The age old question…”What job will pay me well, while allowing me to spend enough quality time with my family?” We’ve got an answer. Web Development receives a lot of attention for its high pay and rising demand, but many people might not realize the workload flexibility.

People today are praised for being workaholics throughout their educational and professional careers. Grinding and hustling towards your dream job remains a noble pursuit, there’s nothing wrong with having healthy relationships with your family, friends and hobbies. Burnout creeps up on us and can take a big toll on mental and physical wellbeing to the point where it negatively impacts you at work.

Flexible jobs keep web developer satisfaction high

No job is 100% sunshine and rainbows, but there are few jobs that better manage employee fulfillment & satisfaction. The U.S. News & World Report believes that Web Development is among the best low-stress, high-paying jobs in the United States. There are many factors at play here, including education level, company and position, but the overall tech landscape offers unreal flexibility. 

There’s a lot to like about the work-life benefits that Web Development can provide you with. Demand continues to rise, as the occupation is projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029. As more and more educational pathways continue to open up, it seems that there couldn’t be a more opportune time to jump into the field.

Getting started as a junior developer, without a degree

Traditional 4-year college degrees in Computer Science or Software Engineering are becoming less common with all the unique learning paths online. If you’re just wetting your feet and deciding if coding is for you, start off with YouTube videos, freecodecamp.org, Codecademy or Udemy. All these tools feature free content that allow you to “test” things out and get a feel for what tech will be like. If you’re extremely self-motivated and don’t need a teacher for accountability, you could potentially stay the self-study course for a long time. Less structure, but a solid way to get familiar with the basics and save money.

That being said, after long enough on the self-study route some folks hit a wall. ittle accountability and structure? Coding bootcamps raced to take over the traditional 4-year degree route, providing programming students the tool they need to get hired. Those that can’t afford to wait for four years these programs offer “crash courses” that span anywhere from two to six months. The courses can be very grueling, as you may be spending most of your day pounding away code at your desk, but the end result can be extremely rewarding. If you put in the work, you may be able to master the course concepts and be immediately set up for a high-paying job.

Workplace culture benefits of working in tech

You might be thinking of horror stories from friends working at big tech companies for 50-70 grueling hours a week. This is a valid point, but big tech and FAANG-sized companies are only a portion of the tech jobs available (FAANG stands for the 5most popular and best-performing American technology companies: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google.)

If you look at small to mid-sized companies, many of them offer attractive job positions and immense workplace flexibility. If we look at Cameo, A Chicago-based tech company that operates in the Consumer Web + Social Media industry, we find a big boatload of awesome perks. The company offers unlimited PTO, flexible work schedules, in-person team lunches, and comprehensive health benefits. DailyPay is a New York-based fintech company paying their employees a uniquely convenient way. DailyPay keeps a record of hourly earnings so that employees can pull out cash advances on their paycheck at any time. Like DailyPay many tech companies honor employees with unlimited PTO and celebrate company accomplishments through awards and team outings. 

Make your own hours by developing freelance or part-time

Anecdotally speaking, I myself know of people within my family & friends circles who have been able to achieve excellent work-life balance through tech jobs. I have a cousin who opted to forego completing his 4-year degree, in favor of the self-study route. He now has extensive knowledge of both the front and back-ends of Web Development. He currently works two part-time jobs and says that he makes an active effort to seek out employment opportunities that offer him good flexibility. He also has a wife and two babies at home, so his time is definitely at a crunch. 

Web Development skills also offer plenty of opportunities on the freelance/contracting front. If you’re someone who simply doesn’t like the idea of a 9 to 5 altogether, or who is looking to make some extra money on the side…coding is flush with freelance demand. People will pay you for individual projects on a contractual/as needed basis. The best part about going this route is that you have full control over your schedule. You’re essentially an entrepreneur, which means that you can work as much or as little as you wish…on your own time. You won’t have the luxury of receiving all those PTO and healthcare benefits, but perhaps you can make up for that with the added autonomy. 

Full Stack developer career coaching

Here at Skillspire, we also mentor and guide our students throughout the course, as well as afterwards. Our Career Development team helps you out with your LinkedIn profile, resume building, technical interview practice, and job searching. Our goal is to put you in the best possible position to land your new dream job. 

If you are interested in pursuing a career in web development, check out our Full Stack Immersive Web Development course. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, this course can make you career ready in 16 weeks. We also offer discounts and flexible payment options, so that you can focus on upskilling and not budgeting.