Considering web development as a potential career

Hello all, this is my first post here, and I am looking for some clarification on multiple things about a career as a web developer(designer?). Without making this an introduction post, a little about me and why I'm asking these questions; I'm a senior in high school contemplating what I want to do with my life. I have done small time (non profit) web design gigs off and on as a hobby for about 4 years now. Web development seems to be a great job for me in terms of work environment and it appeals to my rational side because I've heard it pays well (according to the BLS national average), and is rapidly growing. That being said, my major questions are as follows:

1.) How much can I expect (roughly) to make as an entry level web developer (either freelance or with a company).
2.) Should I bother getting a degree, or just take time to hone my skills and improve knowledge using other resources (treehouse?). I have been considering pursuing a web developer certificate from my community college because there is still oodles for me to learn before I can take on full scale projects.
3.) What are the hours like for freelance and non-self employed developers?
4.) Pros/Cons of freelance vs employee
5.) What should I be doing now to prepare myself for a career in this field and how can I get a competitive edge when I go looking for jobs?

 

Hi

I've just jointed, myself, so welcome to us both! LOL

As a former careers advisor/business studies lecturer, head-hunting business owner and now an online entrepreneur and info publisher, I'm well-placed to give you the benefit of my experience with regard to working for an employer and also being self-empled. But ultimately the steps you take will determine the level of success you achieve in your chosen career. But let's take each of your questions in turn

1.) How much can I expect (roughly) to make as an entry level web developer (either freelance or with a company)?

That depends on your qualifications, experience, expertise, the size of the company you work for, etc, etc.

2.) Should I bother getting a degree, or just take time to hone my skills and improve knowledge using other resources (treehouse?). I have been considering pursuing a web developer certificate from my community college because there is still oodles for me to learn before I can take on full scale projects.

If you were my son/daughter, my advice would be get nationally/internationally recognised formal qualifications - a degree would be a good start. A University degree means a great deal more than merely gaining knowledge in the subject of study. There an numerous qualities and skills that you can develop during that period (analysis, time management, team work, research, decision making, networking, socialising, etc) that are transferable in any discipline throughout your life and career.
If that degree is not in IT, then top the academic degree with a vocational qualification, also.
Above all else, you need to enjoy the work you do otherwise it will soon be a chore, no matter how high the income you derive from that occupation.

When it comes to seeking jobs, the market is extremely competitive so that the more you have to offer a company, the better your chances of being shortlisted and ultimately getting the job of your choice, often even before you've taken your finals (when top company representatives come to Universitites to sign up the brightest and the best).

3.) What are the hours like for freelance and non-self employed developers? It all depends on the type of show you run and the company you elect to work for.
If you are freelance, then you determine how many hours you work. You do have to bear in mind, though, that as a self-employed person, you need to make provisions for sickness pay, accident insurance, commercial insurance, taxes, paying yourself, your employees, etc, etc. In the initial stages, you'd have to be prepared to work your sock off to establish yourself in the marketplace and, if necessary, not take any money out of your business while it's barely covering your overheads.

4.) Pros/Cons of freelance vs employee
Freelance Pros - autonomy - you control how and when you work,and what work you take on, how much you pay yourself, who works with you, where you work, and so on.
Freelance Cons - lonely at the top - the buck stops with you. Succeed or fail, it's all down to you. You risk your security if things go south.
Employee pros - you have security of income so long as you remain employed. You have a structure within which you work. This may suit you
Employee cons - limited autonomy, if at all, at mercy of your employer's whims and dictates, having to work with people you'd rather not, and so on.
5.) What should I be doing now to prepare myself for a career in this field and how can I get a competitive edge when I go looking for jobs?
See above and especially (2).

 

As a freelancer, you won't always find work, and you constantly have to look for it.

Aside from that, it's just like starting a business. First you have to build a reputation, and work a lot for very small payments since you don't have an extensive portfolio.

Personally I find freelancing to be tedious without the benefits of running a business.

 

Thanks for your replies, both are very helpful.

Is there potential to earn more as a freelancer (without working ridiculous hours) once you are established? Is it possible to earn a living as a freelancer in the beginning years on my own? (I live in Austin). I don't mind having to answer to someone and I'm really great at interacting and working with other people for the most part so if I can earn more or get benefits at a company I think that would be a better option. Also, what can I expect to earn as an estimated minimum based on the fact that at the time of employment I will have a certifcate of web development from a community college and roughly 1 year of professional web development and about 4 years of personal web development? I'm just trying to get a guesstimate of where I'll be 2-3 years from now, I've heard 40,000 is realistic, but I've seen a wide variety of salaries.

 

Yeah, you will make a lot if you interest big businesses. You will interest big businesses if you have made amazing websites for big businesses. A friend of mine makes around 1200EUR/month making simple websites for startups like local stores. Depending where you see yourself in this spectrum is where you'll end up in 2-3 years.

If you are indeed a very ambitious and excellent web developer, you can start by making our website. Send me a PM if that's something you're interested in.

 

Web development is a great career. My advice is to skip college and just get started right away, today, on web development. College is a hugely expensive investment that will not pay any dividends in this field. It's better to learn independently anyway.

 

I am not much into design & development but I did 8 years as a freelance blogger. I can testify to every piece of advice given here and I'll only add this to the mix:

• How much you make depends on your skills ( and how quickly you catch up these skills that change all the time).
• Just like it is in a business, you'd need to learn how to "get business": Get new clients, keep old clients, rinse and repeat.
• How you manage your money, your clients, and your work.
• How well you do what you do.

 

Hi! I'm a freelance web developer myself too. Here's what I can tell you.

1.) How much can I expect (roughly) to make as an entry level web developer (either freelance or with a company).
I have never tried being with a company before, so all of my answers here is for freelancing career. However, for an entry level freelance web developer, you will make at around $50-$300 per site. That's if you will be creating and selling your websites at online auctions.

2.) Should I bother getting a degree, or just take time to hone my skills and improve knowledge using other resources (treehouse)?
I suggest getting a degree and develop websites on your free time. A formal education is always useful. As of this writing, I am studying while making websites. I bet you can do it too.

3.) What are the hours like for freelance and non-self employed developers?
For freelance, I usually only work at most 4 hours a day when I need to go to school and during weekends or school breaks, I do it full time.

4.) Pros/Cons of freelance vs employee
I have no stand on this as I did not experience being an employed developer.

5.) What should I be doing now to prepare myself for a career in this field and how can I get a competitive edge when I go looking for jobs?
To have a competitive edge, go and make yourself a website. Make a resume type of website and include all your works so whenever a hiring manager asks you about your skills, you can just say "just check my works at yourname.com."

I hope I was able to give you an idea living as a freelance web developer.