Introduction
A full-stack software developer has become one of the most critical jobs in the tech industry in the new digital age. They can leverage their expertise in both front-end and back-end technologies and, hence, fulfill most of the tasks in a software development spectrum. They are vital to businesses of all sizes. In 2024, the demand for full-stack developers is still high. As a result, companies are offering competitive salary packages to attract and retain them.
This blog will examine the salary expectations in this field for a full-stack developer in 2024 and explore various aspects of what may potentially determine the salary of a full-stack developer.
Full-stack developers can make a tidy sum depending on their experience and other factors. The average salary for a new full-stack developer in the UK is $40k per year. However, after 20 years in the field, the average salary typically increases to $110k. For senior developers in this field, the average salary is $130k.
So, what factors influence what full-stack developers can get paid? Just like in any other field, full stack software developer salary depends on the location, industry, and other skills they possess. For example, if a developer in the USA wanted to expand their industry to digital agencies, they could pick up some extra skills in content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress.
This rise is enough to potentially get a nice boost in salary. The same applies to any other industry where the full stack developer can add to their skill set. These skills can either be a specialization or an area where they can gain new knowledge and skills to enhance their portfolio.
Whether you’re just starting out in the full-stack developer industry or already have experience, understanding what the salary landscape looks like for your field is crucial to managing your career trajectory.
What is a Full Stack Software Developer?
A full-stack software developer can work on both the front end – what you see, such as the interface on a web page or app – and the back end – the server-side logic that runs everything – of a web or mobile application. Because they have expertise in both the user interface and the server-side logic, someone who is full stack can take responsibility for an entire software development project from start to finish without having to rely on teammates to complete portions of the project.
Front-end Development – the user-facing part of applications, including its design, layout, and most of what the user interacts with, that is built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (along with frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.js) and is responsive and user-friendly.
Back-end Development: The back-end development, or server-side of an application, encompasses the internal functionality of databases, server logic, and APIs. Full-stack developers typically use programming languages like Node.js, Python, Ruby, Java, or PHP for back-end development, databases (SQL, NoSQL), and version control systems (Git).
In essence, full-stack developers are generalists capable of moving between different technology stack layers. This makes them flexible enough to shift between different aspects of a development process and manage the entire end-to-end process if required.
Factors Influencing Full Stack Developer Salaries in 2024
The exact salaries for a full-stack software developer vary greatly depending on several factors. Although full-stack software developers are in high demand, your earnings depend on your experience, location, industry, and specific skills.
- Experience Level
The most influential factor for salary is your level of experience. Like any other job, the more experienced you are, the more money you will make. Full-stack development has three categories of experience: junior, mid-level, and senior.
Junior Full Stack Developer (0-2 years experience): This category generally includes people just starting out their careers. Some have completed internships, others have attended coding boot camps, or have just a little bit of experience. Junior developers are often more of a learning type, but they should at least know basic programming languages and frameworks.
Mid-Level Full Stack Developers (3-5 years experience) Developers now have time to gain considerable hands-on experience working on several projects. They’re often responsible for helping to make decisions. They may even be able to lead smaller teams or components of a larger project.
Senior Full Stack Developer (6+ years’ experience): Being a senior developer means taking ownership of projects, mentoring junior developers, and solving difficult technical problems. A senior developer is expected to make architectural decisions, lead projects, and help new developers grow.
- Location
Salary expectations can also be affected by geographical location. Developers based in major tech hubs, such as London, can expect to earn more than they would if they were based in a smaller city or rural area. Increasingly, many companies are unconcerned about where a developer happens to be based – as long as the work is completed on time and to a high standard, location is less relevant. This means that developers can earn similar salaries anywhere in the world.
For example:
London: London-based full-stack developers tend to earn more than those working elsewhere in the UK because London is much more expensive, and most tech companies are located there.
Manchester, Birmingham, and other large UK cities: Salaries are generally lower than in London but still good.
Remote jobs: Skilled workers who can do their jobs from anywhere have been able to relocate to lower-cost regions while commanding salaries that previously would have required them to live in a major city.
- Industry
The industry you work for matters as well. Some industries pay much more for full-stack developers than others due to their heavy technological dependency.
Full stack fintech/banking: because of the potential regulatory implications, salaries in fintech are higher than in other industries. It’s also because the systems are more complicated.
E-commerce: Given the continued rise in the e-commerce sector, there will always be a demand for good developers, often with very competitive salaries.
Healthcare: There is an acute shortage of full-stack developers in health tech as the vital industry moves toward digital transformation.
Start-ups: Working for a start-up company can be exciting, but the salary might not be as high as that of other companies. However, start-ups often provide some kind of benefit, like stock options, or you can grow with the company.
- Company Size
Furthermore, your salary and benefits may depend on the size of your company. Big tech firms (or corporations in general) may pay more, offer better benefits, and offer greater job stability. Smaller companies, especially start-ups, may offer slightly less but offer faster progression, greater innovation, and stock options.
- Skills and Specializations
The more skills and specializations you add to your repertoire, the higher your pay. You will often find these niche ‘full stack developers’ with skills in cloud technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure) or mastery of DevOps.
Cloud Computing Skills: As more companies move their infrastructure onto cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, demand for full-stack developers who know how to leverage these services in their applications will continue to increase.
Strong DevOps Skills: Developers who have been working on automating the processes that allow development operations to integrate with the cloud earn some of the highest salaries.
Alternatively, you can expect to command a higher salary by mastering popular frameworks like React, Angular, Node.js, and Django. Mastery of Data Skills: If you become proficient in data skills, such as SQL, Python, Java, ‘big data’ or ‘no SQL’, you will be well compensated.
Average Expectations for Full Stack Software Developer Salary in 2024
The average full-stack developer salary in the UK will differ according to experience, location, and factors discussed above.
Here is a general outline of what full-stack developers will earn in 2024:
Junior Full Stack Developers (0-2 years of experience)
Junior full-stack developers tend to be recent entrants into the industry. They focus on learning and gaining experience with real-world projects.
London: £35,000 – £45,000 per year
Other major cities: £28,000 – £38,000 per year
Remote: £30,000 – £40,000 per year
Mid-Level Full Stack Developers (3-5 years of experience)
Mid-level developers have a couple of years of experience and can handle more complex tasks, work with more developers, and take ownership of parts of a project.
London: £55,000 – £70,000 per year
Other major cities: £45,000 – £55,000 per year
Remote: £50,000 – £60,000 per year
Senior Full Stack Developers (6+ years of experience)
The senior full-stack developer is extremely experienced and sometimes takes on a leadership position. They make key architectural decisions, mentor junior developers, and lead large projects.
London: £75,000 – £110,000+ per year
Other major cities: £60,000 – £80,000 per year
Remote: £70,000 – £90,000 per year
Additional Compensation and Benefits
On top of base salary, companies tend to offer certain perks to attract and keep full-stack developer staff: 1) Retirement plans, 2) Health insurance, 3) Paid time off (vacation), 4) Mental health and wellness, 5) Disability insurance 6) Commuter benefits such as transit and parking 7) Childcare benefits.
- Bonuses and Stock Options
Many technological companies still pay performance bonuses, profit-sharing schemes (also known as ‘profit-sharing’), or stock options (in some cases, stock options are a lucrative form of compensation that adds to your base salary). With fast-growing start-ups or public companies, this can greatly increase your earnings.
- Remote and Flexible Working Arrangements
As many developers have found remote work a stable option even after the pandemic, working remotely or in a hybrid environment is now a standard benefit. Developers can work from anywhere.
- Health and Wellness Benefits
Comprehensive health insurance, wellness programs, and mental health support are becoming fixtures in the standard employment package, especially in big tech.
- Professional Development Opportunities
Large employers may also help their staff keep up with the latest technologies by paying for courses, certifications, or conferences. This can help developers become more financially attractive, as well.
How to Maximize Your Full Stack Developer Salary in 2024?
Maximizing your salary as a full stack developer? Here are some tips: 1. Use a good portfolio 2. Demonstrate your technical skills during interviews 3. Work on well-known and popular developer projects.
- Upskill in Emerging Technologies
Keeping up with its ever-changing landscape can make you more valuable to the tech industry. Think about upskilling in the following areas:
Cloud Computing: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform are all in hot demand for developers who can integrate cloud services with development processes.
DevOps: CI/CD-savvy developers can make more money by speeding up pipelines.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML): The more these enter the toolboxes of software products, the more ‘nice to have’ here will grow your chances of getting hired and your potential salary.
- Earn Certifications
As long as you move into high-demand areas, certificates from AWS, Microsoft, and Google will help verify your chops. Cloud technologies, cybersecurity, or a specialized development framework could all provide an edge in negotiating salaries.
- Build a Strong Portfolio
It’s essential to have a portfolio that reflects your projects, your contributions to open-source communities, or things that you’ve done freelance because employers want to see that you’re not just doing things in a vacuum; they want to see that you’re taking your skills and applying them to some sort of real-world problem.
- Master Negotiation
Negotiating wages in a job interview is also necessary. These days, people are encouraged to bargain. They need to know the industry benchmark for a job, know their worth, and explain why they are worth more than what a company is first willing to give.
Full Stack Developer Salary vs. Other Developer Roles
What are the salaries of a full-stack developer when working for the same company compared with other related roles such as front-end or back-end developers?
Front-End Developers
Therefore, a front-end developer’s job tends to pay less than that of a full-stack developer, who typically performs a mix of back-end and front-end developer roles.
Average salary (London): £40,000 – £60,000 per year
Back-End Developers
Back-end developers work on server-side logic and databases. Their pay is often similar to that of full-stack developers, particularly if they have specialized skills in cloud computing or security.
Average salary (London): £50,000 – £80,000 per year
DevOps Engineers
DevOps engineers who join the two teams together tend to earn as much or even more than full-stack developers in companies that value automation and scalability.
Average salary (London): £60,000 – £100,000 per year
The Future of Full Stack Developer Salaries
Looking past 2024, the demand for the full stack developers will continue to rise. There are a few trends that are likely to influence the salary of full-stack developers in the coming years:
AI and Machine Learning: Full-stack developers with AI/ML experience will command higher salaries as more products are infused with intelligent systems.
Blockchain and Decentralized Technologies: The more applications that use blockchain technology, the more potential for developers with experience in this space to earn a higher wage.
Remote Work and Global Hiring: The rise of remote work has led to companies hiring outside their traditional geographic boundaries, which can lead to more competition for developers and allows developers to work for companies abroad without moving.
Conclusion
By 2024, salaries for full-stack software developers should be highly competitive across the board. Salaries will vary based on your experience level, where you live, what industry you work in, and what specific skills you develop. Stay ahead of the curve with emergent technologies, build an impressive portfolio, and hone your skills to leverage your earning potential in this high-growth field.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to take your career to the next level, full-stack development offers a great and challenging path with lots of growth opportunities. Understanding what drives salary and positioning yourself as a valuable resource will help you land a high-paying job in this dynamic industry.
References
Here is a resource you can check out:
Fullstack Developer salary in the UK
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