What Do Web Developers Do?

The internet is an integral part of doing business in today’s digital age. It’s hard to imagine any business, large or small, finding success without an internet presence. The need for a strong web presence leads to a need for web developers to design websites and ensure their operability.

While at its core, the role of a web developer is to design and maintain a website, the role can be quite varied, according to Jacob Distel, a senior web developer specializing in front-end development at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

At SNHU, Distel focuses primarily on external websites, writing code for the UI, or user interface. This includes the styling and functionality of websites for the university. He also: 

• Assists in A/B testing, or the testing of different versions of web pages
• Assures fast page load times
• Implements SEO (search engine optimization)
• Plans out the structure of coding solutions with other developers

Distel holds an associate degree in web development, the impetus for his nearly 17-year career in this field.  He's held positions as an application developer for a large business and a systems engineer for a software company before coming to SNHU.

What is Web Development?

“Web development” is a broad term because the role actually encompasses so many areas. The profession can incorporate aspects of coding, marketing, graphic design and database management, according to Distel. 

Within those differences is the common thread that most applications a web developer may design will run in a web browser for digital consumption, Distel said. That leads to web developers needing to be versatile in their design.

That versatility can serve a web developer well by allowing them to do anything from developing websites for the public to creating custom web applications or mobile apps. “We can be responsible for everything from coding in a number of programming languages to SEO, analytics, design, to working with databases,” Distel said.

Mike Darling, a senior solutions architect of web development at SNHU, agrees that the versatile skill set of a web developer is key. With more than a decade of web development and marketing experience, his role includes a great deal of problem-solving and collaboration with others on the marketing and web development teams.

What Degree Do You Need to Become a Web Developer? 

There are several different academic paths toward becoming a web developer. For Distel, that meant earning an associate degree in the field and then gaining a lot of practical experience. For Darling, that meant earning an associate in IT and then a bachelor's in computer science. Darling worked in digital marketing before turning to web development at SNHU.

Distel recommended that all web developers learn foundational skills such as programming and basic design, which you can learn in a bachelor’s degree program in graphic design, web design or information technology.

If you’re interested in the more creative side of web development, a bachelor’s degree in graphic design with a concentration in user experience design or web design may be the path for you.

If the more technical side of web development better suits your interests, you may wish to consider a bachelor’s in information technology or a master’s in information technology. Within that field, you could concentrate on web design, software application development, database design and more.

A degree can offer you the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for success. “There are underlying programming methods for updating content on a webpage that have been around since the early 1990s and new programming languages are just using those methods hidden under a layer of new ways of doing things,” Distel said.

While having experience with the latest technologies is helpful, having a sound knowledge of web development fundamentals is just as important, according to Distel.

Learn more about how to become a web developer.

What is the Job of a Web Developer?

Web development can be broken down into several separate specialties within the field. The roles of front-end, back-end and full-stack developers overlap with several key differences. While some web developers work in two or three of those roles, it’s more common for someone to specialize in one side or the other, Distel said.

There are also opportunities to specialize in web design, website management and even content authoring, according to Distel and Darling.

Front-End

Front-end web development is mostly associated with what is shown, or rendered, on the screen of a device. “They (front-end developers) build the parts of the applications that people interact with,” Distel said.

Those parts can include copy, graphic design and virtually everything you see or read as a user.

While this role involves a lot of design elements, there’s a need for strong technical skills as well. As a front-end web developer, you may write web design programs using various computer languages, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Back-End

Back-end developers construct the website and ensure it functions properly, according to BLS. This aspect of web development is known for doing work behind the scenes, which is work that users generally don’t see.

For example, when a user submits a form with data to be processed, such as an order form when a consumer buys something online, the back-end developer’s role is to ensure that the form and information in it are processed correctly.

Full-Stack

Full-stack web developers have working knowledge of both front-end and back-end web development and will work on both ends of the spectrum.

Web Design

This role focuses on graphics and design even more than front-end development, though the two areas have a lot of overlap.

According to BLS, as a web designer, you may have more of a graphic design background than a technical one, focusing on the overall visual impact of a website. This could include photos, font size and type and layout.

If this interests you, find out how to become a web designer.

Web Master

In this role, you would likely ensure the operability of a website, according to BLS. It could be your responsibility to check for broken links, update links or even respond to user comments and concerns.

The median pay for web developers and digital designers in 2023 was $92,750, according to BLS.*

What Does a Web Developer Do All Day? 

When you work as a web developer, every day can be different. “That’s one of the great things about being a web developer. We get a large variety of things to do and (it) rarely gets boring,” Distel said.

One day, you might write or design a webpage, and the next day, you could work on handling data submissions to a database. “Some days I spend hours trying to optimize how a YouTube video loads on a website, and sometimes I work on how our code builds and runs with other code,” Distel said.

According to BLS, web developers may spend their time applying their knowledge of HTML programming. They may also need a working knowledge of multimedia publishing tools. Keeping up to date on changes in technology and learning new computer languages is key to success in the profession. As devices and screen sizes change, web developers need to adapt to create web designs that suit changes in technology, BLS said.

Is a Web Developer Job Hard? 

Like any career, web development can be easy or hard, depending on your skill set and perspective. If you love what you’re doing, even challenging work can be enjoyable.

According to Distel, some core skills that could help you find success as a web developer are:

• Adaptability. This includes having a growth mindset. Technology changes constantly. In his 17 years working in the field, Distel has seen programming languages, development tools and platforms change many times. Some of those tools are now obsolete. Being open and able to adapt to and embrace constant change will serve you well in this field.
  
  
• Creativity. While you don’t have to be a graphic designer to be successful as a web developer, having a sense of open-mindedness and creative thinking can be helpful in this field. Web developers are asked to create a lot of different products and ideas, so having the willingness to apply creative thinking to figure out what to do can be very helpful.
  
  
• Problem-solving. Web developers start most projects by determining the problem they’re trying to solve and then designing solutions to that problem. There can also be competing needs between SEO and the user experience, as well as accessibility concerns that developers will need to manage, Darling said.

For Darling, a desire to learn is also useful in this field. “The tools and frameworks we use as developers is constantly changing and evolving,” he said.

And the ability to communicate well is also important, especially for front-end developers. “Developers will often benefit from being able to both give and receive feedback when working in a team environment as most teams will have some sort of peer review step in their overall process,” Darling said.

Are Web Developers in High Demand?

“Web development is an extremely important profession,” Distel said. Everything runs on the internet these days, not just websites. Big corporations and small businesses all have a web presence. Organizations of all sizes use the internet in everything from smartwatches, home appliances, cars and entire global corporate systems, Distel said.

Web developers are in demand because they have the knowledge and skills to work in each of these areas, from corporate to academic to nonprofit work.*

The range of industries that need web developers is vast.* BLS shows that, as of May 2023, the top industries for web and digital interface (front-end) designers were:

• Advertising and public relations
• Computer systems design
• Finance and insurance
• Retail

And the top industries for web development, also according to BLS, were:

• Advertising and public relations
• Computer systems design
• Educational services
• Management and consulting services

As e-commerce continues to explain and businesses increase online offerings, demand for web developers is expected to grow between 8 and 9% between 2023 and 2033, according to BLS.*

Is Being a Web Developer for You?

Ultimately, web development is a career field that combines a love of learning and applying technical skills with an eye for design and an appreciation for strong user experience and customer service principles.

Web developers have enabled companies and organizations to reach and connect with people more quickly and with greater capacity than ever before, as Darling said. The continuous growth in this field makes it an excellent prospect for anyone who loves to think creatively and apply new technologies throughout their career.*

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

A former higher education administrator, Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn.