How Long Does it Take to Become a Web Developer?

When people consider changing careers, a lot of questions come up. One of the most important things to ask is how long it will take to make it. Some career changes, such as law and medicine, require rigorous education, which often takes years to complete. The fact of the matter is that most people can’t take four to eight years off of life to get educated for a better career. Fortunately for aspiring web developers, it doesn’t usually take that long to break into tech. Programming skills can be acquired from coding bootcamps (such as university bootcamps), and the barrier to entry that follows is quite low. In this article, we’ll examine how long it usually takes to become a web developer with no coding experience, and how you can get started on the process today.  

Types of Web Development

It would be counterproductive to generalize how long it takes to become a web developer without breaking down the term. Web development isn’t one single activity—it’s an umbrella term for several distinct career disciplines. These include (but are not limited to) full stack developers, front end (client-side) developers, and back end (server-side) developers. Front end programmers create the interface that users interact with, while back end developers create the systems that connect the site to servers. For a more general web development role, full stack fits the bill. Full stack developers combine the skills and abilities of both front and back end programmers. For this article, we’ll examine how long it takes to become a full stack web developer. 

How Long Does It Take to Learn Web Development?: A Few Factors

Full stack is one of the most versatile fields of study in web development. The increasing popularity (and opportunities) of this field contribute to this fact. Unlike many other high-paying careers, web development jobs for full stack developers don’t usually require a college degree. Although having a degree doesn’t hurt, it’s not necessary. If you do want to pursue this career through college, a computer science degree will be advantageous, and you should also consider attending a university coding bootcamp if you’re already living around campus. 

So if you’re asking yourself “how can I become a web developer fast,” you should know that these programs generally last anywhere from six weeks to a year. Of course, it all depends on the length and intensity of the program you choose. Let’s take a reasonable middle ground and assume it’ll take six months to complete a coding bootcamp. After graduation, you should have a reasonably-sized portfolio and enough qualifications to being submitting applications.

Once you graduate, it can take a little while to find a job. Even though you’re qualified, you’re still a beginner in an industry that values experience. But with enough persistence and skill, you’ll be able to find a job. A reasonable timeframe for finding a job is between six and twenty weeks.

For non-college graduates, the path into a full stack web development career is relatively straightforward. Web development coding bootcamps teach students everything they need to know to qualify for an entry-level full stack position. Coding bootcamps generally cover the most common development coding languages, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Python, Ruby, among others. 

The Bottom Line

Overall, a typical career transition into web development will take around one year. Some people transition much faster, and some slower—but with effort, we think a year is a reasonable expectation. Plus, you don’t have to put your life on hold during this time. Many part-time coding bootcamps allow enough time to hold a job or go to college, so there are plenty of ways to keep up with life during your coding education.