Full Stack Developer is one of the most in-demand professions these days. Companies are looking to get full-stack developers on board to keep up with the trends. Full stack developers are also known as the jack of all trades as they can help in various stages of development. The term itself explains that they handle a Full Stack, which includes both the front and back end.
A full stack development is a fusion of frontend and backend development, which is fascinating. A full-stack developer design develops and maintains fully-fledged and functioning platforms with databases or servers. These servers do not need other third-party applications to build an entire system from scratch, as one can benefit from hiring one full-stack developer rather than hiring multiple developers.
You must, however, be familiar with the components of web development in order to grasp what a full-stack developer is. So let’s get started.
A Full Stack Developer: roles and responsibilities
Let’s know who is a full-stack developer. The term “full stack developer” refers to a developer or engineer capable of working on projects that entail databases, and APIs, creating user-facing websites, or even collaborating with customers during the planning stage of projects.
If we look at the history of Full Stack development in the early 80s – 90s, developers used to deal with different aspects of software development independently. They used to code the entire program without any help. Later in 2000, the development became more advanced with the advent of client-server and advanced technologies. With this, the term Full Stack development came into existence where web development had multiple layers and required different professionals to work on them.
What does a Full Stack Developer do?
Full Stack developers may deal with databases, servers, system engineering, architecture, and client communication to create entire products. They develop applications using languages such as Java, JavaScript, HTML, PHP, C#, and more. Since they focus on user experience and functionality, full-stack developers approach software entirely. Full stack developers are available everywhere, taking care of multiple tasks whenever needed.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Assisting with software development and design.
- Collaborating with graphic artists to create additional features.
- Testing and debugging software.
- Writing logical code for the software’s front and back ends.
- Creating user interfaces for web applications themselves.
- Constructing servers and databases for the software’s back end.
- Optimizing and ensuring cross-platform compatibility.
- Application responsiveness testing and maintenance.
- Developing APIs and RESTful services.
- Staying updated with new technological advances and keeping their software optimized.
- Effective communication among the team members.
- When developing, take into account scalability, maintenance, and other factors.
Skills needed for Full Stack Developers
The secret behind being a successful Full Stack developer is that you excel in any one frontend framework and backend technology. There are various skills that a Full Stack developer possesses, such as:
Technical Skills
- Frontend – The part of the software that interacts with the users and is responsible for user engagement is the Frontend. It is also known as client-side development. A Full Stack developer must know skills such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and important aspects of frontend development like validation, responsiveness, and user experience. Hiring front-end developers can help you in developing clean code for your applications.
- Backend – The server side or part of the application which does not deal with the user is known as the backend. Backend developer hiring is conducted based on various qualities. A Full stack developer must know all the details of application development, APIs, database, and server-side configuration. They must be well versed with languages like PHP, Java, C#, Ruby, Python, and frameworks like Django, Spring, .Net, etc.
- Database – Knowing the database is also important for Full Stack development. Using relational mapping, a full-stack developer creates code that is used to get data from databases. The most widely used DBMS are Oracle Database, MySQL, SQL SERVER, and PostgreSQL. It’s important to comprehend how they operate.
- Design Fundamentals – Being a Full Stack developer means they should also have basic knowledge of design fundamentals. They should be aware of basic designing skills to make the frontend development more appealing and interactive. The role itself is a little demanding.
Soft Skills
Along with technical skills, certain soft skills are expected from the Full Stack developers:
- Good communication skills – The job demands a lot of communication between the developers and the team during development. Hence, the Full Stack developers need good communication skills to keep the process streamlined.
- Time management – Multitasking is the key to successful Full Stack development. They must always be vigilant about various backend and frontend tasks. Hence, efficient time management is most important.
- Creative approach – Thinking out of the box is a must skill for a Full Stack developer. They should always be willing to create new solutions for their web applications. Full Stack development is not suitable for people willing to do repetitive work. Thus, constant creativity and a fresh approach to problems or tasks are needed.
- Detail-oriented – Exceptional Full Stack Developers are diligent. Before sending their work on, they verify it twice or thrice to ensure that it is accurate. Full Stack Developers are meticulous perfectionists, and it shows in the well-written code and polished work they produce.
Essential tools used by Full Stack Developers
There are ample tools available for Full Stack development these days. As the demand for Full Stack developers grows, so do the tools. There are several solutions available, ranging from IDEs to project management tools. To name a few:
- Backbone
- CodePen
- Visual Studio Code
- TypeScript
- WebStorm
- GitHub
- Slack
- Electron
When Is a Full Stack Developer Needed?
The Full Stack developer’s need depends on the software’s size and scalability. A backend and a front-end developer can be enough if the software is small. Similarly, if it is a large-scale application, there will be a need for frontend developers, backend developers, and also the Full stack developers.
Scope and Demand of a Full Stack developer
As we saw, the need for a Full stack developer depends on the type of software development, and more companies require full stack developers. Full-stack developers are more capable than normal programmers of handling more facets of a project since they can deal with numerous technologies. A Full Stack developer gives more profit as one person handles multiple responsibilities and works with different technologies.
A full-stack developer is knowledgeable in a variety of stacks, such as the MEAN stack and the LAMP stack. They are well-equipped to meet the specific needs of their projects because of their extensive understanding of many different fields, which gives a lesser cost advantage to companies.
Full-stack development has promising scope. The continual increase in demand for these specialists makes it seem hopeful. The need for full-stack developers is growing, and the scope of Full stack developers will continue to grow in the upcoming years for various reasons. The reasons why a Full Stack developer will stay in demand are:
Quick Adaptability
Product development has multiple factors, and it can be tricky at times. There can be any change at any time. Full-stack developers can adapt to such changes quickly due to their knowledge and experience. Whether taking care of a new task or changes in the final application, they can handle it all. Do not forget that they are known as the jack of all trades.
Small Team
The team size is small because you need one Full stack developer to handle multiple tasks. And the smaller the team, the easier it is to manage and less costly. Communication among the team is also more uncomplicated. Also, one full stack developer can handle other backend developers and frontend developers.
Trending Technologies
We all know that there are timely updates in all software to maintain their performance. Also, the software needs to be updated in order to keep up with the latest technologies, which might include integrating new tools to maintain productivity. A full-stack developer can adapt to new technologies. Moreover, a Full Stack developer is trained to learn new things in software and mobile app development, which keeps them in demand.
How much salary do Full Stack Developers make?
The tech jobs are highly paid, and as we saw, the Full Stack developers are high in demand. The salary range for them can vary based on their experience. The numbers show the salary is mostly in six figures. The average salary for Full Stack developers is $100,374 in the US. One must remember that the figures stated are approximate and can vary. Some of the other location-wise figures are:
Austin, Texas: $117,755
Ohio: $90,776
Detroit: $85,419
Chicago: $112,156
New York: $115,562
Australia: $99,625
India: $8,253
Differences Between a Full Stack Developer and a Full Stack Engineer
| Full Stack Developer | Full Stack Engineer |
| A full stack developer is responsible for managing both the visible Frontend and the infrastructure supporting the backend of a website and creating a website or application. | A full stack engineer is more of a technology specialist with programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems knowledge. |
| They work on all parts of application development. | A Full Stack engineer works on specific parts. |
| Full Stack developers can lead the complete team. | A Full Stack engineer can work individually as well as with the team. |
| They adhere to thorough access for product development. | They oversee a certain software or application stage. |
| Skills include Frontend, backend engineering, database management, server-side management, and development of client-side and server-side as well. | Their skills include multiple programming languages such as java, python, C++, C, etc. |
| Full Stack developers help develop websites and web applications. | Full Stack engineers are responsible for developing applications that help in a singular purpose. |
| Full-stack developers play more of a leadership role. | The Full Stack Engineer work along with full stack developers to achieve project goals. |
| The demand for Full Stack developers is high. Companies caring for both clients and the server side of applications are hiring Full Stack developers. | The demand for Full Stack engineers is also high among the big companies as they work on a particular aspect of the application and issues related to them. |
Conclusion
A Full Stack developer demand is growing substantially and purposefully. Also, we saw the advantages of hiring a Full stack developer and how it will benefit your project. Whether you create mobile apps or online applications, having a Full Stack developer will equip you to handle corporate difficulties and offer innovative solutions for user experience and operational needs. We would like to know your take on Full Stack development. So go ahead and comment down below.