What is the Difference Between Front-End Developers and Back-End Developers?

The current demand for developers is real: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, employment of web developers is expected to grow 23% from 2021 to 2031, a significantly higher projection than most other occupations.

Here's what that means: If you want to get a job in web development, it is entirely possible. With a little studying and focused effort you can easily land your perfect position.

When you're looking for a job as a web developer, it's hard enough learning the skills – never mind getting a job.

Well, there's good news: Getting the scoop on becoming a front-end developer vs. back-end developer doesn't have to be a difficult process. With the right guidance you could easily learn all you need to know to get started in a new career -- all without waiting years, or spending a large amount of money.

What Are Front-End Developers?

Front-end web developers -- also known as client-side developers -- use tools like HTML, CSS and JavaScript to convert data to a graphical interface for a website or Web Application. Users see and interact with that data.

In other words, front-end developers are involved in everything the user, or client, sees. Sometimes, this is called "web design”. It also involves ensuring web pages and applications utilize key features such as the appropriate screen sizes or breakpoints to ensure users have access to data in the best format.

Front-End Developers Use the Following Tools to Do Their Work:

• Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) -- This is the standard markup language that lets a web browser or web app know how to display text, images, and other forms of multimedia.
• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) -- This is a style sheet language used to format the layout of pages written in a markup language like HTML.
• JavaScript -- This is a scripting or programming language that creates dynamically updating content, controls multimedia, animates images, and more. JavaScript can update and change HTML and CSS as well as calculate, manipulate, and validate data.
• WebAssembly -- WebAssembly, (abbreviated Wasm) is a binary instruction format for stack-based virtual machines. This is the fourth language to run natively in browsers (along with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript).
• Application Programming Interface (API) – Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs allow applications to exchange and process data easily and securely. These connect many different applications used daily by businesses while simplifying application integration.

Front-end developers need more than fluency in these languages to succeed. It also helps to be familiar with frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Backbone, AngularJS, and EmberJS, and libraries like jQuery, LESS, and Ajax.

Front-End Developer Jobs and Salaries

Once you're armed with the essential skills needed to be a front-end developer, you may wonder what kind of jobs are out there? Job titles for front-end developers can be the following: Web Designer, User Interface (UI) Designer, User Experience (UX) designer, or Front-End Developer or Designer, or Software Developer.

Because front-end developer roles vary so much there is no one-size-fits-all front-end developer job description. You may find yourself creating web pages or web applications using HTML and CSS (and sometimes even JavaScript) or researching user interactions with sites and making changes based on testing. One thing is certain: each day will offer a new opportunity to use your front-end web development skills and you'll never be bored!

Landing a developer role may require a bachelor's degree in a related area and 0-5 years of relevant experience. Some employers will want you to have a working knowledge of C++ language programming, XMotif programming interfaces, GUI API packages and other GUI principles.

As reported in our latest Salary Guide for Technology & Engineering, the median base salary for Front-End Developers is $111,755. Developers with low experience of web development had an average salary of around $71,864 while those with high experience report earning over $138,000 per year. Of course, salary is affected by many factors including experience, education, and location.

What is a Back-End Developer?

In short, the back-end of the web industry is the server side. That means a back-end developer builds and maintains the technology that powers the components that enable the user-facing side of the website. Back-end developers are often involved in the software development for web applications.

When we talk about how a website works, updates, and changes, we're talking about the "server-side", or back-end. This refers to everything a user can't see in the browser, like databases and servers. Basically, the functionality within web development.

Some common tools back-end developers use to allow servers, applications, and databases to communicate with each other include backend programming languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, and .Net to build an application. They also use tools like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server to find, change, or store data and serve it back to the user in front-end code.

Basically, back-end developers write code that communicates with the server and then tells the browser what to use from the database.

Hiring managers that are looking for back-end developers may want experience with PHP frameworks like Zend, Symfony, and CakePHP; experience with version control software like SVN, CVS, or Git; and experience with Linux as a development and deployment system.

People who work on the back-end are usually called back-end programmers or back-end developers. They are worried about things like security, structure, and content management. Although back-end devs usually know and use HTML and CSS, it's not their main focus.

As with front-end developers, there are many roles for back-end developers. Here are a few common roles along with their median base salaries according to our 2022 IT & Engineering Salary Guide:

Java Developer: $122,931 per year

.NET Developer: $137,000 per year

For even more details on salaries and workforce trends, request a free copy of our complete Workforce Trends & Salary Guide.

What is a Full Stack Developer?

If both of these types of developer jobs sound interesting to you, there is a position you may want to pursue. This is called full stack development. Full stack developers do both the front-end and back-end development for a computer application or web application.

A full stack developer creates websites from start to finish. While most developers specialize in one side of development, full stack applications developers are able to create both the client side and server side of applications and web pages.

How to Find Your First Developer Job

Now, let's answer the million-dollar-question: How do you get a job as a developer? The following tips will help you land your dream development job.

Learn The Technical Skills

The first step in landing a development job is learning how to be a developer. That means you'll have to learn code. The good news is learning basic coding should take you months, not years. You have your choice of coding bootcamps, online coding tutorials, online coding courses, and more depending on your budget and preferred learning style. For example, there's freeCodeCamp. It's a site that teaches you web development using small programming challenges.

Show Off Your Skills

Once you have some technical chops, you'll want to make sure you share that with potential employers. Here are a few ways to get noticed:

• Portfolio -- Perhaps the most important marketing material you'll share with potential employers is your portfolio of development projects. This is how you can show and prove that you have what it takes to get the job done. There are lots of resources online for creating and hosting portfolios.
• Resume -- If you're looking for a developer job, you'll need a well-crafted and up-to-date resume to share with recruiters and hiring managers. Make sure it is optimized so you don't get rejected by an applicant tracking system — or ATS.
• Volunteer your programming skills -- There are many nonprofit and small business organizations that would be happy to have you use your developer skills to solve their tech challenges. For example, CodeDoesGood is a volunteer-run group of developers.
• Pick up freelance work -- You can use marketplaces like Upwork to connect with people who will pay you to work on freelance development projects. Not only can you beef up your portfolio, you can earn some money too!
• Get involved in open source projects -- Don't just gain web development knowledge; put your newfound skills to use and get real-world experience. There are loads of open source projects on GitHub.

Find a Job

Although there is no formula for landing a job, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Useful web developer job portals -- You can use online portals like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, StackOverflow, Authentic Jobs, Codeity, CyberCoders, and Smashing Jobs to further your job search.
• Recruiters -- Many job seekers try to do everything on their own not knowing the right recruiter brings a wealth of resources to the table. For example, you can partner with an Akkodis recruiter to advance your career and start your new job as a developer.
• Start building a network -- Try reaching out to potential employers through social contacts and networking events. You can also try to find a mentor to guide you on your journey. Find a hackathon or code meetup near you. Then, find someone who does what you want to do at the event and introduce yourself. Eventually, once you establish a relationship they may be open to mentoring you.

Prepare for the Interview

Finally, be ready to impress any interviewers.

You can practice your interviewing skills with friends or use online platforms to work with a stranger. Use websites like Pramp and Leetcode to find another developer. Together, you'll help each other explore the technical interview environment.

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Key Takeaway

Both front-end developers and back-end developers play a crucial role in building effective apps and programs. If you're looking to start a career as a developer, you couldn't have picked a better time.

What’s Next for Your Future as a Front-End or Back-End Web Developer?

If what you've learned sounds exciting, take the first step towards landing your dream job as a Web Developer today. Whether you are just entering the field of Front-End or Back-End Web Development or a seasoned expert, Akkodis is ready to guide you. Contact us today to get started or check out some of our open positions here!