Best Cities for Back End Developers

Launching a back end development career in a metropolitan area can be an excellent way to succeed in the popular tech sector. Back end development is a wise decision, as it can open the door to a career as a Python Developer, JavaScript Developer, or Full Stack Developer.

A Back End Developer who works in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, or another major metro may have many more opportunities than in small cities or towns. This article discusses some of the best cities for tech pros with back end development expertise.

What is a Back End Developer?

Back End Developers work on the server or back end side of a website. While the front end of a website is what users engage with, the back end applications are behind the scenes. These can include complex programs, data storage, and third-party Application Programming Interfaces or APIs.

Back end development entails creating a website’s application processes, database, and server. Full Stack Developers are those who can perform front and back end development tasks. Though some development professionals do one or the other, the demand for Front End, Back End, or Full Stack developers depends on location, industry, skill sets, and related factors. Read on to learn more about back end development professionals.

What Makes a City Good for Back End Developers?

Different metro areas offer varying levels of attraction for Back End Developers, from the number of available positions to competitive salaries, networking opportunities, and other factors. When starting a development career, tech pros must know whether they are willing to relocate, their salary and benefits needs, and personal considerations like cost of living expenses, housing, and even leisure activities.

What makes a city appeal to one development pro may be unimportant to another. However, some factors typically matter to everyone regardless of background or personal preferences. Read on to learn more about what makes a city good for Back End Developers.

Job Opportunities

When Back End Developers evaluate various cities, they typically consider the number and type of available jobs. These can include titles like Back End Developer, Junior Developer, or Full Stack Developer.

A job search on a popular site like LinkedIn or Indeed only tells part of the story. Other factors include the industries expanding to support more development work. Examples of industries that require development pros include healthcare, advertising, and BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance).

If you already have experience, consider whether it will benefit you to transfer it to a back end development role in that industry. Use keywords in your search and you might find the perfect development job to match your skills, education, and experience.

High Salaries

The most common factor new Back End Developers look for in the cities where they might want to work is total annual pay. This includes salaries, healthcare benefits, bonuses, or 401(k) plans.

When weighing the pros and cons of a specific city, one of the most crucial factors is the cost of living. A high salary in Des Moines, Iowa might be below average in Los Angeles. Compare the total annual pay for Back End Developers in each city you consider. Factor in rent or mortgage costs, household goods, and other expenses. This will show which cities offer the best advantages.

Strong Back End Developer Community

Only some cities have opportunities to meet and work with other Back End Developers, get further education, or have more challenging career options. However, most major metro areas offer these and much more. For example, cities like LA or NYC provide multiple networking and professional development groups for tech pros. When seeking community support, look for organizations that welcome software and web development professionals of every type.

Local Industries

One of the most essential city features for Back End Developers is the presence of industries or sectors with a high demand for developers. These can include everything from ecommerce to healthcare, tech, or BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance). If you want to apply general back end development skills to any industry, these are some of the best sectors to explore.

On the other hand, if you have industry-specific knowledge and experience, consider looking for back end development positions within that industry. A resume or CV highlighting relevant experience in that sector can stand out from the competition and get you a position that requires your previous knowledge and newfound development skills.

Additional Technical Training

Development training is an ongoing process. Professional development for Back End Developers can include certifications or expansion into other areas, like front end technologies or cybersecurity. If you become a Senior Back End Developer, you should focus on project management, collaborating with DevOps engineers, or training and coaching other developers.

Because professional development can be integral to a Back End Developer’s career, many prefer to work in a city that offers in-person technical training. That can include colleges and universities, private course providers, and other tech training outlets. Whether you plan to continue in back end development or expand into a front end or software engineering career, consider the importance of vibrant community educational resources.

Top Cities for Back End Developers

Seattle

Internationally known for its high-tech history, Seattle is among the highest-paying cities in the United States for Back End Developers. The Seattle metropolitan area hosts Microsoft headquarters and the original Amazon headquarters. This tech mecca is a destination for thousands of jobs, from Back End Developers to Software Engineers.

According to Indeed, Back End Developers in Seattle earn an average base salary of $175,000, making it one of the best options for this position. Add an affordable cost of living, sports franchises like the NFL Seahawks, and industries like aerospace and construction, and Seattle ranks among the best locations for development professionals.

San Francisco

With an average annual base salary of around $163,000, according to Indeed, San Francisco is another ideal destination city for Back End Developers. San Francisco is one of America's artificial intelligence (AI) capitals, alongside Seattle, Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles. Although the cost of living here is higher than the national average, so is the average annual salary—especially for big-tech workers.

When searching for Back End Developer or Engineer jobs in San Francisco, look for roles in security, banking, or health and wellness. Other options include software services, retail, or one of the area’s many tech startups.

Los Angeles

Drive a few hours south of San Francisco, and you’ll hit Los Angeles, another top destination for tech workers of all stripes. Top industries include entertainment, IT, and aerospace, making L.A. a perfect city to find a Back End Developer role.

Salaries here average around $160,000 annually, comparable to those in other area cities. Add attractions like Hollywood, beautiful beaches, and sports franchises like the NFL Rams and NBA Lakers, and you’ve got the ideal spot for a challenging, high-paying development career.

Boston

Boston is another excellent city for Back End Developers. While you might not think of Massachusetts as a tech hub, development pros in the Boston metro area earn some of the highest salaries in the country: the average base pay here is around $159,000 annually for Back End Developers, higher than national averages.

The Greater Boston metro region attracts development professionals outside New England for several reasons. First, industries like healthcare, biotech, and finance reign here, making it an attractive destination for Back End Developers. Second, as one of the cultural centers of the Northeast, Boston offers quality education and a vibrant arts scene. Third, sports teams like the Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins have fans everywhere—not just in Massachusetts. Keep Boston on the shortlist for webdev jobs.

New York

With an average annual base salary exceeding $150,000, New York City remains a top spot for Back End Developers. As a number one financial services hub, Wall Street is synonymous with finance, especially the stock market. Other essential NYC sectors for Back End Developers include healthcare, education, and retail.

Of course, the Big Apple is also famed for numerous other reasons. New York sports franchises duke it out with their Boston rivals, and sites like Times Square, Broadway, and the Statue of Liberty are all international destinations.

Chicago

In the Midwest, Chicago is one of the best cities for a Back End Developer to launch a career. With a base annual salary of around $154,000, it’s among the highest-paying, too.

The Windy City boasts top institutes of higher learning, from Northwestern University to Loyola University of Chicago. Its biggest industries also support development roles, including finance, technology, and healthcare, to name a few.

Add sports franchises like the MLB Cubs and NFL Bears, a thriving cultural scene, and one of the nation’s best mass transit systems, and you'll see Chicago always gives you something to root for.

While these are hardly the only US cities that offer high-paying Back End Developer jobs, they are among the best for salaries, tech community support, and cultural and entertainment choices. Other cities that offer high pay for back end development include Atlanta, GA, Detroit, MI, Austin, TX, and San Jose, CA.

Why Become a Back End Developer?

Although the front end of a website is essential for aesthetic reasons, the back end is crucial to functionality. Back End Developers make websites unique, and the role allows for creativity for the person coding them.

The skills and tools required for back end development strengthen a developer’s resume or CV. For example, Back End Developers typically learn JavaScript, a language also essential to front end development. Python, another top programming language, can be applied to back end development, data analysis, or cybersecurity.

Finally, some Back End Developers go on to become Full Stack developers. Learning back end development first helps tech professionals prepare for the front end training required for a full stack development role.

How to Find a Back End Developer Job

If you plan to search for a Back End Developer position, odds are you will not find too many job listings that only specify back end development skills. A keyword search on sites like Indeed or LinkedIn will more likely return results like:

• Front End Web Developer
• Full Stack Developer
• Junior Developer
• Junior Software Engineer
• Junior Web Developer
• Software Developer
• WordPress Web Developer

You might be dismayed that so few listings mention back end development in the title. However, this does not mean that none of them require back end skills. On the contrary, a Full Stack development position always demands front and back end expertise, and many junior web development roles are simply Back End Developer positions with alternate titles.

It may require some extra digging on your part to find appropriate listings. Remember that the responsibilities and qualifications sections matter more than the title for back end development roles.

Learn the Skills to Become a Back End Developer at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides multiple bootcamps and certificate programs for students to learn back end development tools and skills in person or live online via teleconferencing. Subjects include JavaScript, Node.js, Python, and React, to name a few. Consider the following courses:

• JavaScript Development Certificate - The immersive JavaScript Development Certificate program is appropriate for those looking to become Front End, Full Stack, or JavaScript Developers. This 14-week program covers everything from the MERN tech stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js) to developing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). Applicants should be comfortable coding HTML and CSS before enrolling. 
• Python Developer Certificate - Noble Desktop’s Python Developer Certificate combines its popular 30-hour Python Programming Bootcamp with a 60-hour unit on Python web development with Django REST in this comprehensive program. You'll learn about automation, GitHub, SQL, and URL dispatchers as you gain proficiency in designing complex web apps. As with the JavaScript Development Certificate, applicants should be comfortable coding HTML and CSS before enrolling.
• Python Web Development with Django - The 60-hour Python Web Development with Django provides a highly-reviewed standalone course for students familiar with HTML/CSS. This curriculum introduces object-oriented programming with Python, working with Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and back end development with the Django REST framework. You can save by taking the course as part of the Python Developer Certificate program.