Changing your career to become a Front-End Developer is an exciting journey. You’re learning new skills, making new contacts, and moving toward personal and professional happiness. That’s all great, but it doesn’t answer the lingering question: Just how much do Front-End Developers make? Will investing the money, time, and effort pay off financially, too?
The good news is that, like many other careers in development, Front-End Developers in the U.S. can look forward to a six-figure salary on average. But the specific numbers depend on several factors. In this article, we’ll go over how much Front-End Developers make on average, as well as what affects the average salary.
How much do Front-End Developers make on average?
According to a recent analysis of salary data, Front-End Developers in the U.S. earn an average of about $104,450 per year. Keep in mind that this is a general number based on salaries around the country without accounting for different locations, experience levels, employers, skill sets, and other important factors. As you’ll find out, all of these factors play a vital role in determining how much you could make as a Front-End Developer.
Factors that affect how much Front-End Developers make
Several factors can influence a Front-End Developer’s salary. The following are some of the most significant.
Location, location, location
Where you work has a big impact on how much you can expect to make as a Front-End Developer. Some of these differences are simply due to the cost of living — housing and other expenses are higher in big cities than in small suburbs — but in some cities, companies pay more for Front-End Developers because there aren’t enough to satisfy demand. The result is that you, as a Front-End Developer, can expect a higher salary if you live in an area where more companies are competing for your talent.
Here are eight cities in the U.S. where Front-End Developers make the highest average annual salaries:
Your knowledge of coding languages
The most successful Front-End Developers are expected to know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as a minimum requirement. But, these aren’t the only tools that Front-End Developers use.
Depending on the company and its projects, knowing frameworks and libraries such as React, Bootstrap, jQuery, and AngularJS can make you a much more valuable part of the team, increasing your chances of landing a job as well as your starting salary.
Your course certifications and certificates
There’s not much that can beat solid career experience, but how do you get a foot in the door when you’ve just switched careers to become a Front-End Developer? When you don’t have years of relevant work history, getting a certification is a great way to prove that you have the knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in the role.
Though we don’t recommend including every course certificate on your resume, adding those relevant to front-end development can help grab the attention of prospective employers and show that you’re worth every penny.
Remember that compensation is more than salary
While the competitive salary expectations for Front-End Developers are definitely exciting, keep in mind that a company might compensate its employees in other valuable ways. As you narrow down the list of companies you’d like to work for, make sure you do a little research into non-salary compensation such as:
- Annual bonuses
- Vacation and flextime
- Stock purchase options and employee ownership of the company
- 401(k) and retirement account contributions
- Relocation reimbursement
Experience matters
As you might imagine, your experience in the field greatly affects how much you can expect to make as a Front-End Developer. If all other factors are equal, an entry-level Front-End Developer might make about 20% less than the given average. On the other side of the spectrum, a Front-End Developer with over 20 years of experience can look forward to making 23% more than average.
Here’s a breakdown of how much a Front-End Developer makes on average based on experience:
By the way, don’t think that a lack of experience automatically puts you at a disadvantage in the job market as you pursue your career as a Front-End Developer. A balanced development team includes Front-End Developers of all experience levels in roles that best suit their abilities.
Companies like having entry-level developers on their teams because they can handle simpler projects while senior members focus on more complex tasks.
Which companies pay more for Front-End Developers?
Location and experience play a major role in how much Front-End Developers make. But even within a particular city or region, some companies simply need a lot of talented Front-End Developers. In most cases, they’re willing to pay salaries well above the average in their areas.
Here are the 15 companies in the U.S. that pay the highest average salaries for Front-End Developers:
Becoming a Front-End Developer will pay off personally and financially
As you take the next step toward becoming a Front-End Developer, there’s one thing you won’t have to worry about: money. Rest assured that you can look forward to a comfortable salary, even as you’re just starting off in your new career. Not sure how to get there? Our Front-End Developer Career Path will guide you toward getting all the skills you need to succeed as a Front-End Developer.
