Technology & IT · Web hiring
BLS counts 87,400 web developers in the U.S., a small group next to 1.7 million software developers, so many strong web builders carry other titles and a narrow search misses them. Careerscape's technology recruiters search nationally and remotely, and each one specializes in a field.
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BLS describes front-end and back-end developers, interface designers and webmasters as distinct specialties. Most hiring problems start when one posting asks for all of them.
Builds what visitors see and use: layouts, navigation, forms and features such as checkout, with HTML, CSS and JavaScript plus a framework such as React or Vue. Hire this profile when design is settled and you need it built well across devices.
Builds the server side: databases, APIs, authentication and the processes for adding pages and content. Hire this profile for integrations, custom functionality or a site that has to handle heavy traffic.
Covers both sides at moderate depth. A good fit for small teams and product sites. Engineers who build complex web applications often hold software engineer titles, which BLS counts and pays as software developers.
Specializes in a platform such as WordPress, Drupal or Shopify: themes, plugins or apps, content models and updates. Ask how they handle plugin security patches and staging before changes go live.
Keeps an existing site healthy: updates, broken links, forms, small fixes and user feedback. Often a strong fit for a part-time, temporary or contract arrangement.
If the job is mostly look, feel and usability, you need a web or digital interface designer, a separate BLS occupation with a May 2025 median of $104,000, above the $92,650 for web developers.
Web dev metros
New York (4,200), Washington, DC (3,840) and Seattle (3,470) have the most web developers. Seattle is the most concentrated by far, with a location quotient of 3.69, followed by Washington, DC (2.71). Two mid-size metros, Nashville (1.58) and Portland (1.57), also have more than their share.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 4,200 | $104,820+13% | 0.98 |
| Washington, DC | 3,840 | $134,350+45% | 2.71 |
| Seattle | 3,470 | $130,440+41% | 3.69 |
| Chicago | 2,790 | $96,870+5% | 1.37 |
| Los Angeles | 2,310 | $107,290+16% | 0.82 |
| Dallas | 1,660 | $96,740+4% | 0.91 |
| Boston | 1,450 | $108,520+17% | 1.19 |
| San Francisco | 1,420 | $152,450+65% | 1.33 |
| Miami | 1,160 | Not published | 0.91 |
| Houston | 1,060 | $89,040−4% | 0.71 |
| Atlanta | 990 | $93,590+1% | 0.76 |
| Denver | 900 | $92,060−1% | 1.23 |
| Detroit | 870 | $108,550+17% | 1.01 |
| Portland | 850 | $73,920−20% | 1.57 |
| Philadelphia | 810 | $94,570+2% | 0.62 |
| Austin | 800 | $84,960−8% | 1.37 |
| Minneapolis | 800 | $106,890+15% | 0.91 |
| Nashville | 790 | $78,990−15% | 1.58 |
| Baltimore | 790 | $107,590+16% | 1.29 |
| Phoenix | 750 | $76,230−18% | 0.70 |
| San Diego | 520 | $98,300+6% | 0.76 |
| Charlotte | 510 | $101,980+10% | 0.83 |
| Tampa | 470 | $78,910−15% | 0.72 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 430 | $82,250−11% | 1.29 |
| Providence | 410 | $98,140+6% | 1.27 |
| Pittsburgh | 310 | $82,560−11% | 0.63 |
| Albany | 140 | $85,070−8% | 0.69 |
| Buffalo | 100 | $83,550−10% | 0.42 |
| Hartford | — | $93,000±0% | — |
Pay varies more than for most tech roles. San Francisco ($152,450) and Washington, DC ($134,350) lead, while Portland ($73,920), Phoenix ($76,230), Tampa ($78,910) and Nashville ($78,990) sit well under the U.S. median of $92,650. Portland and Nashville combine depth with lower pay, which helps a remote employer. BLS withholds the Miami median and the Hartford job count. Web Developers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $92,650. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
Live-site checks
Screenshots and repository links tell you little on their own. Use these checks in the first interview.
Look at load speed on mobile data, layout on a small screen and whether forms work. A portfolio site that is slow or broken on a phone is a fair preview.
Tab through a page. Can you reach every link and button, and can you see where focus is? Ask the candidate how they test accessibility and which screen reader they have used.
Most real sites are team work. Ask which parts were theirs, what they would change and what went wrong at launch.
A small task in your stack, such as fixing a broken component or adding a form with validation, shows more than an unpaid weekend project and respects the candidate's time.
Decide whether this hire owns hosting, DNS, backups, CMS and plugin updates, analytics tags and SEO fixes. Unowned tasks are where sites decay.
A posting that asks for design, development, copy and paid ads at a developer's salary attracts generalists who do each part thinly. Split the work or hire for the part that matters most.
Budget
The BLS median for web developers was $92,650 in May 2025, and the range is wide: $48,100 at the 10th percentile to $162,290 at the 90th. Junior site maintainers and CMS builders sit toward the lower percentiles. Developers who own custom front-end applications or back-end systems price toward the 75th ($126,230) and above.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
If the role is really application engineering with system design, compare it with software developers, whose BLS median was $135,980. There is no web developer page in our 2027 Salary Guide yet; related technology roles are covered there. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: Web Developers.
Web dev JD
Written for a front-end-leaning developer who also maintains a CMS site. Swap in your stack and remove what the role does not own.
The Web Developer builds, improves and maintains our website. You will turn designs into fast, accessible pages, keep our content management system secure and current, and work with marketing and product on new features.
Ten-year view
BLS expects average growth for web developers over 2025 to 2035, with about 5,300 openings a year. That is slower than the much-faster-than-average growth BLS projects for software developers and information security analysts. Competition shows up for specialists, such as accessibility, performance or a specific commerce platform, rather than for general web skills.
National figures for Web Developers, as published on O*NET OnLine.
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FAQ
Web developers create and maintain websites. BLS lists duties such as meeting with clients or managers about a site's needs, writing code, creating and testing applications, interfaces and navigation, integrating graphics, audio and video, and monitoring traffic. Front-end developers build what visitors see; back-end developers build the framework underneath. Webmasters keep existing sites updated and working.
If the work is a marketing site, a CMS or an online store on a platform, a web developer fits. If you are building a web application with its own data model, APIs and scale needs, you likely need a software engineer, and should budget for it: BLS put the software developer median at $135,980 in May 2025, against $92,650 for web developers. See our software engineer hiring guide.
A freelancer works for a well-defined project you can manage yourself. A staffing agency helps when you need someone screened, on your schedule and inside your systems, or when you want the option to hire them. Careerscape offers contract, temporary and direct hire placements, with candidates reviewed in a private Employer Portal.
BLS reports a national median of $92,650 for web developers in May 2025, with the middle half earning between $64,230 and $126,230. Pay depends heavily on location: San Francisco and Washington, DC metro medians are far above the U.S. figure, while Portland, Phoenix and Tampa sit well below it. Contract rates and agency fees depend on the role, so ask us for a quote.
Browse open roles on our job board, or send your resume so a technology recruiter can match you to searches as they open. Careerscape charges job seekers nothing, and we keep your search private if you have a job now. Include links to live sites you built and say which parts were yours.
Send the stack, the scope and the budget, and a technology recruiter will send developers whose live work matches. To compare tech hiring by city, see the technology staffing overview.
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