7 Reasons to Choose Front End Web Development as Your Career

Today, every business needs a website to remain competitive. As of January 2016, the World Wide Web contained at least 4.84 billion pages. This number underscores the abundant job opportunities and job security that await web developers, the people who are essential for coding, building, analyzing, and maintaining all those websites.

There’s a lot of talk about user experience (UX) these days. A great user experience starts with a functional and attractive web page, which encourages users to visit and explore. Web development is one of those careers where creativity and technical know-how go hand-in-hand and front-end Web development is a job that gives you unlimited and exciting opportunities to showcase your creative and technical sides.

Besides using your creativity, there are other major reasons why you should consider a front-end Web development career:

1. Huge Demand 

There is a huge demand for front-end Web developers, as organizations are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition by providing websites that are rich in visuals and offer powerful, meaningful interactions. Huge demand and job security are just some of the incentives that come with a web development career. The demand is so huge that recruiters are willing to pay more for the right skills, and numerous opportunities to work for big organizations keep turning up for the right candidates. According to Jen Pugh, a New York City-based tech recruiter, the hiring front for front-end Web developers is insanely competitive. He has seen many people get seven or eight emails a day from recruiters. Pugh believes that the best front-end web developers now occupy the enviable position where they can pick and choose the career or the organization they want to work for.

The job trends from Indeed confirms that the job opportunities and demand for front-end web development is soaring.

2. Huge Earnings

Here are facts from various sources quoting the salary for front-end web developers:

According to the salary guide by The Creative Group, the average salary for a beginner-level front-end web developer ranges from $53,000 USD to $74,750 USD per annum. Those with intermediate experience of more than three years earn an average salary anywhere from $72,000 USD to $100,000 USD per annum. These numbers represent a 4 – 5 % increase from previous years.

According to Indeed, the average salary for front-end web developers is $94,000 USD per annum. The firm also reports that the average salary for jobs in front-end Web development is 62% higher than the average salaries for all job postings nationwide.

3. Excellent Job Growth

The job growth for web developers is expected to be much faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. Employment for web developers is projected to grow by 27% over current levels by 2024, which is much faster than any other occupation. The demand for web developers will be driven by the ever-growing popularity of mobile devices and e-commerce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for web developers are projected to grow by a whopping 20% by 2022.

Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics

4. Career Progression

Candidates applying for web development jobs often have experience in related fields such as web design or programming. With the appropriate skills, hands-on training and experience, a web developer can specialize in a particular area of development and progress their career in the right direction. He can become a project manager, team leader or even a technical director. There are also opportunities like freelancing, consulting or setting up a web-solutions agency. The options are numerous, as the potential career paths are diverse.

5. Easy to learn

Web development is considered to be easy to learn, as plenty of resources are available, and hands-on training provides much-needed experience. The educational requirements for web developers ranges from a high-school diploma to a bachelor’s degree, meaning that your educational qualification will not stop you from landing your dream job. If you are passionate and possess the right skills, then you’re on your way to becoming a front-end web developer.
According to Pugh, individuals who are familiar with HTML5, CSS3, and the newer JavaScript frameworks like AngularJS and BackboneJS are in high demand. Web developers must have a thorough understanding of HTML programming and HTML5 (which is the most recent version, as it contains new features that web developers need to understand).
Employers are also looking for developers with knowledge of programming languages like JavaScript or SQL and those who are familiar with multimedia publishing tools.6. Flexible Career:

The web development career, in general, provides numerous flexibilities and facilities than any other jobs out there. This is one of those jobs where you can work from the convenience of your home. The work timings are also flexible depending on the client you are working for.
Want to be your own boss? No problem. According to a statistics, about 25% of the web developers were self-employed in 2012 and this number is only expected to rise with the increase in demand for web developers. You can also be working as a consult for a company or have your own web solutions agency.

6. Flexibility

A web development career, in general, provides more flexibility than any other jobs out there. This is a job where you can work from the convenience of your home. The work schedules are also flexible, depending on the client you’re working for.
Want to be your own boss? No problem! According to statistics, about 25% of the web developers were self-employed in 2012, and this number is only expected to rise with the increased demand for web developers. You can also work as a consultant for a company or launch your own web-solutions agency.

7. Potential to work for industry giants

Numerous companies of varied sizes are look for web developers. Here are some of the corporate bigwigs that are always seeking talented web development professionals like you:
Comcast
Lockheed Martin
JPMorgan Chase
AOL
Intuit
Talend
Cognizant
Amazon
GE Power
Uber
Saks Fifth Avenue
Capella University

Conclusion:

Soaring demand, big pay packages, career growth, and flexibility make front-end web development a great career choice. Whether you’re starting your professional life or switching careers, make sure you’re armed with the most recent tools and techniques to be on top of your game, since the web development field changes faster than almost any other development genre.
There are plenty of good reasons to aspire to a front-end web development career – so make sure you get the right training. With the right skills, you’ll open priceless access make to numerous exciting job opportunities.