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Most companies hire web designers on the basis of their display portfolio of previous websites and designs they have completed. So it is really important that you have some “real world” experience to show, even if it involves only personal or volunteer projects for schools or community organizations.

Career advancement for web designers involves moving up in seniority in the design arena or progressing in the marketing/communications department of a firm, according to what skills they have and what they are most interested in.

Web designers should not be confused with web developers - they have different skills. Developers work on the server side of websites with programming languages like PHP, Java, and JSP, while designers usually don’t do much coding. In general, the web designer comes up with how they want a site to look and then work with the developer, who figures out how to make the “look” into a functional website by creating the code that operates behind the scenes.

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Pay for web designers varies according to experience and geographic location. In 2006, the median salary of a web designer was $48,000 per year, according to the American Institute of Graphic Arts. A designer in Boston received a median salary of $60,000, however, while a designer in New York City had a median salary of only $47,000. Pay is also influenced by educational level. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that a B.A. is required for most entry-level web design jobs. Education can be obtained through a regular four-year graphic arts program at a college or university, but this is not always necessary to get a good web design position, since many employers will accept a two-year degree. Of equal or even greater importance is having a good portfolio and experience with relevant design software.

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Becoming a Web Designer

Web designers are responsible for creating and designing the pages that constitute a website. They must know how to balance the way a page looks with how it functions. Another important consideration for web designers is accessibility, or how to make a website work regardless of what device a visitor uses to view it or interact with it. Accessibility refers particularly to making pages functional for people with disabilities.

While many web designers usually have a B.S. in Computer Science or a B.A. related to marketing, such as business administration from a four-year institute, others have completed two-year programs at community colleges, or they have taught themselves independently by learning the design skills and programming languages necessary to create pleasing and useful online pages.

The two most common ways to become a professional web designer include getting formal training or teaching yourself. Formal training can be obtained through a certificate program or an advanced degree program available at community colleges, universities, or online. Getting practical experience by actually building pages is critical before you apply for a job as a web designer. Self-taught web designers often begin working for a company in another capacity, such as marketing or administration, and then take on web design responsibilities over time and as needed by the employer. “Filling in” as a web designer for an employer frequently leads to a full-time job in this area.

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Colleges and universities now offer specific courses of study that lead to a college-level degree in games programming. While few schools are currently accredited to offer such programs, more are becoming accredited all the time, and many institutions are adding games programming to their computer science programs. The growth in computer game degrees reflects the growth of the games industry itself.

Career advancement and salary in the games programming sector varies according to the game development specialty involved. In 2007, the average salary for a games programmer in the U.S. had reached $83,383 per year. This is comparable to compensation in the business sector, in spite of the fact that games programming is more difficult and time-consuming than the typical mainstream coding performed in the business arena.

Beginning games programmers – those with less than three years of experience – generally receive an average of $57,665 per year, while those with more than six years in the field are paid an average of $94,525 annually. Lead programmers receive the highest pay, but 3D-graphics programmers are paid a comparable amount. In 2007, lead programmers earned an average of $103,409 per year.

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Games programmers are actually software engineers who have as their chief responsibility the development of a computer or video game. Games programming involves several very specialized programming areas, including graphics, sound, user interfaces, and scripting. Programming a game is different from designing a game, although many designers are programmers as well.

A modern computer game requires expertise in advanced physics, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional graphics, original music, and several input devices. It may also be designed for play across networks. Each one of these elements requires a programmer who specializes in that one area. Games programmers usually have an understanding of several of these aspects. The number of programmers required for each feature or game varies according to the type of game being developed.

Many games programmers currently employed in the industry do not have formal education in the subject; most began their work as hobbyists just having fun with code. Most employers that are looking for games programmers now require a B.A. degree in math, physics, computer science, or some type of equivalent.

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