At the end of the last century, when the Internet was only gaining pace as a main source of content, web programming was relatively simple. Any site was perceived as a synthesis of two activities: front-end and back-end development. Therefore, web and software development companies often had two specific teams, each dealing separately with front-end and back-end development.
However, in the early 2000s, the situation changed. A large number of new screen sizes (tablets, mobile, etc.) highlighted the need to rethink how to display content on websites. In this regard, the distance that separated the front-end and back-end began to rapidly decrease. Today, there’s a new generation of development companies, offering full-stack development. A bright example would be Purrweb.
What’s the job and who is responsible for it?![]()
Full-stack (FS) web development is a series of activities aimed at creating a web application. This concept is rather heterogeneous, and the responsibilities of a FS developer can differ across companies. But in general full-stack specialists are expected to have skills that include knowing Javascript, integrating APIs, working with frameworks, microservices, serverless technologies as well as handling databases, data analytics, server protection, etc.
Simply put, a full-stack web developer is in charge of designing both the back-end and the front-end parts of an app, connecting both layers together, and ensuring their smooth operation.
Such a specialist is a real boon to any company, even today. However, this position can often be found in small companies or startups, where a FS specialist can generally be a CEO or a CTO. Large companies, most often, work with separate teams for each area. But even there, an experienced FS programmer will be able to perform functions of a project manager and be extremely useful.
People of high demand![]()
The 2020 StackOverflow survey showed that almost 55% of respondents are full-stack developers. For the sake of comparison, in 2019 it was 51%. Such specialists are also among the highest-paid ones. The average annual salary of a full-stack developer is $54,000 worldwide. While in the USA, for example, this figure is $112,000.
Although many startups look for FS specialists because they are not able to spend a lot of money on a few individual tech-specific teams, large companies also work with full-stack developers. They are usually employed for the position of VP of engineering or CTO.
In the IT industry, the trend for versatility is growing. Being an expert in a specific niche is still appreciated, but not so special anymore. Any company would prefer to cooperate with a multi-role person, which is able to single-handedly fill several gaps within the team and at the same time, be a source of expertise for young specialists. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are studies that report an increase in the demand for FS developers. For example, the US labor bureau forecasts that the number of jobs for developers with relevant skills will see an 8% growth by 2029.
Prospects
It is difficult to make any predictions for the future these days. Everything changes too quickly and sometimes you don’t even have time to get to grips with a new phenomenon in the IT world before it sinks into oblivion. All we can do is analyze the facts and make conclusions.
- FS developer salaries are above the industry average. The more experience and skills you have, the more money you earn;
- The need for FS developers is great. It’s always better to hire one person who can perform a few roles. This is time- and cost-efficient. Besides, the quality of a final product will be high as well. Since there are fewer intermediaries involved, the probability of error is less;
- Versatile specialists are becoming more valuable. It’s no secret that most IT companies strive for maximum automation of their processes in order to reduce costs. The widespread adoption of AI and neural networks is an additional factor in this issue. Soon, the tasks of ordinary specialists will be completely automated or abolished. This is a trend that will become a reality in the near future. Versatile high-class specialists will unlikely be affected since it is more difficult to digitize the volume of their knowledge and skills.
What do we have in the end? There is no single fact implying that FS web development is a relic from the past and has no future. On the contrary, this is a highly demanded occupation. FS specialists will always have the opportunity to implement their knowledge, skills, and experience. At the moment, the future of FS web development is bright and extremely promising. The situation is unlikely to change in the coming years.