Web developers' work touches just about every aspect of modern life from online education to online shopping and even health care. Because a web developer's primary responsibility is to oversee the technical aspects of web site creation and deployment, web developers have a strong background in computer, network and database systems as well as software engineering and computer programming languages. While most web developers depend on graphic or web designers to handle the creative elements of a web site, web developers must be able to oversee and provide guidance for web site design, as well. While web developers may work independently at times, most of their work is done on teams as part of a project and often web developers must be able to communicate with non-technical, business counterparts.
Web Development Online Colleges
Web developers generally need at least a bachelor's degree in a computer-related field, or the equivalent in experience and certification, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many web developers will start off in bachelor of science programs in computer information systems, software development or web design. Students can also find online web development programs that can help them work toward their goals. Some of these include an associate degree in web design or web graphic design and a bachelor's degree in web development or web graphic design. These programs can give you the advantage of working on your school work through the medium that you will be learning more about. However, depending on your career pursuit, you can also look for more technical degrees in areas such as computer programming and technical design. You should be able to find a number of online programs in these areas that can help provide you with flexibility while pursuing your academic goals.
In addition to completing a web development degree program, many employers could require you to have certification in a specific technology, programming language or web development tool. In this day and age, technology is advancing so rapidly that web developers must also keep pace with the latest in web development technologies and tools. This is why job seekers with a bachelor's or master's, specific certifications and the most up-to-date knowledge could find the best job opportunities, according to the BLS. As of May 2010 there were 243,330 information security analysts, web developers, and computer network architects working in the U.S. and they earned mean annual wages of $79,370. Other related occupations that could be of interest to you include those of computer support specialists, computer systems analysts and software engineers and computer programmers, according to the BLS.