WHAT IS A WEB DEVELOPER?

f you’ve gone down even the shallowest Google rabbit hole regarding tech jobs, you’ve seen this title. And if you’ve dug just a little further you’ve probably also seen titles like “front end developer,” “back end developer,” and “full-stack developer” (all without a lot of clarity as to what they actually MEAN).

So what IS a web developer? Are all those other roles related? And how does any of this relate to YOU transitioning to a career in tech? Let’s start with the basics.

WEB DEVELOPER: A DEFINITION

Web developers use coding languages (think HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python) to build websites and web applications.

It’s really as simple as that. Developers take the visions and plans created by web designers (a separate, but related role) and use code to turn those designs into what you see on your phone, tablet, or computer screen. Since web development is THE cornerstone of all things tech (no websites, no mobile apps, no internet), you can see why this role is in high demand (and how knowing web developer skills will make you infinitely hirable).

Meanwhile, it’s precisely that demand that makes web development a flexible entry point for tech newbies. Everyone needs a functional website (from your friend’s food truck to Facebook and Google) and that means there’s plenty of work to go around for web developers of all skill and experience levels.

You can start off with the absolute basics (skills like HTML and CSS) and do paid jobs for friends and family, you can level up your skills with intermediate and advanced languages like JavaScript and Python and work at the highest levels of Big Tech, or you can land at any point in between. And THAT’s the beauty of breaking into tech as a web developer.

Sold? Great! But now what? Well, next it’s important to note that—underneath the tent of “web development”—there are some specific developer categories. The big three include:

• Front end web developers
• Back and web developers
• Full-stack web developers

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a web developer you’ll need to learn what kind of jobs are associated with each category, what skills they require, and who each of these roles is best suited for. Aaaand, you guessed it, That’s exactly what we’re covering next.

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Front End Web Developers

WHAT IS A FRONT END WEB DEVELOPER?

Front end web developers use languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build the visible parts of websites or mobile apps (think “front-facing”). These are the menus, pages, and forms you see on a screen through your web browser. And—while there doesn’t need to be anything entry-level about front end development in the long term (plenty of developers spend their entire career doing front end web development)—it is without a doubt THE best starting point for beginning web developers.

Every single website needs a front end, bringing us back to the idea that front end web developers can jump into smaller freelance jobs with basic skills as they build toward more complicated jobs and higher profile clients.

WHO SHOULD BE A FRONT END DEVELOPER?

OK, this one’s easy. As we mentioned, front end web development is THE place to start if you’re new to tech. So…pretty much everybody! Why?

Because you can learn the most basic skills needed for front end development in a matter of months, and then leverage those skills into paid work. But front end development will also give you room to grow. After you learn the basics, there are plenty of additional skills you can add to your repertoire that will make you even more hirable and let you take on bigger and higher-paying jobs.

WHAT ARE FRONT END WEB DEVELOPER SKILLS?

You can read even more about front end web developer skills here, but the most fundamental skills are front end coding languages. These include:

• HTML—HTML is a markup language used to format and arrange web pages
• CSS—CSS is HTML’s sister language, used to add style (colors, fonts, etc.) to those formatted web pages
• JavaScript—JavaScript is a scripting language used to create and control dynamic webpage and mobile app content. In other words, anything that animates or refreshes on screen without the user manually reloading the page (things like interactive forms, animated menus, autocomplete features, etc).

In addition to these core skills, it also helps to familiarize yourself with JavaScript libraries (collections of pre-written JavaScript code that are used to streamline the coding process) including:

• jQuery
• React JS

These languages and libraries, along with various best QA, project tracking, and bug testing practices, are the foundation of front end web development. You can learn more about all of these skills (and even get hands-on!) through our free 10-day coding camp. And when you’re ready to get really serious, you can check out our Skillcrush Front End Developer Course, an online instructor-led class designed to be completed in just three months by spending an hour a day on the materials.

FRONT END DEVELOPER JOBS AND SALARIES

So, now that you know what a front end web developer actually does, you might also be wondering how much the job pays. According to Indeed, entry-level front end web developers make an average of $54,492 a year, with mid-level positions bringing in an average of $100,245 per year. And get this: as of this writing, Indeed has a whopping 20,000+ open front end positions listed. No time like the present to land your own!