Web Developer

Average Salary (US)

$82,400

Projected 5-Year Job Growth

6.7%

Source: JobsEQ®, a labor market data provider developed by economists and data scientists. Data as of 2020Q1 except wages which are as of 2019

Table of Contents

What is a Web Developer?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ("BLS"), the U.S. Department of Labor's principal fact- finding agency for the federal government in the field of labor, economics, and statistics that provides data on employment and wages, Web Developers create and maintain websites. They are also responsible for the site's technical aspects, such as its performance and capacity, which are measures of a website's speed and how much traffic the site can handle. In addition, web developers may create content for the site.

Duties

• Meet with clients or management to discuss the needs, design, and functionality of a website or interface
• Create and test applications, interfaces, and navigation menus for a website
• Write code for the website, using programming languages such as HTML or XML
• Work with other team members to determine what information the site will contain
• Work with graphics and other designers to determine the website's layout
• Integrate graphics, audio, and video into the website
• Monitor website traffic
• Create prototypes and mockups of websites or applications
• Design and develop graphics

When creating a website, Web Developers have to make their client's vision a reality. They build particular types of websites, such as ecommerce, news, or gaming sites, to fit clients' needs. Different types of websites require different applications. For example, a gaming site should be able to handle advanced graphics, whereas an ecommerce site would need a payment-processing application. The Web Developer decides which applications and designs will best fit the site, and the designer focuses on the look and usability of these elements across browsers or devices.

Some developers handle all aspects of a website's construction, and others specialize in a certain aspect of it. The following are examples of types of specialized web developers:

Back-end web developers are responsible for the overall technical construction of the website. They create the basic framework of the site and ensure that it functions as expected. Back-end web developers also establish procedures for allowing others to add new pages to the website and meet with management to discuss major changes to the site.

Front-end web developers create the technical features for a website's look. They develop the site's layout and integrate graphics, applications (such as a retail checkout tool), and other content. They also write web design programs in a variety of computer languages, such as HTML or JavaScript.

Webmasters maintain and update websites. They ensure that websites operate correctly, and they test for errors such as broken links. Many webmasters respond to user comments as well.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Web Developers and Digital Designers,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm

How much does a Web Developer get paid?*

According to JobsEQ, a labor market data provider developed by economists and data scientists, Web Developers made an annual average salary of $82,400 in 2019.

The top 25% of earners made an annual average salary of $102,900 and the bottom 25% of Web Developers earned $53,500 in 2019. Those who started out as an entry-level web developer in 2019 made $43,900 on average.

These numbers may vary based on geography and labor market.

Entry Level Mean Bottom 25% Top 25%

$43,900

$82,400

$53,500

$102,900

*Source: JobsEQ®. Wage data are as of 2019 and represent the average for all Covered Employment

Best-paying states for Web Developers**

According to the BLS the states and districts that pay Web Developers the highest average annual salary are Washington ($142,560), Georgia ($87,220), Massachusetts ($82,720), the District of Columbia ($82,640) and California ($81,470).

**Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics ("BLS"). Data as of May 2019

Interested in becoming a Web Developer?

Visit Meritize Connect to Find Training Programs in Your Area

Web Developer job outlook***

According to JobsEQ, the need for new Web Developers is expected to grow, beginning in 2021 as e-commerce continues to expand. The increased use of mobile devices to access the internet and need to optimize desktop web pages for mobile and tablet use will likely lead to more demand as well.

The job outlook for people in this field is bright, as the market is projected to grow 7 percent over the next five years. This means an increase of 12,393 jobs in the U.S. by 2025.

***Source: JobsEQ, Data as of 2020Q1, The shaded areas of the graph represent national recessions.

Web Developer Job Skills and Knowledge

According to O*NET Resource Center, people in this career often have these skills:

• Object or component oriented development software — C++ ; Oracle Java ; Python ; Swift
• Operating system software — Linux ; Microsoft Windows Server ; Oracle Solaris ; UNIX
• Web platform development software — JavaScript ; Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP ; PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor ; Ruby on Rails

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Computers and Electronics – Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language – Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Source: O*NET Resource Center

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