Is Web Development Stressful? What you need to Know in 2024

Are you thinking of becoming a web developer? The industry is lucrative and expanding. But you may have heard that being a web developer is stressful – how true is this?

Discussed below is a detailed answer, and a look at so much more. Let’s get to it.

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Is Web Development a Stressful Job?

Yes, web development can be tough. It is a job that takes a lot of skill and time. You will have to spend years building your expertise. With each project that you take on, you will have to adjust to a specific developing style too.

Many web developers freelance. If this is what you’ll be doing, you will have additional stress on your shoulders. You might find it hard to land clients because of how competitive the industry is.

Also, managing complex code along with difficult clients adds to how difficult the job can be.

How Do You Handle the Stress of Being of a Web Developer?

The job can be tough. However, there are a couple of tricks that will make it easier.

They include:

1. Reduce the Decision Making

Developers have to make many different decisions a day. This can take its toll. Reduce the number of options, and variables to decide between.

Making a prototype or demo can help as well. You would know whether your plans would work, instead of spending hours researching.

2. Limit Disagreements

You might have to work in a team. It’s only natural that disagreements would arise. Learn that it is okay to lose some battles. Even if you want to take a certain decision and your teammates don’t agree, you need to compromise and move on.

Also, put decisions to a vote, and pick a meditator to quash disagreements.

3. Prioritize Work

Learn to prioritize your work. You may be spending time on tasks that aren’t necessary. Also, try limiting the number of meetings you’ll be attending. You could use this time to work on your projects instead.

Context switching would also be useful. This means focusing on one task before jumping to another. And of course, knowing what is important and what can wait would prevent you from burning out.

Keeping an eye on your work week would be a pro tip. Be sure to give yourself time to rest if you are going to be spending extra hours on projects. You may be too exhausted to get a good job done otherwise.

4. Take breaks throughout the day

You will likely be working for up to 10 hours a day. Take at least a 10 minute break every hour. Once again, this will stop you from burning out.

Remember to spend a few minutes or so on having lunch. There is no way you’ll be able to code on an empty stomach.

5. Keep Things Fresh

Coding can feel monotonous. After all, you’ll be using the same technologies over and over again. Try and take on projects that are different. Learning a new coding language, and trying out cool new tools would also help.

How Can You Identify Developer Burnout?

Most web developers struggle with Developer’s Burnout. The phenomenon is well known in the industry.

It manifests differently in people.

Here are the signs to keep an eye out for:

1. Bodily Pain

The phenomenon can manifest in stomach and headaches. This is because of the stress you are under.

2. Fatigue

Of course, you would feel fatigued too. This can happen both physically and mentally. Being too exhausted to do everyday tasks would be a tell-tell sign.

3. Physical Isolation

Juggling so much work can make you distance yourself from others, and eventually cause you to feel isolated. You might also lose your passion for coding.

4. Bad Work Performance

You won’t be able to concentrate on your work because you will be burned out. Your work performance may not be the best either, as you will be rushing between tasks.

5. Alienations

Being under so much stress can make you emotionally distance yourself from the others in your work, as well as the people in your life.

6. Depression and Anxiety

You might feel depressed and even anxious. This is because the stress you are under may take the joy out of what you do. Also, the stress can cause the anxiety. It might be time to seek professional help if you are struggling with panic attacks.

How Much Do Web Developers Make?

Considering that the job isn’t the easiest, it’s good to know that it pays well. On average, a new front-end web developer can make $62,000 a year. Just remember that this depends on your location. You could be paid more in different parts of the country.

With up to three years of experience, a front-end web developer can make more than $110,000 a year.

And once you’ve made it to back-end developing, you can make up to $130,000 yearly (with just a year’s experience).

Can Web Developers Work from Home?

Many in the industry do freelance work, and the majority of companies let their developers work remotely.

Being able to telecommute is an added perk, along with the excellent pay you’ll be getting. You’ll have more of a flexible schedule to handle your projects. Not having to commute will be extra time to get your work done too.

Is Being a Web Developer Tough?

Being a developer is a tough job. You would be dealing with complex code, while also juggling client demands. The coding framework that you may have to follow may be not be the best either. Most web developers are known to spend sleepless, caffeinated nights working on projects.

However, as mentioned, there are several ways to make the job easier. The most important of these would be to learn to prioritize, limiting the number of small decisions you’ll have to make, and squashing disagreements with your team.

At the end of the day, most careers are stressful. You will find few that are actually easy. Hopefully, you found everything discussed useful.