How to Learn Web Development in 2021 – a Web Developer Roadmap

Web development is one of the most in-demand and fast-growing careers today. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of web developers is projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for web developers was $73,760 in May 2020.

As a full-stack web developer with over a decade of experience, I know firsthand how rewarding and challenging this career path can be. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my expertise and insights on how to efficiently learn web development and get hired in 2021.

Whether you‘re a complete beginner or already have some coding experience under your belt, this roadmap will walk you through all the essential skills, tools, and technologies you need to become a well-rounded web developer in today‘s job market. We‘ll cover everything from basic fundamentals to the most in-demand libraries and frameworks to getting your first developer job.

Start with the Fundamentals

One of the biggest mistakes I see aspiring web developers make is jumping straight into trendy frameworks and libraries without building a solid foundation in the underlying languages and concepts first. While it‘s tempting to want to skip ahead to the "fun" and "flashy" stuff, investing time to really understand the core web technologies will make you a much stronger developer in the long run.

The three pillars of the web are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Before you touch any frameworks or libraries, you should be very comfortable with:

• HTML: the structure and content of web pages

  • Semantic markup
  • Forms and validations
  • Accessibility
  • SEO basics

• CSS: the visual style and layout of web pages

  • Box model (margins, padding, borders)
  • Specificity and cascade
  • Responsive design (media queries, relative units)
  • Flexbox and Grid
  • Animations and transitions

• JavaScript: the behavior and interactivity of web pages

  • Types, variables, functions, control flow
  • DOM manipulation and events
  • Asynchronous programming (callbacks, promises, async/await)
  • Higher-order functions and functional programming
  • Object-oriented programming with prototypes and classes
  • Scope, closures and the this keyword

I recommend spending at least a few months practicing vanilla HTML, CSS and JavaScript before moving on to any frameworks. Build lots of small projects to solidify your understanding. Some ideas:

• A responsive landing page
• A JavaScript quiz app
• An API-powered weather app
• A CRUD to-do list

Back-end Fundamentals

Even if your goal is to focus on front-end development, it‘s important to have at least a basic understanding of back-end concepts and technologies. This will make you a more well-rounded developer and open up more job opportunities.

Some key back-end concepts to be familiar with:

• Servers and hosting

  • What is a server and how does hosting work?
  • Differences between static and dynamic sites

• Databases

  • Relational vs non-relational databases
  • Basic SQL commands for CRUD operations
  • Database design and data modeling

• APIs

  • REST vs GraphQL
  • Consuming APIs on the front-end
  • Building your own APIs on the back-end

• Web security

  • HTTPS and SSL certificates
  • Authentication and authorization
  • Common vulnerabilities (XSS, CSRF)

In terms of back-end languages and frameworks, there‘s a wide variety to choose from, but some of the most popular and in-demand ones are:

• Node.js and Express: JavaScript on the server-side
• Python and Django/Flask: powerful and beginner-friendly
• Ruby on Rails: rapid development with convention over configuration
• PHP and Laravel: still widely used despite declining popularity
• Java and Spring: good for large-scale enterprise applications
• .NET and C#: Microsoft‘s back-end ecosystem

I recommend starting with Node.js and Express since you‘ll already be familiar with JavaScript from your front-end learning. But it‘s a good idea to at least experiment with one or two other ecosystems to broaden your perspective.

Front-end Frameworks

Once you have a solid grasp on HTML, CSS and JavaScript fundamentals, you‘re ready to dive into front-end frameworks. In modern web development, practically every front-end job will require knowledge of at least one of the "big three" frameworks:

• React: most in-demand, huge ecosystem, steep learning curve

• Vue: easiest to learn, very popular especially for smaller projects

• Angular: most opinionated and complex, used more in enterprise

Which framework should you learn first? Here‘s what the data says:

Framework	GitHub Stars	npm Downloads (Monthly)	Job Postings (Indeed)
React	165k	9.8M	46k
Vue	180k	2.8M	12k
Angular	71k	2.2M	21k

*Data as of May 2021

As you can see, React is by far the most in-demand in terms of job postings, with nearly 4x as many listings as Vue. It also has the most npm downloads, indicating widespread adoption and a large ecosystem of libraries and tools.

Vue comes in second for GitHub stars and downloads, and is generally seen as the easiest and most beginner-friendly of the three frameworks. If you‘re overwhelmed by React‘s learning curve, Vue might be a good starting point.

Angular has less general popularity compared to React and Vue, but still a large presence in enterprise development. If you‘re interested in working for large companies, it‘s worth being familiar with Angular.

Ultimately, you can‘t go wrong with any of the big three, and most concepts will transfer between them. But if I had to recommend one to focus on in 2021 from a job market perspective, it would be React.

Some specific concepts to master in React:

• JSX syntax and expressions
• Function and class components
• Props and state
• Component lifecycle methods
• Hooks (useState, useEffect, useMemo)
• State management (Context API, Redux)
• Routing (React Router)
• Forms and validation (Formik, Yup)
• Testing (Jest, React Testing Library)

Build progressively more complex React projects to solidify your skills:

• A portfolio site with React and CSS modules
• A CRUD app with React and Firebase
• An e-commerce store with Redux and Stripe integration
• A real-time chat app with websockets and Next.js

Essential Tools

In addition to languages and frameworks, there are several essential tools that every web developer should be comfortable with:

• Git and GitHub: version control and collaboration
• VS Code: powerful, lightweight code editor
• Chrome DevTools: debugging, performance, network analysis
• PostMan: API testing and documentation
• Webpack or Rollup: module bundling and build tooling
• Babel: transpiling modern JavaScript for older browsers
• ESLint and Prettier: enforcing consistent code style
• Figma or Sketch: working with design mockups and assets

Don‘t feel like you need to master all of these tools right away, but aim to be proficient in at least 2-3 in each category (code editor, DevTools, build tools, design tools, etc.)

Get Paid to Learn

One of the best ways to accelerate your learning and gain real-world experience is by freelancing and doing paid projects as you learn. This will force you to deliver working code on a deadline, communicate with clients, and solve problems independently.

Start by building a strong portfolio of projects to showcase your skills. Then create accounts on freelancing sites like Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr. Search for jobs that match your skill level and interests and start sending proposals.

Don‘t worry if you don‘t land your first few gigs – it takes time to build up your reputation and reviews. Focus on doing great work and communicating professionally with your clients.

Another way to get paid to learn is by contributing to open source projects. Many projects offer bounties or stipends for contributors. Check out sites like:

• GitHub Sponsors and Open Collective
• IssueHunt and BountySource
• Gitcoin and Tip4Commit

Contributing to open source is also a great way to build your network, get mentorship from experienced developers, and demonstrate your skills to potential employers.

Getting Your First Web Developer Job

Once you‘ve built up your skills and portfolio, it‘s time to start applying for your first developer job. Depending on your learning pace and bandwidth, this process could take anywhere from 6 to 18 months.

Some tips for success:

• Tailor your resume and portfolio: highlight the projects and skills most relevant to each job posting, and the company‘s tech stack and industry.

• Do practice problems: grind Leetcode and HackerRank challenges to prepare for technical interviews. Focus on practical skills over computer science theory.

• Build your online presence: blog about your learning journey, share your projects on Twitter, answer questions on Stack Overflow, and connect with other developers online.

• Go to meetups and conferences: once in-person events are safe again, start attending local developer meetups and conferences to network with companies and get on their radar.

Here are the most common types of web developer jobs and their average salaries in the U.S.:

Job Title	Average Salary (Glassdoor)
Junior Front-end Developer	$76,929
Junior Back-end Developer	$81,470
Full-stack Developer	$91,123
UX/UI Developer	$98,042
DevOps Engineer	$110,095

Remember that these are just averages – salaries can vary widely based on location, company size, and years of experience. Don‘t be discouraged if your first developer salary is on the lower end – the important thing is to get your foot in the door and start building your experience.

Keep Learning and Experimenting

Web development is a field that evolves incredibly quickly. The JavaScript ecosystem alone sees new frameworks and libraries released practically every week. While it‘s impossible to keep up with absolutely everything, it‘s important to stay curious and keep learning throughout your career.

Some ways to stay up-to-date:

• Follow industry blogs and podcasts: some of my favorites are CSS Tricks, Smashing Magazine, Syntax.fm, and ShopTalk Show.

• Subscribe to weekly newsletters: JavaScript Weekly, Frontend Focus, and Node Weekly are all high-quality resources.

• Build projects with new technologies: when a new library or framework catches your eye, build a small project with it to see how it works and compares to your current stack. Some upcoming technologies to keep an eye on are Svelte, Deno, and WebAssembly.

• Attend conferences (online for now): JSConf, React Rally, NG Conf, Vue Conf and Node Congress are some of the biggest and most informative in the field.

Web development can be an incredibly rewarding and lucrative career path, but it‘s also a demanding one that requires continuous learning and growth. Stay passionate, don‘t be afraid to ask for help, take breaks to avoid burnout, and remember to celebrate your wins along the way.

If you made it this far, congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of web development! Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@yourhandle) if you have any questions or just want to connect. Happy coding!