Risky • Mid-Level

Web Developer.

Develop and implement websites, web applications, application databases, and interactive web interfaces. Evaluate code to ensure that it is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers and devices. Optimize website performance, scalability, and server-side code and processes. May develop website infrastructure and integrate websites with other computer applications.

Salary$90,930per year
Openings5,400per year
Growth+8%10 year

Example job titles

Technology Applications EngineerWeb ArchitectWeb Design SpecialistWeb Developer, WebmasterFrontend DeveloperFull Stack DeveloperWordPress DeveloperReact Developer

Why This Rating.

[01]

This role is risky

Web development involves writing code for websites and applications-exactly the kind of well-structured, pattern-based work that AI coding tools are already handling with increasing competence. The role has no physical component, no legal accountability, and delivers output where clients care about results, not who or what built it. As AI code generation continues to improve, much of the standard web development workload can be completed faster and cheaper by AI-assisted workflows, significantly reducing demand for dedicated web developers.

Risks & Opportunities.

[02]
[01] Risks
-25%

drop in entry-level tech hiring, year-over-year[1]

AI can already automate core web development tasks like building sites and writing supporting code, especially boilerplate and routine implementations. Entry-level tech hiring dropped 25% year-over-year in 2024, and software developer employment for workers aged 22-25 declined nearly 20% from its 2022 peak [Stack Overflow Blog, Dec 2025]. Developers who have not yet built depth in judgment, architecture, or system design are the most exposed.

[02] Opportunities
66%

of developers spend more time fixing AI code than they save writing it[2]

80% of developers now use AI tools, but trust in AI output collapsed from 40% to 29% year-over-year, and 66% say they spend more time fixing AI-generated code than they save writing it [Stack Overflow Blog, Dec 2025]. The emerging skill is knowing what to give AI, how to structure the problem, and how to catch if the output comes back wrong. Researchers are calling this context engineering [MIT Technology Review, Nov 2025].

Observed AI Impact.

[03]

AI is starting to automate these

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled solo, with little human involvement.

Perform website updates
Perform or direct Web site updates.
77.4% automated
Med usage
Recommend performance improvements
Recommend and implement performance improvements.
61.1% automated
Med usage
Write web application code
Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
57.3% automated
High usage
Design/build/maintain websites
Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.
53.4% automated
High usage

AI assists but needs guidance

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled collaboratively, with a human steering.

Analyze user requirements
Analyze user needs to determine technical requirements.
55.9% augmented
Med usage
Select tools/languages
Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.
54.5% augmented
Med usage
Handle user inquiries
Respond to user email inquiries, or set up automated systems to send responses.
50.5% augmented
Med usage

AI hasn't figured these out

Low or no AI usage recorded for these tasks.

Back up website files
Back up files from Web sites to local directories for instant recovery in case of problems.
No data
Evaluate/validate code quality
Evaluate code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.
No data
Run scheduled site tests
Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.
No data

Data: Anthropic Economic Index (Jun 2026) · Real-world Claude usage patterns across occupations

How to Adapt.

[04]
[01] Already in this role?

The immediate move is to treat AI output like untrusted code: review every diff, question every assumption, document the decisions AI does not make for you [MIT Technology Review, Dec 2025]. Over the next six months, build depth where AI handles things worst - system design, cross-team architecture decisions, and requirements too ambiguous for a model to interpret reliably [MIT Technology Review, Nov 2025].

“Developers are ready to push back on enterprise AI through a nuanced conversation about trust, reliability, and the enduring value of human expertise.”

Stack Overflow, 2025 Developer Survey

“Code review is becoming the core developer skill — not writing code, but evaluating AI-generated code for security holes, performance traps, and architectural mismatches that tools like Copilot consistently miss.”

Sarah Vessels, GitHub Staff Engineer

[02] Thinking of entering?

Companies now expect AI literacy from day one - build a GitHub portfolio of real projects that shows you can direct AI tools, review their output, and ship working systems [GitHub Blog, Aug 2025]. Code review discipline and catching AI failures matter more to hiring managers than volume of code written.

“We're entering an era where interns and junior developers are showing up already fluent in the best tools for AI code-gen on the market.”

Thomas Dohmke, GitHub CEO

“Junior developers who show up already fluent in AI-assisted workflows but who can also debug, test, and reason about systems without AI are the ones getting hired — the bar hasn't lowered, it's shifted.”

AI vs Gen Z: How AI has changed the career pathway, Stack Overflow Blog

The Career Map.

[05]

The full BLS career track, plus relevant emerging AI-native paths. Click any role to see how to transition to it.

Entry

Computer Programmer

15-1251.00

Risky
Mid-Level

Web Developer

★ This Role

Web Designer

15-1255.00

Strong

Web Administrator

15-1299.01

Exposed

Software QA Analyst

15-1253.00

Risky

AI Integration Engineer

✦ Emerging

Context Engineer

✦ Emerging

Design Engineer

✦ Emerging

Senior

Software Developer

15-1252.00

Strong

Database Architect

15-1243.00

Solid

Information Security Analyst

15-1212.00

Strong

AI Product Engineer

✦ Emerging

Lead or Specialist

Computer Systems Architect

15-1299.08

Solid

Data Scientist

15-2051.00

Strong

IT Project Manager

15-1299.09

Solid

Information Security Engineer

15-1299.05

Strong
Principal

Computer Science Researcher

15-1221.00

Strong

Sources

0.Web Developer Occupational Data- O*NET Online

  1. 1.Tech Hiring Trends 2024- Indeed Hiring Lab, 2024
  2. 2.From vibe coding to context engineering: 2025 in software development- MIT Technology Review, Nov 2025
  3. 3.Future of Work Report: AI at Work- LinkedIn Economic Graph, Jan 2024
  4. 4.Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024- Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024, May 2024
  5. 5.Bridging the gap between design and code- Figma, 2024