Even though the World Wide Web has existed for decades, it’s still fascinating to think about how the Internet connects the global audience in myriad ways. Everything we do online is just a click away. Thanks to technological advances, our journey as users is practically effortless – we can access any website/application and perform the necessary tasks in the blink of an eye.
However, complicated mechanics go into making a website or application smooth and seamless. Behind the attractive and streamlined look of the front-end lie numerous complex processes and software mechanisms designed by web developers. Needless to say, web developers are among the highest-paid tech professionals in the US.
If you are curious about a web developer’s job profile and responsibilities that fetch them high-end salaries, keep reading!
Who is a Web Developer?
There are mainly three kinds of Web Developers:
- Full Stack Web Developer,
- Back-End Web Developer, and
- Front-End Web Developer
As all the three names suggest, the entire stack developer works with both the client and server software. The back-end web developers deal with the back-end servers, and front-end web developers deal with the user interface and related experience.
If put simply, web developers handle the coding and programming requirements of all web-based services that occur at the back-end. Owing to the demand for this job in various companies across all service sectors, the salary of Web Developers in the USA remains amongst the highest.
Job Profile of a web developer
The job profile of a web developer involves talking to customers telephonically or in a meeting to understand their requirements. Web developers must understand the specific needs of the client, and the features or intricacies that must be highlighted in a web application/website.
Here are a few core responsibilities of Web Developers
- Linking the landing page with various tables and databases.
- Ability to understand how many people visited the official website and related details.
- Connecting eCommerce websites/apps to multiple payment gateways.
- Webpage optimization for mobile viewing.
- Hosting servers and managing network & connectivity issues.
Factors impacting a web developer’s salary in the USA
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Market rate prevailing locally
The local market rate of one’s job location – which is directly linked to the living cost – is an essential factor that determines their salary as a web developer. For example, say a person is currently living and working in New York, the compensation offered to them is more likely to be higher than that provided to someone who lives and works in Oklahoma.
As for working from remote locations, the location can also impact their advancement prospects at the workplace and estimated wages. For instance, work opportunities are often available exclusively for recruitment in specific time zones. However, some jobs only need the worker to be available for some or all hours within a particular time zone, irrespective of the daily cycle at the workers’ location.
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Size of the company
The size of the workplace recruiting also needs to be taken into consideration. Whether it is a recently-launched startup, a mid-sized company, or a well-known, large-scale enterprise, it plays a significant role while deciding salaries. On the one hand, where big firms often have more profound pockets/revenue than medium or small-scale companies, at times, well-performing startups can also provide higher than average salaries and outstanding stock options.
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Duration of experience and qualifications
A person’s work-profile competencies and requirements, along with the work experience, as well as his current occupation, all determine the potential salary that will be offered to him. A web developer who is a fresher and an experienced software developer residing in the same place generally won’t get the same pay in their respective jobs. Having a more comprehensive range of web development expertise, like javascript knowledge, knowledge about frameworks such as React, etc., makes one eligible for a higher package.
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Ability to negotiate
How well you can negotiate your payout during an interview is also a major deciding factor for the final salary you get. There are different pay ranges given to the same job level in a few companies due to various reasons. Here is where you can put your negotiating skills to best use. Effective negotiation skills can even take you a step higher in the pay bracket, considering your experience and skillset. However, negotiating doesn’t work everywhere. One needs to be smart enough to understand where there could be scope for salary negotiation.
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Specialization Area
The area of your specialization has a substantial impact on your pay as a web developer. Those specializing in full-stack or back-end web development generally get a higher package than front-end web developers. According to a recent survey, mobile web developers for iOS have the highest salary, approximately $115,000. The back-end developers had an approximate salary of $108,580, while the full stack web developers got an average of $100,273. Lastly, the front-end web developers received approximately $97,016. If one is a front-end web developer seeking higher pay, they should master the REACT framework as it can spike the annual compensation to $105,000.
Salaries of Web Developers
Several different job profiles fall within the scope of web development. Additionally, the level of seniority in the organization also plays a significant role in deciding salaries.
Here are all the web development job titles along with their corresponding salaries in the USA:
- Junior developer’s salary: $67,467
- Web developer’s salaries: $78,719
- Senior web developer’s salary: $98,931
- Front-end web developer’s salary: $100,376
- Back-end web developer’s salary: $115,007
- Full-stack web developer’s salary: $105,906
Web developer salaries based on different programming languages:
Average salaries of a web developer based on different programming languages are as follows:
- C web developer: $75,726
- C++ web developer: $118,093
- Go web developer: $88,166
- Java Web developer: $100,409
- HTML web developer: $69,691
- JavaScript web developer: $117,798
- PHP web developer: $79,499
- Kotlin web developer: $102,000
- Python web developer: $109,691
- Ruby web developers: $134,366
Salaries of web developers based on their years of work experience in the USA:
Years of experience Salary Per year
1 year or less $60,641
1 – 5 years $59,495
6 – 9 years $78,719
10 years or more $85,780
BEST STATES IN USA FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT SALARIES:
| STATE | PRE-TAX INCOME | POST-TAX INCOME |
| Washington | $76,793 | $61,097 |
| Alaska | $76,985 | $60,821 |
| Massachusetts | $79,106 | $60,962 |
| Washington DC | $82,828 | $58,676 |
| New Jersey | $75,325 | $58,854 |
| North Carolina | $78,607 | $53,606 |
| New York | $75,066 | $57,315 |
| Mississippi | $75,325 | $56,442 |
| Connecticut | $72,678 | $56,068 |
| Maryland | $74,795 | $52,755 |
How to boost your salary as a web developer?
Building a career in web development can bring you face-to-face with numerous possibilities. There is ample scope to boost your earning potential, whether you choose backend, front-end, or full-stack development.
As is true of every other profession, the earning potential can be pushed up by constantly widening one’s skillset. From learning the latest programming language to exploring different javascript frameworks, you can upskill to become a valuable asset for any company. Also, once your knowledge base grows, it’ll be easier for you to grow in your industry.
If you want to upskill to gain industry-relevant web development skills, you should check out the Full Stack Development Program by Purdue University on upGrad. This world-class course on full-stack development makes you skilled in programming essentials, web design and development, front-end development, backend development, databases, API, and microservices.
Learn Software Development Courses online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Executive PG Programs, Advanced Certificate Programs or Masters Programs to fast-track your career.
Conclusion
Needless to say, when it comes to web development as a job, the ‘one size fits all” theory doesn’t apply to the salaries of different web developers. The salaries depend on the applicant’s location, skills, duration of experience, and even the company one works for. Regardless, one can establish a realistic and practical pay range by analyzing the industry-based statistics.
We hope this helps!
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