Back-End Web Developer with Ruby Salary in 2024
How statistics are calculated
We count how many offers each candidate received and for what salary. For example, if a Back-End Web developer with Ruby with a salary of $4,500 received 10 offers, then we would count him 10 times. If there were no offers, then he would not get into the statistics either.
The graph column is the total number of offers. This is not the number of vacancies, but an indicator of the level of demand. The more offers there are, the more companies try to hire such a specialist. 5k+ includes candidates with salaries >= $5,000 and < $5,500.
Median Salary Expectation – the weighted average of the market offer in the selected specialization, that is, the most frequent job offers for the selected specialization received by candidates. We do not count accepted or rejected offers.
Trending Back-End Web tech & tools in 2024
Back-End Web
What does a back-end developer do?
A back-end developer is in the back end of a more or less invisible system of unseen work, but vital all the same to web development. Back-end developers make sure the website or application works how it should. They have to deal with servers, databases, and application logic. They develop systems and processes. They maintain databases. They deal with bugs. They interface with APIs. They make security systems work correctly.
Specifics differ from firm to firm, but on the back end a back-end developer might oversee some, most, or all of the following:
- Developing the systems and processes to meet the application’s specified requirements
- Maintaining databases, including data storage and retrieval, organization, backups, and security
- Finding and fixing bugs in the back-end code
- Managing any APIs the company uses to integrate applications, both externally and internally
- Conducting performance optimization to increase efficiency and improve the user experience
- Building and managing libraries of code for reuse by developers across the business
- Helping develop the overall architecture of the application’s back-end
- Securing the application from cyberattacks
Back-end developers also work together with front-end developers to transform their function into user-facing content in the app interface. Back-end developers often deal with managers, architects, designers, researchers, IT security and so many others to make web applications work.
In the end, front-end developers aim to make the interface fun, playful, and interactive while back-end teams build up the invisible structures that power the front-end.
Back-end Developer Skills
Ok, so we now know what a back-end developer does (mostly). But what does she need to know in order to do it? In this part, we’ll be looking at the primary skills to look for if you’re hiring a back-end developer, or if you’re hell-bent on becoming one.
Programming Languages
Web developers use a multitude of languages to build the servers, databases, and application logic on servers. Here is the list:
Python
Python is a general-purpose programming language, commonly used for building the non-public, or ‘back-end’, part of software programs and web applications currently charging you for breakfast, dinner, or that retro toy you ordered on a whim on a marketplace site last night. It is a powerful language that is enjoyable to write in, and able to operate well for any purpose you throw at it. Every back-end programmer should at least have a basic level of knowledge about it.
Java
Java, another general-purpose language, is often used in the back-end of application development for the same reason. It’s deployable across many environments and flexible enough to power very large, complex, high-performance software projects.
PHP
PHP is a so-called server-side programming language – this basically means, you create a website using PHP which dynamically loads content at the demand of the user (or the browser requesting the page). PHP dynamically builds the page on the server from content of housed databases. The opposite of this is a static website – which means you create a website, and it’s stored completely on the servers and therefore presented exactly the same to all visitors – even if, in PHP, the display can be different.
Other Languages
True, there are many other programming languages that back-end developers might prefer. There’s Ruby, a high-level language that allows one to build both web and mobile applications in a quick and effective manner, there’s C, a lower-level language (and the most popular language in the world), and there’s .NET, a framework provided by Microsoft to build websites and web apps.
Furthermore, a back-end developer might write code in SQL (Structured Query Language) or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), programming languages that are geared towards database management.
Front-End Languages
Although it’s often the case that the back-end developer works almost exclusively on the server-side in a language like PHP or Java, some basic knowledge of front-end languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will still come in handy when you work on a web-based project. In general, there are three technical languages that you learn on the front end:
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language): Codes content (text and links) and structure of a web page. All web pages are built with HTML, and its file names always end in .html.
- CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): Because Cascading Style Sheets are a programming language that describes how pages should look – without it, the web would be filled mostly with seas of block text and images with no layout or style. CSS is also the reason that web page content adapts to fit different browser sizes and devices.
- JavaScript: Often abbreviated as JS, developers use it to change animations, dynamically update page content, and on websites run scripts without having to ask the back-end.
These languages will make it easier for you to work with front-end developers and designers and, if there is a bug that uses both front-end and back-end resources, it will help you to diagnose it faster. They are also good skills to learn in general, especially if you want to learn design or become a full-stack developer.
Database Management
Moving data in or out of the application database, a significant part of the back-end developer’s work, comes under the scope of modern database technologies.
Databases can be divided into two types: relational databases and non-relational databases. Relational databases store related data points like a customer such as name, and email or account ID. Relational Databases are data arranged in a tabular manner with relata in the same row and the language used to interact with it is SQL.
Then, in contrast to relational databases, non-relational databases (or NoSQL databases) don’t typically store data points based on their relatedness (though they might relate the data nonetheless). Instead of rows in tables, non-relational databases store their information in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and/or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). Useful knowledge about NoSQL database programmes, such as Redis and MongoDB, can go hand-in-hand with SQL on the back-end.
Server-Side Software
Back-end developers get process versions in server systems. You should be familiar with standard server software such as Apache, Nginx, Microsoft IIS, and Linux-based operating systems. You should know how web servers receive and handle requests for web pages on websites, how they store the data they get, and the basics of keeping them scalable and safe.
APIs
An API – an application programming interface – is a set of definitions and protocols that allows two applications (or pieces of software) to talk to and share data with each other. An API goes out and listens for incoming requests from another application, and then responds by carrying out that request (which could be requesting or modifying some chunk of data in the database of the other app). Every time you see one piece of software reused in another, APIs made it possible. Apps such as Facebook, YouTube, Google and Spotify make tons of their data available through public APIs.
There are plenty of APIs in existence today, the most prominent of which are REST APIs. If you want to be a web developer, you’ll need to have a working knowledge of REST APIs (and possibly SOAP ones), a technology that ties together not only different applications owned by different vendors, but also individual back-end services.
Data Structures and Algorithms
In contrast to other, more concrete technologies that will be discussed below, data structures and algorithms are highly conceptual but still incredibly important. A competent back-end developer must have a decent understanding of these areas to perform his or her job, which is why they appear in the academic curriculum of computer science.
Making a picture in the mind: a data structure is a pattern we use in a computer to organise data. The above examples were arrays, linked lists, trees, and tries; hash tables, heaps, stacks, and queues – the back-end developer will run into most or all of these at some point in their career.
Broadly, an algorithm is a defined process to solve a problem. Every back-end developer is familiar with the foundational algorithms of computer software: you’ll use some form of sorting algorithm; you’ll write some kind of search algorithm for searching texts or databases; you’ll parse and compare strings; you’ll hash stuff to make comparisons between string lengths easier; you’ll use recursive algorithms, or code that’s essentially a textual expression of how a function repeats itself.
Other Important Skills
There is also much more that you can learn in the domain of back-end programming than just those core skills, as listed above. Here are some more skills that you will find useful as a back-end programmer:
- Experience with a version control system — likely Git, as well as familiarity with GitHub
- Knowledge of orexperience with server management
- Communication skills, and an ability to explain complex technical topics to non-experts
- Time management skills, as you’ll likely be balancing several responsibilities at once
- Understanding of cloud computing and hosting
- Understanding web accessibility best practices
- Understanding cybersecurity best practices
Where is Ruby used?
Ruby Utilization Rundown
Web Slinging with Rails
- Heads up, Spider-Man! Rails, Ruby's sidekick, weaves complex web applications faster than you can say "Great Scott!"
DevOps' Swiss Army Knife
- Chefs kiss for Ruby in DevOps! Crafting server recipes with Chef for automated setup that’s as tasty as grandma's Sunday dinner.
Gem-studded Scripts
- It's a scripting jewel box! Automating mundane tasks with Ruby is like finding precious gems in your couch cushions.
Game of Objects
- In the game of coding, you either win or bug fix. Ruby's object-oriented prowess makes it a key player on the coding battlefield.
Ruby Alternatives
Python
Python is a high-level, interpreted scripting language known for its simplicity and readability which promotes rapid development. It's widely used for web development, data analysis, AI, and scripting.
# Python sample code for a simple HTTP server
from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
class SimpleHTTPRequestHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
def do_GET(self):
self.send_response(200)
self.end_headers()
self.wfile.write(b'Hello, Python!')
httpd = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8000), SimpleHTTPRequestHandler)
httpd.serve_forever()
- Readable syntax eases maintenance and collaboration.
- Extensive standard library and third-party modules.
- Slower execution than compiled languages due to being interpreted.
- Dynamic typing can introduce runtime errors.
- Highly versatile, suitable for various types of projects.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a dynamic, high-level scripting language primarily used for creating interactive web applications. It runs on the client side within the user's web browser.
// JavaScript example for a simple alert
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => {
alert('Hello, JavaScript!');
});
- Ubiquitous on the web, supported by all modern browsers.
- Asynchronous programming with callbacks and promises.
- Can result in complex code due to callback chains.
- Some find the dynamic typing system to be error-prone.
- Enables interactive client-side web applications.
Go (Golang)
Go, or Golang, is a statically typed, compiled programming language designed at Google. It's known for its simplicity, concurrency support, and performance.
// Go sample code for a concurrent HTTP server
package main
import (
"fmt"
"net/http"
)
func handler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Hello, Golang!")
}
func main() {
http.HandleFunc("/", handler)
http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
}
- Fast execution and compilation speed.
- Concise syntax and powerful standard library.
- Lacks some features found in other languages, like generics (though coming in Go 1.18).
- Small ecosystem compared to more mature languages.
- Built-in concurrency model with goroutines.
Quick Facts about Ruby
Ruby: The Jewel of Programming Languages
Once upon a time in 1995, Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto decided to blend the best parts of his favorite languages and, voila! Ruby was born! Like a mad scientist, Matz concocted this language to be both productive and fun, a true friend to the weary programmer. Ruby operates on the principle of POLA (Principle of Least Astonishment), aiming to be your predictable companion, so you're never left scratching your head wondering, "What the heck just happened?"
# Ruby aims to be simple and readable:
5.times { print "We <3 Ruby! " }
Revolutionizing the Scene with Rails
Fast forward to 2004 and a virtual bomb drops in the form of Ruby on Rails, an open-source web framework that shook the earth beneath every web developer's feet. Created by David Heinemeier Hansson, Rails screamed, "Convention over Configuration!" and automated the mundane tasks, transforming web development from a chore to a playground. Goodbye, repetitive code! Hello, building complex websites before your coffee even gets cold!
# Scaffold your way to a complete app in minutes:
rails generate scaffold HighFive giver:string receiver:string
Gems: Ruby’s Sparkling Library Treasures
In the Ruby world, you'll find a glittering trove known as "gems." These little bundles of code joy let programmers easily share functionality and solve common problems without reinventing the wheel. It's like having a personal code genie at your fingertips. Just whisper "bundle install," and a genie pops out to grant all your app's wishes.
# Magic command to install your project dependencies:
bundle install
What is the difference between Junior, Middle, Senior and Expert Ruby developer?
| Seniority Name | Years of Experience | Average Salary (USD/year) | Responsibilities & Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Ruby Developer | 0-2 | 50,000 - 70,000 |
|
| Middle Ruby Developer | 2-5 | 70,000 - 100,000 |
|
| Senior Ruby Developer | 5+ | 100,000 - 130,000 |
|
| Expert/Team Lead | 8+ | 130,000 - 160,000+ |
|
Top 10 Ruby Related Tech
Ruby Language
The crème de la coder crème, Ruby is a snazzy programming language that reads like English and a Saturday morning cartoon had a baby. With a focus on simplicity and productivity, it's the Maserati of programming – sleek, efficient, and a smooth ride from start to finish. Just roll in, whip up a killer app, and you're the hero – cape optional.
def hello_world
puts 'Hello World!'
end
hello_world
Rails (Ruby on Rails)
Rails, not to be confused with the things trains amble on, is a full-stack web framework that's more beloved than grandma's cookies. It's all about convention over configuration, meaning you write less code and have more time for ping pong. With Rails, you'll be crafting dazzling web applications quicker than binge-watching a season of "The Mandalorian."
rails new my_awesome_app
RSpec
RSpec is the Sherlock Holmes of testing frameworks for Ruby, helping you to sniff out code crimes before they become a problem. It's all about behavior-driven development (BDD) - talking through your problems, but with code. Ensure your app is as solid as a diamond and just as sparkly.
describe 'An ideal sandwich' do
it 'is delicious' do
expect(sandwich.taste).to eq('delicious')
end
end
RubyGems
Imagine a candy store where all the sugary treats are free, and you've basically got RubyGems. It's a package manager that gives you access to a trove of gems, i.e., libraries, that'll add pizzazz to your projects without reinventing the wheel – or the sugary treat.
gem install nokogiri
Sinatra
Sinatra is Rails' cool, minimalist cousin that doesn't try to do it all – it's a DSL for quickly creating web applications with less fuss and more saxophone solos. When Rails is a Swiss Army knife, Sinatra is that one really good screwdriver you can't live without.
require 'sinatra'
get '/' do
'Put your hands up for Detroit!'
end
Capistrano
Capistrano is the magical elf that does the dirty work of deploying web applications for you – it's like FedEx for your code. One command, and it's sent off to the server, letting you kick back and feast on code instead of worrying about pesky deployment details.
# Deploy with capistrano
cap production deploy
Pry
Pry is the secret agent toolkit for Ruby, a powerful alternative to the IRB (the usual Ruby console). With Pry, you can sneak inside your running program like a ninja and start poking around, fixing bugs, and running code like the charming developer-spy you are.
binding.pry
# Now you’re in the matrix!
Homebrew
Homebrew, known as The Missing Package Manager for macOS (or Linux), lets you easily install all those fancy Ruby-related techs without breaking a sweat. It's like having a personal robot that fetches your tools – just say the word, and voilà, it's there.
brew install ruby
SQLite3 / PostgreSQL
Need a place to stash all your app's secrets? SQLite3 is like a diary with a lock, perfect for small projects, while PostgreSQL is like the vault where banks keep their gold bars – robust, secure, and ready for big data. Both of them get along with Ruby like peanut butter and jelly.
# In a Sinatra app using SQLite3
get '/show/:id' do
@mydata = DB.execute('SELECT * FROM mytable WHERE id = ?', params[:id]).first
erb :show
end
Vim/VSCode/Sublime Text
Nope, these aren't trendy new LA nightclubs – they're text editors where you'll forge your Ruby masterpieces. Vim, the seasoned veteran that you control like a wizard; VSCode, the jack-of-all-trades with a plugin for everything; and Sublime Text, the speedster that makes editing code feel like you're racing a sports car on the Autobahn.
# Sublime Text magic - multi-cursor editing!
# Hold down the Cmd (or Ctrl) key, click in all the places you want a cursor, and then start typing.