Developers who can work on both the front and back end of a website, web application, or computer program are valuable team members. Learn more about the types of salaries these roles command.
The median total salary for a full-stack developer in the US is $119,000 as of September 2025 []. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. However, full-stack software developer salaries vary based on job title, location, and experience. Learn more about how much you can make as a full-stack developer.
Afterward, if you're interested in exploring a career as a full-stack developer, consider enrolling in the Microsoft Full-Stack Developer Professional Certificate, which is ideal for aspiring developers eager to build complete web applications. In as little as nine months, you can learn about debugging, load balancing, SQL, application deployment, and more.
Full-stack developers work across the development process鈥攐n both the front end and the back end. Because of their expertise, they tend to earn high salaries.
According to Glassdoor, the total median pay for a full-stack developer in the US is $119,000, a figure that includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation []. Explore salary ranges by location, job title, and experience.
Larger cities often require a higher cost of living, so full-stack developers in these areas typically get paid more. The highest-paying cities, along with the average annual salary, are as follows []:
San Francisco, CA: $172,508
Cupertino, CA: $167,999
New York, NY: $153,952
Irving, TX: $134,622
Boulder, CO: $132,337
Austin, TX: $129,542
Fremont, CA: $126,982
Princeton, NJ: $119,223
Tampa, FL: $110,166
If you are considering a career in software development, learning to become a full-stack developer might be a good career move. One reason is that you will have a versatile set of skills, helping you qualify for a wider range of jobs and projects. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers make an average salary of $133,080, more than double the average across all occupations of $49,500 []. The agency also reports this category of the labor market will grow by 15 percent from 2024 to 2034 [].
A full-stack developer鈥檚 salary in the US may depend on the amount of professional experience, and as you gain more, you鈥檒l likely get promoted, which leads to higher earnings. Explore the total median pay range of full-stack developers by years of experience []:
0鈥1 years of experience: $100,000
1鈥3 years of experience: $108,000
4鈥6 years of experience: $116,000
7鈥9 years of experience: $121,000
10鈥14 years of experience: $136,000
*All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of September 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.
You can increase your full-stack developer salary by making steps to improve your skills like learning another programming language or improving your technical and workplace skills.
Your knowledge about a website's front and back ends will make you a more valuable employee and likely grant you a more lucrative full-stack developer career. Knowing more than one programming language can be beneficial. A few programming languages that full-stack developers can benefit from learning include:
SQL
CSS/HTML
C#
React
Learn more: Why and How to Learn SQL
Build your technical skill set by earning a full-stack certification or certificate, which verifies the knowledge you've gained and the skills you've developed as a result. Explore essential programming environments, frameworks, and platforms for full-stack developers:
Node.js
Django
Containers
Kubernetes
You can familiarize yourself with all of the above by enrolling in a full-stack development online program, like the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate. Over 15 courses, you'll learn how to build, deploy, test, run, and manage full-stack cloud-native applications.
In addition to technical capabilities, full-stack developers must possess interpersonal skills. They often work on teams with other developers and collaborate with clients and shareholders. A few non-technical skills (also known as soft skills) for full-stack developers to master are:
Creativity
Problem-solving
Written and verbal communication skills
Working knowledge of software development methodologies like DevOps, CI/CD (continuous integration, continuous delivery), and Agile
You likely already possess some of the skills mentioned above. To increase your understanding of these essential development concepts, consider enrolling in an online course. For example, you can learn DevOps, Agile, Scrum, CI/CD, and Cloud Native through IBM's DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate.
Yes, you typically need to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree to be a full-stack developer. While many aspiring full-stack developers choose computer science as a major, you may also choose to major in web development, software engineering, or information technology.
Full-stack developers create and maintain websites' front and back ends. They often work on a team with dedicated UI and UX designers and other web developers. Some duties of a full-stack developer may include:
Developing web applications, websites, or computer programs
Creating executable code for the functionality of web design elements
Coding server-side elements
Testing and maintaining web-based projects
Overseeing projects to stay within budget and optimize speed, functionality, and reliability
Collaborating with designers, web developers, and clients
Staying current with technological trends within the industry
A full-stack developer is a computer programmer with experience in all areas of web development. These professionals have mastered client software for developing the front end and server software for the functionality of the back end. They also have a working knowledge of popular stacks, a combination of computer programming tools for specific functions and parameters. These include:
LAMP stack
LEMP stack
MEAN stack
Django stack
Ruby on Rails
You'll be on your way to a successful full-stack developer career by learning each stack level and how they function interdependently. While many full-stack developers hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer programming or a related field, many learn through online courses.听
Need help researching job opportunities? Join on LinkedIn. When you鈥檙e learning full-stack development and programming languages, explore these helpful resources:
Check out a software tutorial: Python Basics Cheat Sheet
Learn key terms: SQL Glossary
Watch on YouTube:
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Glassdoor. 鈥 https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/full-stack-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm.鈥 Accessed September 8, 2025.
Indeed.com. 鈥, https://www.indeed.com/career/full-stack-developer/salaries.鈥 Accessed September 8, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 鈥, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm#tab-5.鈥 Accessed September 8, 2025.听
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 鈥, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm#tab-1.鈥 Accessed September 8, 2025.听
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