Hiring a web developer? Need to know how and where to find the best candidates? Here is a comprehensive guide to finding the best web developers. Read on!
What does a webpage developer do? A web site developer is responsible to create and maintain websites. They also handle the performance and capacity of a website determining how much traffic it can support and the website speed.
Why should you hire a web developer? These days anyone can create their website but hiring a web developer helps you get the technical aspects of things and saves time. This article will take you through the process of hiring web developers by covering topics such as interview questions, skills to look for, web developer rates, etc.
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Hiring market for a web developer
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the demand for web developers is projected to grow by 8% from 2019 to 2029 which is much faster than the average of all other occupations. The growing popularity of mobile devices and e-commerce websites has led to an increase in job roles for freelance web developers.
There will not be a dearth of opportunities for people deciding to pursue a career in the field of freelance web development. With digitized remote workplaces coming into the picture, everyone is looking for a web developer in their team.
The United States Department of Labor suggests the freelance web developer rates are between $33k – $105k. According to HackerRank, China, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, and Hungary are the top 5 countries with the best web developers available in the market. Web developer salary is highest in the United States with an average package of $91625/year.
Many companies outsource a freelance website developer from other countries to take advantage of the talent pool available at cheaper prices. India, China, Ukraine, the Philippines, and Poland are the top countries to outsource website development freelancer workers for your project. Web development is a competitive market that needs more than basic skills to thrive.
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Top 15 job titles that companies are hiring
Millions of jobs are posted every day in the market but which one has the most promising future in terms of salary and job opportunities. Due to changes in the market and trends, some jobs are beginning to diminish while few thrive continuously.
We have picked 15 such job roles that have a promising future along with their prospective salary packages. The salary of each role depends on several factors such as location, experience, skills, etc. Here are the top 15 job titles that companies are hiring for in recent times,
1. Full-Stack Developer
Full Stack engineer is at no. 4 in LinkedIn’s list of top emerging jobs of 2020. They are capable of working on multiple tasks with efficiency. Full Stack Engineers are known as Jack-of-all-trades in the industry. Average Salary: $67,953
2. Website Developer
Web developer freelance roles are required to create and maintain websites. They are also responsible for technical aspects of a site such as performance and clarity to determine a website’s speed and how much traffic it can handle. Median Salary: $73,760
3. Backend Developer
A back-end web developer holds the responsibility for server-side web application logic and integrates it with the work done by front-end developers. They focus on the inner workings of web applications. The salary rises by 4% from the base salary with an experience of 4 years. Average Salary: $69,766
4. UX/UI Developer
A UX/UI developer is responsible for a product’s or service’s user experience. Their job is to ensure that the website or application is user-friendly and functions smoothly. It should be in line with the user’s needs and behaviors. Estimated Salary: $83,079/year
5. Technical Consultant
A technical consultant holds the responsibility of optimizing the technological processes of a company or business while reducing the cost. They use their technical skills and knowledge to resolve technical issues, test applications, make suggestions and recommendations for long-term security and maintenance. Estimated Salary: $859k/year
6. Web Analyst
Web Analyst uses data analysis to identify trends in website user behavior and interaction. They work closely with developers to strategize and improve a website’s design, user experience, and conversion rate. Estimated Salary: $83,324/year
7. WordPress or Shopify Developer
WordPress or Shopify Developers are specialized in creating custom themes for clients using WordPress or Shopify. The clients can range from a big-time marketing agency to a travel blogger trying to revamp their website. WordPress and Shopify are the most popular Content Management Systems. Estimated Salary: $93,000/year
8. Front-end Web Developer
Front-end web developers build responsive websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding languages. They hold the responsibility of creating the front-part of the website with which users interact with. It is a practice of converting data into a graphical interface. Estimated Salary: $103,000
9. Junior Front End Web Developer
A Junior Front End Web Developer is an entry-level job role that requires the developer to execute small tweaks in the UI of the product. The purpose of these tasks is to help the developer get familiar with the pipeline. Estimated Salary: $79,000/year
10. Web Designer
A web designer is responsible for the website’s appearance, look, and feel. They need to be proficient in graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. These tools help them in designing website design layouts which are then handed over to a team of web developers. Estimated Salary: $78,900/year
11. Interaction Designer
An Interaction designer is essentially required to assist with the development of a product design strategy. They work towards creating seamless and relevant experiences for their users. Estimated Salary: $70k/year
12. Web Art Director
A Web Art Director is responsible for giving visual solutions to business objectives. They work closely with the creative team to find ways to communicate the site’s strategic goals and brand message online to the customers. Estimated Salary: $75,349/year
13. Web Content Strategist
The job role requires planning, development, and management of content posted on digital media or websites. In a nutshell, they create web content for branded websites. They also run social media campaigns for the brand if needed. Estimated salary: $54,268/year
14. Project Manager
A Website Project Manager leads a team of technical and creative experts that work towards various internet-related projects. The goal is to deliver web products as envisioned by the clients. Estimated Salary: $62,335/year
15. Web Consultants
Web consultants are individuals who are responsible for designing, creating, and overseeing websites for large companies or businesses as project managers or web managers. Estimated Salary: $73,764 annually
Qualifications to look for in web developers
How to be a freelance web developer? One need not necessarily need a degree to find web developers jobs online. These are the qualifications a recruiter should look for to find a web developer.
1. Check for suitable education
There is no mandatory degree or educational path to follow for becoming a web developer. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, an associate degree is the most common minimum educational requirement to hire developers online. It is also good to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and related fields to have a better understanding of tools and technologies used in professional web development.
2. Develop technical skills
Web development freelance is a field where concrete skills and experience are valued more than education. Prospective employees need to be proficient in majorly three skills: HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Developers should also know Ruby, Java, PHP, and tools such as Oracle and SQL server.
3. Learn a programming language
A freelance web programmer needs to hone their programming skills by practicing regularly. The best way of doing this is to set up a GitHub account and push code to the site. An active GitHub account will gain the attention of recruiters going through a stack of resumes.
4. Launch an online portfolio
Recruiters will be interested in seeing examples of previous work in the form of successful site and application builds. An online portfolio helps in demonstrating coding talent and technical skills.
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Skills to look for in web developer
Hire web programmer professionals who possess both technical skills and soft skills. A web developer profile needs to be proficient in the following technical skills.
1. HTML5
Hire developers who use HTML5 to form the fundamental rules of web pages including content formatting such as paragraphs, lists, links, etc.
2. PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language used by professional web developers to determine a site’s response to user actions.
3. JavaScript
Hire freelance web designer who has a working knowledge of programming languages and their application for creating interactive web pages.
4. Cascading style sheets
CSS is used to control layouts and appearance across multiple pages of a site. It helps in influencing the presentations of fonts, elements, colors, etc.
5. Angular.js
Angular.js is an open-source, industry-standard application framework. This software is maintained by Google and its community of users.
Look for these soft skills in a web developers profile,
1. Attention to detail
Hire web developers who have a keen eye to work intricately with visual design elements and programming languages.
2. Organizational skills
Organizational skills are an asset to freelance developers to keep track of multiple tasks, projects, deadlines, budgets, etc.
3. Multitasking
Find a web developer who is proficient in multitasking to handle multiple day-to-day activities that come to him/her.
4. Self-motivation
Hire website developer who stays motivated to meet the project deadlines and find new projects to work on.
5. Communication skills
Find developers with good communication skills to interact with teammates and clients regarding projects.
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Certifications to look for in web developer
Here are the top 5 certifications to look for in web developer,
1. Adobe Certified Expert
An Adobe certified expert can prove their proficiency in a range of areas such as web design, video, internet applications, technical communications. Adobe has affordable certifications at just $180.
2. Certified Web Development Professional
This web development freelancing course by Mark Lassof covers HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript. This is a great program for someone looking to gain a general knowledge of web design and development at an affordable cost.
3. Microsoft Developer Certifications (MTA and MCSD)
The Microsoft MTA certification is great for college students and graduates who are new to web design and development. You can get certified in software development, mobile development, game development, etc.
4. Zend Certified PHP Engineer
This certification covers topics such as PHP, syntax, data types, security, object-oriented programming, input/output, and programming techniques. The exam voucher is priced at $195.
5. AWS Certified Developer
AWS certified developer certification is suitable for those who work on the AWS platform. To qualify for the exam, you should have at least one year of experience in maintaining and designing AWS-based applications and knowledge of one high-level programming language.
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Rate per hour of a web developer
Web development hourly rate depends on several factors such as job location, number of years of experience in the relevant field, certifications, additional skills, educational qualifications, industry, etc. The average salary of an independent web developer in the United States is $44.05 per hour.
The maximum positions are available in technology and education companies whereas manufacturing and retail have the highest packages. Professional web development services are divided majorly into three categories, Full-stack developers, front-end developers, and back-end developers.
Full-stack web developer makes the most amongst these three roles. According to Indeed, an entry-level web developer salary averages around $19.7 per hour. Senior web developers with experience of more than 15 years see a significant rise in their salaries.
The average web development hourly rate in Europe is $34.50 per hour. The salary in Europe differs vastly from one region to another with Ukraine offering the cheapest workforce. Asia has the cheapest workforce available with an average salary of $5.58 per hour.
Many companies outsource employees from Asia to take advantage of the best website developers at an affordable price. Recruiters should keep in mind that these rates would vary depending on whether you are hiring a full-time, part-time, contract, or freelance developer.
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Top 10 job boards to find the best web developer
Have you wondered where to find a web developer? There are dedicated web developer sites to find industry-specific workers. A recruiter can hire a full-time, part-time, remote employee based on the requirement of their project.
All you have to do is prepare an enticing website development job description and post it here. We have curated a list of the top 10 job boards to find the best web developer. Developers for hire are available on these freelance developer sites.
- Toptal
- Hired
- GitHub Jobs
- Stack Overflow
- Upwork
- unremot.com
- Dice
- People Per Hour
- Gigster
- Freelancer
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Top 10 companies hiring a web developer and salaries offered
1. The CSI companies
CSI companies provide comprehensive staffing solutions to companies nationwide.
Entry level Salary – $118,018
2. eBay Inc.
eBay is an American Multinational e-commerce community-based in San Jose, California.
Entry level Salary – $141,602
3. Boeing
Boeing is an American multinational corporation that is known to manufacture, design, and sell airplanes, rockets, satellites, etc.
Entry level Salary – $136,495
4. Leidos
Leidos is a science and technology company that provides services and products to national security, health, and engineering industries.
Entry level Salary – $133,644
5. Dassault systemes
It is a french software corporation that is amongst the Fortune 50 companies. It develops software for 3D product design, simulation, and more.
Entry level Salary – $120,820
6. Pueo Business Solutions
Pueo Business Solutions is part of the consulting services industry.
Entry level Salary – $108,922
7. CyberCoders
Cybercoders is a recruiting company for accounting, engineering, legal, marketing, etc.
Entry-level Salary – $102,733
8. GitLab
GitLab is an open-source platform for coders who wish to collaborate.
Entry-level Salary -$101,155
9. Lambda School
Lambda school offers an online computer science education without any upfront costs.
Entry-level Salary – $98,299
10. PegaSystems
Pegasystems is a Forbes 100 company serving close to 3000 clients in manufacturing, oil, travel, etc.
Entry-level Salary – $99,901
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Top 10 interview questions for a web developer
How to hire a web developer? A recruiter should ask the following questions when they hire freelance web developers.
1. What is the difference between GET and POST?
Rationale: To see if the web programmers for hire know HTML5
Answer: The candidate should be able to explain the difference between both HTTP requests. GET is to download data and POST is to upload data.
2. What made you take interest in Web Development?
Rationale: To determine the level of passion and commitment to the skill of website developers for hire.
Answer: A candidate’s answer should have the following three elements: Enthusiasm, Motivation, and experience.
3. What are the responsibilities of a web developer?
Rationale: This question will help the web developer hiring team to see what kind of tasks will the candidate take up and whether they will be supporting their teammates.
Answer: “ Major responsibilities of a web developer includes designing, developing, enhancing, testing, and deploying web applications to create engaging and user-friendly sites.”
4. What is W3C? Why is it important?
Rationale: Interviewer looking for web developer with working knowledge of W3C.
Answer: “ W3C stands for World Wide Consortium which is an international community with a focus on developing and standardizing the web.”
5. Explain how you go ahead with optimizing and reducing the load time of a web application?
Rationale: Hire freelance web developer who is aware of how page load time impacts user experience.
Answer: “ I use Google PageSpeed Insights to check the speed of my website. Image optimization, minimizing HTTP requests, and enabling browser caching have helped me in reducing load time in the past.”
6. What programming languages do you know?
Rationale: Helps interviewer understand a candidate’s skills, experience, strengths, and weaknesses.
Answer: Java, Python, Ruby, PHP, HTML, CSS, SQL are some of the programming languages that the web developers for hire are expected to have experience in.
7. What steps do you take to meet client expectations?
Rationale: Helps interviewer to understand if a web developer for hire can handle client demands.
Sample Answer: To meet client expectations my priority is to understand completely what is expected of me. I keep an open line of communication with the client and keep informing them about my progress.
8. Describe a web development project that you did from start to end? What was your approach and what were the challenges you faced?
Rationale: To check your approach to work and find freelance web developer with good problem-solving skills.
Sample Answer: The candidate should be transparent about what a real web development project looks like to them. They should talk equally about both wins and failures. Explain what steps were taken to overcome said challenges.
9. Why are you drawn to web development?
Rationale: While hiring freelance web developer professionals this question helps to assess your inclination towards web development.
Sample Answer: Candidates should tell why they chose to be in web development and what is their favorite part of the job.
10. What kind of team environment do you thrive in?
Rationale: To find a developer who will be a good fit for their existing team.
Sample Answer: It is tempting to agree with the recruiters but the right thing to do is, to be honest. Candidates should share about what kind of teams they are most comfortable working with to find a good match.
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How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
The cost of hiring web developer workers depends on whether you are hiring them for full-time or part-time roles. A freelance web dev charges an average of $33.14 per hour. The cost also depends on factors such as location, experience, skills, certifications, education, etc.
How do I hire a web developer?
To hire a developer you need to create an enticing job description with roles and responsibilities expected from the employee. Share information about your company and what you have to offer. Post on a freelance web developer website to find web developers online.
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