Is Web Design a Good Career In 2022? Career Statistics
Web design is a good career. As of 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that web design is projected to grow at 13% through the years 2020 to 2030.
This rate is much higher than the average growth of all other occupations.
Since web design is such a necessary occupation in this digital age, it is important to understand the demands and requirements of this job.
Why A Web Design Career is Good
1) Growing Demand
As we mentioned web designers’ employment is projected to grow 13 % from 2020 to 2030.
It’s no secret that the demand for web designers is growing. In fact, it’s been growing steadily for years.
The reasons for this are many and varied.
First, as more and more businesses move online, they need someone to design and build their websites.
Second, as mobile devices become increasingly popular, the need for responsive design grows.
Third, as the internet becomes ever more complex and competitive, businesses need designers who can create stand-out sites that grab attention and convert visitors into customers.
So if you’re thinking about a career in web design, now is a great time to get started. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help you learn the ropes.
2) Independence
Web design is a career that offers a great deal of independence.
While many web designers are employed by companies, there is also a large number who are self-employed.
This allows for a great deal of flexibility in terms of both work hours and location.
Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and control your own income.
As a web designer, you will be responsible for the overall look and feel of a website, as well as the user experience.
This means that you will need to have a strong understanding of both the technical aspects of web design, as well as the artistic elements.
Additionally, it is a career that can be done entirely remotely, which further adds to the independence it offers.
If you are looking for a career that offers a great deal of freedom, then web design may be the perfect option for you.
3) Minimum Qualifications
You do not necessarily need qualifications to pursue a career in web design.
There are many ways to learn about web design both free & paid, including online courses, reading books, and watching video tutorials.
However, having some formal training and education in the field can certainly be helpful.
The most important thing is to have a strong portfolio that showcases your skills and abilities.
Whether or not you have formal qualifications, employers will be looking at your portfolio to determine if you’re a good fit for the job.
4) Higher Wages
In general, web designers can expect to make a slightly higher wage on average compared to the entire job market.
The median annual wage for web designers in the US was $77,200 in May 2020.
A web designer salary depends on a variety of factors, including experience, location, and the type of clients they work with.
Web design is a competitive field, so those who are starting out may not make as much as those who have been working in the industry for longer.
However, there is potential to earn a good salary as a web designer.
Those who are experienced and work with high-paying clients can make a very good living from their craft.
Location also plays a role in how much web designers make. Those who live and work in larger cities and tech hubs, like Silicon Valley or New York City, tend to have higher average salaries than those in smaller towns.
In order to make good money as a web designer, it’s important to build a strong portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills and expertise.
Additionally, it’s key to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies in web design so that you can offer innovative solutions to clients.
By maintaining a high level of professionalism and continuing to learn new things, you can set yourself up for success as a web designer.
5) Flexibility
As a web designer, you have the ability to work from anywhere in the world.
All you need is a laptop and an internet connection. This makes web design one of the most flexible careers out there.
You can work remotely or in an office. Work for yourself or for any size company.
Your position is also needed for companies in almost every industry. Especially as more and more businesses go online, the need for web designers grows.
Overall, web design is a very flexible career that offers a lot of freedom and opportunity. If you’re looking for a career that you can tailor to your lifestyle, then web design is definitely worth considering.
Types of “Web Designers” or People Designing Websites
Web designers can either be in charge of a whole website on their own, or they can work with a team of other designers and developers. In large companies, there is usually a whole branch of web developers with an array of different occupations for each aspect of the webpage.
Certain occupations specialize in specific website building tasks that are listed below:
Web Architects
Web architects test, create, and implement the formats of a website. Architects also ensure that the website meets the needs of the company and its users. Web architects are not only in charge of creating the format for the company, but they also work with internal and external personnel to ensure that all the demands of the website are being met.
To become a web architect, one would need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. It is necessary to understand how to use an array of web development tools, computer languages, and experience with Content Management System (CMT). According to Glassdoor, web architects make an average of $101,629. This largely depends on the size of the company, the level of the employee, and each employee’s years of experience.
Web Designers
Web Designers are in charge of creating the layout, applications, and graphics for the website. The main function of this occupation is to ensure that the webpage is aesthetically pleasing. They also work to refine and conceptualize the vision of the business/brand owners.
It is crucial that web designers understand how to design graphically and make sure that the website’s information flows correctly. Web designers also need to understand different coding languages, such as HTML5, JavaScript, Ajax, etc. Those in this occupation need to understand the variety of computer languages to work on different tasks.
According to Glassdoor, the average web designer salary per year is $56,143 in the United States. As a web designer gains more experience and becomes the level 3 senior web designer, there is a potential to make $80,124 a year.
Webmaster
The responsibilities of a webmaster are to ensure that the website is functioning properly. If updates are needed, webmasters are in charge of making those adjustments and changes. Webmasters are ultimately the managers of websites.
This occupation is solely responsible for the security of the website and monitoring its performance. Webmasters also are in charge of fixing bugs, troubleshooting, and addressing user complaints.
According to Glassdoor, webmasters make an average of $66,442 a year. As webmasters gain more experience and become senior webmasters, there is a potential to make $101,777 per year.
The important thing to keep in mind with more people doing web design and the industry overall growing is to make sure that it is done well. With more web design comes both more good web design and, unfortunately, bad web design. I’ve compiled a list of 20 common examples of bad web design that we constantly see online. Read it using this link to learn about them and how to fix those types of bad web design mistakes.
Education and Experience
The minimum amount of education needed to become a web designer is an associate’s degree, although some companies might require more. For example, a web architect needs a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. Sometimes, certain companies will even require a master’s degree.
According to collegechoice.net, the top 5 best colleges for web design are:
- University of California-San Diego
- Purdue University
- Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Tulane University
- Santa Clara University
The rankings are based on the academic quality of the school, affordability, reputation, and program offerings. Many other programs offer web design-related degrees, but the listed universities trump other accredited schools and provide the best education.
Having a bachelor’s degree in computer science or business makes a web designer more competitive, but if you are interested in web design, you can also complete a certificate program for graphic design, web design, business, or computer science.
Certificates that can boost a web designer’s resume:
- Adobe Certified Expert
- General Assembly Bootcamp
- Google Mobile Web Specialist
Each of these certificates is easily accessed on any search engine.
Employers also seek web designers that have had prior experience. One can learn how to build their own websites and learn how to use graphic design programs by utilizing youtube.com as a source for tutorials. This is not always a good way to gain an education, but it is a great way to gain experience, watch tutorials, and learn about the vernacular of the occupation.
Another way to gain experience is by shadowing web professionals. This allows potential web designers to learn more about the job they are interested in and what a day in the job is like.
Another great way to gain experience as a web designer is to create a website as a portfolio to showcase their skills. Web designers can also use this experience to introduce themselves to potential clients or companies.
Tasks
Although there are many different branches within web design, all of the developers and designers must understand the same tasks, especially since there are web designers that are responsible for creating entire websites.
The main responsibilities of web designers are to create all the elements of the website. This encompasses every single aspect of the website from the framework all the way down to the small details, such as font style, color, and size, all while ensuring that the website is user-friendly.
Most importantly, web designers need to understand how to use different programs and coding languages. There is a wide variety of languages that include, but are not limited to:
- HTML5
- JavaScript
- Java
- Ajax
- CSS
- SLQ
- XML
- Python
- Ruby
- Elm
- C#
Since the internet is ever-changing, there are many more coding languages that exist and many more that will surely come along.
Designers are expected to know these languages because they each perform different tasks. Staying up to date on the coding languages is important because trends and technology are always rapidly changing. Understanding the different codes can help a web designer be in higher demand.
Not only should web designers be proficient in coding languages, but it’s also crucial for them to understand communication between clients. Creating a website is extremely important for companies because it is most often the first point of contact for many customers. If a website is not built with the users’ and company’s needs in mind, it can turn potential clients away.
The responsibility of a web designer is weighed heavily for this reason. They need to ensure that they are meeting the demands of the client and making the website functional.
One of the main tasks of web design is being creative and creating aesthetically pleasing web designs. As important as this is, web designers must create websites that are able to grab the viewers’ attention. Web designers need to not only be creative; they must be well versed in marketing.
This is why some companies are looking for web designers that understand or have some education in business. It’s important to understand how the design correlates to the intended audience and the company. Creating a beautiful design doesn’t always fulfill the needs of the client; there has to be a purpose behind every design.
Web designers need to also understand how search engine optimization works (SEO). When people type in certain keywords into search engines, web designers must understand how to make their website appear on various search engines.
To create these designs, web designers will often utilize Photoshop, Adobe XD, Illustrator, and InDesign to make different designs. These applications have a variety of uses that help a website become more aesthetic and functional for its users.
Web designers are not limited to creating designs for a website. They are also able to build websites using applications such as:
- WordPress
- Dreamweaver
- Notepad++
- Sublime Text
Each program has different options and capabilities, so web designers must learn how to utilize different applications for website building.
After a website has been built and designed, web designers have the responsibility to update, test, and debug the website. The applications that can be utilized for these responsibilities are Browserstack, Firebug, and Google Chrome inspector. Debugging and testing are crucial to ensure that the user is having the best experience possible.
A Day in the Job
As a web designer, employees will often be working with clients, researching, creating tests and mock-up sites, and creating/modifying websites.
Web designers will either seek out or have clients come to them with a web design in mind. It is the designer’s responsibility to listen to the needs and wants of the client.
Then, web designers must conceptualize the idea of the website into a reality. This is first done by creating storyboards and mock-ups for the client. This makes it easy to make any adjustments and see if the client’s goals are being reflected on the website.
Once storyboards and mock-ups are approved by the client, the web designer can move onto building the website and determining which web development application would best fit the needs of the client.
Either the solo web designer can work on this aspect, or if there is a large team of web designers and developers, the web architect would build the framework of the website. Once the framework has been mapped out, designers will then need to organize and design the website for functional and aesthetic purposes. The website has to be organized in such a way that users can easily access the necessary information.
When the final product has been created, web designers need to ensure that the website continues to be the optimum source for their clients. Designers (or webmasters) will ensure that the website stays up to date and is free from bugs. Past projects will often have to be modified, updated, or changed to keep up with the needs of the client or company.
Not only do web designers build and design websites, but they also research and seek out the latest interactive software for websites.
Self-Employed vs. Working for a Company
A small percentage of web designers are considered freelance, or self-employed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 10% of web designers are self-employed, while 36% are employed by a company.
Being a freelance web designer gives the same pros and cons like every other self-employed job. Web designers are able to pick up as many projects as they want, work as many hours as needed, and choose where they work. There is a lot of freedom in self-employed web design, which is definitely a benefit.
However, being a freelance web designer can be a bit tricky and stressful. If clients fall through, there is a possibility that web designers might not get paid for their time and effort, whereas a large company would pay their employees regardless. There is also a lot more trial and error that a freelance web designer could potentially face since there are no structured rules and regulations when working solo. You won’t be in the same office as your managers, so it may take a while to get feedback as well.
Working in a company also has perks, such as always being able to work with mentors and learning from one another, have the opportunity to have paid time off and benefits (such as insurance), and having structured learning.
Of course, working in an office can be mundane and web designers don’t have the freedom to work for the clients that they would like.
All in all, choosing to work in a company setting or as a freelance web designer is completely up to the employee. There are trade-offs to both settings, but both are great options for web designers.
Whether web designers choose to be freelance or work in a company, there is room for many new designers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states the projected growth for web design is going to grow rapidly and that approximately 14,000 jobs will be created for web designers by the year 2029.
