Web Developer: responsibilities, education, skills and career path

Builds and maintains websites and light web applications, frontend and basic backend.

Entry

Junior

Coding

High

Key skills

HTML / CSSJavaScriptResponsive designPHP or Node.js

Common progression

Web Developer
Frontend Developer
Senior Software Engineer

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Career overview

The Web Developer is the generalist of the web world: landing pages, CMS themes, small web apps, integrations with third-party services. They know HTML, CSS, JavaScript and at least one backend language, often PHP or Node. It is a pragmatic role, common in agencies and small businesses, and a frequent stepping stone toward frontend, backend or full stack specialisation.

Main responsibilities

Build user interfaces with modern frameworks
Write, test and review production code
Design and document REST APIs
Model and query relational databases
Write unit and integration tests
Keep technical documentation up to date
Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines
Prepare and execute change requests in production
Analyse application logs to identify root causes
Mentor junior team members and review their work

Technical skills

HTML / CSS88%

JavaScript80%

PHP or Node.js75%

CMS (WordPress/Drupal)70%

SQL basics65%

Responsive design78%

SEO basics60%

Git70%

REST APIs65%

Hosting & DNS60%

Technologies

HTML5CSS3JavaScriptPHPWordPressNode.jsMySQLPostgreSQLGitNginxApacheTailwindBootstrapjQueryRESTcPanelLinuxViteFigma

Education level

Education requirements vary depending on the company, country and experience. Professional experience, certifications and technical skills can sometimes compensate for formal education.

High School / Bac

Less common

Bac+2 (2-year degree)

Common entry point

Bac+3 (Bachelor)

Common entry point

Bac+5 (Master / Engineering)

Common entry point