Web Developers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Computer and Mathematical · SOC 15-1254 · O*NET 15-1254.00
Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces. Evaluate code to ensure that it is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers and devices. Optimize website performance, scalability, and server-side code and processes. May develop website infrastructure and integrate websites with other computer applications.
Web Developers fall under the Computer and Mathematical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Web Developers earn a median salary of $90,930 per year, ranking in the top 18% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +7.5% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about web developers right now
If your teen loves building things on a screen and wants to turn that into a paycheck without years of graduate school, web development is one of the most accessible technical careers out there. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, web developers earned a median wage of $90,930 in May 2024, with the lowest tenth earning about $48,560 and the top tenth reaching roughly $162,870, so the ceiling is high once a portfolio proves what your child can do. The BLS also projects 7.5% growth from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations. Here is what makes this field unusual and worth understanding before your teen commits. There is no license, no board exam, and no required credential. Entry is competency-based, meaning employers care far more about a working portfolio than a specific diploma. A four-year computer science or web-design degree is the common preparation route, but a two-year associate degree, a three-to-six-month coding bootcamp, or even disciplined self-teaching can all lead to the same entry-level jobs. The tradeoff parents should weigh is the 2025 shift driven by AI. As of the 2025 State of the Developer Ecosystem, 85% of developers now regularly use AI coding tools, and a Stanford Digital Economy study found employment for software developers aged 22 to 25 fell nearly 20% from its late-2022 peak by July 2025 as AI absorbed routine junior coding. The takeaway is not that the field is closing, but that the bar for entry is rising toward judgment, architecture, and security rather than basic code. To prepare in high school, have your teen take AP Computer Science, build real websites for the family business or a local club, learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through free platforms like freeCodeCamp, contribute to a small open-source project, and publish everything on GitHub. A concrete, visible body of work will matter more than any single certificate when the first job hunt begins.
What do web developers earn?
The median annual wage for web developers is $90,930. That puts web developers at #145 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $48,560 |
| 25th percentile | $63,140 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $90,930 |
| 75th percentile | $124,300 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $162,870 |
| Median hourly wage | $43.72/hr |
Is web developers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for web developers is +7.5%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 86K positions in 2024 to 92K in 2034, a net change of 6K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do web developers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working web developers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
- 2.Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
- 3.Back up files from Web sites to local directories for instant recovery in case of problems.
- 4.Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.
- 5.Evaluate code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.
- 6.Develop databases that support Web applications and Web sites.
- 7.Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.
- 8.Perform or direct Web site updates.
Top skills for web developers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become web developer?
The standard path into web developers begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about web developers
What is the median salary for web developers?
The median annual salary for web developers is $90,930 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is web developers a growing career?
BLS projects +7.5% growth for web developers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become web developer?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to web developers?
Related occupations within the Computer and Mathematical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.