Building and Advancing a Career in Web Design

As the internet continues to grow rapidly, jobs within the industry, particularly in web design and development, are also expanding. It’s projected that by 2029, employment in these fields will increase by 8%, outpacing the average growth rate. Whether you're pursuing a salaried role or freelance work, a career in web design offers diverse job options, competitive salaries, and opportunities to blend technical and creative skills.

What does a career in web design entail?

A career in web design involves designing, creating, and coding various types of websites. This often includes collaborating with clients, refining specifications, incorporating feedback, editing graphics, and adding multimedia features like audio and video. Web designers combine both technical and creative expertise and work across industries like software, IT, and corporate organizations. While web designers focus on the visual and functional design of a site, web developers handle its technical aspects—though the roles can overlap.

Full-stack, back-end, and front-end web development

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) often groups web developers and digital designers together but distinguishes them by their responsibilities. Web developers are in charge of creating and maintaining websites, focusing on technical aspects like performance. Web designers, however, concentrate on the site’s aesthetics and user experience, designing layouts, functions, and navigation. Web developers specialize in either back-end, front-end, or full-stack development, using various programming languages, libraries, and frameworks, while web designers typically collaborate with front-end developers.

Are web designers in demand in 2024?

With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, the demand for websites—and thus for web designers and developers—remains high. As of January 2020, there were 17.4 billion websites, and this number continues to grow. Designers with strong coding skills are in especially high demand and typically earn higher salaries. While there are many job opportunities in web design, certain skills are essential for success in 2024’s job market.