A succinct way I’ve framed the split is that a front-of-the-front-end developer determines the look and feel of abutton,while a back-of-the-front-end developer determines what happens when thatbuttonis clicked. The most popular front-end development tools are jQuery, Angular, and React. Meanwhile, the most popular backend development tools are MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite . Now that you’ve got a good understanding of front-end developer skills, let’s see how their work overlaps from back-end engineers. Prefer the logical side of programming or love working with data?

The modern front-end developer must have advanced CSS and HTML5 skills, supplemented by a number of other hard skills that I explain below. Consuming the UI code authored by the front-of-the-front-end developers in order to compose screens and connect real functionality data, and services. Architecting the flexibility/composibility of the component library, working with developers to understand how open/composable How to do FrontEnd Development or rigid/locked down each component should be. Creating a library of presentational UI components authored in a templating language are packaged up to be consumed by other developers. If you’re looking for the best tech talent then check out MVP Match. Not only will we find you a front-end developer who will perfectly fit your project within 48 hours, but we will also take care of all the paperwork for you.

• Being detail-oriented – front-end developers are creators, they’re responsible for how the site or web app looks and feels.
• If you have a project that could use my frontend help, please feel free to reach out.Writing I write about web design best practices, design systems, responsive design, and other tasty topics on my blog.
• Writing unit tests for the presentational UI component library code to ensure the components look and function properly.
• Front-end engineers implement changes in the visual layer of the website .
• Creativity – while front-end developers don’t need the same level of artistry as designers, they still have to be able to think creatively in order to build and deploy websites.
• It adds the interactive, dynamic element to your otherwise static website created with HTML and CSS.
• Interestingly, even within the country, the pay can vary by as much as 40%, depending on the area.

Has your organization shifted toward a “front-of-the-front-end/back-of-the-front-end” split? These roles and responsibilities are constantly changing, but the general split between “look and feel” and “functionality” continues to be a decent delineation. Optimizing the performance of JavaScript code in order to create a snappy, responsive application that fetches and fetches/posts data quickly. Working with back-of-the-front-end developers to ensure the front-end code is compatible with back-end code, services, APIs, and other technology architecture. Creating CSS code that control the look and feel of the web experience, tackling colors, typography, responsive layout, animation, and any other visual aspect of the UI. Front-end designers architect resilient CSS code with a focus on modularity, flexibility, compatibility, and extensibility.

Their work title gives away what they do in terms of software, as front-end engineers combine the logic and functionality with the front, i.e., the user interface. Working with front-of-the-front-end developers to ensure the UI component library contains all the components, variants, and API hooks necessary in order to build the application and all its states. Good listeners – front-end engineers aren’t lone wolves, they’re part of a bigger team that includes UX/UI designers, graphic designers, and back-end developers, among others. To bring concepts into life, they have to be good communicators and even better listeners. Part of their job is to collect requirements from clients and fellow team members and ensure they have a deep understanding of user needs and problems.

Meanwhile, back-end developers work on the server-side of things, making their interactions with designers much less frequent. They focus on databases, scripting, implementing algorithms, and solving system and website architecture issues. Git is a popular version control management system used by both front-end and back-end developers. By using Git, your front-end engineer can keep track of all the versions and changes that have been applied to the code. If need be, they can also use it to reverse any changes they’ve made – for example, to delete a bit of front-end code that has messed up the website or a single feature.

Responsibilities In The Software Team

The Great Divide is real, and I’m pleased that the terms “front-of-the-front-end” and “back-of-the-front-end” have gained traction ever since I quipped about them on the Shop Talk Show. This makes me incredibly happy as these labels provide a much-needed distinction between the types of web development that need to occur in order to build successful web things. Front-end developers are the wizards who turn complicated lines of code into beautiful, fully functional products.

There are no hidden costs, and the longer you work with us, the less it costs you. A front-end developer’s salary will depend on a few factors like their experience and seniority level, the country they’re based in, and the industry they work for. As mentioned earlier, the front-end development cake layers are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. A back-end developer might be expected to understand these three (as they’re the fundament of today’s software), but they must really excel in back-end languages. Front-end developers wear the accessibility and responsivity badge proudly on their chests. They need to make sure that the website works well for all users, on mobile and desktop.

Have a project that could use some consulting or frontend help? Music I play music with my wife and brother in our home studio. Being detail-oriented – front-end developers are creators, they’re responsible for how the site or web app looks and feels. And since it directly impacts the user experience, every little detail matters.

Atomic Design

JavaScript – 97% of all websites use JS, which makes it a no-brainer for this list. Mozilla has found a neat analogy for JavaScript, calling it the third layer of the web technology cake. It adds the interactive, dynamic element to your otherwise static website created with HTML and CSS. There are a number of JS libraries and frameworks , which are widely used by developers to make it easier to code. This does not mean, however, that front-end engineers can get away with not knowing how to code in pure JavaScript.

“Think about what interests and excites you, and stay on track with the current trends in role requirements. Have a play in both front- and back-end to get a feel for what you like,” says Dai. Writing end-to-end, integration, and other tests to ensure the application works as intended.

Frontend Design

For this reason, they need to safeguard any back-end changes that could affect how data is displayed or drawn for users. For example, how quickly search data appears on screen, how long it takes for data input to be processed, etc. Front-end developers must understand the steps in the design process and engage in design-related conversations with UI/UX specialists. After all, they are responsible for implementing visual components on the website.

It’s a role that not only requires advanced technical skills but also a large dose of creativity and a good sense of aesthetics. No wonder graphic designers become front-end engineers or the other way around. Let’s now take a look at a job ad posted by Meta to get a better understanding of what it takes to become a front-end engineer and what their main responsibilities are.

What Key Skills Are Needed To Be A Front

Bear in mind that a lot of great tech talent is located in Europe, which is significantly cheaper than the United States. Front-end engineers implement changes in the visual layer of the website . For this reason, they often check in with design teams to make sure that their work won’t affect the intended design. This is not to say that the work of back-end engineers doesn’t affect the front. Their work can impact the website’s security, support, and content management system. CSS and HTML5 – an absolute must for any front-end developer.

Wiring up, integrating with, and even authoring data sources, services, and APIs. This can include things like retrieving, manipulating, and displaying content from a CMS, or posting data to the appropriate service when a user submits a form. Maintaining the presentational components as a product, meaning handling versioning, deploying, governance, release notes and all the operational stuff goes into maintaining a software product. Optimizing the performance of front-end code in order to create lightweight, fast-loading, snappy, jank-free experiences.

If we look at the US for example, the average salary for a front-end engineer stands at around $88,672 per year. This excludes an extra payment of $12,698 per year, which accounts for bonuses, commissions, profit sharing, etc. It’s worth pointing out that the United States offers some of the highest rates globally. Interestingly, https://wizardsdev.com/ even within the country, the pay can vary by as much as 40%, depending on the area. For example, it costs two-to-three times more to live in New York than in Boise, Idaho. That’s why if you decide to seek talent in some of the biggest tech hubs in the US, like San Francisco or San Jose, be ready to pay a premium.

Frameworks & Libraries

The line between front-of-the-front-end and back-of-the-front-end can be fuzzy and varies greatly from developer to developer. It’s totally possible that one developer might be able to perform many tasks across the front-end spectrum. But it’s also worth pointing out that’s not super common. Kasia and Anna have been working together as a content duo for years. They have joined Match Community with a mission to share their experiences and help others in navigating their freelancing careers.

JQuery, another popular JS library that lets developers simplify work on the HTML Document Object Model . So, at least a quarter of website projects will call for this skill. This is an area I’ve been passionate about for a long while, so I’d love to hear about your experience navigating these waters.

I bet you witnessed a situation where a designer prepared a project and handed it over to the dev team to code, but the final product ended up looking differently, to say the least. Being detail-focused, allows front-end engineers to build products, which perfectly reflect the designer’s vision. If you’re curious how the front-end developer’s salary varies depending on the company, then here is a quick overview from Glassdoor. Out of all the businesses listed below, eBay seems to be the most generous. It’s important to be aware of the market rates since good tech talent is scarce. If you fail to offer competitive salaries, your developers might start to look for other options.

That being said, here are the most common front-end developer skills you’ll want to tick off your hiring list when screening your candidates. For the most viable career trajectory, align yourself with either front-end or back-end first, then once you gain a deeper knowledge in practice, you can think about trying out full-stack. If you move into full-stack too soon, you can spread yourself thin in your knowledge of all relevant techs. If you haven’t yet started your studies, then the world is your oyster.