Are you considering working in web development, but you’re not sure it’s a good profession to pursue? Here are the top 7 reasons why you should consider a career in this exciting and expanding field:
1. High Demand
The demand for web developers is already pretty high and it’s only expected to continue rising over the next decade. Driving the demand for web developers is the explosion in Internet usage; it’s currently booming and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
With so many people online, businesses need to have a web presence to remain viable. This applies to all businesses, regardless of their size or industry; even the smallest local shops are now jumping online to make their presence known.
Web developers provide businesses with the unique, engaging websites they need to connect with customers. While businesses could feasibly create their own sites using Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress templates, these tend to look amateurish and run slowly compared to sites built by professional Web Developers.
Thanks to the high demand for professional websites, a career in web development is considered “future proof” meaning it will continue to be a valuable line of work well into the future. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that web development will grow 13% over the next decade, adding approximately 17,900 jobs each year. This is substantially higher than the average rate of job growth, which sits at around 8%.
2. High Earning Potential
Not only are web development jobs in high demand, they also pay well. There are various career routes you can take within the realm of web development, including Front End Web Developer, Back End Web Developer, and Full Stack Web Developer plus language-specific roles such as Python Developer, Ruby Developer, and Java Developer. Though the salaries for these positions vary depending upon where you’re located and how much experience you have, they tend to hover between $100,000 and $130,000 per year. That’s about twice as much as the average wage in the United States, which was just over $56,000 in 2020.
3. Creativity
If you’re looking for a dull, mindless desk job, then keep looking because web development gives you plenty of opportunities to flex your creative muscles. A major part of a Web Developer’s job is taking input from various sources and using their creativity to bring those ideas to life.
Web Developers are also considered to be creative problem solvers. The completion of a website often involves overcoming a series of challenges. Whether the issue is regarding website design, user psychology, or meeting business goals, a successful Web Developer will evaluate all of the available options and find a creative solution to the problem.
4. Flexibility
Working as a Web Developer also offers you a lot of flexibility. For example, you can decide to be a salaried employee or you could start your own business and work as a freelancer. You also have the option to work for almost any industry imaginable — organizations in education, manufacturing, retail, marketing, government, communication, transportation, hospitality, finance, construction, and entertainment all need a skilled Web Developer to develop and maintain their websites.
The type of position you hold within web development is also flexible; you can work as either a Front End Web Developer, Back End Web Developer, Full Stack Web Developer or specialize in a programming language by becoming a Python Developer, Ruby Developer, or Java Developer. Your location can likewise be flexible; whether working for a company or for yourself as a freelancer, Web Developers are able to work from practically anywhere that has an Internet connection.
5. Teamwork and Community
Another reason web development makes such a stellar career choice is that it offers you the opportunity to work with a team and become part of a large, active community of developers. While the standard image of a programmer might be someone who works alone in a darkened room, the truth is that being a Web Developer requires being part of a team. In addition to the Web Developer, other members of a web development team might include Project Manager, Inbound Marketer, UX Designer, Content Specialist, and Editor, just to name a few. Working with a team might seem challenging at first, but it allows Web Developers to improve their communication and collaboration skills.
Working as a Web Developer also gives you access to a strong community of developers, both on and offline. For opportunities to network in person, you can find various groups through Meet-Up, attend tech conferences, or join a local coworking space. The top places to go online are Stack Overflow, Reddit, and Dev.to. The best thing about these communities is that they’re very active and helpful; if you ever find yourself stuck, just search for the answer on these forums or ask your question if it hasn’t already been addressed. Chances are you’ll get a response from fellow Web Developers fairly quickly.
6. High Satisfaction
Stack Overflow’s 2020 survey of Web Developers asked respondents to weigh in on job satisfaction. Of the nearly 65,000 developers who responded, more than 63% of them reported being satisfied with their job. This could be thanks to the high salaries that often accompany web development positions; according to Pew Research, people who earn $75,000 per year or more report higher rates of job satisfaction compared to those who earn less than that amount. Regardless of the cause, Web Developers tend to be more satisfied with their careers than people in other professions.
7. Easy to Acquire Skills
With Web Developers in such high demand, there’s a wide range of resources available to help new learners acquire the skills they need. A few of the most widely used options include paid classes, free video tutorials, and official online documentation provided by programming languages, libraries, and frameworks.
Aspiring Web Developers may choose to pursue a university education in the field, but it’s not required. While some positions might require a bachelor’s degree, most employers just want to know that you’re capable of doing the job. That means you can acquire the skills you need to start a career in web development without having to take all those extra general education classes that universities require.
The best way to do this is by enrolling in a web development bootcamp. Bootcamps are specialized skills-focused programs that operate on an abbreviated schedule; they’re considered an excellent alternative to university education because they can get you career-ready in just a few short months as opposed to the 4 years required to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Depending upon your location, you may be able to find a web development bootcamp in your area. If there are none available, a viable alternative would be enrolling in an online web development bootcamp. By taking your bootcamp online, you get the same expert instruction and live feedback as you would from an in-person class except you don’t have to deal with troublesome traffic.
If you’re not quite ready for an immersive bootcamp, another possibility would be enrolling in individual web development classes. That way you can get started on your learning journey while testing your interest in pursuing web development as a career. If you’re trying to fit your education in with a full-time job or busy home life, then online web development classes might be the best choice for you. They offer you maximum convenience with the same high-quality curriculum as in-person classes.