What Does a Web Developer Do?
Web developers are responsible for turning a client’s vision for a website into reality. They must have a thorough knowledge of HTML, as well as other programming languages like CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL. When they aren’t creating new sites and user interfaces, web developers maintain, update, and troubleshoot existing websites.
In addition to hard technical skills, web developers should also have soft skills like expertise in verbal communication, written communication, and presentation. A web developer must be able to communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders outside of the development team about the goals of a particular project.
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National Average Salary
Web developer salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Web Developer is:
$99,950
Web Developer Job Descriptions
Example 1
We are seeking a Web Developer to join our Digital Analytics team. In this role, you will build systems, collect, and move data using JavaScript and HTML/CSS and tools to develop sound data collection solutions. You will also review, diagnose, repair, and maintain current solutions using critical thinking and analysis.
As a web developer, you will:
- Develop and implement advanced data collection solutions to meet tracking and reporting requirements across platforms, utilizing front-end technologies (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) and Adobe Experience Platform
- Experience with and understanding of data mapping, data layer, and quality audit strategies
- Problem solve and build data collection systems that help democratize data and bring clarity to business decisions throughout the organization
- Collaborate with cross teams to strategize, evaluate, and estimate data collection solutions and plan for implementation and metric reporting
- Assist with building a community of analysts and developers on our team by sharing and training in new technology or methods, ongoing research, and evaluation of new analytics technologies, identifying platforms that improve the depth, accessibility, and integrity of our data
We seek people with these qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in either Graphic Design or Computer Science/IT
- 5+ years of experience building and supporting online experiences
- Subject matter expert in Adobe Launch, Power BI, and Python is a plus
- Strong proficiency with HTML, CSS, and debugging
- Advanced proficiency with JavaScript, JSON structure, and API integration
- Experience in quality checking analytics and 3rd party tags using developer tools such as Chrome DevTools, Fiddler
- Working knowledge of file version control systems such as Git
- Familiarity with Solution Document Reference and Adobe Analytics
Example 2
As a web developer, you will:
- Build, test, and deploy a wide range of web-based tools, developed in Django and Python, that ABC Company’s members use every day in their jobs as government affairs professionals and policy advocates
- Help maintain large datasets in a variety of formats (PostgreSQL, MySQL, APIs) drawing from both internal and third-party content and data sources
- Make improvements to Ada, the custom content management system we use internally
- Tackle a full-stack mix of back-end and front-end tasks, with a focus on back-end work
- Be well-informed about trends in software development tools, frameworks, programming languages, and workflow, and arrive with opinions you are eager to discuss
- Be willing to learn a sophisticated technical stack
As a candidate:
- You are an experienced web developer: You have at least 1 year of web development experience in a professional setting using Python (preferably with Django). You write clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with front-end framework experience a plus. Using Git is second nature to you
- Experience with some of the following technologies is a plus, but not required: Microsoft Azure, Linux systems administration, Vue.js, TypeScript, Elasticsearch, Docker, PostgreSQL, Neo4j or other graph databases, Jenkins, New Relic, Salesforce, D3.js, Redis, Sentry, Marketo, Celery/RabbitMQ, or WordPress
- You’re interested in government and elections: The idea of getting immersed in campaign finance data, election visualizations, and politics is compelling to you (rather than a turn-off). You don’t have to be a wonk to be effective, but as keepers of the data, becoming experts in the minutiae is essential
- You have experience with medium-sized to large projects: You’ve contributed to significant software projects, or at least significant components of one, and demonstrated that you can do quality work under a deadline. You have opinions about good software architecture and with some learning curve, can find your way around a complex codebase
- You place an emphasis on quality: In your work, you demonstrate best practices for software development and reinforce good habits that promote quality as part of a team. You’re familiar with writing documentation, doing peer code reviews, crafting automated tests, watching performance, and taking advantage of tools that maintain consistent code across team members. You are organized, focused, and detail-oriented
- You communicate and work well with others: You exhibit good communication skills and collaboration habits, both written and verbal, by providing accurate time and effort estimates and working to ensure the team meets agreed-upon deadlines. You are comfortable working with product and project managers to plan weekly sprints, capable of prioritizing and undertaking multiple projects at once, and familiar with Agile development methodologies. When needed, you are cool under pressure
- You demonstrate good judgment: Colleagues can count on you to apply critical thinking to tasks and find creative ways to solve problems. You appreciate both short-term and long-term implications when making decisions
- You’ll bring something new to the team: We value having a team with diverse skills and experiences. Do you have a background in accessibility technologies, robotics, or AI-generated jokes? Are you active in a local user group, open source effort, or side project of your own? Passion for learning new things (whether technology-related or not) is most welcome
- You value a healthy work-life balance: You keep high standards and work hard, yet know when to take breaks, switch gears, and unplug, with the ability to manage your time effectively to preserve those boundaries
- Prodigious work ethic and spirit of generosity
- Active contributor to a diverse and inclusive workplace
Example 3
The Marketing Web Developer will report to the Director of Marketing Analytics and Operations and is responsible for owning comprehensive web and email development support across the entire marketing organization. The candidate will drive the maintenance and modernization of existing sites, while also building innovative partner pages from the ground up.
This role requires a highly inventive individual with strong business judgment, analytical skills, execution, and drive, as well as high emotional intelligence and self-motivation. You will partner with teams across a wide range of marketing disciplines (partner marketing, demand generation, analytics) to support innovative and transformative marketing execution as we continue to expand our team.
Key responsibilities
- Comprehensive execution of internal marketing development work such as website migration, website and marketing portal maintenance, partner page development, etc.
- Evaluating code to ensure it meets industry standards, is valid, is properly structured, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems
- Support ad hoc internal marketing development asks such as email development and deployment
- Perform routine site audits, as well as ongoing maintenance, on an as-needed basis
- Maintain communication with team members and supervisors concerning the strategic direction of ABC Company websites
- Analyze and report on website performance, including re-engineering current web analytics outputs
- Collaborate with the Creative team to develop website designs and page components to provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users
- Implement technical SEO fixes and recommendations
Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in web development
- 2+ years experience developing within a content management system such as WordPress or Adobe Experience Manager
- Experience with Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Adobe Analytics, and other technologies that track marketing data
- Fluency in HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP
- Proficiency with responsive web design techniques and the use of frameworks
- Experience with best practices in code standards and working in a code repo (linting, code reviews, branching strategies, CICD) is a plus
- Experience working with APIs and integrating 3rd party tools/services is a plus
- Familiarity with marketing automation tools like Eloqua or Marketo is a plus
- Communication and collaboration skills to engage with multiple technical and non-technical stakeholders and different teams to deliver solutions efficiently
- Experience in a B2B ecosystem is a plus
Preferred education
- Bachelor’s Degree, global equivalent in a related field, or equivalent professional design experience
Example 4 (Senior Level)
The Sr. Web Developer leverages advanced software programming skills to design, develop, and enhance applications that are critical to the operations of a transportation company. The Sr. Web Developer works collaboratively with business partners to develop web-based software in an agile, fast-paced, team, and collaborative environment to implement solutions that provide a competitive advantage to business operations. The Sr. Web Developer fosters continuous improvement by contributing to coding, testing, and implementation of best practices.
Essential duties and responsibilities
- Perform moderate to complex programming assignments requiring an advanced understanding of established web application programming standards, methods, and best practices applicable to a corporate IT application environment.
- Gather and interpret business requirements, create functional specifications and determine the most efficient/appropriate technologies to achieve desired outcomes.
- Work with development teams to integrate web solutions with company systems and third-party platforms.
- Contribute to and review technical designs of software solutions.
- Work with engineers and architects in continuous improvement initiatives.
- Conduct research into new technologies, development practices, and frameworks.
- Collaborate with developers to implement solutions, resolve problems and perform code reviews.
- Work with vendor development teams to implement and support governance and change management processes.
- Provide best practice consulting to management, business partners, and team members.
- Ensure quality and maintain the performance of deployed solutions.
- Follow, contribute and support Agile-based software development practices.
- Assist with other projects as needed to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.
- Provide technical support and participates in on-call rotation to resolve critical application issues.
Competencies
- Adaptability – Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment (e.g., people, processes, structure, or culture); adjusting effectively to change by exploring the benefits, trying new approaches, and collaborating with others to make the change successful.
- Building Trusting Relationships – Using appropriate interpersonal styles to establish effective relationships with customers and internal partners; interacting with others in a way that promotes openness and trust and gives them confidence in one’s intentions.
- Collaborating – Working cooperatively with others to help a team or work group achieve its goals.
- Communication – Conveying information and ideas clearly and concisely to individuals or groups in an engaging manner that helps them understand and retain the message; listening actively to others.
- Continuous Learning – Actively identifying new areas for learning; regularly creating and taking advantage of learning opportunities; using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learning through their application.
- Initiating Action – Taking prompt action to accomplish work goals; taking action to achieve results beyond what is required; being proactive.
- Work Standards – Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.
Minimum requirements
- Requires a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
- Lead the development of cost-effective information technology solutions by creating new, and modifying existing, software applications.
- 5+ years of experience in web-related programming and technologies.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong technical aptitude, fast learner, and effective problem solver.
- Self-motivated, goal-oriented, and capable of working both independently and in a team environment.
- Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities.
- Great team player with a positive attitude.
Technical requirements
- Advanced experience on Angular, AngularJS 1.x, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, and NodeJS
- Experience with responsive CSS/JS frameworks such as Bootstrap, Angular UI Bootstrap, or Angular Material UI is a plus
- Experience integrating codebase with CI/CD processes using Git, Jenkins, and JIRA.
- Strong understanding of object-oriented programming, scalable software design, and REST service-based architectures
- Experience with Java and Spring Framework is a plus
- Experience with relational databases and SQL is a plus
How to Hire a Web Developer
When hiring a web developer, first consider the following:
- Recruiting: Do you have the knowledge, tools, and resources to attract and screen candidates?
- Complexity: Do you need a senior professional, or will mid or junior-level skills and experience suffice?
- Duration: Is this a one-time project or an ongoing need?
- Management: Do you have the time and expertise to direct the work effectively?
- Urgency: How soon does the work need to be completed?
- Headcount: Do you have the budget and approval for an internal employee, or should you consider alternate options?
Answering these questions will help determine the best course of action for your current hiring need. Fortunately, great options exist for every scenario. These are our recommendations:
1. Use 4 Corner Resources (or another professional recruiting firm)
The heavy lifting is done for you when working with a top-tier staffing company like 4 Corner Resources. We source, screen, recruit, and deliver only the most qualified candidate(s), saving you significant time and effort throughout the hiring process while you remain focused on your core business. Understanding your needs and ensuring the right candidate for the position is the key to our success.
This is the best route to take when:
- You need to fill the position quickly
- You want access to a vast talent pool of high-quality, prescreened candidates
- Your position is suited for temporary hiring services, contract staffing, or contract-to-hire recruiting, and you intend to direct the work activity.
- You are hiring an employee as a direct placement but aren’t able to recruit effectively or efficiently with your internal staff.
- You aren’t familiar with current salary rates, market trends, and available skill sets
2. Hire an experienced freelancer
The freelance, or gig, economy continues to grow, with more talent available daily. Freelancers provide high-quality work without a long-term commitment. They can offer you a fresh perspective, more flexibility, and increase efficiency. While the freelance market isn’t ideal for every position, web developers are often a great fit.
We recommend this option when:
- Your need is project-based
- The work can be performed remotely
- You do not intend to direct the daily work activity
- You are hiring for expertise your internal team does not possess
- You do not require an employee to work onsite or follow a specific schedule
Here are some popular freelance platforms that we recommend when hiring a web developer:
Toptal
Toptal is an exclusive network of the top freelance software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers in the world. Toptal vets its freelancers before making them accessible, ensuring their legitimacy. Top companies hire Toptal freelancers for their most important projects. Hiring a web developer on Toptal can help you quickly get the results you need.
Upwork
Upwork is a freelance talent network that helps individuals connect with experts in a variety of fields to accomplish project-based needs. When you have a specific, well-defined goal in mind, this can be a great path to hiring an experienced web developer. If you are satisfied with the outcome you can continue to book the same freelancer through Upwork’s easy-to-use project interface.
3. Advertise your opening on a top job board
Your best option may be to advertise your opening on a proven job board. There are many widely used job sites out there that draw visits from qualified candidates. If you have someone internally who can dedicate the time and energy to sort through applications and screen individuals effectively, this can be a great choice.
We recommend using a job board when:
- Your internal recruiting team has the knowledge and experience to assess candidate qualifications
- You are hiring a direct employee and have time to manage the entire recruiting effort
- You have a process for receiving, screening, and tracking all resumes and applications
- You are prepared to respond to all applicants
There are many career sites out there. Here are the two we recommend for a web developer opening:
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder has been a trusted source for hiring since 1995. Reach 80+ million unique, diverse U.S. job seekers annually by posting your jobs through their talent acquisition channels. Through CareerBuilder, you can engage candidates and drive them into your sourcing pipeline. We recommend using CareerBuilder for hiring when you have the internal resources and processes to review, screen, and reply to all applicants.
LinkedIn is a social network for job seekers, professionals, and businesses. With this popular job site, you can enhance your brand and advertise your open position to a wide audience of motivated, qualified candidates. Job postings on LinkedIn are also extremely streamlined and user-friendly, making it even easier for candidates to apply. Additionally, applicants can use their LinkedIn profile instead of a resume to expedite the process.
4. Leverage your internal resources
You can utilize your own website, social media, and employees to assist in your search for top candidates.
A company website posting should be the first step in notifying prospective candidates that you are hiring. Social media can also be a powerful tool for spreading the word about your new opening. As far as exposure is concerned, this option can be as good as some job boards when you have a large enough following across various platforms, like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
Current employees are every organization’s greatest asset. Encourage your internal team to promote job openings to their network by offering cash and other incentives.
We recommend these options when:
- Your brand has great name recognition
- You can consistently monitor and respond to candidate activity through your website and social media accounts
- You have a process in place to quickly and broadly communicate job openings and requirements
- You have an effective employee referral program in place
If you aren’t sure which path is best, schedule a discovery call today with our seasoned recruiting professionals. The 4 Corner team is on standby to help you find the best option for your unique hiring need.
Sample Interview Questions
- Which programming languages are you proficient in?
- Describe your professional experience with HTML, JavaScript, CSS, PHP.
- How do you handle the demands of a client?
- Tell me about a time you worked through conflict on a team project.
- Tell me about a technical challenge you solved, and talk through your problem-solving process.
- What sparked your interest in web development?
- What makes you a great web developer?
- How do you handle constructive criticism? Give me an example.
- How do you manage your time to produce quality work in a timely manner?
- Tell me about the project you are most proud of. What challenges did you work through? What would you change about it now?
- How do you keep up with the latest changes in web development?
- What aspect of coding is most difficult for you?