Web Developers and Digital Designers: Jobs, Career, Salary and Education Information

Web developers need to have a thorough understanding of HTML programming. Many employers also want developers to understand other programming languages, such as JavaScript or SQL, and have knowledge of multimedia publishing tools, such as Flash. Throughout their career, web developers must keep up to date on new tools and computer languages. Web development and web design share many commonalities, but they differ in some key areas.

  • “In today’s world of digital business, such talent is clearly essential to many employers,” concluded the report.
  • If you want to know more about how to hire a Web Developer, Developers For Hire did a much deeper dive and found Web Developer salary ranges by specialization.
  • Aspiring web developers who have not gained internship experience or built a portfolio as part of their degree program may need to do so to obtain employment.
  • Consider individual motivation as an example — if you know that you need instructor support and a firm class schedule, self-directed learning probably isn’t your best bet.
  • Coding is one of the primary hard skills of a web developer, and these professionals must understand at least some of the programming languages described below.
  • Structured Query Language, or SQL, is a language used to communicate with relational databases.
  • An original, professional portfolio proves essential, particularly for freelancers who rely on it to find projects.
  • Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects.

If you have transferable skills from your previous career, it’s possible to land a more senior role. Your dedicated career specialist will help you understand your transferable skills and craft the right narrative to present in your job application materials.

Web Developer Salaries Are Going Up

Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects. Front-end web developers create the technical features for a website’s look. They develop the site’s layout and integrate graphics, applications , and other content. They also write webdesign programs in a variety of computer languages, such as HTML or JavaScript. Successful web developers often find their best positions or freelance projects through networking. Prospective professionals should attend job fairs and other events advertised on general platforms such as Meetup.com, Eventbrite, LinkedIn.com, and Indeed.com. They should also consider joining professional organizations for web developers.

The path you choose will determine which programming languages and technologies you prioritize learning, and will usher you toward roles that best suit your interests and aspirations. Of course, you can switch specialties if you need to — however, choosing one now will help you tailor your education to better suit your career goals.

Udemy HTML & CSS – Certification Course for Beginners

An enormous, free, international job site serving millions, Indeed allows job-seekers to create resumes, research jobs, and communicate with prospective employers. Indeed also provides a career guide, blog, hiring lab, and line of products. By far the biggest challenge with working in computer programming is the ever-changing landscape. New technologies blossom, and old technologies can just completely die. Many times, programmers will go with a new up-and-coming technology, and then out of nowhere, it becomes obsolete with no support.

  • If you want to show off your general versatility or hyper-specific skills, you will do well to tailor your portfolio with those ideals in mind.
  • Below we list a few examples of web developer certifications, but keep in mind that there are many more options available.
  • For web developers, networking may also entail creating and maintaining an effective online brand, blogging regularly to establish your authority, and joining specific professional groups dedicated to web development.
  • Depending on your industry or specialization, you may find additional programming languages useful to your web development career.
  • LinkedIn helps job-seekers and employers find each other and enables collaborations among organizations and individuals.
  • A web development concentration can be helpful if you want to pursue a particular niche in web development and stand out as a job applicant.
  • In this section, we’ll provide a primer on programming languages as a whole and note which you should prioritize depending on your preferred career focus.

Creating a professional, well-developed portfolio also goes a long way in demonstrating candidates’ talents and abilities to potential employers. Useful sites such as Behance.net allow web developers to create profiles to showcase their projects and attract new business. Professional organizations such as the American Webmasters Association and WebProfessionals.org post networking events, continuing education opportunities, and other career-building resources for web developers. Given the speed at which technology changes, web developers must stay current on new trends and tools, so continuing education proves essential to learning new coding languages and staying competitive. Sites like The HTML Writers Guild or W3Schools have much to offer web developers seeking new credentials and skills, such as Python or Java certification. Often employed by computer systems design or software publishing companies, software developers produce computer-based systems or applications.

Average Salary of Web Developers by Job Level

A nonprofit organization also known as the World Organization of Webmasters , WebProfessionals.org serves web designers, developers, managers, and marketers. With chapters in 60 cities, GDI helps to address women’s underrepresentation in computer science across the nation. Most professional organizations offer educational opportunities in the form of training, certification, and continuing education programs or courses. It’s important to note that development is a highly technical field, and no matter what educational path you choose, learning to code will be a requirement because a command of relevant programming languages is required. In fact, professionals in this field – more than many other fields – must be committed to ongoing learning to stay on top of changes and updates to languages, tools, and trends. As opposed to a standard 4-year university education, boot camps usually only last a few months or even weeks.

Entry-level web developers typically maintain, troubleshoot, or create websites by drawing from their repertoire of programming and graphic design skills and knowledge. The Web Development bootcamp is an intensive, hands-on learning experience, designed to introduce the skills and concepts required to build modern web applications. As Susanne stated in her interview, a popular way to learn how to code in the US these days is attending a boot camp. A coding boot camp tries to compress the essential parts of programming into an intensive course that will teach participants enough to start out in junior developer positions. These days, having a degree in computer science is not a requirement to find a job in web development.

Types of Careers in Web Development

Companies like 4Geeks Academy, Actualize, App Academy, Boolean and Brain Station all offer bootcamps for coding and web development. Some of these bootcamps even provide free introductory courses in coding to give you an idea of whether you would enjoy web development before you write a hefty tuition check. And if you’re ready to try out a customer feedback software, Usersnap offers a free trial. In addition to all of this, you can request read access to our course library—so you can study other corners of the tech world independently, with all the course materials included in your program tuition! You can ask your student advisor about this once you start the program.

education for web developer

The program requires commitment as it takes about 420 hours to complete. Employers struggle to find qualified web developers, and the demand keeps growing. The average developer salary in the United States is $75,773—though that will vary depending on seniority and location.

Master’s in Web Development

We took a look at the state of the industry and asked CTOs of different companies about how they wound up in their positions. You don’t need to have experience in coding or tech to succeed in this program! Regardless of your age or background, we’ve built a learning experience that will help ensure your success—from the curriculum and hands-on exercises, to the mentorship and support you’ll receive along the way. You’ll have regular contact with your mentor, tutor, student advisor, and career specialist—as well as full access to our active student community on Slack.

As a graduate with a multimedia degree in 2005, Theil started Visual Realm directly out of college. With expertise in web design and graphic design, Theil started landing clients and the firm began to take off. Through the years, Theil saw the rise and fall of many coding languages and trends for the web. He believes his background in custom code and his motivation to “never become outdated” has kept him and his company on top. Given the widespread need for websites, web developers can find work at companies of all sizes and in many industries. For entry-level web developers, large companies offer some advantages, including better organization, clear policies and procedures, helpful training and mentoring, and opportunities for greater specialization. Small companies offer benefits, as well, such as greater flexibility, advancement potential, and the chance to learn multiple aspects of the business.

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