Front End Developer Salary:

Finding work as a Front End Developer and related positions such as Back End Developer, Web Developer, or Web Designer can provide what many would consider to be good salaries that will vary depending on where the individual works. A Front End Developer must know HTML and CSS coding along with advanced skills in JavaScript, including JavaScript-related frameworks like Angular and React.

Front End Developers currently average around $103,000 a year in the United States but can earn more in larger cities or locations that place a greater emphasis on technology-related business. Salaries for Front End Developers vary depending on a person’s educational background, certifications, computer-related skills, and years of experience in the profession.

What is a Front End Developer?

Becoming a Front End Developer involves building websites and applications using common front end web development languages. The front end of a website is what users see on their web browsers and is built using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other coding languages. 

Web development includes creating websites and apps from scratch. This means applying front end, back end, and full stack web development procedures. Front end development focuses on how a user interacts with a website while back end development concerns the functionality of that website within browsers like Chrome and Safari, for example. Full stack development combines both those functions.

Skills needed for becoming a Front End Developer can also qualify you for working as a Web Developer or Web Designer.

Read more about what a Front End Developer does.

What Affects Your Pay as a Front End Developer

Front End Developers average around $103,000 annually in the United States but can earn more working in larger cities or places that emphasize technology. Other factors that determine the salary for Front End Developers include educational background, work experience, and the specific industry the Developer works in.

Education

While many Front End Developers have four-year computer science degrees, possessing thorough knowledge and experience are essential for finding work without needing a degree. Aside from having a college degree, there are other learning paths that can lead to working as a Front End Developer. For example, Noble Desktop offers a variety of courses, bootcamps, or certificate programs that can provide prospective Front End Developers with the necessary skills and qualifications for pursuing a career.

Experience

Anyone hoping to find a career as a Front End Developer must have some experience with designing or building the front end–or client-side–of websites or web applications that users see on their screens. A thorough knowledge in the coding that makes websites work on web browsers should also appeal to potential employers. Front End Developers are responsible for what users see on websites and must have experience in working with Back End Developers, who are responsible for the server-side of a website that focuses on a web page’s functionality.

Front End Developers must possess strong communication skills for working with not only Back End Developers but with UI (user interface) Designers, UX (user experience) Designers, and Web Designers.

Front End Developers must have hard skills with coding and programming languages as well as experience with web design and development. However, a Front End Developer should also possess soft skills such as being able to communicate with coworkers, managers, and clients. Front End Developers must also have time management skills since the job involves juggling schedules and deadlines.

Industry

Front End Developers can find work with major corporations, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and government agencies. Large companies like Amazon, Wells Fargo, or Apple employ Front End Developers to enhance their online visibility.

Similarly, small businesses in large cities like Miami, Charlotte, or Boston hire Front End Developers as full-time employees or contractors through IT staffing companies. Businesses in smaller cities like Rome, Georgia, for example, also hire Front End Developers to expand their visibility with customers in larger surrounding cities to find potential clients who might not have otherwise been aware of that business’s products or services.

Front End Developers can find opportunities with startups. There are plenty of young, dynamic entrepreneurs looking for the right talent to help them shock the world. A Front End Developer can help a startup establish its own unique and appealing look.

Front End Developers may also find work at web development companies that can benefit from someone who can create appealing web designs for websites or mobile apps.

Location

As stated, the average annual income for Front End Developers is around $103,000 in the United States. In larger cities like San Francisco, a Front End Developer averages about $145,000 likely due to its location as the largest city in the Silicon Valley region, the hub of the technology industry. Front End Developers can earn an income of around $117,000 in Seattle, which is also considered among the most appealing tech sectors on the planet. Additionally, Front End Developers can find an income of nearly $108,000 in Atlanta, $115,000 in Austin, and $104,000 in Minneapolis, which are all American cities considered to be on the cutting-edge for tech industry opportunities.

Specialization

Working as a Front End Developer is similar to working as a Software Engineer as both occupations work with the coding languages HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in building websites and apps. While coding languages are the foundation for creating websites, there are areas of front end web development that individuals can choose to specialize in. When users open up websites and apps, they immediately see the results created by Front End Developers. With an emphasis on user interaction, working as a Front End Developer offers several opportunities for specialization.

While the national salary for Front End Developers averages about $103,000 across the United States, similar positions like JavaScript Developer can provide an income of as much as $116,000 with an emphasis on work focusing on JavaScript for creating client-facing websites and apps implementing front end and back end coding and programming. Working as a UI (user interface) Designer, another specialization related to becoming a Front End Developer, can bring in an average salary of $86,000 for working with Product Managers and Front End Developers by making sure that users are able to easily navigate a website. Mobile Developers earn an average income of around $121,000 for making sure that the user interface on smartphones goes smoothly.

Pay Range for Front End Developers

Working as a Front End Developer or related positions like Web Developer, Back End Developer, or Full Stack Developer can all bring in similar average salaries nationally but will vary depending on region and level of experience with each occupation. 

While Front End Developers earn an average income of about $103,000 nationally, the position brings in around $145,000 in a large city like San Francisco located in the Silicon Valley region, which serves as the hub of the tech industry. Several major tech related companies are headquartered in or near San Francisco, which provides opportunities for working as Front End Developers at organizations like Meta, the main company for Facebook, Netflix, the streaming giant located in nearby Los Gatos, and NTT DATA Services, which is a company that provides IT business services.

Front End Developers can also find opportunities in the Denver metropolitan area and expect an average salary of about $119,000 for working at companies like Arrow Electronics, which specializes in electronic components, Coors Brewery, located in nearby Golden, Colorado, and Level 3 Communication, a multinational telecommunications organization.

Chicago offers an average income of around $105,000 for working as a Front End Developer for companies like Pampered Chef, a multinational marketing firm specializing in kitchen tools, Littelfuse, an electronics manufacturing company, and John Crane, which specializes in engineered products.

Highest-Earning Job Titles for Front End Developers

Depending on experience, the salary for a Front End Developer will vary. As expected, the average national salary for an entry level position like Junior Developer is about $64,000 a year, which is below the current national average of nearly $103,000 with more experience in the profession. By contrast, experience as a Front End Developer can lead to an average salary as high as $104,000 nationally working as a Senior Developer. The highest earning job titles for careers related to front end or back end web development include working as a Back End Developer making around $116,000, or a Web Developer, averaging about $82,000.

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

People have several options for learning to become a Front End Developer, which include in-person and live online training courses, bootcamps, and certificate programs that provide real-time hands-on instruction. Noble Desktop offers several live online Web Development courses.

For example, with hardly any prior coding experience, an individual could complete the Front End Web Development Certificate and get headed in the right direction for their new career with training in how to build the user side of a responsive website. This course aims to keep class sizes small so that students can receive tailored advice and guidance from their instructors.

If you would like to learn about designing websites or email programs from coding with HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you can train for the Web Design Certificate. In addition, this course will teach you how to build websites using WordPress.

If you would like to learn about more options for building websites or apps from scratch through skills in front end web development, Noble Desktop provides information on their Learn Front End Web Development page, which can guide you through learning about several options for becoming a Front End Developer, including what free resources are available and career advice.

Key Takeaways

• Finding work as a Front End Developer and related positions can provide a good income that can vary depending on the specific location or level of experience.
• Becoming a Front End Developer involves building websites and apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Front End Developers can earn an average annual income of around $103,000 in the United States.
• While many Front End Developers have a four-year computer science degree, possessing coding experience can lead to getting hired without having a college degree.
• Front End Developers must have experience with designing and building the user-side of websites and apps through knowledge and experience in coding.
• Front End Developers must be able to work with Back End Developers, who are responsible for the server-side of a website that focuses on functionality.
• Front End Developers must also possess soft skills such as being able to communicate with coworkers, managers, and clients.
• Front End Developers should also possess soft skills in time management for coordinating schedules and deadlines.
• Front End Developers can find work with major corporations, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and government agencies.
• The average annual salary for Front End Developers in San Francisco is around $145,000, $108,000 in Atlanta, and $104,000 in Minneapolis.
• While coding languages are the foundation for creating websites, there are other areas of front end web development that Front End Developers can choose to specialize.
• Front End Developer or related positions like Web Developer, Back End Developer, or Full Stack Developer can bring in similar average salaries depending on experience and location.
• Noble Desktop offers courses, bootcamps, and certificate programs that provide training in front end web development. These classes provide real-time, hands-on instruction.