You may have heard the term “full stack developer” mentioned whenever someone is talking about a web or software developer. But what does it actually mean and are there any benefits to being one? Let’s take a closer look.

In the world of web and software development, you’ll typically find 3 different types of developers: front-end, back-end, and full stack. Here’s a quick breakdown of their responsibilities:

• Front-end developers: When you log onto a website, all of the items on the screen are part of the front-end. Front-end developers write the code behind the interface a user sees and experiences. In other words, the code that they write dictates what a user ultimately sees in a program or on a website. A designer will typically design the look and feel for a site, but the front-end developer actually turns those designs into an interactive experience. These developers are not only fluent in the languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but also a number of other frameworks such as Foundation, Angular JS, Ember JS, Backbone, and Bootstrap. They’re able to work with designers and other specialists to bring the website from mockup to working model.
• Back-end developers: Behind the websites and apps you visit every day, a network of servers, databases, and applications work together to deliver the webpages and data that you see on your device. Back-end developers are responsible for building the structures of these components. They have a develop knowledge of coding languages like Python, .Net, Ruby, Java, and PHP in order to create the backbones of these programs. They also use database programs such as MySQL, SQL Server, and Oracle to manipulate the information and deliver it to the user.
• Full Stack developers: Full-stack developers are a mix of the two. They have a great breadth of knowledge of both front-end and back-end development. These are “big picture” developers who are familiar with the server side as well as the front-end user experience. Full stack developers understand how every facet of the web and software development process takes place to advise and guide stakeholders on overall strategy and best practices.

The Full Stack Developer Salary

Whether you choose to specialize in front-end or back-end development — or position yourself as a well-rounded full stack developer — the job market has never looked better. The role of the software developer is recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as one of the occupations that will have the most growth over the next ten years. In 2018, there were 1.3 million software developer jobs in the US with a projected growth of another 284,100 in the coming years. That is just over 20% growth! There’s also the financial side of the job with a median salary of $105,590 listed in 2018.

Advantages Full Stack Developers

Full stack developers are self-sufficient and well-rounded – in short, they can do it all! With their wide range of knowledge, they’re capable of handling an entire project from start to finish depending on its size.

Here are some advantages full stack developers bring to the table:

Knowledge of both front-end and back-end

A full stack developer is supposed to be a professional player both at front-end and backend. This allows him to easily switch between the two sides; the client and server and vice-versa.

Natural Project Leaders

Because of their wide range of knowledge, it’s easy to trust a full stack developer to lead a project. Their knowledge of the full process, both front-end and back-end, allows them to delegate and oversee a team of specialists.

Proves to be Cost-Effective

There is no doubt that hiring a full stack developer for a project is going to be cost-effective and you can certainly look forward to getting one if your budget is short.

Because of their knowledge of code and design, you don’t have to hire individual professional developers or designers separately.

Fast and Timely Delivery of the Project

Full stack developers often work as a team. This makes it rather easy to divide the work responsibility amongst each of the members and they can coordinate well to produce the optimal result. This also results in fast and timely delivery of the project.

Easy Maintenance and Updates

Since full stack developers are well accustomed with the latest updates and technologies, the process of maintaining and updating the final product gets simplified, which increases the chances of getting good and positive reviews from the potential customers.