What Does a Full-Stack Web Developer Do?

A full-stack web developer creates web pages and has the ability to perform tasks on the entire development sphere, which includes a front and back end. The front end of the website is what the end user interacts with: a designed interface with engaging visuals and intuitive design. The back end of a website, also called the server side, includes structural and support components, such as the databases that store website information and the server needed to deliver the web page to users. As a full-stack web developer, you can complete tasks on both sides of the project and deliver a cohesive development experience. Learn more about a career as a full-stack web developer, including details about your day-to-day responsibilities in the role and the skills and education that may help you succeed. 

What is a full-stack web developer?

A full-stack web developer is a professional who creates websites, working with all sides of the development process. This means that a professional in this field might work on a website's design and user experience (front-end) as well as on creating the infrastructure needed to keep the website functional (back-end). Working on both sides, design and server, qualifies you as a full-stack developer. 

What is the difference between a web developer and a full-stack developer?

While both developers create websites, a full-stack developer is a specialized type of web developer. Designing a website and thinking about what the end user will experience when interacting with the product is a slightly different skill set than writing code, managing databases, and establishing security protocols. 

You will often find web development teams that separate the roles into a front-end team, which manages the design and aesthetics of the finished product, and a back-end team, which creates the architecture and writes the code to give the program functionality. A full-stack developer is the third kind of web developer, a professional who can perform work on both the front and back end of the process. 

Full-stack web developer job responsibilities

Your daily tasks and responsibilities as a web developer will depend on factors, including the size of your team and the expertise of the other professionals you work with. Developing full-stack skills can help you qualify for more roles in web development because you can perform the duties of any kind of web developer. Some common responsibilities you may have as a full-stack developer include: 

• Working with clients and other members of your design team to plan the look and feel of a website and to determine how clients might interact with it. 

• Writing code for the front end using programming languages, such as Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), or Javascript, and writing code for the back end using programming languages, such as Python, Ruby, or PHP. 

• Testing website performance and resolving any issues or challenges that arise. 

• Preparing your website for deployment and monitoring performance on both the front and back ends after deployment. 

Full-stack web developer roadmap

To become a full-stack web developer, you may benefit from becoming proficient in a strategically balanced set of skills, either through a formal degree program or through other means, such as certificate programs. You may decide to focus on either front- or back-end development first. This could allow you to start working in an entry-level role while you continue developing your full-stack skills. Explore some of the skills that can help you succeed in the field and discover options for learning these skills. 

What skills do full-stack developers need?

Full-stack developers typically have a wide range of skills because they perform many different kinds of work on a web development project. Prospective full-stack developers will likely benefit from prioritizing certain technical skills and developing a variety of workplace skills.

Technical Skills

One way to organize your technical skills is to learn a “stack,” or a set of technologies that, together, form the basis of a web development project. A stack usually includes an operating system, such as Linux; a database server, such as MongoDB; a programming language, like PHP; and a web server, such as Apache HTTP. Common stacks include: 

• LAMP: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP

• MEAN: MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js

• LEMP: Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP

Other technical skills you may want to develop for a role as a full-stack web developer include: 

• Full-stack frameworks: These frameworks consist of reusable components that can speed up web development. Common full-stack frameworks include Ruby on Rails, React, Angular, Django, and Laravel.

• Programming languages: You will need proficiency with common front-end languages, such as Java, HTML, and CSS, and back-end languages, such as Python, PHP, and Ruby. 

• Database management: Databases store the information for your websites, so knowing how to manage these databases will likely be important in your role as a full-stack web developer.  

• Version control: You will need to understand version control to write code that you can continuously improve through new features, updates, or patches. Version control helps manage updates by allowing you to work in different versions of the code. 

• Design skills: Knowledge of design principles and the ability to consider the web development project from an end user’s perspective may help you when working on the front-end aspects of a project. 

• Web testing: Full-stack developers typically conduct testing on both the front and back end of a project, making web-testing skills, such as designing and implementing a process to catch bugs and errors, necessary for you in the role. 

Workplace skills

In addition to these technical skills, you’ll likely find a variety of workplace skills that can aid in your success as a full-stack web developer. These might include: 

• Communication and collaboration

• Creativity and imagination

• Problem-solving

• Adaptability 

• Time management

Education and training

Some employers prefer you to have a bachelor’s degree. This is the case for 45.7 percent of full-stack developers. Another 28 percent have a master’s degree, 4 percent have a professional degree, and 11 percent have some college or university experience [1]. 

However, you may find that some employers are less concerned about formal degrees and more interested in seeing, through past projects and work experiences, that demonstrate your capability and your skills in action. You may also use certification programs or other opportunities for continuous learning to enhance your skills before or after completing a degree. Only 49.1 percent of developers report learning to code in a school program compared to other popular routes, such as online resources and courses and on-the-job training [1]. 

Full-stack web developer career path

Many full-stack web developers start in either front-end or back-end development. Because the position requires fewer technical skills, the barriers to entry into the role of a front-end developer are often lower, which can make it a more attractive entry point. 

Another reason you may choose to start in one area is to gain real-world experience while you continue your education or develop skills that apply to the opposite area. You may start in an entry-level role, such as a junior full-stack web developer, working under more experienced professionals. As you build your experience, you may find additional opportunities open up, such as a senior or lead full-stack web developer position. 

Full-stack web developer salary and job outlook

The average base salary for a full-stack developer is $92,484. This doesn’t include additional pay like bonuses, profit sharing, or commissions, which average $32,540 annually. Altogether, the average total salary for a full-stack web developer is $125,024 [2].

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes full-stack developers as software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers. Data from the BLS indicates a promising outlook, with anticipated growth of 17 percent in the decade leading up to 2033 [3]. 

Learn how to become a full-stack web developer on Coursera

As a full-stack web developer, your diverse set of skills may prepare you for a variety of roles and help you fit into a broader range of development teams. You can start learning the skills you need to begin a career as an entry-level full-stack developer or complete your tech stack through programs available on Coursera. 

Explore the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate, designed to provide you with job-ready skills so you can begin a new career as a software developer. To improve your skills in a particular area of full-stack development, consider a more focused program like the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.