Front End Developer: what does he do and how much does he earn?

Among the most requested emerging job roles, the Front End Developer is the professional specialized in the development of the front end part of websites and applications (the visual elements with which the user interacts).

Using coding languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, he writes the code and designs the layouts of a site or an App, ensuring that the user can use them from any device and with all browsers.

Often, in carrying out his duties, the Front End Developer collaborates with the Back End Developer, the UX Designer and the UI Designer. However, especially for smaller projects and in smaller entities, he could personally take care of every aspect of the site/App.

What a Front End Developer does

The Front End Developer works on the site from the user’s side: it is thanks to his intervention that websites and applications are easily navigable, functional and beautiful to look at.

The tasks of a Front End Developer are different:

• optimize the user experience;
• implement the design of a Web page;
• take care of the UI Design (in collaboration with the UI Designer or personally in case of his absence);
• guarantee correct viewing of the site with every device and every browser;
• design the design elements of a site or App and ensure they work correctly;
• fix any bugs;
• carry out usability tests;
• analyze competitors’ sites and applications;
• replicate the functioning of certain design elements across multiple pages within a site.

What to study to become a Front End Developer

To become a Front End Developer, a degree in Computer Science is advisable (but not necessary).. You can also become a self-taught front-end developer by attending an online or in-person course.

To be able to work as a Front End Developer you need to know:

• the HTML and CSS languages, fundamental for creating the design of a site: without the use of HTML and CSS, for example, you would have unformatted text pages, without images;
• Javascript, necessary to add functionality to a site, to create basic applications and to facilitate the use of the interface;
• jQueryJavascript, necessary to add functionality to a site, to create basic applications and to facilitate the use of the interface; It can be used for countdowns, automatic completions of the search form, but also to automatically sort and resize layouts;
• testing and debugging systems;
• CSS preprocessors, scripting tool that allows you to get cleaner code, with reusable and shareable snippets and higher cross-browser portability.

Alongside Hard Skills, Soft Skills play a fundamental role:

• communication: a Front End Developer works in synergy with the Back End Developer, with the UI and UX designers and with the webmaster, all figures with whom he must know how to communicate effectively;
• teamwork: the front-end developer finds himself having to team up with all the other professionals involved in the project;
• creativity: building the page structures, keeping the design updated, responsive and pleasant for the user, requires a lot of creativity and constant learning;
• problem-solving: If something isn’t working on the website, it’s the front-end developer’s duty to fix it. Solving problems and making everything work as it should is therefore a necessary skill.

The salary of a Front-End Developer, in Italy, is around €32,500 per year. Un Junior Front-End Developer earns an average of €29,000 while a senior figure can exceed €40,000.

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