Full stack developer job description
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed full stack developers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Where we source our data
Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.
That’s why we anonymously surveyed full stack developers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.
While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.
Intellectual
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Cooperative
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Imaginative
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.
Tasks and responsibilities for a full stack developer
The day-to-day duties and tasks of a full-stack developer are:
- Developing the front-end, client-side usability of websites with front-end technologies and programming languages like HTML, CSS, Angular, React native, and JavaScript (alongside JavaScript libraries like reactJS, node.js, AngularJS, and jquery)
- Developing servers and databases for website functionality using back-end technologies programming languages like Java, PHP, SQL, Ruby, and Python (as well as the Django web framework for Python)
- Coding for mobile platforms so users can interact with web apps wherever they go
- Understanding and analysing clients' needs and how to best implement them
- Designing user interactions on websites
- Implementing cybersecurity protocols
Reasons to choose this job
Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.
Enjoyable
Being a full-stack developer allows you to experience every aspect of building web platforms, from the code and data used to make a website work to the visual elements that make a website stand out. Understanding how each piece fits together is very satisfying.
Respected
Your broad knowledge base and skill set as a web developer makes you an asset to any client or project.
Learning opportunities
Technology is constantly undergoing innovation. This continual change is especially true for web-based applications, with different products available, upgrades, and new trends in design. Full-stack developers continuously learn new things and can follow their curiosity.
Job satisfaction
Overall job satisfaction
This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.
Stress level
How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Fulfilment
How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.
Skill level
The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.
Job market trends for a full stack developer
Technology is increasingly vital to almost every organisation. Organisations rely on the web to market their products and services, communicate through email and web-based chat clients, and offer users value. Full-stack developers are much in demand in this context because they bring all the expertise and skills to use the internet effectively.
The multimedia and web development industry has very strong projected future growth. As of 2020, the sector employs 21,700 people. This number is expected to grow to 27,100 by 2025.
You may work in-house for an organisation as a full-stack developer. Alternatively, you may work for a web development firm or be self-employed. Full-stack developers have options to choose their hours or work remotely.
Median salary
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Projected job growth
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Where this data comes from
Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.
This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report
Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.
Pathway options
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.
As you gain experience as a full-stack developer, you may be able to move into higher-level roles, with potential career paths like:
Junior
-
Junior web developer
Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120)
-
QA tester
Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120)
-
Software tester
Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120)
Mid
-
Frontend web developer
Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)
-
Web developer
Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)
Senior
-
Full stack developer
Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (ICT60220)
Skills you might already have
Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.
If you’re interested in web developer jobs, you likely have a flair for technology, design, and problem-solving. Soft skills that you could already have (or can develop naturally from exploring your interests) include:
Creativity
Especially when developing front-end aspects of web applications, full-stack developers make eye-catching, creative, and user-friendly designs, potentially alongside web designers. Coding is not often considered creative, but it also relies on creative thinking to meet a client’s specific requirements in original ways.
Organisation
Full-stack development involves keeping track of many different processes at the front-end and back-end and working out how the two fit together. To be a successful full-stack developer, you need to approach these many tasks in an organised way, planning how to meet key milestones and break projects into smaller, achievable chunks.
Research
Given the amount of software, tools, codes, and templates for web development, you need to be a confident researcher as a full-stack developer. This research and analysis help you choose the best approach to meet your client’s needs.
Hard skills
The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.
When looking to become a full-stack developer, your technical qualifications may come in handy to develop some of the necessary, harder full-stack developer skills, such as:
Research and analysis
As a full-stack developer, you need to research the best ways to meet your clients’ needs. You can take what clients tell you to turn them into technical specifications that allow you to meet their brief.
Design
Although you may work with web designers for the visual aspects of the website, you also need to know how to put together web applications so that they look good. Design runs deeper than visuals — you design web applications for functionality and efficiency.
Project management
Developing a suite of web applications at all levels — from the back-end to the front-end — is a huge task. Technical skills in project management allow you to plan your approach, keep track of what team members are doing, and meet project milestones and deadlines.
How to become a full stack developer
-
Study
Studying helps you get the foundational skills for web development, specifically full-stack development. Qualifications such as a Certificate IV in Information Technology (Programming) (ICT40120) or a Diploma of Software Development (ICT50715) would be an excellent start for learning the ropes, as would study in a range of areas like computer science, software engineering, or IT. If you’re a self-starter, self-study to get the required skills may also be an option.
-
Develop your skills with projects
Making and scripting complex web applications and websites as a full-stack developer is one of the best ways of getting the required practical experience. Try out your skills on a project, and learn new skills as needed.
-
Get work experience
Find someone working as a full-stack developer to mentor you or get an internship or a work placement as you study. Experience in the development process helps you build your professional networks and your skills.
Explore related qualifications
Certificate IV Information Technology
Explore the fundamentals of programming and learn how to code up apps and create databases as you study topics like critical thinking, cybersecurity, different emerging technologies, working in teams, troubleshooting and debugging, intellectual property and more. A Certificate IV may take between 9 to 12 months to complete.
3 providers offer this course
Diploma Of Software Development
Learn the technical and theoretical foundations of software development, including web development. Find out how to create and test programs, including web-based applications using various tools and programming languages. You may take courses in mathematics, statistics, and algorithms. Other topics include creating and maintaining databases and web servers, data structures, web frameworks, object-oriented programming, computer architecture, version control systems, operating systems, APIs, game design, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. This qualification takes one year of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).
6 providers offer this course
Related subjects
If you’re interested in coding, managing complex technical projects, and meeting user needs, you may also be interested in:
Reviews
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
How we collect reviews
Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.
Is this your job title?
Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.
- All
- Positive
- Negative
Chan
Nov 22 2021Comfortable.
What are the best parts of the job?
I've been in this job a long time and it's comfortable, I know how to do everything well and my colleagues respect me.
What's the most challenging part?
It can be very busy with a very high workload at times.
Dean
Nov 05 2021Designing and coding.
What are the best parts of the job?
I really like designing and coding, the satisfaction of building something and seeing it work.
What's the most challenging part?
The stress and time it takes to design something.
Callum
Nov 03 2021Colleagues are great, but bugs can be stressful.
What are the best parts of the job?
Communication with my switched-on colleagues is easy and makes my work much more pleasant.
What's the most challenging part?
Dealing with the problems can be quite stressful, you feel responsible for any mistakes or errors in the software.
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Job cluster: The Technologist
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
What are job clusters?
The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.
The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.
This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.
Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?
Developer and other technical roles are suited to the career personality of The Technologist.
Technologists love to solve problems, especially using tech. You might be a keen coder or gamer or love keeping up-to-date with the latest gadgets and software. You enjoy researching and learning about innovations and building your skills. You’re motivated by understanding how things work, and just as importantly, putting that understanding into action.
Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to become a full-stack developer?
If you’re a super-motivated learner and a self-starter, you may be able to pick up the necessary programming and other skills reasonably quickly and by yourself. These technical skills take an estimated minimum of 3 months to build. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you longer to get your head around the ins and outs, though. It can be hard to find the time for intensive study, and many people take a long time before things start to click. Online bootcamps and open-source tutorials are likely to be helpful.
Depending on your learning style, formal study might be a faster way to build your computer skills as the guidance of experienced instructors help structure and guide your learning and give you someone to answer your questions. Once you understand the basics, it’s also vital to get hands-on experience by creating your own projects — or seeking internship or work experience opportunities.
Is it easy to become a full-stack developer?
The skills needed to be a full-stack developer are complex and varied. Everything from coding up and maintaining a database to making beautiful designs is relevant. Building such expansive knowledge isn’t easy — it’s a huge undertaking. But it is possible for people interested and dedicated to learning more.
What do you need to become a full-stack developer?
If you’re a natural technologist, it’s likely you already have the attributes and temperament of a successful full-stack developer. Beyond that, you need a mixture of soft and technical skills to succeed in your job search. You need to be a confident programmer, designer, database manager, and project manager. It would help to point to tangible examples of your previous project work.