As the internet continues its exponential growth, so do job opportunities in web design and development. By 2029, the job outlook for these fields is predicted to grow by 8%, significantly faster than average. Whether you're seeking employment with a company or aiming for freelance work, a career in web design offers various employment arrangements, competitive salaries, and opportunities to utilize both technical and creative skills.

What does a career in web design entail?

A career in web design involves designing, creating, and coding various types of websites. Tasks typically include discussing website specifications with clients, incorporating feedback, working on graphic design and image editing, and integrating multimedia features such as audio and video. Web designers may work across different industries, including software companies, IT consultancies, web design firms, corporate organizations, and more. While web designers tend to focus more on the creative aspects, crafting the overall vision and design of a site, there is often overlap with web developers' roles.

Full-stack, back-end, and front-end web development

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics groups web developers and digital designers into one category, but they define them separately. Web developers create and maintain websites, focusing on technical aspects like performance and capacity. Digital designers are responsible for the look and functionality of websites and interfaces, developing, creating, and testing layouts, functions, and navigation for usability. Web developers may specialize in back-end, front-end, or full-stack development, utilizing various programming languages, libraries, and frameworks. Web designers often collaborate closely with front-end engineers to ensure user-end functionality and appearance.

Are web designers in demand in 2024?

In our increasingly digital world, the demand for websites—and thus for web designers and developers—remains constant. With 17.4 billion websites as of January 2020, the need for web developers is only expected to grow. Web designers with strong coding experience are particularly sought after and can command higher salaries. While there may be a range of opportunities with differing pay scales, certain skill sets remain fundamental to web design, making it an attractive career path in 2024.