Front end web development concerns building and maintaining client-facing components for web applications. Nearly every business and organization, from a small local to an international corporation, has a website, meaning Front End Web Developers can find work in many industries and professions. An important aspect of receiving professional front end web development training to set yourself up for a career change is learning what kinds of fields and industries that training will help you find work in. Each industry will have different requirements and expectations for prospective employees, and you should consider these expectations when you start your training. This is true for students who know what kind of work they want to do and those who aren’t sure what path to take after learning front end web development skills.

What is Front End Web Development?

Front end web development covers the parts of websites everyone can see, known as the “client side.” HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the programming languages that tie everything together. This power trio is commonly associated with front end web development but also has uses in other programming fields. HTML and CSS are two of the simplest programming languages you can learn, and JavaScript is known for its versatility in the programming world. 

If you are interested in becoming a Front End Developer or enhancing your current career, read more about front end web development and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Front End Web Development Skills?

Front end web development provides the versatility to create a custom website or web application for businesses, organizations, passion projects, and more. Customizing your web application with code lets you leave a unique impression on your visitors. Even if someone else has the same topic idea as you, they may approach creating their website differently, and that slight difference can make you stand out. By honing your skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can create a website that others will feel compelled to use again and again because of the special touch you’ve left on it. 

Common Industries That Use Front End Web Development

The following sections explore four industries that use front end web development: ecommerce, banking and finance, healthcare, and advertising/PR. Read on to learn how Front End Web Developers can start a career in these industries.

Ecommerce

Today, a good portion of retail purchases take place online. Even brick-and-mortar stores tend to have an ecommerce counterpart. Retail businesses rely on front end web development to create user-friendly ecommerce platforms. Front end web development determines the look of your website or web application and how users navigate and experience the platform. Ecommerce platforms must adapt to different screen sizes, make it easy to browse products, ensure a smooth checkout process, and deliver a satisfactory customer experience. You can work with businesses big and small as a freelance Web Developer or as part of an in-house web development team. Typically, smaller businesses work with a freelance Web Developer or a Web Developer through a marketing agency. Larger businesses may have an internal Front End Web Developer to maintain a large website or multiple web applications.

Web Developers interested in ecommerce as an industry aren’t limited to simply building ecommerce sites or web apps for clients. Ecommerce industry giants like Shopify have internal web development teams, which include Front End Web Developers. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 4,000 Web Developers worked in the ecommerce industry as of 2016. As online shopping and mobile web traffic continue to increase, this number will likely continue to grow. 

Banking and Finance

Front End Web Developers in the banking and finance industry provide financial institutions with the user-friendly interfaces needed for positive customer experiences. Front end web development creates secure and user-friendly interfaces for investment management, online banking, and other financial services. Online banking has transformed the way customers manage their money. You can now use a website or web application to check a balance, upload checks, make transfers, and more. The sensitive nature of financial data and transactions means that Front End Web Developers interested in baking and finance must understand how to balance user-friendly design with the security measures needed to protect critical information.

According to BLS, banking and financial institutions comprise the highest-paying industry for Web Developers. On average, Web Developers in this industry earn more than $100,000 per year. Many Web Developers work as part of in-house web development teams for banks and other financial institutions. If you’re looking for a lucrative career that involves keeping up to date with advancements and best practices in technology, security, and front end web development, you may wish to consider a career in finance. Some critical front end web development skills for this industry include familiarity with front-end frameworks, APIs, data visualization, security protocols, and responsive design.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry uses front end web development to create user-friendly interfaces that allow patients to book appointments, access medical records, and more. The types of websites and web applications used in healthcare vary widely. A Front End Web Developer may develop a website for a small local doctor’s office or serve as an in-house expert managing the front end of a major hospital’s websites and web applications. Web development professionals may also work for a marketing agency specializing in healthcare or as part of a team for a network of hospitals and doctors’ offices. 

Patients of all ages use healthcare-related websites and web applications. Therefore, Web Developers in this industry must understand how to use front end web development to make navigating applications as easy and intuitive as possible. User-friendly interfaces allow patients to find contact information, book appointments, access medical records, send secure messages to their doctors, and more. The sensitive and personal nature of medical matters and the requirements that patient data remain confidential means that Web Developers interested in a healthcare career should have a thorough understanding of front end web development security measures.

In addition to working for or with hospitals and doctors’ offices, Front End Web Developers interested in healthcare may also wish to consider job openings with major employers such as health insurance companies, government organizations, and nonprofits. There are many ways that Web Developers can positively impact the healthcare industry while also pursuing a fulfilling and meaningful career.

Advertising and PR

The advertising and public relations (PR) industry is the second-highest employer of Web Developers, according to BLS. More than 5,000 Web Developers work in advertising or PR. The average yearly salary for a Web Developer in this industry is more than $70,000. So what does a Front End Web Developer do in the advertising and PR industry?

A Web Developer working in advertising or PR may create interactive ads, develop landing pages, build microsites, design email campaigns, and more. Interactive ads can increase engagement and lead to more conversions. Front end web development skills allow Web Developers to create ads that users can interact with, making the ads more memorable and likely to convert. These ads can then be linked to landing pages developed by the Web Developer. A landing page is designed as the destination for a specific ad or campaign. Landing pages guide visitors toward specific actions, such as purchasing a product or booking an appointment. A Web Developer can create an effective landing page by optimizing simple navigation and having a clear call to action. 

Web Developers also use front end web development to create microsites and design email campaigns. Microsites are self-contained websites designed specifically for a campaign or product launch. By making visually engaging and user-friendly microsites, Web Developers help to ensure a higher conversion rate, which contributes significantly to the success of any campaign. Email campaigns are another part of advertising which benefit from front end web development. Web Developers can design email templates that are visually engaging and optimized for user engagement. Such templates are built using HTML and CSS to create responsive emails for different devices and screen sizes. 

Learn Front End Web Development Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers many expert-led classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs for front end web development. The Front End Web Development Certificate program teaches HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress concepts in one compact but effective bundle of courses. Another excellent certificate is the Web Design Certificate program, which covers web design principles in addition to essential front end web development skills. If you're looking for an introductory course, you may wish to consider the Intro to Web Development with HTML & CSS class. 

You can also compare front end web development courses and bootcamps to find the training that meets your needs.

Key Takeaways

• Front End Web Developers can find work in many industries, including ecommerce, banking and finance, healthcare, and advertising and PR. 
• Front end web development is used to create ecommerce sites that retailers use to sell products online. Web Developers can also work for ecommerce platform providers like Shopify as part of an internal team.
• Front end web development combines user-friendly design and security measures to allow bank account holders to use mobile banking, online banking, and more.
• Web Developers can use front end web development to help patients book appointments online, find contact information, access medical records, and more.
• In advertising and PR, front end web development is used to create interactive ads, landing pages, email campaigns, and more. 
• You can learn front end web development skills online and in person with classes from Noble Desktop.