Web Developers are those responsible for creating and maintaining an organization’s website and web applications. They must be a master of HTML and other programming languages used for building websites and willing to learn new once as they come out to stay current with the latest trends. Web developers are more in demand now than ever before, due to the growing dependence on the internet for daily life. Developers are often full-time employees for a company, but there are also many freelance, project-based opportunities for developers as well.
Salary:
The average, full-time web developer makes between $33,550 and $105,200 annually.
Average Starting Salary:
Typically, an entry-level Web Developer earns approximately $32,975 annually.
Key Responsibilities:
- Discuss website needs with either clients or company management
- Determine needs of website audience and implement features to meet those needs
- Plan how the site will look
- Create and troubleshoot web applications
- Work as a part of a team to determine what content the website(s) will contain
- Create graphics, video and other multimedia to integrate in the site design
- Monitor site traffic and analyze data
Necessary Skills:
- Concentration
- Customer Service
- Analytical Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Web coding in a variety of languages
Degree and Experience Requirements:
The education requirements for a web developer varies depending on what each company prefers, some only require a High School Diploma, while others may want a Bachelor’s Degree in Web Design or another computer field. However, most companies want at least an Associate’s degree in Web Design or another technical field. Perhaps more important than a formal education, is one’s ability to code in a variety of programing languages and have an expert knowledge of HTML for web development. It is also important for a Web Developer to have at least some knowledge of graphic design for creating graphics and making an aesthetically pleasing site.
Getting Started:
To get started as a Web Developer, one can start as an intern with a company that either does web design or as part of the internal team that maintains an organization’s online presence. It is also very possible for one to start developing websites for clients on a freelance basis and work project-to-project. One can make a good living by working as a Freelance Web Developer, and at times, may brought into a company as a full-time employee. It is also important for a Web Developer to keep a portfolio of their best work as it is often desired in the job interview process. For candidates just out of college, their portfolio will consist primarily of school projects but as their gain work, they can add more professional work. The portfolio is crucial to give an employer an idea of what a candidate has done and evaluate the quality of their work. It is also desirable for a Web Developer to have knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Flash. Candidates who are have knowledge of those and other graphics program will have the most career opportunities.
Future Outlook:
The employment opportunities for web developers are expected to grow approximately 20% over the next 10 years. The increase in demand for developers is greatly due to the growth of e-commerce and the exponential growth of online business. Another major contributing factor is the growth of mobile devices, which requires a website not only be optimized for desktop computers, but mobile devices as well. This will increase the amount of work web developers will need to do when building a site but, and increases the demand for Web Developers to efficiently optimized websites for mobile. . Web Developers are at some risk to outsourcings as their work can be done anywhere, so some organization may outsource work to countries where labor is less expensive. However, there is a growing trend of hiring labor in lower cost regions of the United States which may curb some foreign outsourcing.
Companies That Employ Web Developers:
- Computer Systems Design
- Data Processing and Information Services
- Financial Institutions
- Insurance Companies
- Education
- Religious Organizations
- Government
Common Programming Languages Used By Web Developers:
- HTML
- XML
- CSS
- Javascript
- PHP
- MySQL
- JQuery
Traits of A Good Web Developer:
- Patience
- Team Player
- Strong communication skills
- Eager to learn
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Top Ten Reviews
About the Author
Mike Gdovin has been blogging about technology since 2006 on his blog, Gdovin.net. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Media from Kutztown University with a minor in Journalism, Public Relations and Business. In addition to blogging about technology, Mike is a video producer, technology consultant and social media expert.
