Career as a web developer: From Junior to CTO

How does the career path of a developer look? What skills do you need for the ascent? And how do you negotiate your salary? A guide for your ascent.

[web development](/services/mobileundweb development) is one of the few professions where you can reach a six-digit salary without studying, only with a laptop and internet access. But the way there is not a sprint, but a marathon.

Many remain stuck on the "mid level" plateau. How do you break the ceiling to the senior, lead or CTO? Here's the roadmap.

The Steps of Evolution

Junior Developer (0-2 years)

Focus: Learning, asking questions, editing tickets.

You need a lot of instructions. Your goal: Write code that works.

Mid-Level Developer (2-5 years)

Focus: Self-employment, building features, mentoring of juniors.

You work independently. Your goal: Write code that is wartable.

Senior Developer (5+ years)

Focus: Architecture, complex problems, team productivity.

You solve problems before they arise. Your goal: Make the team better.

Lead / Principal / CTO

Focus: Strategy, human leadership, vision.

You code less, decide more. Your goal: deliver business value.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

In the beginning, Hard Skills (React, SQL, Git) count. But from the senior level, the ratio is tilted.

“A brilliant coder nobody wants to work with is worthless for the team.”

Communication, empathy and business confession are the true career boosters. Can you explain to a manager why the refactoring takes 2 weeks? Can you motivate a junior?

Treasury

Developers often sell under value.

⭐ Your market value:** Use portals such as levels.fyi or Kununu. ‡ Not only do money: Home office days, training budget or shares (equity) are often more valuable. ‡ **Wechsle the job:**The biggest wage jumps (15-30%) do when changing the company, not with the annual increase.

Back to overview

**Find out our [mobile and web development](/services/mobile and web development) and how we can support your company.

Next consultation appointment →

[E-Shop & Blog – an ideal connection to customer acquisition](/blog/e-shop-blog-connect-customer acquisition)
[avoid type errors when creating an online shop](/blog/typical error onlineshop avoidance)
Federal day decides to prohibit payment fees

Career as a web developer: From Junior to CTO