What is a lead web developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Brian Glas,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
introduction image

The Lead Web Developer oversees the daily operation, infrastructure, security, and development of the company's website and related digital communication and analytics tools. He/She ensures the technical implementation of microsites, web pages, and interactive forms. He/She identifies and evaluates potential risks and mitigates them. Also, he/she manages the integration of the website with other digital systems. As the lead web developer, you will manage website content, features, and functionality for each department.

To be a lead web developer, you need a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. You must be conversant with front-end frameworks. You must also be an expert in PHP, CSS3, Twig, HTML5, etc., and must be proficient in Microsoft and Google software suites. Also, you must be familiar with modern web software release workflow using testing and production environments. With all these, a lead web developer makes an average salary of $83,003 which is between $54,000 and $132,000.

What general advice would you give to a Lead Web Developer?

Brian GlasBrian Glas LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Union University

Build relationships: Different technologies will interest and challenge you, but throughout your career, you'll find that it's the relationships that are the most important. This is harder to grasp earlier in your career, but much easier to understand after 15-20 years.
Gain different perspectives: Spend time with people in other roles that your job interacts with, and gain a solid understanding of how they view things; this is most valuable for career progression and understanding of how your work fits into the big picture.
ScoreLead Web DeveloperUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $108,800

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.2

Growth Rate 13%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 15.73%

Black or African American 6.58%

Hispanic or Latino 12.25%

Unknown 6.55%

White 58.47%

Gender

female 18.67%

male 81.33%

Age - 36
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36
Stress Level
5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.3

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Lead Web Developer career paths

Key steps to become a lead web developer

  1. Explore lead web developer education requirements

    Most common lead web developer degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.2 %

    Master's

    14.5 %

    Associate

    12.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific lead web developer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Web Application8.68%
    JavaScript6.17%
    CSS4.87%
    Web Development4.26%
    Front End3.88%
  3. Complete relevant lead web developer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead web developers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead web developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead web developer resumes.
  4. Research lead web developer duties and responsibilities

    • Design and develop custom MVC framework to manage public web sites.
    • Lead a team of 20 developers through full lifecycle software development of J2EE applications.
    • Manage authentication using ASP.NET forms authentication, windows authorization and ASP.NET membership.
    • Develop classroom registration system and internal portal with PHP, MySQL, HTML, and CSS.
  5. Get lead web developer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead web developer. The most common roles before becoming a lead web developer include web developer, senior software engineer team lead and senior web developer.
  6. Prepare your lead web developer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead web developer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead web developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Lead Web Developer Resume templates

    Build a professional Lead Web Developer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Lead Web Developer resume.
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
    Lead Web Developer Resume
  7. Apply for lead web developer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a lead web developer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Lead Web Developer Job

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Average lead web developer salary

The average Lead Web Developer salary in the United States is $108,800 per year or $52 per hour. Lead web developer salaries range between $84,000 and $140,000 per year.

Average Lead Web Developer Salary
$108,800 Yearly
$52.31 hourly

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How do lead web developers rate their job?

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Lead Web Developer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Cons

Stressing and you have to keep always updated

Pros

Improve every day, a good salary, a lot of job opportunities


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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