abstract image of a computer monitor on a blue background

Each year, Hired, an AI-driven hiring platform that matches ambitious tech and sales talent with the world’s most innovative companies, publishes a comprehensive report of tech salaries. And in their 2023 report, the company looked into specific roles such as software engineers, product managers, data scientists, web developers, and more to determine the benchmarks.

When looking specifically at Toronto, Hired saw that the city had a salary growth of about 5% in 2023 and 10% in 2022 over the previous respective years.

Is this an industry that you see yourself heading into? If so, keep reading. We’re answering some of the most common questions regarding web development salaries in Toronto and what you can expect.


Are Web Developers in demand in Toronto?

There are currently over 760 active job posts for web developer roles in Toronto on Indeed, ranging from junior to senior positions and full-time and part-time work. The demand for web developers is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade, with companies continuously switching to the digital economy.

Randstad lists developers as number one on its top 15 jobs in Canada in 2023, stating, "If you want to boost your chances of landing a job or having a successful career change in 2023, become a developer."


Web Development Salaries in Toronto

Let's look at two of the top job sites in Canada. Glassdoor puts the average Web Developer's salary at C$67,704, while Indeed has that figure at C$71,924. Depending on your role, expertise and skills, the starting salary for many positions starts at around C$72,608, according to Glassdoor. There are plenty of opportunities for growth which is why some tech workers could even top $100,000 later in their careers.

Web developers typically work in an office or from home with computers, making an ergonomic setup crucial to avoid unnecessary physical discomfort. The work tends to align with a 40-hour week, although project deadlines can shift hours to get things done.

There are also a couple of things that Canadian tech companies are doing to benefit employees and enhance corporate culture. Honeybee lists a few of these benefits:

Career Development

Software company Resolver Inc. “offers $2,000 for employees to use towards learning and development so that they can move up to leadership roles. In fact, 75% of the roles at Resolver Inc. are filled internally through lateral or vertical progressions.”

Resolver Inc. isn’t alone in its approach. Others are following suit: SAP, Freshbooks, and Indeed Canada, to name a few, are also looking for ways to help employees grow their skillset.

Flexible Workplace

As employees can answer emails anywhere, many companies are making exceptions to introducing a “hybrid” workplace, where an employee doesn’t have to be at the office 100% of the time. Moreover, companies like “Nulogy and Flipp also have a flexible or unlimited paid vacation policy, which further supports work-life balance.”

Wellness

The wellness of Canadian employees has been an important topic over the last few years, and rightly so. Employers are starting to realize that healthy employees are happier and more productive, which is why some companies like Lululemon (although not in tech), have perks designed to get people to be more active and provide them with a monthly spend on fitness activities.

Entertainment

Axonify Inc., a modern learning solution for frontline employees, encourages its staff to get to know one another by throwing regular mix-and-mingle events. Plus, once every quarter, they expense meals for colleagues to lunch with someone they don’t know.


Is web development a good career in Toronto?

Web development is an excellent career path for Torontonians for several reasons.

For starters, consider this: according to Now Toronto, “when COVID-19 hit, while employment levels across the country decreased by 15% from February to April, they only decreased by 4.2% for tech workers. By May, employment levels were still down by 13.2% – except for the tech industry, which had already rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according to Statistics Canada Labour Force Surveys.”

Next, with the growth of e-commerce and mobile apps, as well as the advancement of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 5G, IoT, and more, there’s no doubt that web development careers are crucial to our modern society. They will always be in demand.

Consider these web development trends:

  1. Artificial intelligence (AI):We all know this one quite well—all the chatbots we’ve used when dealing with customer service, web design and functionality, mobile optimization, etc. According to Towards Data Science, artificial intelligence has contributed to web developers in the following ways: it makes web searches quicker, creates a more relevant user experience, helps store owners form a more personalized online shopping experience, and much more. AI also helps web developers create websites, and analyze content, among others, to elevate one’s experience online.
  2. Virtual reality: When you think of virtual reality, the first image that pops into your head is one of a person wearing special goggles, playing an immersive video game. But virtual reality has evolved beyond that simple image. Now, it can be integrated with web browsers and apps, which is where web developers would come in. Do virtual tours of homes ring a bell, perhaps?
  3. The Internet of Things (IoT): The Internet of Things refers to “any device that can transfer and collect data over the internet without the need for any human interaction.” Web development is involved in two ways: front-end development and backend development, which together create a “seamless connection for transferring data.”
  4. Motion user interface: As UX Planet explains, motion graphics include various elements to enhance one’s online experience, such as parallax scrolling, animations, loading screens, and navigation menus, to name a few.


How Do I Become A Web Developer in Toronto?

As with any profession, some fundamental skills are required to become a web developer. These basic skills include knowing JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Once you master these, you can then specialize in a particular area. You can either become a front-end developer (working with interfacing and design), back-end developer (working with servers and networks), or full-stack developer (combining front-end work with back-end work).

You’ll also need to know different programming languages to round out your skill set. According to Northeastern University in Toronto, the most popular programming languages are Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, C, C++, Go, R, Swift, and PHP. Don’t worry—you don’t need to know all of these, although the more languages you pick up throughout your career, the better.

Northeastern provides some guidance regarding these languages, though: “web-based startups are more likely to be programming in Python and JavaScript, larger companies tend to develop their internal software applications using C# or Java and their web applications using PHP. Programs for data analytics typically use the R and MATLAB programming languages. Embedded devices, such as those in the automotive and healthcare industries, run software written in C, C++, or Rust. Applications that run on the cloud are mostly written in Go or Scala. In contrast, mobile applications use either Swift or Kotlin.”

Equally important, don’t forget to create a portfolio of your work to show off your most important skills. Make sure to include all your projects to showcase everything you can do. Of course, be picky and show your best work, but make sure there are numerous examples to show potential employers.

When focusing on finding a career in web development in Toronto, don’t forget to network! Toronto is a big city with many companies ranging in size, so make it a priority to get to know people already working in your field. Keep an eye on Eventbrite to see any networking events or workshops near you.


Take your web development career to the next level with Lighthouse Labs

If you aspire to become a web developer, there are many courses out there that you can take to enhance your skill set. However, a good web developer will always be learning. Technology is constantly changing around us, making this profession exciting—more code rewrites equals new and improved features. Developing your knowledge in this sector will always be beneficial, especially around topics like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 5G, and more.

If you are new to the space, we’ve got the perfect course for you: Lighthouse Labs' Web Development Bootcamp. We offer an intensive full-time 12-week Bootcamp (40+ hours/week) or a flexible 30-week Program (~25 hours/week) that will help you understand JavaScript and Ruby on Rails while teaching you how to think like a programmer by building software from the ground up. For a shorter program, we also offer an Intro to Web Development, a 6-week course, twice weekly, three hours per evening.

This is a growing field, with millions in the profession in North America alone—are you ready to dive into one of the most in-demand jobs in Toronto? Now is a perfect time.

Ready to begin your journey to a career in tech? Download the Web Development Bootcamp curriculum here, or click the button below to visit our program page and see which of our Bootcamps is right for you!