Is Web Development a Good Career For You?

Published: September 30, 2024 | Last Updated: September 30, 2024

Considering what career is right for you is difficult. How are you supposed to know what job you’ll enjoy and what will be available? The best thing you can do is research different careers and really consider if it’s something you may enjoy.

Web development is a great career that offers a high salary and job salary, but you’ll need to know coding and have a high attention to detail. Here are some important things you need to know before choosing web development as your career.

Benefits of a Web Development Career

Web development isn’t for everyone. But for those that invest in this career, it can be well worth it. Here’s just a few reasons why web development can be a fulfilling career.

Salary

A good career will engage and challenge you while also paying you well. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys web development then you won’t need to worry about not getting paid well.

According to Glassdoor, web developers make anywhere between 73k - 119k a year. This number doesn’t include any commission, tips, or bonuses. Over time, a web developer's salary will increase—especially if they focus on developing their skills and moving up the ladder.

Diverse Opportunities

Getting into a web development career means having access to a wide range of career paths, and diverse opportunities. Career opportunities for web developers include:

• Database administrator
• Computer programmer
• Information security analyst
• Mobile app developer
• User experience designer

When you enter the field of web development, you’re able to use your skills in a lot of different jobs. For most, this is advantageous because it gives you the option to move around if things don’t work out.

High Demand and Job Security

Job security is one of the many benefits of web development. When asked about job security Mike said “Let’s face it, every business needs a website these days. That means we’re in high demand, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.”

Web development isn’t going anywhere. Technology continues to be a dominating force in all industries. Businesses need websites, databases need to be secured, and apps need to be developed.

There’s a high demand for web developers and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

Creative and Scientific

Some careers require a creative knack, while others require technical skills. Web development is the best of both worlds.

Our local expert Mike enjoys changing between the complex and creative tasks of web development and says it’s never boring. “One day you’re designing a slick UI, the next you’re diving into complex algorithms.”

Web development is a very scientific field that requires a technical understanding of computer science, but it also requires creativity and creative problem solving.

How to Become A Web Developer

To be a web developer you need to have a good understanding of computer science. How you get these skills is up to you. Several web developers have a formal education, but a few choose to teach themselves.

Whether you’re certain, or interested, in becoming a web developer, this is the path most people take To break into this career.

Education

A formal education in web development will equip you with everything you need to know before starting your career. In most cases, a bachelor’s degree is enough, but for higher positions, master’s or doctorate degrees are required.

The majority of software developers have a bachelor’s degree, and getting one yourself could help jumpstart your career.

Training

As mentioned above, formal education is not necessary to work as a web developer. Learning how to code online can happen through online courses or your own research.

Online courses are a structured way of learning. They can be done in your own time and offer a flexible learning environment.

You can start looking for online courses by looking through the REDC course catalog. While you’re at it, apply for the QUEST grant. It's a great way to find and take online courses for free.

Getting started may take a while. But once you start your career, you’ll be able to gain a lot of experience which will help you get promotions or apply for better jobs.

Keep Learning

Mike had this to say about the importance of always learning as a web developer. “Embrace the learning curve. Our field changes fast. If you’re not learning, you’re falling behind.”

Education, training, and learning is baked into web development, it won’t stop. So embrace the learning curve and start learning today.

Entry Level Jobs

If you’re looking to start your web development career, start by applying for entry-level positions. Here are the types of web developer career paths to look out for in your search.

Front-end

Front-end developers are in charge of making the portion of sites and apps that are seen by customers. They do this by using web languages like:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

Most of the job description for front-end developers involve making sure design elements and the appearance of the site or application look correct and intuitive.

Back-end

Back-end developers build the code that acts as the foundation for websites and apps. They build the parts of the site people won’t see.

Building and maintaining code is the main task for back-end developers. They’re required to test systems, keep info secure, and maintain other important features not seen by the user.

Local Expert Web Developer Tips

Mike, our local expert in Web Development, gave some tips on how to start working in the field of web development.

• Start with the holy trinity: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. There are tons of free resources out there. I started with freeCodeCamp and never looked back.
• Build stuff: Don't just watch tutorials. Get your hands dirty. Build a portfolio site, clone your favorite app, or create something totally new.
• Show off your work: GitHub is your new best friend. Push your code, contribute to open-source projects, and build an awesome portfolio site.
• Find your tribe: Join Discord servers, hit up local meetups, or dive into Stack Overflow. The dev community is generally pretty welcoming.
• Get some real-world experience: Internships, freelance gigs, or even volunteering to build a site for a local business. Any experience is good experience.
• Never stop learning: Follow dev blogs, binge YouTube tutorials, or take some Udemy courses. The learning never stops in this field.
• Stay away from AI: Nowadays, there are too many automated tools that will give you code without any explanation or understanding. It might work, but you won’t know how, why, or what to do when it doesn’t. Learn on your own and incorporate AI only when you have a strong foundation.
• Find a code buddy: Having someone to learn with, bounce ideas off of, or just commiserate with can be a game-changer. Also, look up “Rubber Duck Debugging”. It's a real thing, and it works!

4 Important Skills for Web Developers

Skills can always be learned, but some people are born with certain dispositions or interests that help them in their careers. For example, some people are naturally more comfortable with public speaking and therefore succeed better in client-facing roles.

Skills like public speaking, problem-solving, and conflict resolution are all soft skills. Other skills like welding, using Excel, and speaking a language are all hard skills. Both of these skill types are important.

Here’s a list of four important skills needed to be a web developer.

1. Attention to Detail

If you’ve ever looked at a line of code you’ll notice a lot going on. Web development is a detail-oriented job that requires focus.

While writing code, a web developer needs to oversee all that they’re working on. This includes reviewing lines of code. This can be a tedious task and it requires a keen eye for details.

Web developers are also tasked with following complex standards. These standards can change from project to project, so keeping them at the front of mind is important.

2. Creative Problem Solving Skills

As mentioned earlier, web development is both a scientific and creative field. Sometimes when working on a project, you’ll be tasked with finding solutions to problems.

Creative problem solving is an important skill for web developers to have. Mike says that half the job is figuring out why something’s broken and how to fix it. It takes a lot to make a website or application run smoothly, and problem-solving is a natural part of that process.

3. Focus on Long Tasks Till Completion

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys switching between tasks throughout the day, web development may not be for you.

Attending meetings, collaborating with colleagues, and checking emails are all typical tasks for a web developer. However, the majority of their day involves dealing with code, including writing and testing.

If you want to become a web developer, get comfortable focusing on a single task for a long time. Deadlines are typically short, so dedicating as much time as you can to a project is important.

4. Coding

You can’t be a web developer if you don’t know how to code. Learning how to code can happen during formal education, a coding boot camp, online research, or online courses.

Different coding languages each have their own nuance. Whether you want to focus on just one type of coding language, or become proficient in all of them, you need to understand the ins and outs of coding languages.

Once you’ve learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Mike recommends learning popular frameworks like React or Vue. “HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are your bread and butter, but once you throw in some popular frameworks you’re golden.”

Prepare for A Web Development Career At The REDC

The Regional Economic Development Center at Yavapai College offers job seekers in Yavapai County opportunities to jumpstart and grow their careers.

Whether you’re looking for networking opportunities or courses to prepare you for a new job or an existing job, the REDC has everything you need to take your skills to the next level. If you’re looking for courses you can apply for the QUEST Grant to get an education for free.

Learn more about what the REDC can do for you and your career.