A WordPress developer is an IT professional that specializes in the design of WordPress-based websites and is highly knowledgeable of the ecosystem and infrastructure of the WordPress platform. These developers focus on improving the WordPress software, as well as the creation and implementation of different plugins and themes. WordPress developers may also work with clients to create, customize, and maintain attractive and efficient websites.
What Is WordPress?
WordPress is an open content management tool that bloggers and other web content creators can use for free. The platform, which is based on MySQL and PHP, is used by almost a third of the top 1 million websites in 2019. By all accounts, this is the most popular blogging tool on the internet.
Due to the availability of theme importers and website builders, anyone with basic computer skills can learn how to build a WordPress website in just a few hours. However, not everyone that can build a website is a WordPress developer. Many people can upload a theme and install some plugins, but still have no real understanding of SQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any other programming language.
WordPress developers can provide a range of services depending on their skill level, and hiring just anyone from a freelancing marketplace will likely generate low-quality work. It may get the job done in the short term, but it will come back to bite you later.
Let’s look at each aspect of WordPress development, so you can have a better understanding of what it is that WordPress developers do.
WordPress Developer Job Description and Qualifications
As we mentioned before, a WordPress developer uses their coding skills to improve the WordPress core software or create entirely new themes and plugins. Developers may also work with clients to design and build WordPress websites from the ground up. They should ensure that the websites work efficiently according to client specifications.
To be able to do these things, competent WordPress developers should have an in-depth understanding of the platform and several programming languages that are instrumental when working with WordPress. These languages include CSS3, JavaScript, PHP, and HTML5. A solid understanding of aesthetics, including fonts, colors, and screen arrangements can also play a major role in the work they do.
WordPress developer qualifications are directly related to what the job requires.
Common WordPress Developer Activities:
- Designing and developing responsive websites
- Converting wireframes into working pages
- Using debugging tools like Chrome Inspector (not every website runs smoothly on the first trial)
- Implementing CSS changes and knowing their ramifications
- Interacting with RESTful APIs and formats such as XML and JSON
WordPress Developer Salary-Range
Being a WordPress developer is a specialized skill that requires a lot of time to master. Not only should you learn the infrastructure of different programming ecosystems, but you also need to understand the WordPress core. Producing cutting-edge themes or plugins and getting them to work in every environment, with zero conflicts, requires a lot of knowledge and skill.
Salary might be a taboo subject to some people but would-be developers typically wonder if this profession is financially worth the hassle. In short, how much is a WordPress developer given per project? By averaging data from several popular job sites, you’ll find that WordPress developers get slightly over $60,000 per year in the US. Freelancers, on the other hand, charge anywhere between $15 and $60 per hour.
How to Become a WordPress Developer
Becoming a WordPress developer may sound more challenging than it actually is. As with everything else in life, you simply have to follow a process to master the various required skills; which is much easier to do if you learn by working on a specific project.
First, you’re going to want to find some type of project to build as a test site. This could be anywhere from a small blog, to a made-up e-commerce store. Once you have an idea of the site you want to work on, you can register in WordPress and you’ll have everything you need to get started.
Create a username and password, add a title to your new site, and start designing – let your curiosity show you the way and use the intuitive tools to start laying out the basic structure of your page.
The WordPress platform has a wealth of reading material that’ll show you where and how to start. You can choose how your website will look using a wide selection of themes. WordPress also allows you to customize widgets, themes, colors, and fonts to make your website more unique.
This Is Only the First Step of Learning the Basics of WordPress
Getting used to the website builder is just the beginning of understanding the WordPress platform as a whole. It’s the first step, and luckily it’s free to get started.
With time you’ll have to learn different programming languages to improve your skills and widen your services. This often requires external courses or training programs that will get you deeper into the fine details of WordPress. As you continue to work on subsequent projects, you’ll need to find ways to progressively challenge yourself and further develop your skills.
Summing Up
WordPress has made it much easier for relatively tech-savvy people to quickly develop simple websites. However, most of these people don’t qualify as true WordPress developers. To qualify for this title, a person should be able to develop WordPress themes, plugins, and improve the core software, along with building custom WordPress websites. Although these skills take time to acquire, they are relatively high-paying. Besides being a whole lot of fun, WordPress development can also offer a lot of work flexibility.