Everyone is talking about the growth of the IT sector. Including the dynamically growing demand for front-end specialists. We studied statistics and found out how the market has changed, what technologies and skills have become more in demand, and how this will affect 2022.
Heightened interest in frontend development
We took a simple Google Trends tool and compared the history of "front end developer" and "back end developer" queries worldwide over the past 12 months. Look at the big difference between these terms:
Google Trends data
It should be clarified that queries are used for different purposes, but even from this data we can draw two conclusions:
Demand for web development, in general, is growing
The query about frontend development is particularly changing strongly and dynamically
The universal portrait of a frontend developer 2022
Technology is changing rapidly. But you know yourself that the technical base has remained the same for many years. Both in 2011 and in 2022, a good programmer must be proficient in three fundamental tools:
HTML (anatomy, markup, basic tags, and their attributes, etc.)
CSS (proper styling of elements, block model and positioning of content, Flexbox and Grid layout, etc.)
JavaScript (the basics of the language, its features and popular js.frameworks)
It is also important to highlight the ability to manipulate clean code. In 2021, specialists who create a compact software canvas understandable to other systems and developers are valued. In 2022 this skill will be no less relevant.
Soft Skills and English
But a successful developer has not only technical knowledge but also the communication skills to work in a team. In order to do this, it is important to develop:
Critical thinking
Adaptability to changes
Ability to listen to others, negotiate and communicate with colleagues, etc.
If you are applying for a job in European companies, improve your spoken and written English. You need at least a solid B2 (Upper-Intermediate) with a bias towards technical vocabulary.
Trends and technologies
The market is oversaturated with developers who do simple tasks like creating business websites. This has led to higher requirements for front-enders claiming above-average salaries. You can't create many diverse projects with just React. You need to get enough knowledge to work fully in high load projects, have experience as a tester, as well as understand databases.
As for technology, the following trends can be seen over the past few years:
The dominance of JavaScript in the frontend If you compare all programming, markup, and scripting languages and compile an overall ranking, JavaScript leads the way. According to data from Stack Overflow for 2019, 2020, and 2021, JS is 5+% ahead of closest competitors HTML/CSS, SQL, and Python. This means that in 2022, employers will still need skilled professionals to maintain millions of lines of this code.
Shifts in framework primacy In 2019 and 2020 jQuery was steadily making its way to the top and was most often used by web specialists. But in 2021 it was dumped by the promising React.js system (40.14% vs. 34.42%).
Angular is growing rapidly, as well as Vue.js, the youngest and fastest-growing player. We can assume that in 2022 they will strengthen their positions and become even more in demand.
The success of WebAssembly This open-source bytecode format appeared in 2015, proved its efficiency for modern browsers, and started gaining popularity. WebAssembly will still undergo a lot of refinement and improvement, but in 2021 it is already being used by major companies such as Foretag, Frontend, and Cubbit, which shows its demand in the market.
Non-stop salary growth
In 2021, IT salaries increased by 10-20%. According to Stack Overflow statistics, the income of frontenders has changed quite rapidly:
In practice, salaries depend on experience. As a rule, middle and senior specialists earn 1.5-2 times more than junior.
Number of jobs
To analyze this indicator, it is best to take the U.S., as this country sets the global trends in the IT direction.
The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes up-to-date data, including data on web development. According to the latest report, the number of people employed in this field will grow by 13% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than for other professions. On average, there will be 17,900 job openings each year for programmers and digital designers.
Other developed countries are experiencing the same boost in the industry, so job growth will be in the European market as well.
In summary
1) Frontend is more relevant than ever.
2) A good specialist develops in three directions:
Technical competencies (knowledge of the basics + learning additional tools to expand skills)
Individual qualifications (soft skills)
English (if you work with the European market)
3) Salaries and the need for experienced developers in 2022 will continue to grow.
The necessary skills and work experience can help you get a job at a foreign company and earn good money. What vacancies are available right now? Check on Alex Staff Agency.