How To Become A Lead Web Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead web designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

The average lead web designer salary is $62,015. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an graphic design major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a lead web designer. Lead web designers with a Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 13% and produce 20,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a lead web designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreLead Web DesignerUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $62,015

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.2

Growth rate 13%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 16.04%

Black or African American 6.47%

Hispanic or Latino 12.05%

Unknown 6.52%

White 58.50%

Gender

female 28.13%

male 71.88%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead web designer

Explore lead web designer education requirements

Most common lead web designer degrees

Bachelor's

69.4 %

Associate

16.7 %

Master's

7.6 %

Start to develop specific lead web designer skills

Skills	Percentages
HTML	7.91%
CSS	7.91%
WordPress	7.11%
UI	5.55%
Web Design	4.64%

Complete relevant lead web designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead web designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead web designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead web designer resumes.

Research lead web designer duties and responsibilities

Update and manage constant flow of new & update web content for WordPress sites.
Manage preparation for all quality assurance audits for intranet and Internet AME applications.
Practice rapid website deployment using PHP/MySQL, JS, CSS, HTML, and other languages.
Redesign and develop Foxit website with html5 and CSS3.

Get lead web designer experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead web designer. The most common roles before becoming a lead web designer include web designer, graphic designer team lead and web design/development.

Prepare your lead web designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead web designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead web designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead web designer resume templates

Build a professional lead web designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead web designer resume.