New Data on Web Development Careers

TemplateMonster’s Analytics Department has gathered and extrapolated a largish bit of data concerning web development markets and consequent careers in the United States. It is available as an infographic: Web Development Career Market in the USA.

Here is a digest of what it contains:

  • The Range of Salary: $73 thousand to $122 thousand (with a plus 13.5 percent differential over two years.)
  • The Unemployment Rate: Three-point-four percent.
  • Employment in the U.S. as of 2015: Over 148 thousand.
  • Estimated Employment by the year 2024 in the U.S: 188 thousand.

They have broken down the information into several useful categories, such as:

  • Factoring in regional differences impacting on employment and salary;
  • Premier Web Developer careers with their salary parameters.
  • The premier five states, with metro regions, and their top salary levels.
  • The skills and experience that impact salary ranges.
  • Web Developer key requirements.

The Essentials

The TemplateMonster analysts state that the number of people and companies currently involved in web designing and developing in the United States are as follows: 249 thousand companies, and 121 thousand individuals. The demographic average for web designers and developers is a full-time male with average yearly salary of just over $68 thousand; holding a bachelor’s degree from information technology or a related field. The gender breakdown is 82 percent male, 12 percent female. Those self-employed account for only 17 percent; the remaining 82 percent work for a company.

Geography, of course, plays a huge role in salary for web developers. The top paid positions are in and around the cities of Seattle, San Jose (CA), and San Francisco.

The Salary

TemplateMonster states the average wage range for a web developer in the U.S. has increased during the past 2 years by as much as 13.5 percent. And last year the median yearly income of Web Developers ranged from $73 thousand to $122 thousand. Depending on performance reviews.

Meanwhile, specialists in web development are a bit behind their colleagues of the IT persuasion, according to the analysts. But enjoying a median yearly salary of around $68 thousand, web developers are ahead in earnings by specialists in computer support systems — who clock in at around $66 thousand a year. Computer systems analysts and computer systems administrators tend to make more than web developers — at $79 thousand and $87 thousand respectively.

If you plan on doing Web Development, here are the best five places

  1. Over $106 thousand in Sunnyvale/Santa Clara. CA.
  2. Over $95 thousand in San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City. CA.
  3. Over $87 thousand in Seattle/Bellevue/Everett. Washington state.
  4. Over $79 thousand in New York City/White Plains/Wayne. New York state.

On a statewide basis:

  • Over $110 thousand in the District of Columbia.
  • Over $106 thousand in New York.
  • Over $105 thousand in Massachusetts.
  • Over $101 thousand in Connecticut.
  • And over $100 thousand in Georgia.

Experience is Key

Web Development company Oxagile have confirmed the above findings, saying that appropriate work experience directly impacts the compensation of Web Developers and affects all aspects of their future career. Beginners normally start at around $50 thousand, and that salary goes up during the next ten years, on average, to around $61 thousand annually. After more than ten years in the field a 30 percent bump is the norm, with salaries around $72 thousand. After that, those still in the field should see up to $81 thousand easily for annual compensation.

Web Developer is a relatively recent career choice in the United States. Statistics show that those with more than twenty years experience count for only one-percent! Five percent have less than a year; and 52 percent have been in the field for up to four years. Twenty-six percent have been hard at it for anywhere from five to nine years.

Continuing Employment

The news is good for future Web Developers. Chances of steady employment increase with skills in multiple programming languages and multimedia digital tools.

Like other tech professionals, Web Developers may want to consider a lateral move to a different area of the country in order to increase eventual salary and decrease living expenses.

Here’s where the job prospects are as of this year:

  • New York City area: 7100+ positions.
  • Los Angeles area: 4700+ positions.
  • Washington DC area: 4500+ positions.
  • Seattle area: 3800+ positions.
  • San Francisco area: 3300+ positions.

Or by state:

  • California: 1100+ positions.
  • District of Columbia: 5900+ positions.
  • New York: 5000+ positions.
  • Texas: 4800+ positions.
  • Virginia: 4000+ positions.

What does it take to be a Web Developer?

Your digital portfolio needs live web pages, applications and websites, and a list of your skills in programming, database management, and, of course, web design.

Make sure you know your fundamental programming, such as CSS3, JavaScript, HTML5, Angular, JQuery, as well as Backbone. The hotter programs this year are Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, SQL, Django, and XML. Don’t neglect the current popular platforms such as Microsoft Silverlight or Adobe Flash.

Education

It’s still possible to get a Web Developer job with just an associate degree, but the smart money says go for at least a bachelor’s. Currently about 13 percent of those in the field have got postgraduate degrees displayed on their office walls.

Where will I work?

The chances are good it will be a small web studio or shop. With teams of around 5 people per project. The information services industry employs a lot of you, and there’s a good chance you will be able to telecommute most days of the week, if not always.

Web Developer working at laptop with smartphone and coffee
Web Dev. working at his laptop with smartphone and coffee

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.