Web Developers
Web developers design and create websites.
Is web developers a good career?
It scores 28/100 and ranks #158 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($92,650 vs $61,390)
- Faster-than-average projected growth (+7.5% through 2034)
Possible tradeoffs
- Typically requires a bachelor's degree
What web developers earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. web developers earn between $64,230 and $126,230 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live web developers jobs
How to become a web developer
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow much faster than average through 2034.
Education
Educational requirements for web developers and digital designers range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree.
Some employers prefer to hire web developer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, such as computer science or programming.
Web developers need to have a thorough understanding of HTML programming. Many employers also want developers to understand other programming languages, such as JavaScript or SQL, and have knowledge of multimedia publishing tools, such as Flash. Throughout their career, web developers must keep up to date on new tools and computer languages.
Employers of digital designers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as web design, digital design, or graphic arts.
Web developers and digital designers may not need specific education credentials if they can demonstrate their abilities through prior work experience or projects.
Advancement
Web developers and digital designers who have a bachelor’s degree may advance to become project managers.
Important qualities
Communication skills. Web developers and digital designers need to communicate effectively with coworkers to coordinate work on projects.
Creativity. Web developers and digital designers often are involved in creating the appearance of a website and must make sure that it is appealing as well as functional.
Customer-service skills. Webmasters have to respond politely to user questions and requests.
Detail oriented. Web developers and digital designers must focus for long periods and write code precisely, because a minor error could cause an entire webpage to stop working.
Problem-solving skills. Web developers and digital designers must check for coding errors and fix any that they find.
Related occupations
How much do web developers make?
The national median wage is $92,650 a year, with the middle half earning between $64,230 and $126,230 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is web developers a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 28 of 100 and ranks #158 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +7.5% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a web developer?
The typical entry-level education is bachelor's degree.
Where do web developers earn the most?
Among states, Washington pays the highest median ($130,440). Local pay for every state and metro is below.