eCommerce Development Jobs & Careers

The eCommerce sector has shown impressive growth for years now, and the emergence of Covid and subsequent lockdowns skyrocketed such growth with consumers buying habits forcibly altered choosing online shopping vs bricks and mortar. Whilst a dip was always expected post-Covid customer habits permanently changed, supporting the necessity for brands to ensure their online presence is first class.

As a Developer, it’s a chance to be part of a rapidly growing and sustainable market, at the forefront of an industry using the latest tech. What’s more, there’s a huge skills gap, meaning job opportunities are plentiful, alongside the chance to learn new skills, and progress quickly in the right organisation.

• Frontend/Backend/Full Stack Developer
• CMS focused Developer (Shopify, Adobe Commerce (Magento), BigCommerce, Headless, SAP Hybris, Salesforce for example)
• Solutions Specialist/Solutions Analyst/Solutions Architect
• eCommerce Consultant/Subject Matter Expert (SME)
• Head of Frontend/Backend Development
• Head of Development/Engineering
• Chief Technical Officer (CTO)

As the eCommerce sector continues to grow at pace, employers are struggling to find talent who already possess the right skills and experience so many businesses are happy to provide full training and even pay for additional certifications to get you up to speed.

For a graduate a relevant technical degree can really help, such as Computer Science/Software Engineering, or for someone looking to change careers, short courses, bootcamps and self-funding qualifications can offer a huge boost. For someone already in the eCommerce sector, the time scale of progressing from Junior Developer to Senior/Lead Developer can be very quick.

Entry Level/Graduate/Junior salaries are often up to £30k/£35k, with Mid-level Developers earning between £30k and £45k, Seniors on £45k to £60k and a Lead Developer on £60k+

A Head of Development/Engineering role can fetch anywhere from £75k to £95k in salary, whilst a CTO could enjoy £90k+

Whilst contracting for a Junior/Graduate is less likely, a typical day rate could be £250, whereas a Mid-level Developer could earn £350 a day, and Seniors £450+ as a benchmark.

Of course there a lot of variables from the tech you specialise in and whether you’re agency or client side, to additional perks such as remote/flexible working, training provided, bonuses and ethical cultures.

For someone starting out a strong educational foundation can help, such as a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or IT which provides an understanding of programming concepts, algorithms and data structures.

You should learn relevant front-end programming languages and tech commonly used in web development such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and back-end, server-side scripting languages like PHP, Python or Ruby as well as databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL. A key component will be to learn about specific eCommerce platforms, Adobe Commerce and Shopify being the most popular/widely used.

A degree in a technical subject is a great start, alongside eCommerce platform specific certifications in the likes of Adobe Commerce, Shopify or BigCommerce for example.

As noted before, to gain an entry level role self-learning, a passion for tech and minimal exposure to eCommerce is often enough to secure a role with a business.