What Does a Full-Stack Developer do? A 2024 Comprehensive Guide

A full-stack developer is considered a jack of all trades when it comes to software development programming. From developing and maintaining web interfaces to managing the front-end and back-end development processes, a full-stack developer’s role is rather varied. This might be the reason why it is a high-demand career today. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates a 23% increase in demand for web developers and designers till 2031. So, what does a full-stack developer do? The following article throws light on the list of responsibilities, certification requirements, and other associated details. 

What are Full-Stack Developer Skills?

A full-stack developer plays a major role in various developmental stages and has the versatility and time management skills to assist all levels of the development team. A combination of both front- and back-end skill sets is required to become a full-stack web developer. 

Front-End Development

It is the process of creating the interface of a website and includes the following programs:

HTML and CSS

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) governs the appearance of text or images on the screen. HTML is responsible for the customization of a website and building a specific theme from scratch. It formats headings, paragraphs, pop-ups, and other texts.

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is responsible for changing the color and size of a heading, adding animated effects, applying background images, and making pages look efficient in both desktop and mobile browsers.

JavaScript

It is a powerful client-side programming language used primarily to improve user interaction with the application. It includes React, Angular, Vue, and JQuery libraries and frameworks. 

Back-End Development 

A full-stack developer should be familiar with back-end programming languages, such as Python, PHP, Pearl, Ruby on Rails, and CakePHP, and know how the following algorithms and business logic work.

Database Management Systems (DBMS)

A full-stack developer writes code that is used to perform relational mapping to fetch data from the database. Some popularly used DBMS programs are MySQL, SQL Server and PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Oracle Database. 

Soft Skills

Apart from the relevant software development skills, a full-stack developer must possess basic soft skills as well. It is important for them to correctly understand the intent and objective behind creating a product to engage the target audience. They should also possess the aptitude to plan the design, development, and implementation phases strategically. A few other relevant soft skills include problem-solving, time management, and analytical skills, among others.

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Full-Stack Developer

A full-stack developer creates and maintains both the front-end and back-end of a website, web application, or computer program. Here is a breakdown of the roles and responsibilities associated with the profile.

• Creating interactive user interfaces with JavaScript and HTML/CSS frameworks and libraries
• Maintaining cross-platform compatibility so that applications run smoothly on all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Developing an Application Programming Interface (API) depending on the application architecture
• Designing the application’s back end to retrieve data from servers
• Meeting all technical and consumer requirements by developing responsive applications
• Creating databases and servers that should be resistant to outages and operate indefinitely

ALSO READ: What is Full-Stack Development? The Ultimate 2023 Guide

Why Should You Become a Full-Stack Web Developer?

There are multiple reasons why you might be interested in the profile of a full-stack web developer. 

Diverse Growth Options

Having in-demand full-stack developer skills will make you more adaptable to various web and app development ecosystems.

Lucrative Jobs 

Full-stack web developers are among the highest-paid professionals in the industry today. The average salary of a full-stack developer is $100,818 in the U.S., ranging between $85,903 to $113,757. However, it is heavily based on a number of critical factors, such as education, certifications, additional skills, and experience in the same field.

Better Employment Opportunities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the availability of jobs in full-stack development is projected to increase, with 21,800 new openings on an average expected year on year over the decade. The good news is companies these days are also opting for one multi-developer rather than having many developers on the same project.

Versatility

From initiating the project to key project contributions on both the front-end and the back end, a full-stack developer is responsible for managing various stages of the project. This helps an individual to gain and learn multiple aspects at once, which will prove highly beneficial in terms of career growth and opportunities.

Full-Stack Developer vs. Software Engineer

Work

A full-stack developer manages both server-side and client-side development, including the creation of programs, databases, APIs, and website design. On the other hand, a software engineer creates computer software or applications, tests it, and ensures that it works without any error.

Skill Set

Full-stack developers should possess technical skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, etc) along with soft skills like time management, leadership, etc. However, software engineers must have knowledge of all relevant coding languages, including C++, Java, C#, Python, etc. Moreover, they should have web design skills along with communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

A full-stack developer’s major responsibilities include leading product development teams, developing software prototypes, and coding for back-end operations. On the other hand, a software engineer’s responsibilities include developing and directing software system testing, project plans and proposals, and applying engineering and mathematical principles to software development. 

Accessibility

A full-stack developer has access to every aspect of a project. However, a software engineer doesn’t possess full access to all of a program’s resources.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary of a full-stack developer is $85,558. On the other hand, an entry-level software engineer in the U.S. can expect to earn between $65,000 and $154,000 annually. 

Full-Stack Developer Salary

According to Indeed, a full-stack developer’s average salary in the U.S. is $85,558 per year. This figure does not include any bonuses, commissions, or other additional payments that a full-stack developer may be offered yearly.

Full-Stack Developer Certification

Before pursuing a certification in full-stack development, you should have an understanding of the fundamentals of design, coding, and development.

Full-stack developer certifications include the following popular options:

• Professional full-stack cloud developer certification
•  Full-stack web development with a specialization in React
• Advanced certificate program in full-stack software development with a cloud computing specialization

Full-stack developers are well-versed in several programming languages and can transition seamlessly from one development environment to the next. If you’re interested in developing this expertise, then there’s nothing like Emeritus’ online coding courses to ramp up your skills and learn more about the topic. The courses cover a wide range of coding and programming topics, allowing you to learn about back-end and front-end development, coding languages, and other aspects of web development. Select courses that will help you improve your skills and advance your career. Upskilling and upgrading your knowledge is the smartest move today to meet the growing demand for coding and programming professionals.

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