How much can a person expect to earn as a website developer?
June 1st, 2010
Preface:
In this article I listed some hourly rates you could charge depending on your skills, experience and talents. I wanted to point out that these numbers are not written in stone because of a few other factors:
- Where you live.
- How the economy is doing.
- Where technology is going.
So for example, someone living in Bangkok Thailand will probably get paid a lot less than someone living in New York city because everything is much cheaper in Thailand. For instance, an apartment that would cost you $500 in Bangkok will cost you $3000 in New York. So keep this in mind when reading.
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Hi,
I get a lot of web design and web programming related questions thrown at me and from time to time I use them as the basis of a blog post:
Tell me if you will. How much can a person expect to earn as a website developer?
Thanks again. I am hoping to make this a new career for me.
My answer:
How much can a person expect to earn as a website developer?
Depends on where you live, your skills, talent and experience. So let’s say you’re Mr. average, pretty good at what you do, but not one of those rare ultra-nerds or ultra-designers.
Once you have basic web design skills in place:
- html
- css
- basic design skills
.. You can make the lower end of a middle class living. So of many places, that’s about $15-25 hr – depending on your talents.
Once you add these skills:
- PHP (able to do simple things and modify scripts in simple ways)
- Javascript – same level as PHP
… Then you can at another $5-10hr to that base. Again, depends on your depth of knowledge and talent.
Finally, if you can add to that:
- An understanding of web architecture.
- SEO
- Usablility
- More advanced PHP/ Javascript skills.
- Some experience under your belt.
… Then you can start finding yourself making much more. Experience and talent do play a major role in this.
In my heyday as a Java web programmer, I was billing out at $200 hr.
I hope that helps.
Stefan Mischook
killersites.com
Based on this article, I need to increase my hourly rate. =)
D’oh … be nice Ben!
This is great info. I’m not a website developer, but former PM/Programmer for a big design company, now Entrepreneur starting a web design business. =)
Stefan, just curious and forgive if it’s too personal, but why did you leave java programming at $200 an hour?
@Aspire,
It just came down to me wanting to do something new. I found that I like teaching and the whole idea of creating video tutorials just interested me.
Before being a software developer, I had a pet products manufacturing business. The point being, I like to switch it up from time to time.
Also keep in mind, my rate was a negotiated number … I was able to pull that off because of what I could offer at the time.
Stefan
You’re clearly an entrepreneur with lots of good ideas and the skills to make them happen. Impressed.
I can also earn $200/hr but not 40hrs/wk. It’s a matter of making the processes of business more efficient. Getting jobs, dealing with clients, getting rid of “poor” clients etc. Rarely do I get contract jobs working at that rate for too long. But I think Stephen, you are right. I’ve been paid between $25 and $200/hr right throughout this career as a web designer / developer. Sometimes I find lower paid jobs less stressful and often a lot more fun.
Hey Stefan, is it good to teach myself ruby, pearl, and every thing else of that matter, im currently off of school right now and learning more on php, mysql and javascript, my major is web publishing right now but im really good at graphic design as well will being good in graphic design help get a job in web design when i graduate, in a year or so? Thanks
Cody Perry
Cody,
Being good at graphic design is an asset – much better to have it than not.
I always say, the more you learn the more you earn.
Stefan
Ok, Thanks for the advice thats the way i always took it in web design.
Cody Perry
Very nice article. I think being able to do it all will help with raising your salary. For instance if you can do design & development you got it made.
Hi stefan,
It is really good to read your articles as well as listen to your tutes and tips on youtube. I have done a degree in IT and I was very much in love with JAVA. I never ever thought I will ever endup as a webdesigner. Now that I am taking the next step to be a good developer so that I can increase my value, I know the basic php stuff but wanted to work with MVC frameworks. I hope you upload some useful tute on mvc. Also would appreciate if you can put up some SEO techniques.
I’ve put up a bunch on MVC and we have more coming.
… Search the killersites’ network of websites and you will find a bunch.
Try killerPHP.com …
Stefan
Thats great!
Your site is in my favorites list. The topics on object oriented can never be simpler than the one you have put up!
I have not much industrial experience and I have been a freelancer for the past couple of years. My portfolio is not large either and incomplete.
How much do you think I can charge based on my designing skill as you can see it on my site.
It is hard to say off hand because it really depends on your area.
S
Do we have to charge for the mvc frame work itself? For exams for a page displaying the product detail will have a productController.php where there will be one function which will be actually routing to the product page. This page will be having may be around 5-10 lines of code. There will also be a product.class file in the model folder and a product.php in the view folder. If we didnt use a mvc framework there will be only one page named product.php having all the codings inside that page. So when we are charging the client per dynamic page do we charge for the controller model and the view?
Please advice on this. Because I didnt do much work on the controller page to charge the same amount I charge for a single dynamic page.
I never charged per page because one page could take me 5 minutes to build and another 5hrs.
Charge by the hour or by the project.
You use MVC to save you time when first building the project and when you have to go back and make changes.
I hope that helps.
Stefan
Thanks Stefan. Your response helped me a lot, especially about the MVC. I never want to overcharge my client as building my portfolio was my main concern.
I did not keep a track of how long I worked on the project. It has been 35 pages already.
Anyways thanks a lot.
Sang
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