Web development has become a popular job role over the past few years and is ever-growing in demand. In fact, many companies struggle to find competent web developers to work with them full-time. Another factor to consider is how much you’re willing to spend on their salaries. In the article below, we will be discussing the typical web developer salary in the US and around the world.
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Why is Web Development so popular?
In the modern world, websites have become almost a necessity when you’re running a business. As of now, there are over 1.8 billion websites currently active around the world, and these numbers are rising every minute.
Due to this, the demand for website development is at an all-time high. In fact, in the US alone, recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the demand for web developers is expected to increase by 8% over the next decade. This percentage increase is much higher compared to other job roles.
A web developer can work for any type of business, be it a startup, a large corporation, or even as a freelancer. Since they are not tied down by one or a few industries, the demand is ever-increasing, as any business may require a website.
What Exactly Is A Web Developer?
As a general understanding, a web developer is someone who builds and creates World Wide Web applications. However, they are not limited to only doing this job. After the web app or a website (web page) is initially created, each will need to be monitored for improvements and optimization. This means that the web developer will have to control the work of web apps, update website content, improve graphics, and improve the structure of the website from both an SEO and User Experience point of view.
Every business needs to keep a web developer on their payroll to have a website that’s up and running all the time. However, some businesses may find it too costly to keep a developer on board full time. For this reason, you can find fully remote agencies or solo freelancers who will do the same job for you, from their remote locations.
What is Needed to Become a Web Developer?
To become a qualified web developer, there are a few key skill sets they need to master. No formal education in computer science like a bachelor’s degree is required. Even after web development courses or bootcamps, it’s possible to become a programmer ready for practical tasks.
The skills are the core of the web development process. There is a client- and a server-side of web development. The majority of those who decide to learn web development start their career path from becoming front-end web developers. This is why you will find more entry-level specialists in this field. Therefore front-enders usually earn a bit less than back-end developers. Some front-end developers also master the server-side part to become full-stack web developers. These specialists have the best skillset for work on comprehensive problems and, usually, more years of experience compared to the two previous groups. That’s why these specialists earn the most.
So, the more of these skills a developer has mastered, the more competent they will be.
- Programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript). These are the core skills you need to build a website. HTML will create the website, CSS will help with adding visual elements to the pages, and JavaScript will make the pages interactive. There are many other technologies used around the world, but these are the most used languages as of 2020.
- Frameworks and Libraries. These are elements that web developers use to simplify the way programming languages are handled. The most popular among these are Bootstrap and jQuery. Bootstrap is used to create mobile-friendly websites while jQuery is used to reduce the amount of code that JavaScript uses for its tasks.
- Using GitHub – This application is used by developers to manage and keep track of all the coding jobs they are working on. If they work for a web development team, then this application can help their team work together and collaborate on these projects.
Now, these are just the average skills that a web developer needs to know to complete a job. There are other skills that more experienced will know such as back-end programming languages like Python or NodeJS. Knowledge of how to utilize databases should be also a major skill of web engineers. On top of that, if the developer knows how to work with SEO and design software like Illustrator, they will be a great hire.
Here are some of the most in-demand programming languages around the world. Some of the skills you want your full-stack web developer to have should be React.js, Ember.js, Python, Ruby, ASP.NET Core.
What Is The Average Salary of a Web Developer in the USA?
Just like most other professions, the amount a web developer makes will depend on his/her experience, knowledge, and company they work for. In the US, here is a breakdown of the different salary levels according to Glassdoor, Indeed, and PayScale.
Glassdoor (per year) | Indeed (per year) | PayScale (per year) | |
Junior web developer salary | $49,308 | $65,982 | $50,644 |
Median web developer salary | $69,244 | $73,410 | $60,213 |
Senior web developer salary | $101,801 | $93,336 | $80,797 |
These numbers differ from each other because they represent a salary range from data submitted to each of these platforms. Plus, values can differ because of:
- Location
- Company (startup or large corporation)
- Perks (may be compensated in other ways than money)
As such, these values will give you a range to keep in mind rather than an accurate salary figure when you’re deciding on what salary you’re going to be paying.
The national average salary in the United States that earns web developers is $5,159. This number doesn’t include any benefits of taxes that pay employers. New York and California, traditionally, have the highest compensation for web developer jobs.
Average Salary | Junior Developer Salary | Senior Developer Salary | |
Los Angeles | $6,113 | $5,494 | $7,772 |
Massachusetts | $6,039 | $5,428 | $7,678 |
New York | $7,922 | $5,764 | $8,153 |
Seattle | $6,300 | $5,663 | $8,010 |
San Francisco | $8,596 | $7,726 | $10,929 |
Texas | $5,235 | $4,705 | $6,656 |
Washington, DC | $6,919 | $6,219 | $8,797 |
Source: Indeed