How to Become a Full Stack Developer (A Step By Step Guide)

Do you know that the average full stack developer’s salary is $1,12,000 per year? Yes, and this figure is enough to attract many aspiring web developers to choose a software development career. This opportunity also opens doors for aspiring full stack web developers.

But here the core question is how to become a full stack developer?

We discussed this question with our full stack web developers and asked them the best way for beginners to start a career as a full stack developer. Here are the points we have discussed to kickstart your career.

So, let us start by understanding the basics – who is a full stack developer first.

Who is a Full Stack Developer?

The full stack engineer or developer is a programmer, who is well versed with the front end (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and the back end (PHP and MySQL) technologies.

Earlier, coding skills were divided into two parts: web development skills and web designing skills. Now, the combination of these roles is referred to as full stack developers. The full stack developer is proficient enough in both front-end and back-end development.

Along with front-end and back-end development, full stack developers have an exceptional level of understanding in server, database, API (application programming interface), which allows them to work in an environment of full stack software.

As you have understood the meaning of becoming a full stack web developer, learn the difference between Full-stack vs MEAN stack. In the next section, we will talk about the role and responsibilities of full-stack developers.

What Does Full Stack Developer Do?

The goal of full stack developers is to design and build customizable websites and applications. However, let’s discuss the basic roles and responsibilities of full stack developers in detail.

Now let’s discuss the average full stack developer’s salary in the USA based on some prominent job portals.

Average Salary of Full Stack Developers

We have mentioned the average base pay of US-based full stack developers according to Glassdoor, PayScale, Indeed, and Linkedin. Let’s have a look at the data.

1. Glassdoor



Image Source: Glassdoor

Average Base Pay: $98,703

Reported Salaries: 3326

2. LinkedIn



Image Source: LinkedIn

Average Base Pay: $93,000

Reported Salaries: 90

3. Indeed



Image Source: Indeed

Average Base Pay: 1,07,323

Reported Salaries: 10,500

4. PayScale



Image Source: PayScale

Average Base Pay: $75,057

Reported Salaries: 482

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We have discussed the 6-steps process to help you become a full stack web developer. Let us discuss each step in detail.

How to Become a Full Stack Web Developer in 6 Steps

Becoming a full stack web developer is not only about acquiring knowledge of different programming languages. But, it is also about how to structure design, implement tech stacks, and test projects, depending upon the business requirements. We have mentioned 6 steps to help you learn about full stack development.

1. Learn the Basics of Programming

You should be familiar with different web development skills. Here we have mentioned the languages which will help you to kickstart your programming lessons.

Front End Web Development	Back End Web Development
HTML CSS JavaScript	Python PHP Ruby on Rails (RoR)

2. Get Trained with Learning Materials

To acquire complete knowledge of programming languages, choose either of the following options.

• Sign up for full stack web development courses
• Participate in boot camps

We have discussed each of the above options in detail to help you choose the right course.

1. Sign Up for These Free Full Stack Development Courses

If you are a beginner and planning to start the web development course, then here are some courses to start now.

Website	Course Name	Instructor	Level	Price
freeCodeCamp	Web Development for Beginners	Vasyl Lagutin	Beginner	Free
Udemy	Full Stack Website Development: Technologies All in One	Setsoto Hlohlomi	Beginner	Free
Upskill	The Essential Web Developer Course	–	Intermediate	Free
YouTube	Full Stack Development Tutorial	Gary Simon	Beginner	Free

2. Participate in bootcamps

Many developers participate in highly intensive, short-term boot camps. It is a great way to sharpen your coding skills which helps you to gain industry-ready skills, necessary connections, and a strong portfolio to get the job easily.

According to CIO.com, we have mentioned 5 Bootcamp platforms to help you get started on competitive programming.

Bootcamps	Courses Offered	Fees (Approx)	Average Trainee Ratings
Ironhack	Full stack web development; UI/UX design and development	$11,000	4.86/5 (510 reviews)
AppAcademy	JavaScript, React.js, algorithms, advanced algorithms, CSS, SQL, UX, HTML, design principles, JQuery	$17,000	4.71/5 (505 reviews)
General Assembly	Coding bootcamps, web design (UX/UI), data science, product management, digital marketing, full-stack web development, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails	$14,950	4.25/5 (540 reviews)
Flatiron School	UX design, full-stack web development, front-end web development	$8500	4.89/5 (188 reviews)
Thinkful	Engineering immersion, data science immersion, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, NodeJS, Python	$16,000	4.75/5 (218 reviews)

3. Start Web Development

As you have acquired complete knowledge of the front-end and back-end languages, it is time to put it into action. You can start web development from scratch by developing the website and testing your skillset.

4. Upload Your Work on GitHub

GitHub is a great website to showcase your work to the public. Many companies look for candidates’ GitHub profiles while hiring. If your profile is available, you will have a higher chance of getting noticed, getting your career started as a full stack developer, even if you are not from a well-known college or university.

5. Prepare a Resume

If you want to land your dream job, you need to invest your hours to write a high-quality resume. Let us understand the benefits of designing attractive and writing engaging resumes.

• Higher chances to getting selected
• Helps to make a first good impression
• Allow interviewer to know about your skills and expertise
• Clearly show your skills and experience related to the job title

6. Find Clients or Apply for a Job

To start your professional career, first create a profile on Toptal, Upwork, or LinkedIn to find job requirements. Your profile should consist of accurate information about your skillset and the projects you have worked on.

You can also apply for corporate jobs instead of becoming a freelance full stack developer. There are multiple platforms like Monster, Fullstackjob.com, Indeed, Linkedin where you can apply for a full stack developer job.

A) How to Choose the Right Company?

Selecting the right company is more important than your job title and responsibilities. The right company offers the best opportunities for your professional career. The below checklist will help you to choose the right company you can work with.

Company Size	Reasons
1. Startup Company	Get to work with direct clients Exposure of latest technologies like Machine Learning, AR/VR
2. Reputed Company	Great culture Career growth Well pay
3. Large Scale Company	Higher perks Work with well-known clients Structured management

Let us understand the factors to help you to choose the right web development company to achieve work-life balance.

Business Niche: Find the industry you are planning to work in. Then start searching for a company that is in a similar niche. Search about the company’s specialization and whether it fulfills your expectations or not.

Career Progression: Career development will help you enhance your skills and help to learn more about the industry you’re working in. Also, enhancing the skills will also help you to switch to a higher leadership position, rewarding you financially as well.

Personal Growth: It has been stated that personal growth helps employees to focus more and allows them to develop mentally, spiritually, and intellectually. Through development opportunities, employees’ overall productivity increases and helps them to take accountability for their actions.

Leadership Opportunities: Prefer a company that allows you to showcase your skill and give you a chance to mentor a team to sharpen your experience in project management as a leader. Leadership opportunities will help you to strengthen your personality, communication, and negotiation skills.

Employee Benefits: The direct correlation of job satisfaction is connected with employee benefits. According to the MetLife employee benefits trends study, 59% of employees stated that their employers provide benefits and improve their livelihood.

Now let’s see the top 10 questions that you can prepare to apply for the job role of full stack developers.

B) Prepare for the Interview

With the help of our senior technical expert, we have created the list of top 10 interview questions that will help you ace full stack developer jobs interviews.

We don’t recommend having a rigid response to every question. Since one question might have many possible answers, we suggest investing some time in understanding these questions and their responses.

Download 10 Interview Questions to Become Full Stack Developer

Click Here to Download

Skills Required for a Full Stack Developer

After doing years of hard work and working with multiple languages makes you a full stack developer. From small startups to large enterprises, full stack developers are valued. But, that only happens when you have acquired a certain technical skillset. These are the skills of becoming a full stack developer. Let us discuss them in detail.

1. Having Knowledge of Programming Languages

   Skills	Language	Type	Active Developers	Famous Web App	Download
   Front End Development	HTML	Markup Language	1.3 million	Netflix	HTML
   	CSS	Style Sheet Language	–	Gmail	CSS
   	JavaScript	Object Oriented Language	12.4 million	Linkedin	JavaScript
   Back End Development	PHP	Scripting Language	5 million	WordPress	PHP
   	Python	Scripting Languagee	7 million	Instagram	Python
   	Ruby	Scripting Language	1.5 million	GitHub	Ruby
   	Java	Object Oriented Language	8.2 million	Twitter	Java

   HTML/CSS: HTML is primarily used for web content whereas CSS is used to style and design your website. Both of them are essential to designing websites, without applying HTML or CSS, the web page will only show plain text.

   JavaScript: Javascript is a widely used language for writing front-end and back-end code for servers. Javascript runs natively in the browser and on the server-side, hence, it helps to create dynamic and interactive user experience.

   PHP: It is an open-source, cross-platform compatible language that is supported in Windows, macOS, and Unix. With PHP, you can build dynamic web pages.

   Examples of websites developed with PHP:

   • Facebook
   • Yahoo
   • Wikipedia

   Python: Python is a high-level general-purpose programming language. It is used for web development, AI, video games, mobile app development.

   Examples of websites developed with Python:

   • Instagram
   • Spotify
   • Netflix

   Ruby and Rails: Ruby and Rails is a popular framework and Rails is well known for its faster development and flexibility.

   • Twitter
   • Shopify
   • Basecamp

   Java: Java is a multiple-purpose programming language, used for desktop, web, and mobile app development.

   • Linkedin
   • Ebay
   • Tagged

2. Hands-on Experience of Working with Git/Github Profile

   Changes in applications, codes, websites, documents, and other information associated with software can be managed with Git. If you are working in a team, it is compulsory to have a GitHub profile.

3. Strong Understanding of Web Architecture

Understanding web architecture includes structuring the code and data in the database, categorizing the file as well as operating the computational tasks.

4. HTTP and REST

   HTTP helps to communicate with the clients, whereas REST uses HTTP to perform various operations like reading, updating, creating, deleting, and gathering data depending upon the resources. The REST protocol acts as a translator between the front end and the back end.

5. Database Management Skills

   All the full stack developers should know about mentioned database storage and management.

   • Characteristics of relational and non-relational data
   • In-depth knowledge of NoSQL database
   • Knowledge of web storage

6. Design Skills

   The skill of a full stack developer consists of designing the front-end side of the application as well. Hence, the full stack developer should have basic knowledge of UI/UX, prototype, and scalability to design attractive front designs.

7. Soft Skills

   Acquiring technical skills isn’t enough, you should also have a strong understanding of the following soft skills to get success as a full stack developer.

   • Strong analytical skills
   • Time management skills
   • Curiosity of learning
   • Attention to detail
   • Creativity

As you have understood what skills full developers have, it is time to discuss how long it will take for you to become an expert in full stack development.

How Long Does it Take to Become Full Stack Developer?

Malcolm Gladwell, a well-known journalist, and author has mentioned in one of his books outliers that the practice of 10,000 hours is enough to master any skill. But does it apply to being a full stack developer too?

You will get a grasp of the different technicalities. However, mastering all the languages and technologies takes more than 10,000 hours of practice.

After talking to our expert full stack developers, we have come to know that every person has a different ability to comprehend certain information. For some, it may take around 2 years to grasp most of the concepts, and it may take a little longer for another person to achieve the same result.

The below table will help you to understand the skills, experience, resources, and timeline to become one of the best full stack web developers in the industry.

Logo	Skills	Experience	Resources	Timeline
	Front end development	Understanding of HTML, CSS, and Javascript Learn jQuery after that Learning about React, Vue.js, Angular.js is an added advantage	MDN FreeCodeCamp	2 years
	Back end development	After JavaScript, learn Nodejs Learn Python, Ruby, PHP, C#	FreeCodeCamp Udacity	2 years
	API	Deep knowledge about developing APIs	Apigee API Management	1 years
	Server Handling	Understanding of different types of servers like Google Cloud and AWS	Udemy (Paid)	1 years
	Database	Choose the database based on the tech stack MySQL and MongoDB	edX	1 years

Conclusion

In this guide, you have learned each aspect of becoming a full stack developer. Becoming a full stack developer is not easy, but it may turn out to be a rewarding career option for you. It is essential for you to understand the role and responsibilities of full stack developers as well.

Are you ready to kickstart your web app project with full stack developers? Get a free consultation and share your project idea with our experienced team of developers. Being a custom web app development company, our team has developed over 3500 apps for various businesses and will help you to build yours too.

Here are some of the apps built by our developers:

• Glovo – A spanish on-demand delivery app with our 50 million downloads
• Picture Translator App – AI camera app that translates text, images, and objects

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