Full Stack Developer is 2019's Popular In Demand Tech Job

Full-stack development has been in the limelight in recent years. There has been a lot of talks surrounding the future scope of full-stack developers and how this position could change the business game for companies all across the globe. The rising demand for seamless technology has enabled developers to work on both back-end, front-end and many other related fields. 

Full-stack developers offer ample of benefits to organizations. They are well versed with different technologies and are capable of solving glitches across several streams of app and web development. Companies are explicitly hiring full-stack developers, who can create apps from scratch, and actively participate throughout the development journey of the application. 

Many people refer full-stack developers as “jack of all trades” and believe that they play a crucial role in today’s technological space. Contrarily, others continue to argue that it’s sort of a bygone technology with obsolete positions. But it wouldn’t be fair to make a decision based on assumptions and baseless claims, so let’s have a look at factual information which will explain the current status of full-stack developers. 

A full-stack developer is a programmer who has the basic knowledge for all layers of an application. Each layer is made using a different technology needed to complete the development of an application, which is often termed as “stack”. 

It is the front-end of an application, which contains every component that is accessible to the end-user. The presentation layer is usually built by using programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and various JavaScript libraries such as Foundation, AngularJS, Backbone, Ember.js and React JS. 

In an application, the logic layer is the back-end which involves all kinds of development that is not visible to the end-user. It can be accessed only if permitted by the developer. It revolves around core logic which is responsible for carrying out tasks in an application. Whether it is a simple click or an automatic pop-up, almost every task is defined from the back-end. Developers who work with back-end technology use programming languages like Java, PHP, .Net, Ruby and Python. 

Data Layer 

Often data layer is also known as the “sub-group of the logic layer”. It deals with how data is created, modified, read, managed and deleted using databases like SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL. 

Full-stack development has been here for a long time, so what's all this buzz about now?

In the past, programmers who used to create software applications from beginning to the end were plainly known as “developers”. However, with the rising complexity in the nature of applications, intense code with versatile functionality and the need for packing everything good in one application has taken up the game of development much higher. 

With this continuous evolution, developers also had to learn a gamut of new technologies and adapt to them. One might think that this means developers had to learn how to build every component of an application from scratch, but as new technologies were introduced, so were numerous ready-made components and framework designed to simplify the process of software development. 

This gave rise to full-stack development and a significant boom to the software development industry. 

Businesses these days understand the value of full-stack development and thus, are constantly looking out for experienced and knowledgeable professionals who can fill in the position of a full-stack developer. For many companies, full-stack developers are an invaluable asset for their business. 

Full-stack development is growing widely popular as it is becoming a much sought-after technical role for many companies. 

Full-stack developers have a good command over multiple programming languages and can work with different frameworks as and when required according to the desired output. This versatility of diverse coding skills is what makes full-stack developers so preferable. 

The average annual salary for a full-stack developer is nearly about $110,737 per year. Beginners are offered $58,000 per year, while experienced professionals can land up an annual package worth up to $188,253 per year. With the right skills and a solid background in the tech industry, you can also bag a high-paying job in the field of full-stack development. 

One of the reasons why companies are willing to pay such a high salary to full-stack developers is that they can now hire just one individual as a full-stack developer instead of hiring 2-3 average developers. This saves time, reduces cost and is highly efficient. 

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates full-stack development employment to increase from 135,000 to over 853,000 by the year 2024. Further, to back up the argument, Indeed recently reported that the job of a full-stack developer stands strong at number 2 position according to their scores. 

For aspirants who are planning to enter into the tech industry and land up a good job, the role of a full-stack developer might just be the ideal option for them. Considering there is a wide scope of opportunities for full-stack developers, professionals can work across several verticals, ranging from startups to giant tech organizations to public agencies and industries. 

Full-stack developers offer the perfect blend of front-end and back-end skills that are needed to create and manage an application. Whether it is laying out the foundational unit for a web application or handling the back-end server management or deploying frequent and better updates on the client-side, a full-stack developer can handle all the tasks without any hassle. 

It’s clear that there is a huge demand of full-stack developers and companies are gladly offering high salaries to those who are qualified, but what may not be clear is the pros and cons of full-stack developers as compared to developers who specialize in a particular programming language. 

Technology is progressing rapidly and companies are using a whole set of different technologies now, as compared to the ones they used to prefer a decade back. Now, because full-stack developers are required to have a wide range of skills, they gradually adapt to fast-paced technologies and become quick learners. 

They can stay at the forefront of changing technology and use any technology that is in demand at the moment. Full-stack developers have a good command over all the layers of an application, this enables them to create a functional prototype without any help from the outside. 

Startups and small scale organizations value the versatility that full-stack developers bring. Organizations can reduce their overhead and keep it minimal, as full-stack developers are well versed with several technologies and are able to jump from one part of the product to another. 

But it is impossible for even full-stack developers to learn and be an expert in every technology that comes forth. According to Gladwell's 10,000 Hour Rule, it takes about 20 hours of work per week for 10 years or 10,000 hours of intensely focused practice to become an expert of world-level in any field. 

If you do the calculation, you would realize that full-stack development is no cakewalk. Full-stack developers have to adjust and make certain compromises as they can not embrace every other technology that launches in the market. 

For full stack developers working on Mac operating system, things sometimes get challenging compared to the Linux counterpart. Locating library folder or a file path is one of the few factors that slow down overall process. Yes, there are file manager for mac OS that offers versatility but it still is nowhere flexible as Linux or even Windows.

Full-stack developer is an in-demand tech job in 2019 and there’s no doubt about it. Companies value their full-stack developers and consider them a valuable asset to the organization. Though they are highly versatile and are paid good salaries, they are also needed to stay abreast with the changing technologies and adapt quickly. If you love constant changes and accept challenging tasks that come your way, full-stack development might be the best career path for you.