Web developers create and maintain websites and web applications, and they use web-facing technology to build software.

They talk with clients to understand their needs and build websites that meet them. Other duties may include:
working with graphic designers on site layout or doing design work themselves 
creating mockups
testing and problem-solving 
meeting with various stakeholders. 
“A lot of the job is explaining technical concepts in nontechnical ways,” says Michael Panik, Birmingham, Alabama-based technical lead for Alloy, a software firm and digital strategy company. “You have to be able to talk about what you do, and you have to be able to convince people that it’s worth doing. But the rest of the time is a lot of being in the code.”

Web developers must possess good research skills as they try to understand clients’ needs and create desired products. They must have good project management and logical reasoning skills and should communicate effectively with clients and teammates.

The scope of a web developer’s job can depend on their specialty and what they’re most experienced in. Back-end developers are responsible for writing the code that stores and processes data on a site. Front-end developers focus more on the user interface and need an eye for design. Full-stack developers have some proficiency in both front- and back-end web development.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17.0% employment growth for web developers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 16,700 jobs should open up.

You don’t necessarily need a college degree to become a web developer, although some employers may prefer to hire candidates with a bachelor’s degree in programming or computer science.

“But the majority of companies are going to focus solely on what you can do,” Panik says. “So, (what’s) more important than any training that you could have is being able to demonstrate a history of work: ’I have built thing X.’”

Boot camps can be a helpful tool for beginner web developers who want to learn, but a certificate from a boot camp alone isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll land a job. Prospective employers want to see passionate candidates showcase their skill set through portfolios of original projects. Panik says he would be most likely to hire a candidate who has created projects in addition to what the bootcamp required of them.

“No matter what kind of training you do, you’re not going to learn these kinds of skills in a classroom,” he says. “You’ve got to get out there and try and learn by doing.”