Web Developers

This is a sub-career of Web Developer or Digital Designer

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Job Outlook:
Much faster than average
Education: Bachelor's degree
Work From Home
Salary
High: $144,690.00
Average: $87,580.00
Hourly
Average: $42.11

What they do:

Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces. Evaluate code to ensure that it is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers and devices. Optimize website performance, scalability, and server-side code and processes. May develop website infrastructure and integrate websites with other computer applications.

On the job, you would:

  • Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
  • Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
  • Back up files from Web sites to local directories for instant recovery in case of problems.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Web developers and digital designers need to communicate effectively with coworkers to coordinate work on projects.

Creativity. Web developers and digital designers often are involved in creating the appearance of a website and must make sure that it is appealing as well as functional.

Customer-service skills. Webmasters have to respond politely to user questions and requests.

Detail oriented. Web developers and digital designers must focus for long periods and write code precisely, because a minor error could cause an entire webpage to stop working.

Problem-solving skills. Web developers and digital designers must check for coding errors and fix any that they find.

Personality

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Characteristics of this Career

91% Attention to Detail  -  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
79% Persistence  -  Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
79% Analytical Thinking  -  Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
78% Dependability  -  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
76% Adaptability/Flexibility  -  Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
75% Initiative  -  Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
74% Integrity  -  Job requires being honest and ethical.
74% Stress Tolerance  -  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
73% Innovation  -  Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
70% Cooperation  -  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
69% Achievement/Effort  -  Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
68% Independence  -  Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Strengths

72% Conventional  -  Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
67% Investigative  -  Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Values of the Work Environment

78% Independence  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
72% Working Conditions  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
67% Achievement  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
67% Recognition  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Aptitude

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

72% Deductive Reasoning  -  The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
69% Oral Comprehension  -  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
66% Written Comprehension  -  The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
66% Problem Sensitivity  -  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
66% Near Vision  -  The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Job Details

Responsibilities
Design websites or web applications.
Update website content.
Update website content.
Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.
Create electronic data backup to prevent loss of information.
Test software performance.
Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.
Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements.
Create databases to store electronic data.
Update website content.
Collaborate with others to develop or implement marketing strategies.
Design websites or web applications.
Write computer programming code.
Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.
Provide technical support for computer network issues.
Test software performance.
Design websites or web applications.
Provide customer service to clients or users.
Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.
Configure computer networks.
Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.
Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.
Monitor the security of digital information.
Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.
Develop models of information or communications systems.
Evaluate utility of software or hardware technologies.
Provide recommendations to others about computer hardware.
Document design or development procedures.
Conduct research to gain information about products or processes.
Document design or development procedures.
Document network-related activities or tasks.
Install computer hardware.
Configure computer networks.
Develop diagrams or flow charts of system operation.
Develop computer or information security policies or procedures.
Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

95% Electronic Mail  -  How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
95% Spend Time Sitting  -  How much does this job require sitting?
86% Freedom to Make Decisions  -  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
85% Indoors, Environmentally Controlled  -  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
83% Face-to-Face Discussions  -  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
81% Importance of Being Exact or Accurate  -  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
79% Telephone  -  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
79% Importance of Repeating Same Tasks  -  How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
77% Structured versus Unstructured Work  -  To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
76% Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions  -  How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
75% Work With Work Group or Team  -  How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
75% Time Pressure  -  How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
72% Contact With Others  -  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
71% Level of Competition  -  To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
79% Duration of Typical Work Week  -  Number of hours typically worked in one week.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Tasks & Values

97% Working with Computers  -  Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
87% Getting Information  -  Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
85% Thinking Creatively  -  Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
82% Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge  -  Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
81% Making Decisions and Solving Problems  -  Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
78% Processing Information  -  Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
73% Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work  -  Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
72% Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates  -  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
67% Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events  -  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

What Web Developers and Digital Designers Do

web developers image
Some developers work with graphics and other designers to determine the website’s layout.

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. Digital designers develop, create, and test website or interface layout, functions, and navigation for usability. They are responsible for the look and functionality of the website or interface.

Duties

Web developers and digital designers typically do the following:

  • 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, developers and designers 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 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 and designers 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 or digital designers:

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 webdesign programs in a variety of computer languages, such as HTML or JavaScript.

Web and digital interface designers are responsible for creating the look and feel of a website or interface with regard to photos, color, font type and size, graphics, and layout. They also are responsible for the functionality, usability, and compatibility of the website or interface.

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.

Work Environment

Web and digital interface designers held about 117,900 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of web and digital interface designers were as follows:

Computer systems design and related services 17%
Self-employed workers 13
Retail trade 7
Finance and insurance 5
Advertising, public relations, and related services 4

Web developers held about 98,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of web developers were as follows:

Computer systems design and related services 21%
Educational services; state, local, and private 7
Self-employed workers 7
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services 6
Software publishers 6

Work Schedules

Most web developers and digital designers work full time.

Getting Started

Education:
46%
Bachelor's Degree
17%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

How to Become a Web Developer or Digital Designer

web developers image
Developers often have both programming and graphic design knowledge.

Educational requirements vary for web developers and digital designers, based on work setting and other factors.

Education

Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree.

Some employers prefer to hire web developer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, such as computer science or programming.

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.

Employers of digital designers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as web design, digital design, or graphic arts.

Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects.

Advancement

Web developers and digital designers who have a bachelor’s degree may advance to become project managers. For more information, see the profile on computer and information systems managers.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 19,000 openings for web developers and digital designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow as e-commerce continues to expand. As retail firms keep increasing their online offerings, demand for these workers is expected to grow. In addition, the continued use of mobile devices to search the web is expected to generate demand for web developers and digital designers to create websites and interfaces that work on mobile devices with many different screen sizes.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about web developers and digital designers, visit

World Organization of Webmasters

For more information about computer careers, visit

Association for Computing Machinery

Computing Research Association

IEEE Computer Society

For information about opportunities for women pursuing information technology careers, visit

National Center for Women & Information Technology

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of web developers and digital designers.

Occupation Job Duties Entry-Level Education Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Computer and information systems managers Computer and Information Systems Managers

Computer and information systems managers plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization.

Bachelor's degree $164,070
Computer programmers Computer Programmers

Computer programmers write, modify, and test code and scripts that allow computer software and applications to function properly.

Bachelor's degree $97,800
Computer support specialists Computer Support Specialists

Computer support specialists maintain computer networks and provide technical help to computer users.

See How to Become One $59,660
Computer systems analysts Computer Systems Analysts

Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and design ways to improve efficiency.

Bachelor's degree $102,240
Database administrators Database Administrators and Architects

Database administrators and architects create or organize systems to store and secure data.

Bachelor's degree $112,120
Information security analysts Information Security Analysts

Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems.

Bachelor's degree $112,000
Graphic designers Graphic Designers

Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.

Bachelor's degree $57,990
Multimedia artists and animators Special Effects Artists and Animators

Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.

Bachelor's degree $98,950
Software developers Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers

Software developers design computer applications or programs. Software quality assurance analysts and testers identify problems with applications or programs and report defects.  

Bachelor's degree $124,200

Information provided by CareerFitter, LLC and other sources.

Sections of this page includes information from the O*NET 27.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

CareerFitter, LLC has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.