexible schedule around their interests.
Web developers do not need masters, but they may need higher education in order to become a web developer.
