How to hire a lead web developer

How to hire a lead web developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead web developer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead web developer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead web developer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead web developer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your lead web developer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a lead web developer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A lead web developer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lead web developers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of lead web developers.

   Type of Lead Web Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Web Developer	Web developers design and create websites. They are responsible for the look of the site... Show more	$40-67
   Applications Developer	An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs... Show more	$32-56
   Architect And Developer	An Architect And Developer is focused on the technical design, architecture, and development of products. They generally work as a part of the development team.	$40-69

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Web Application
   • JavaScript
   • CSS
   • Web Development
   • Front End
   • API
   • HTML
   • Java
   • UI
   • GIT
   • HTML5
   • WordPress
   • Html Css
   • JS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design and develop custom MVC framework to manage public web sites.
   • Lead a team of 20 developers through full lifecycle software development of J2EE applications.
   • Manage authentication using ASP.NET forms authentication, windows authorization and ASP.NET membership.
   • Develop classroom registration system and internal portal with PHP, MySQL, HTML, and CSS.
   • Utilize Perl and HTML to develop a searchable database for airplane part requests
   • Develop perl processes to reformat data into desired load formats.

   More lead web developer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead web developer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A lead web developer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a lead web developer in New Hampshire may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level lead web developer usually earns less than a senior-level lead web developer. Additionally, a lead web developer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average lead web developer salary

   $108,800yearly

   $52.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead web developer salary

   $84,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average lead web developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$136,336	$66
   2	Washington	$132,689	$64
   3	New Jersey	$115,429	$55
   4	Massachusetts	$113,578	$55
   5	Arizona	$111,540	$54
   6	Maryland	$110,791	$53
   7	Virginia	$110,476	$53
   8	New York	$109,418	$53
   9	District of Columbia	$106,185	$51
   10	Tennessee	$105,484	$51
   11	North Carolina	$104,876	$50
   12	Minnesota	$102,567	$49
   13	Connecticut	$101,321	$49
   14	Pennsylvania	$100,929	$49
   15	Texas	$100,614	$48
   16	Kansas	$99,920	$48
   17	Georgia	$99,037	$48
   18	Illinois	$98,886	$48
   19	Nebraska	$98,629	$47
   20	Ohio	$95,107	$46

   Average lead web developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	First Republic Bank	$141,530	$68.04
   2	Palo Alto Networks	$133,964	$64.41	30
   3	VMware	$133,155	$64.02
   4	Build-A-Bear Workshop	$126,875	$61.00
   5	Jam City	$125,438	$60.31	1
   6	Logitech	$122,550	$58.92
   7	Berklee College of Music	$121,705	$58.51
   8	Citrix	$120,595	$57.98
   9	Commonwealth	$120,067	$57.72
   10	Addison Group	$117,088	$56.29	14
   11	General Motors	$115,940	$55.74	231
   12	W. R. Berkley	$115,210	$55.39	2
   13	CareerBuilder	$114,110	$54.86
   14	Bozzuto's	$112,962	$54.31
   15	CyberCoders	$112,165	$53.93
   16	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$111,661	$53.68	1
   17	Affiliated Computer Services	$111,333	$53.53
   18	UPS	$111,098	$53.41	1
   19	CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield	$110,824	$53.28	7
   20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$110,344	$53.05	62

4. Writing a lead web developer job description

   A lead web developer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a lead web developer job description:

   Lead web developer job description example

   Website Content Lead
   The Website Content Lead is responsible for the daily oversight of company website properties including user experience, content strategy, content and website management, reporting, as well as, working with agency on upgrades and enhancements.
   
   Gather Business Requirements
   Gathers insights and translates business needs into content strategies and web designs that support business goals objectives Provides consultative services as related to web strategy, UX best practices and website governance Conduct user, SEO and analytics research to help guide strategy, improve user experience,and expand website engagement Identify business needs and requirements for new and existing website features or content needs
   Define User Experiences
   Collaborate with internal cross-functional teams to create and implement design enhancements and user experience improvements leveraging CMS capabilities Organizes information in ways that best meets the needs of various user personas and the business Collaborate with Marketing, Agencies, and IT colleagues to ensure a best-in-class user experience Conceptualizes, presents, and executes web-based design solutions based on defined customer personas
   Leads/Governs Content Strategy
   Works closely with Designers/Writers//Managers to ensure brand/strategy consistency across all projects related to websites Responsible for the daily management of website content within governance strategy Ability to envision engaging content that aligns with brand look and feel, bringing new ideas to the teams and stakeholders
   Manage Website Updates
   Build and publish pages within the content management system (Drupal) including marketing content, product catalogs, SEO pages, and landing pages Identify requirements for platform integrations between website, product catalogs, analytics/tracking codes, and conversion forms Works with third-party agencies that provide marketing and development support QA site updates through a detail-oriented lens to identify any technical or consumer facing issues
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead web developer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead web developer job on Zippia to find and recruit lead web developer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit lead web developers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with lead web developer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead web developer

   Once you've selected the best lead web developer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a lead web developer?