Career pathways for developers

There are many different types of developer jobs, that can open you up to many different career paths. Developers are often well paid and in high demand, and therefore it is a popular career choice to consider if you want to get into the IT and tech industry.

The path to becoming a Senior Developer can vary from person to person, depending on the speed of your personal development, your self-motivation, and the ability to demonstrate all the skills needed to fulfil the role.

We’ve put together some of the different types of developer jobs from entry-level to senior-level and the types of responsibilities and skills that you need to be successful in the job.

Entry-Level Developer Jobs

Junior Developer

As a Junior Developer, you will join a team of more experienced developers whom you will be able to learn from. Typical job responsibilities include learning the required programming languages, learning to write, test, and maintain code, fixing bugs, and supporting the development team on any projects. Most of the skills required are soft skills as you will learn the technical skills on the job.

The skills of a Junior Developer include knowledge of programming languages, analytical skills, problem-solving skills, the ability to work as a team player, willingness to learn, communication skills, and attention to detail.

The average salary for a Junior Developer is £32,000

Junior Front End Developer

A Junior Front End Developer will work within a team to help develop a website and its appearance. Similarly to Junior Developers, they will learn the majority of their skills on the job, however, they will be expected to understand user experience design and programming languages, so they can help assist with developing visual features.

The skills of a Junior Front End Developer include knowledge of programming languages, HTML, CSS, knowledge of various website platforms and SEO best practices, functional testing and debugging, problem-solving skills, communication skills, creativity, and attention to detail

The average salary for a Front-End Developer is £32,500

 

Mid-Level Developer Jobs

Full Stack Developer

A Full Stack Developer is responsible for both the front-end and back-end of a website or application. Their responsibilities include designing the website architecture and user interactions, whilst ensuring optimisation for mobile use. They work with graphic designers to help bring to life web design features. They will also need to design and develop application programming interfaces (APIs).

The skills of a Full Stack Developer include knowledge of programming languages and frameworks, APIs, JavaScript, NodeJS, database management systems, web hosting platforms, web architecture, design skills, creativity, attention to detail, organisational skills, and adaptability skills.

The average salary for a Full Stack Developer is £58,000

Application Developer

An Application Developer is responsible for designing, implementing and updating applications. They need to be able to write high-quality code and create various prototypes according to specifications. Applications will need to go through testing before they launch, they need to be able to evaluate the application lifecycle, checking for any troubleshooting issues and ensuring regular updates take place.

The skills of an Application Developer include programming skills in various coding languages, knowledge of mobile applications, and relevant operating systems including Android and Apple iOS, user experience, problem-solving skills, communication skills, creativity, and attention to detail.

The average salary for an Application Developer is £50,000

 

Senior-Level Developer Jobs

Senior Software Developer

A Senior Software Developer is responsible for developing software solutions to meet customer requirements, whilst leading a team of Junior Developers. They will need to debug code and resolve escalated issues. They will also be responsible for writing reports on the development lifecycle and keeping up to date with industry trends and the latest technologies.

The skills of a Senior Software Developer include excellent programming skills and experience in writing clear code, DevOps, full stack development, cloud services, building databases, testing, and debugging, leadership skills, problem-solving skills, risk management, attention to detail, and communication skills.

The average salary for a Senior Software Developer is £64,000

Senior Full Stack Developer

A Senior Full Stack Developer is responsible for leading their team in development projects, whilst using the latest technologies to build websites and software applications. They will work to improve the code, and research new technologies that will enhance testing, performance, and usability. Day to day they will work on web development, bug-fixing, and integration with API and CMS.

The skills of a Senior Full Stack Developer include knowledge of front-end and back-end languages and writing code, database management, user experience, and user design, web architecture, leadership skills, time management skills, communication skills, and attention to detail.

The average salary for a Senior Full Stack Developer is £65,250

As you can see there are many different types of developer roles, and the more experience you get, the more skills you learn and the greater your job opportunities become. As a developer, you can choose to focus on one of the many skills that you learn over time from becoming a

, to a

or a

. As technologies continue to evolve the demand for developers will continue to grow, and the career possibilities are endless.