Are you curious about the working conditions for Web Developers, including how many hours they typically work in a week? If so, this is the article for you! In this guide, you’ll learn what to expect from a career in web development, including working hours and what factors affect the amount of time spent on the job. But first, to present you with a complete picture of what to expect from a Web Developer position, we offer a quick overview of web development and its primary job responsibilities.
What Is a Web Developer?
A Web Developer is a person who uses a variety of programming languages and tools to build and maintain websites. They’re responsible for ensuring that the websites they create are user-friendly, error-free, and aesthetically pleasing. Web Developers can apply their skills to projects ranging in size from a straightforward single-page website to a complicated social media or ecommerce site.
There are three specialties a Web Developer can go into: front end web development, back end web development, and full stack web development. A Front End Web Developer takes care of the client side of the website that users interact with. In contrast, a Back End Web Developer is tasked with building and maintaining servers, databases, and applications that users never have access to. Full Stack Web Developers cover both ends of the website and are responsible for user-facing and server-side elements.
Typical Job Duties of a Web Developer
The typical duties of a Web Developer will vary depending upon which specialty they choose. To give you some idea of what to expect, here are the primary responsibilities of a Full Stack Web Developer:
- Working with stakeholders to determine the purpose of the website and how it should look
- Creating and maintaining servers, databases, APIs (application programming interfaces), and overall website architecture
- Developing website design on the front end
- Coding the front and back ends of the website and debugging any errors that may arise
- Utilizing user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) principles
- Creating and maintaining user interfaces and navigation menus plus modifying them when necessary
- Incorporating multimedia content such as graphics, audio, video, etc. onto websites
- Ensuring that websites can be accessed on a variety of platforms and devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones
- Implementing protocols to secure data
- Testing websites for speed, performance, usability, etc. and making changes to optimize performance
- Writing technical documentation for the site
- Providing website maintenance and making enhancements when required
Web Developer Working Hours
It’s important to know what type of working conditions to expect before you start working toward a career in web development. To help you make an informed decision, here’s some information about the number of hours Web Developers typically work and factors that affect working hours.
How Many Hours Do Web Developers Work?
Most full-time Web Developers work a typical 40-hour week, though some may work longer or shorter hours from time to time. In their annual survey in 2019, the team at Stack Overflow asked Web Developers to report their average working hours. The most common answer was 40 to 44 hours per week with 51.7% of Web Developers selecting that option. With 13.4% of the vote, the next most popular option was 35 to 39 hours per week; this was followed by 45 to 49 hours per week with 11.6% marking this choice. Surprisingly, more than 6% of respondents indicated that they typically work fewer than 30 hours per week.
Factors That Affect Web Developers’ Working Hours
There are several factors that can influence the number of hours you’re required to work as a Web Developer. Let’s review several of them.
Location
Where you’re located has some bearing on the number of hours you’ll end up working per week. According to the Stack Overflow survey, Web Developers in Poland work longer hours than those in other countries; they average 44.6 hours per week. Not far behind them were India at 42.2 hours and the United States at 42.1 working hours every week. Web Developers in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were on the lower end of the scale, coming in at 38.1 and 39.6 hours, respectively.
Role
Your role within the company also affects the number of hours you work. Having a managerial position will increase the number of hours you’re expected to put in. For example, Web Developers working in a Senior Executive/Vice President role reported working 47.7 hours per week. A few hours behind them were Product Managers and Engineering Managers who work just under 45 hours weekly. Positions offering the lowest number of hours were Game or Graphics Developer, Academic Researcher, and Scientist with fewer than 42 hours per week on average.
Employee vs. Freelance
The number of hours you work per week will also depend upon whether you work as an employee or a freelancer. As an employee, you’ll likely be required to work a minimum number of hours per week, typically 40. If you work as a freelance Web Developer, you’ll have more control over your time and can take on as little or as much work as you’d like.
Type of Company
The type of company you work for also plays a role in the number of hours you work every week. If you work for a well-established company, you’re more likely to work close to the standard 40 hours per week. New businesses that have recently launched may need you to work longer hours to help their startup get off the ground and become profitable.
Size of Company
You must also consider company size when figuring the average number of hours worked. A smaller company may have only one or two developers on staff, which means you have to work more overtime whenever any issues arise. Working for a small company could also make it more difficult to take paid time off whenever you need it. In a large company, there may be several other developers who can help cover for you whenever necessary, reducing your average number of working hours.
How to Start Your Career in Web Development
If you want to become a Web Developer, getting started is easy; the best way is to enroll in a comprehensive web development bootcamp. A bootcamp is a great option because it teaches you all the skills you need to know for a new career in just a few short months.
Depending on your location, you may be able to find web development bootcamps in your area. If there aren’t any schools nearby, don’t worry—there are plenty of options available for live online web development bootcamps. These often offer the best of both worlds; you get the in-depth instruction, accountability, and feedback of an in-person course with the convenience of learning from home.
If you want to learn web development without committing to a bootcamp, the next best option is to enroll in individual web development classes. You can take web development classes live online or in person on a variety of topics, including HTML, JavaScript, React, Python, MongoDB, and Express.js. If you need help finding classes, use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find a class that matches your interests, schedule, and budget.