Is there a Demand for Front-end Developers in 2023?

Front-end developers are a dime a dozen, and as such many think that the profession is dying. However, reality and statistics show that this field is actually growing, and the need for good front-end developers is needed now more than ever. Let's look at the details.

Skilled and qualified front-end developers are still very much in demand. Many individuals think that they are not due to oversaturation in the job market along with the profession evolving over the past decade. However, many job listings, increased salaries, and trends provide a counterargument.

This article will cover the various aspects of front-end development, looking at the profession as a whole. It will also detail factors contributing to why many think it is not in demand anymore. Conversely, it will cover the facts that refute this and give insight as to why it is still regarded as a viable IT profession.

How In Demand Are Front-End Developers?

Front-end developers are still definitely still in demand. If you take a look at online recruitment sites such as Indeed, you will find no less than between 4,000 and 7,000 job postings for front-end developers per country. That is a staggering amount.

Moreover, If you look at global Google trends since December 2011, you will find that the search term for front-end developers has risen almost 300% in the last ten years.

With these two statistics, we can comfortably say that the job position for front-end developers is still in high demand worldwide.

Why Do People Think Front-End Development Is Dying?

There are a few main factors to consider as to why individuals think this specific field of IT is not what it used to be and why it may seem that it is not in high demand. Let's consider these factors to better understand why front-end developers may not appear to be in demand but actually are.

Oversaturation Of The Job Market For Front-End Developers

Without diving too deep into the field of front-end development, it could be regarded as one of the most accessible IT fields to learn. With little to no experience, you can learn to become a front-end developer within six months.

Why Do People Choose Front-End Development As A Career Path?

Coupled with the fact that because this field of IT is more accessible than others to learn and individuals like that, they will be dealing with integration in terms of converting data to graphical user interfaces, many flock to this profession.

Thus, a front-end developer looking for a job may find that they are competing with many people for the same job position.

There Aren't Many Good Front-End Developers

Due to the fact that front-end development is relatively easy to get into, there are many individuals who have the bare minimum skill set to accomplish the tasks needed. This means that a front-end developer who has little to no experience and is not well versed in the profession may find it challenging to find a job and think the field is declining.

A Google UI Engineer, Sean Grogg, says that good front-end developers are in high demand. However, many that do not have the required skill set apply for the positions they are applying for.

Front-End Development Has Changed Over The Past Ten Years

Another reason why many people think that front-end developers are not in demand any more is that they may not understand that the job position has changed over the years.

This means that they believe that what entailed being a front-end developer ten years ago should still be applicable today. However, they can't find any job positions that match these specific criteria. That is because being a front-end developer ten years ago meant something different than it does today.

In a nutshell, front-end developers nowadays use Javascript, HTML, and CSS to build graphical front-end interfaces the users can view and interact with. This means they primarily focus on building websites, web applications, mobile applications, and such.

Although there are similarities in the job description of a developer ten years ago and one today, there are major differences.

Today, front-end development is mainly rooted in JavaScript, where it is not only used to create web interactions but also to create entire web pages.

Back in the day, a front-end developer mainly built web pages with HTML, CSS, and probably some JQuery. Furthermore, they probably knew some PHP; however, because this is a back-end (server-side) language, it has fallen by the wayside for today's front-end developers. You will rarely find a front-end developer or job title that requires coding in raw HTML and CSS anymore. JavaScript framework will generate HTML and inject CSS styles rather than have you hard code it.

Front-End Development Will Change In The Future

Many individuals think that the need for front-end developers is on the decline because, in the future, we may move away from screens. Technology is progressing very fast, and we now find more mediums that integrate technology, such as VR and voice-operated systems like Siri, Alexa, and Google Home.

As such, screens may become less prevalent in the future, meaning that the need for front-end developers should be on the decline.

Although we may be moving away from screens, future technology will still have an interaction point (an interface) between it and the user. It will help if you remember that a front-end developer is a person who deals with this interaction point (graphical or not).

Furthermore, remember that a front-end developer's definition and job description have changed over the years, so it is more than likely it will again change with emerging technologies. Thus a front-end developer in the future could be labeled as a UX Engineer in a couple of years.

Is Front-End Development A Good Career?

Due to the ever-evolving technologies in today's world, there will always be a need for good front-end developers. As such, front-end development will always be a good career path to follow.

Take into consideration that the average salary for a front-end developer has increased by almost 35% in the last 20 years. Moreover, the salary bump is still on an annual increase, with the average front-end developer now earning approximately $75,310 a year.

Furthermore, if you consider that a proficient front-end developer can earn upwards of $100,000 a year, you can see that this career path is still appealing to many individuals.

Conclusion

Although it may seem to many that front-end developers are not in high demand, the fact of reality is that good ones are. We can see this from tens of thousands of international job listings along with an increase in salary over the past 20 years by almost 35%. Hence, there is no doubt that there is still plenty of room for this profession to grow.

The only factor to consider is that this profession is ever-changing along with modern technology, so what entails being a front-end developer today may not be what it is tomorrow.