Photo: Hiperterminal (CC0)
Job description
The work includes writing and evaluating code for structure, browser compatibility, and industry standards, building databases that support a site's functionality, and choosing which programming languages and tools fit a given project. Developers also handle backups and site infrastructure to keep things recoverable if something goes wrong. It's fast-paced, deadline-driven desk work that calls for real independent judgment on technical decisions, and entry often comes through vocational training or an associate's degree rather than a four-year one.
Pros
- High upside earning potential, up to $162k, without necessarily needing a four-year degree
- Faster than average projected job growth (7.5%)
- Varied work spanning visual design, scripting, and backend databases
Cons
- Above-average hours, expect more than a standard 40-hour work week
- Fast-paced work with real deadline pressure to ship and fix sites
- Skills need constant updating as browsers, devices, and frameworks change
A typical day
The morning starts with a bug that only happens on the client's phone -- an afternoon-old deploy broke image uploads on Safari, and the fix ships within the hour with a test to keep it fixed. The main block is feature work: building a booking form with validation, an API endpoint behind it, and the database migration underneath, the full stack in one sitting. The afternoon includes a code review exchange with a teammate and a performance pass that cuts a page's load time in half by fixing three images and a blocking script. The day ends pushing to staging and writing tomorrow's to-do while the context is warm.
Tasks at the job
- Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
- Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
- Back up files from Web sites to local directories for instant recovery in case of problems.
- Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.
- Evaluate code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.
- Develop databases that support Web applications and Web sites.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day.
Education necessary or common
Vocational training, apprenticeship, or associate's degree
Licenses & certifications
- freeCodeCamp certifications (portfolio evidence)
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (optional)
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Computer Science A -- programming fundamentals transfer straight in
- AP Computer Science Principles -- the web's architecture
- Art or design electives -- front-end work meets visual judgment
- Algebra II -- logic and problem decomposition
- English -- documentation and clear commit messages
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Build and ship websites for real people -- clubs, family businesses
- Hackathons -- team building under deadline
- Coding club or found one
- Contribute to an open-source project, even documentation
First steps you can take now
- Build a personal site from scratch with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript this month
- Work through freeCodeCamp's responsive web design track
- Put every project on GitHub with a readme
- Rebuild a site you use daily as a clone exercise
