The tech industry’s vast number of job titles tend to confuse job seekers and hiring managers. With the tech world rapidly evolving and digital roles evolving alongside it, those new to the industry are even more likely to become confused. Web design encompasses a lot of specializations, with many types of web design jobs out there.
Web design jobs all serve unique functions that complement other parts of the design process. This article will expound on the various types of web design jobs available, what web design professionals do, and how much professionals in web design make.
What Is Web Design?
Web design is the creation, modification, and design of websites. It was previously limited to designing websites for desktop browsers. However, it has evolved to include designing for mobile and tablet browsers. Simply put, it is the process of planning, arranging, and conceptualizing content online via web pages.
More recently, web design has moved beyond just web pages and now involves web apps, user interface designs, and mobile apps. The elements that go into an appealing and effective website are interface designs, search engine optimization, content creation, and user experience design. Those who spearhead these functions are known as web designers.
What Do Web Design Professionals Do?
A web designer works on the overall appearance, layout, and arrangement of a website, and sometimes on website content as well. The goal of web designers is to ensure that users have pleasant experiences while using the site. Listed below are some of the primary responsibilities of a professional web designer.
- Graphic design. A professional web designer should have in-depth knowledge of graphic design. They should be capable of creating color schemes and other visual elements, along with logos, flyers, and other graphic illustrations and icons. They use their design skills to enhance the website and appeal to the users’ visual sense.
- UI and UX design. Frequently, web designers have to be knowledgeable in user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design. They focus on user needs and design page layouts that maximize design elements according to user expectations.
- Front end and backend development. Web designers need to have some coding skills to be able to put their web designs onto a website. Backend developers with web design skills can even create more advanced functions from behind the scenes.
- Copywriting. Many designers are also copywriters. This part of the job entails creating the website’s content from start to finish, from headlines to button texts to the body copy.
- Digital marketing strategy. Many web designers need to have research skills to back up their design skills, which they use to gather intel on users’ preferences. By conducting research, they can strategize ways to better market a company’s products and services and lure more visitors to the website.
How Much Do Web Design Professionals Make?
According to Glassdoor, annual salaries for web designers go from as low as $39,000 to as high as $88,000. Although the salary one earns in this field varies by experience, even those in entry-level positions still earn good salaries. The tech industry is recognized for its salaries, and web designers are not excluded.
Web Design Average Salaries
According to PayScale, the median salary for web designers is $52,215 per year, but salaries vary by experience and education level. The average pay for entry-level designers is about $44,000, middle-level web designers earn about $50,000, senior-level designers earn around $62,000, and the most experienced web designers earn an average salary of $66,000.
What Is the Job Growth for Web Design?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the web design profession is projected to grow by 13 percent between 2020 and 2030, which is faster than the average growth rate of jobs in general. Technological advancement explains the current high demand for web designers and the high projected rate of employment growth.
The Highest-Paying Types of Web Design Jobs in 2022
- Cloud Engineer | $111,165
- DevOps Engineer | $105,017
- Content Strategist | $102,989
- Full Stack developer | $99,274
- Front End Developer | $87,240
- UX/UI Designer | $83,421
- Backend Developer | $80,258
- Web Developer | $70,863
- IT Technician | $46,744
Web design is a promising career with ample room for career advancement. Above is a list of web designer jobs that earn the highest annual salaries. Below is a detailed job description of each job title and their role in the industry.
Cloud Engineer
Average Salary: $111,165
Cloud engineers are information technology (IT) experts with many responsibilities related to cloud computing. Their technical duties involve designing, planning, maintaining, and arranging a company’s cloud computing systems. They receive higher salaries than other types of web design jobs.
DevOps Engineer
Average Salary: $105,017
DevOps engineers are DevOps experts who create, manage, test, and maintain all the elements needed to enhance the speedy development of software programs. This role is complex, as it combines the operations of an IT role with other technical functions. They not only monitor the IT infrastructure, but also design software and test code.
Content Strategist
Average Salary: $102,989
This person is responsible for the structural design of websites. They are in charge of planning and arranging timely content for a website or web app. With their unique skills, they tailor the content to the company’s or client’s objectives and the end users’ needs. Content strategists must be creative idea generators with excellent organizational skills.
Full Stack Developer
Average Salary: $99,274
Full stack developers are programmers who combine the roles of front end and backend developers. They use programming languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to build websites and web applications.
Front End Developer
Average Salary: $87,240
Front-end developers are web design experts. They plan and implement all of the visual design elements of a web application that enhance user experience. Simply put, front end developers take a design plan and put it into action, adhering to the design and focusing on the visible aspects of web applications.
UX/UI Designer
Average Salary: $83,421
User experience and user interface designers, also known as UX/UI designers or digital interface designers, control the user interfaces of software products, web apps, and other digital products. They research user requirements and design trends and create a design plan to make a user-friendly interface.
Backend Developer
Average Salary: $80,258
Backend developers build, test, debug, and maintain web apps using background functionalities, databases, APIs, apps, and other backend functions. Backend developers are vital to web design and development because they are charged with the smooth running of web apps.
Web Developer
Average Salary: $70,863
Web developers are expert coders who write the code to build a website at a company’s or user’s request. They are similar to backend developers, but they also use front end skills. Web developers are usually skilled in server architecture and server-side programming languages like Ruby, Java, and PHP.
IT Technician
Average Salary: $46,744
IT technicians maintain hardware and software to facilitate the efficient running of computer systems. They work with other departments to detect technical problems, provide technical support when issues arise, and repair broken systems. They play an indispensable role in virtually every company.
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Web Design Career Path
Do you want to become a web designer but have no idea how to go about it? There are various steps required, and this section will give you a detailed sense of how to kickstart a career in the web design field. Below is the most common pathway.
- Conduct adequate research. The first step is to read introductory guides, look into possible web design courses, watch brief web design explanation videos, and communicate with people in the field. After proper research, you can determine if this career path is for you.
- Take a course to learn essential web design tools. A course can help you get acquainted with basic web design terminology and the typical programming languages used in the industry. It can also enrich your learning process by teaching you both theoretical and practical aspects. You can then get more formal education by enrolling in web design bootcamps, getting certifications, or obtaining a college degree.
- Build a portfolio. The next important step is to compile your projects into a strong portfolio. You can also work as an intern at companies to boost your portfolio and gain experience.
- Connect with professional designers. The importance of a strong industry connection should never be underestimated. Build your connections by contacting fellow designers on social media apps or at local meetups. It will give you insight into the field and create more job opportunities.
- Look out for job opportunities and start applying. Upon completing your learning and finishing your portfolio, you’ll need to search for jobs. Numerous platforms connect workers to employees, and creating a profile on some of these platforms could be beneficial. Do not shy away from applying for gigs as a freelance web designer.
Should You Become a Web Design Professional?
If having long-term job security, a decent salary, and a creative position sound appealing to you, then yes, you should become a web design professional. However, it doesn’t come easy, and you must be willing to learn, sharpen your creative mind, and spend time networking and applying for jobs. With enough effort, you can break into the field of web design.
Types of Web Design Careers FAQ
The technical skills needed to become a successful web designer are understanding the rules and principles of design and its tools, experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and knowledge of SEO, responsive design, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Some important soft skills are time management, researching skills, and design sense.
A degree is not officially required. However, having a degree would give you a better chance during the hiring process. Holding a degree can increase your chances of landing higher-paying jobs because employers tend to look more favorably upon candidates with formal training.
Yes, it is. Web design is a good option for starting a career, especially in the tech industry. It is an excellent job as it provides workers with a decent salary and long-term job security. The growth of the tech industry continues to be a boon to web designers.
Yes, it is possible to learn web development and web design on your own. If you have an active Internet connection, can purchase online web design courses, and are ready to devote time to creating websites, the process should be easy.
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