What does a back-end developer do?

Its central importance to our digital world means web developers are in high demand. Fortunately, anyone can learn the technical skills needed to be front-end, back-end, or full-stack (both front- and back-end) developers. Like how the back-end and front-end of software need each other to form a complete application, back-end developers and front-end developers collaborate to produce a product.

• Back-end development focuses on business rules, processing data, performance, and security.
• We spoke with Doug, a senior back-end engineer here at Codecademy, to find out more about what the day to day looks like for someone in a back-end role.
• A skilled backend developer should be proficient at server-side programming languages.
• They configure and maintain the invisible aspects like servers, databases, and logic that control the application.

If you’re interested in becoming a back-end developer, our new Back-End Engineer Career Path is designed to prepare you with everything you need to get an entry-level job in back-end development. As a back-end developer, there are certain technical skills you will need to learn to navigate developing the back-end of the web or mobile application. Unlike other skills, data structures and algorithms are more conceptual than concrete technologies, but they’re hugely important. A capable back-end developer needs a solid grasp of these areas to be effective in their role, which is why they’re included in computer science academic curriculums. An application programming interface is a set of definitions and protocols that allows two applications to interact and share data with each other. An API works by fielding requests from external applications, then responding by fulfilling the request.

Responsive Website Development and Design

He will work along with side Back End devs that are mid-level and who are tackling less complex builds. Without back-end development, there would be no websites at all; something has to serve a website to visitors. Without front-end development, web development is possible, but the result wouldn’t be very user-friendly or look very pretty.

As languages, back-end developers have a choice between PHP, Python, Go, Java, and even Ruby for certain jobs. You have to coordinate well with each other, since both the Front-End and the Back-End use data and functions that are interdependent. One detail that technical recruiters and aspiring developers alike will notice is that there’s no standard way to learn this skill set. There’s a wide variety in the technologies back-end developers know and the order in which they learn them.

Back-end developers are responsible for preparing all the information that needs to be sent over to be used on the client-facing side of the web browser. Once that information is sent over, front-end developers are responsible for ensuring this data gets displayed in a way that’s appealing to the user. Modern web sites are typically constructed using a variety of languages.

Why is back-end development important?

It runs round-the-clock, providing the functionality for users as they cruise around the site. Back-end development focuses on business rules, processing data, performance, and security. Back-end development is responsible for serving the data displayed on a web page, processing any information from the page, and storing it in databases. In this course, you’ll have a chance to work on real projects and add to your portfolio. You’ll also be able to learn from experts and network with contemporaries in your field.

Essential skills for this job are the ability to listen, knowing how to self-reflect, and curiosity. If, on the other hand, you are a career-shifter, certificates can be interesting. You can acquire these on various platforms and at online universities. A certificate is often cheaper and more specific than attending a university. In the United state, however, certificates are not a substitute for a degree. Out of the above languages, the most widely known are Java, C, and Python.

Requirements to Become a Back-End Developer

When a web page is served over HTTPS, back-end processes encrypt communication with the web server, so the connection remains secure. When a user logs in to a website, it’s server-side software that handles authentication and gives that user access to resources on the site. You’ll need to have examples of code that you’ve worked on to prove that you know what to do. There’s always a give and take when it comes to education and work experience. The more thorough your education, the less field experience you’ll need, while years in a related field will make you stand out even without a several year degree. Employers can ask for a bachelor’s degree, though some will ask for more education, such as a master’s degree.

There are many programming languages to choose from for back-end web development. Back-end developers may prefer using one language over another depending on the features of that language, such as whether the language is low-level or high-level. Web development has always involved more than one type of technology. There are databases to store information, server-based software that retrieves, processes, and serves this data, and the webpages you see in the browser. In this article, we will look at just what part of this is the back end, and what a back-end developer does.

Years of Experience Distribution

Relevant courses for backend developers are “Computer Science”, “Software Engineering” or “Applied Computer Science”. It’s becoming increasingly more common for the best candidate for an open role to be one that has no higher education or on-the-job experience. Because of this, many of the world’s leading tech companies no longer require a four-year degree. While most developers master multiple languages throughout their careers, the most common language that developers start with varies across generations. BASIC was once the go-to introductory language (32.9 percent of baby boomers and 45.3 percent of Generation X got started with this technology).

Learn how to become a Backend Developer Intern, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path. We are looking for an experienced Senior Back-end developer with prior banking/fintech experience in working with and integrating core banking solutions to join our team in Dubai. Stephan Miller is a freelance writer and software developer specializing in software and programming.

It’s always present in the background, offering functionality and a desktop-like experience, even if the user can’t view or interact with it. Users are often familiar with the appearance and feel of web applications. They ensure that the data or services requested from the front-end of the system are delivered. Their focus is on the database, scripting, and architecture of the website. In this Oh My Job series, discover tech roles through those who practice them everyday. Historically, geography in particular has had significant influence on the compensation of back-end developers.

You’ll learn all the necessary skills of a Software Developer, code your own web applications from scratch and boost your career. As stated, back-end developers tend to work with server-side technologies that power the site’s functionality. 💡 Back-end developers should always keep up with https://xcritical.com/ new languages and frameworks as the market evolves. Testing is often an important part of a back end developer’s job, as he or she must ensure that the code works properly. The back end of a program can take a long time to develop because different iterations must be thoroughly tested.

The estimated median base pay for a back-end web developer in the US is $82,462 as of October 2022, according to Glassdoor . This can vary depending on your location, your seniority, and other factors. Although all of these tools can be useful, it’s more important to find the right tools for your specific job tasks. “Getting familiar with these tools and knowing how to wield them have saved me countless hours and helped me get more efficient at my job.” We’ve discussed what back-end developers do, but what do they need to know in order to do it? In this section, we’ll cover the key skills to look for if you need to hire a back-end developer or become one yourself.

Advice for aspiring back-end developers

If you want to make things flashy & have a truly appealing UX, you should consider front-end or full-stack development. If you’re in the data science field, you must know how quickly the fie … If you want to become a backend developer, there are many ways to become a backend developer. After competency, the most important qualification for back-end developers is experience. For some employers, on-the-job experience and training is a critical requirement. In contrast, the average base salary for back-end developers in the U.S. sat between $115,129 and $125,924 — 116 to 136 percent higher than the national average.

Alongside technical skills, these workplace skills will enable you to work more efficiently, effectively, and seamlessly with team members. Any time you see one web app’s technology used on another, APIs made it happen. Apps like Facebook, YouTube, Google, or Spotify make much of their data accessible through public APIs. Ultimately, the front-end team aims to make the interface engaging and accessible while the back-end team builds out the application’s invisible infrastructure to support the front-end.

What Is Your Favorite Programming Language?

In today’s blog, we shed a light on these back-end developers, the people responsible for the complex inner workings of websites and apps. In addition, we let our in-house back-end developer Adrien Deroisy do the talking. Back-end developers can move into positions such as architecture or designing new functions, but they can also become technical leads or CTOs. Just like other developer positions (full-stack, front-end, and the like), there is no true career path. Back-end developers can come from a background in engineering or sales or are even self-taught—the possibilities are manifold.

Consider these core backend developer skills the next time you’re planning to hire one for your team. Ruby is another general purpose programming language also used for building web applications. The three quality backend in your WEB site main types of web developers are Back End, Front End, and Full Stack web developers. These are all parts of the puzzle, tackling different elements of the building and maintenance of a web application.

As a back-end web developer, you should be able to work independently to design the web infrastructure. A back-end developer writes code that forms the backbone of a website or app. Common data structures include arrays, linked lists, trees, and tries, hash tables, heaps, stacks, and queues — back-end developers will encounter most or all of these in their careers. By contrast, non-relational databases do not store data points based on their relationships . Instead of tables, non-relational databases structure their data with Extensible Markup Language and/or JavaScript Object Notation .

Application Programming Interface (API)

When it comes to programming languages, back-end developers have a lot of options. The languages they use varies from company to company, and sometimes even within a company’s departments. Most commonly used languages offer a variety of web frameworks to select from.

Take this blog post, for example; how did this front-end get to your computer in the first place? The text, image, and code files for this post are stored in a database on a HubSpot web server. When you request to view this web page, that request gets sent to the server. In the tech world, we call this the “front-end” and the “back-end” respectively. We believe that the purpose of money is far greater than to make more of it just for profit. A direct route to a longer, happier, better life for you and those around you.