Important Facts About Webmasters
| Online Availability | Full coursework online |
| Common Courses | JAVA programming, Photoshop, e-commerce, styling |
| Specializations | Front-end (design/styling), back-end (programming/technical) |
| Key Skills | Creativity, problem-solving, programming, customer-service |
| Median Salary (2021) | $77,030 (for all web developers)* |
| Job Outlook (2021-2031) | 30% growth (for all web developers)* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Education
You have several educational routes to choose from to become a webmaster. You can pursue an associate's degree in computer science or in a specialized webmaster program. Bachelor's degrees in computer science are ideal for more technical positions.
Many community colleges and technical schools offer certificate and professional certification programs for webmasters. This additional credential can make you a standout applicant when you apply for a job. Courses completed in these programs include Web design, Web usability, Web accessibility and Web authoring. Some programs consist of fewer classes followed by a certification test, while others include multiple courses and result in an academic certificate.
Prior to entering into postsecondary education, you can take computer classes during high school and try creating your own Web page by reading informational computer books and researching online or at the library. Teaching yourself is a valid way to learn some foundational skills.
Job Training
As a webmaster, you can acquire job training from your employer. Additionally, experience in previous computer internships or positions, like as a computer support specialist or help desk technician, can be beneficial. These entry-level careers familiarize you with the computer industry.
Regardless of the form your job training takes, as a webmaster you'll need to learn how to make the websites you create accessible to people with varying hardware and operating platforms. You'll need to learn how to keep files as small as possible to ensure that a Web page loads quickly. You'll learn to perform regular check-ups and maintenance in order to fix any mistakes that occur with broken links or other Web page issues.
Practice with HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and other programming languages is crucial in order to create the instructions for the Web page to display properly. Early on, a webmaster might work under an experienced or trained professional to learn the trade.
