If you have the necessary skills to become a front-end developer and the passion for creating attractive user-end applications, this guide on front-end developer salary in the US is just what you need!
However, to help you grow in your front-end development career even further, we have come up with insights on the possible salaries you can fetch while playing different roles as a front-end developer in various organizations in the USA. Of course, the current salary for this job profile depends on many factors, including your qualifications, work experience, skills, job location, etc.
Today, we shall be looking at all such aspects to help you understand how you can draw the highest pay in this job profile.
Before delving into these intricacies, we must first understand the exact profile of a front-end developer. This would be essential for discussing the salary of a front-end developer in the USA along with the responsibilities they must take on.
Front End Development: Meaning
Simply put, a front-end web developer is almost similar to the client-side of the web development process. For most parts, front-end web development involves analyzing web designs, writing code, and fixing crashes and bugs in all software-based applications. One of the primary purposes of front-end web development is to facilitate a smooth interface for end-users.
A front-end web developer manages, handles, and enhances the output quality that the users view by opening a web browser. These web developers create, modify, and maintain any website’s design, appearance, and graphics to the recent rise in this job’s demand. Front-end web developers’ growth and salary prospects in the USA are pretty attractive.
Languages used in the front-end development process
If we talk about all the programming languages vital for front-end development, it’ll include CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. While many front-end developers used JQuery, it has now lost its relevance owing to the more efficient qualities of new-age internet browsers that offer similar functionalities in much less time.
Responsibilities of a Front End Developer
Front-end developers are responsible for everything that any internet user does or sees on a website. Right from clicking on links to retrieving certain information, the front-end developer makes these processes as seamless as possible.
Let us glance at some more functions of front-end developers:
- Using HTML, JavaScript, or CSS for turning ideas into reality.
- Ensuring seamless user experience on interfaces.
- Producing and maintaining user-friendly platforms of web-based applications.
- To improve the attractiveness of websites from a user point of view.
- Handling mobile website design.
- Managing all the software-based website workflows.
- Bug fixing and site testing.
Frontend Developer Skills
Front-end developers must be knowledgeable in fundamental principles of web designing with proficiency in several programming languages.
Concerning technical skills, they must be well-versed in the following programming languages:
- CSS and HTML
- JQuery and JavaScript
- AngularJS, Backbone, ReactJS, and Ember
- APIs and RESTful services
Apart from these technical skills, the following are the soft skills that one should have if they want to increase their chances of bagging a well-paying front-end development role.
- Excellent communication skills
- Collaboration skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Creativity
Factors Determining The Salary of a Front End Developer in the USA
The four most prominent factors determining the salary of a Front End Developer in the USA are:
- Employee Firm – The company where one works directly impacts the salary one will receive.
- Work Experience – One’s longevity and capacity for having a firm grasp of the potential roadblocks, along with the capability to offer prompt solutions to fix bugs, is directly dependent on their work experience. A blend of work experience and one’s workplace/firm would avail the appropriate salaries and positions to establish oneself in the field.
- Location of working – Some locations or cities in the US offer higher compensation than others. Thus, it’s often worth considering the location when taking up a frot-end development job offer.
- Skills – The more refined one’s skills are, the more competent they are in their field of work. Advanced skills and the latest industry knowledge can go a long way in helping you bag a high-paying front-end role in the USA.
The Average Salary of a Front-end Developer
Now that we know the primary responsibilities of any front-end developer, the skills they must possess, and the factors that impact their salary, we can discuss the average prevailing front-end developer salary in the US.
As per Indeed, the approximate salary of front-end developers is around $100,079.
Frontend Developer Salary by Experience
One or Less than 1-year experience: If you happen to be an entry-level developer, you can make around $97,377 yearly as per Glassdoor data. The lowest you can earn as a fresher is $54K, and the highest salary can go up to $176K per annum.
5-6 years experience: As per PayScale, with 5-6 years of experience, frontend developers can earn up to $93K yearly.
10+ years experience: Glassdoor mentions the average salary of an experienced front-end web developer to be $96,985.
Frontend Developer Salary by Location
Regardless of anyone’s job profile, where a person lives directly impacts their salary. The situation is no different for front-end web developers. Due to the profile being technical, there is a possibility that a few geographic regions with more in-demand tech jobs will offer higher pay than others.
PayScale’s front-end developers based in California, San Francisco, earn around 51.5% higher than the country’s overall average. Seattle, New York, and Washington also have high-paying front-end developers (20.2 % higher than the rest of the states).
Indeed also mentions San Francisco as the highest paying US city for any front-end developer as the approximate salary over there is $157,674 per annum.
Frontend Developer Salary by Language
As mentioned earlier, a front-end web developer needs to be adept in CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. In addition, they must be proficient with JavaScript frameworks like Angular or React.
According to INDEED, one’s work experience and skills sets can strongly influence a front-end developer’s salary. For example, those with expertise in AWS, AI, machine learning, or continuous integration get better pay.
Additionally, PayScale says thatRedux.js, Less.js, Django, React Native, Golang, and other programming languages directly affect one’s web development salary.
Freelance Frontend Developer Salary
If you are someone who prefers working from home and doesn’t like working for one single company throughout your frontend developer career, opting for freelance opportunities is an excellent option. The main advantage of this choice is that you can opt for the projects you want to take up based on your preference. You can even decide upon the number and kind of clients you want to work with at your own accord, in addition to determining the fee you charge per project. As per Glassdoor, the approximate pay for a freelance front-end web developer is $70K per annum. The lowest it can get is $42K per annum, and the upper limit is up to $120K per annum.
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Conclusion
The front-end development job will see a perpetual demand in this tech-savvy world. The numbers discussed above are not the absolute limit. You can grow exceptionally well if you have the right skills and adequate work experience.
However, you must remember that the fundamental determinant of one’s salary as a front-end web developer is the expertise attained, level of soft skills, and how your growth potential syncs with the company’s success.
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