22 May Will Web Developers Become Obsolete?
When creating a website, one of the most crucial people involved is the web developer or web designer. They are the creative designers that help create and maintain websites and web pages. Web developers are responsible for maintaining a site’s technical aspects and monitoring the performance of all the pages. This includes measuring the website’s speed, how much traffic it can handle, as well as creating content for the site, testing the website, testing functions, and testing the interface layout of the pages. While this sounds like an extremely important position for any company that relies on a website to generate traffic and revenue, there is a growing concern that web developers may become a thing of the past. As more tools become available and accessible, it’s becoming increasingly easy for people with little experience in web development to create usable, and even user-friendly websites at a fraction of the cost. Does this mean that web developers will become obsolete?
In this Scion Technology Staffing article, we will discuss this question and look into the web developer profession, as well as why they may still be a high demand position.
What does a web developer do?
As we described earlier, the career of a web developer includes creating and maintaining websites. They are mostly responsible for a website’s technical aspects. Their duties also include discussing website needs, design, and functionality with clients. They also must be proficient in writing code for websites, using different systems and programming languages such as HTML and XML. Web developers must also be able to track and monitor website traffic and design and develop graphics that align with the application or website layout and performance.
They have to be able to make websites with clean user experiences. Developers should also stay on top of any additional features or plugins that they can add to their sites to make it run smoother and more efficient for users, especially if they are working on interactive sites or mobile apps that could have a large number of users at one time.
Career outlook in web development
For web developers, the career outlook in the United States is pretty exciting for the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, web development and digital designers are looking at a projected growth rate of 13% over the next decade. This is higher than the total of all other occupations, which sits at 8%. As websites continue to require enhancements and ecommerce continues to expand, replacing a lot of brick-and-mortar retail sales, the need for qualified web designers will continue to grow. The BLS is projecting 25,500 new jobs for web developers and digital interface designers from 2020-2030. The median annual wage is currently listed as $77,200.
Are web developers still in demand?
While the career outlook for developers is still favorable, the main question is are they still highly in demand in the current tech market? With advancements in artificial intelligence and other online tools and programs that make web design easier for beginners, the demand for developers has taken a bit of a hit. However, the need for the services of a front-end web developer, back-end web developer, and full-stack developers are most definitely still in demand.
Could AI replace human software developers?
One of the big concerns when it comes to web development is the threat of artificial intelligence taking away jobs from human employees. Is this threat legitimate? According to some, it’s a realistic worry, but it’s also something that is a long way out. Advancements in operating systems and artificial intelligence have made it possible for web pages to be designed and built out for websites. However, AI can’t replicate the human element of design. When it comes to custom development for websites, humans add an intangible factor that programs can’t match.
In the end, AI will not be able to replace human web developers, at least not for a long time. In fact, as artificial intelligence becomes a design partner and tool for designers to use, they can expect their demand to continue to rise at a high rate.
Software making it easy for self-web development
Another roadblock that web development professionals are running into are online tools that make it very easy for beginners or people with little to no experience to create and design websites. Tools like Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Square Online, Elementor, and others help people create fully customized and easy to use websites and ecommerce sites. With these tools becoming more mainstream, it can take away developer job opportunities, but can also help businesses cut down on development costs and their overall tech budget.
Will web developers become obsolete?
In short answer: no. Websites will always need that human element and professional web developers will always remain the best choice for the job. Sometimes when people try to do web design for websites on their own, they can miss crucial steps and miss things that an experienced front-end developer wouldn’t. With their training, education, and developer skills, they can build better quality websites that look great and work well.
With jobs expected to keep growing in demand and the markets continuing to trend towards an increase in tech jobs, it would be foolish to think that web developers will ever become obsolete.
No, web developers aren’t going anywhere.
The reality is that there are many different types of web developers. Some specialize in front-end development, while others focus on backend development. There are even those who specialize in mobile app development. The point is that there are plenty of opportunities for web development professionals in the market currently and there will continue to be an increase of them over the next decade.
Scion Technology can help you find your next professional web designer
If you’re looking to add a professional web developer to your web development team, Scion Technology Staffing can help you get the perfect match for your team. We can help you find experienced tech talent to help your business succeed. From the entry-level web developer to experienced development professionals, our team of professional recruiters can find you the perfect match for your organization. Contact us today to get started or visit our website to learn more information about our services!