What Skills Should a Front-End Engineer Have?

A front-end engineer works in a team to create user-facing systems of websites, applications, and other programming projects and has a similar role and responsibilities to a front-end developer. To become a front-end engineer, you’ll likely need to earn a bachelor’s degree and develop technical skills like learning front-end programming languages. 

In this article, learn what skills you’ll need to become a front-end engineer, along with how this career fits into a larger career path. 

What is a front-end engineer?

As a front-end engineer, you may plan, design, and create websites or applications. The front end refers to the client side, or design side, of a project. For example, the images the user sees and interacts with on a website are in the front end. In contrast, the back end is the behind-the-scenes support structure that powers the website or application to function. In this career, you would work exclusively on the front-end development of a project. 

Responsibilities 

Front-end engineers work with other professionals, such as designers, project managers, and back-end development teams. You may work with clients to get feedback and revisions. Depending on your role in the team, you may also test and debug the final product or complete the documentation needed to wrap up the project. 

Responsibilities in this role typically include: 

• Planning and designing a website for a client’s needs and with the end user in mind

• Creating mock websites for user interface testing

• Designing the overall look and aesthetic of a website through graphics

• Ideating solutions and updates to user problems and needs for a website

• Writing high-quality and reusable code in front-end languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

• Testing, debugging, and troubleshooting to support website function

Front-end engineer vs. front-end developer

Many companies use the terms “engineer” and “developer” interchangeably since the job responsibilities for both of these roles overlap. However, in some cases, a front-end engineer is responsible more for the functionalities of the overall project, such as overseeing the development process, testing or debugging, and improving pre-existing software or sites.

On the other hand, front-end developers tend to focus more on managing the user interface (UI) and designing the front end using code.

Front-end engineer skills 

To become a successful front-end engineer, you’ll likely need to acquire a variety of skills. Although the exact responsibilities of a front-end engineer can vary between companies, you’ll need certain skills and experience that are relevant to any organization. For example, learning front-end programming languages, technical skills, and office skills are all important to landing a job as a front-end engineer.

Below is a more in-depth breakdown of what skills you can acquire for a front-end engineering career. 

Front-end programming languages

As a front-end engineer, you’ll likely rely on your programming language skills. Three common programming languages for front-end engineers are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. 

• HTML: The main function of HTML—also known as hypertext markup language—is to add structure to the content on the screen. HTML serves as a framework for the rest of the design to reside, and it is the main file type used in website browsers. Think of HTML as the bones of your website, providing the structure for everything else to function appropriately and efficiently. 

• CSS: CSS is an abbreviation for cascading style sheets, and it is the language that adds aesthetic styles to your design. Colors, widgets, custom fonts, and animation are functions that CSS brings to a website.

• JavaScript: JavaScript adds logic and interactivity to your websites or applications, allowing you to create a more dynamic and responsive project. JavaScript includes interactive elements like adding buttons, animations, and game motion. 

Other technical skills

Front-end engineers need a range of other technical skills as well. When you get into the specific technical skills, a wide range of possibilities exist depending on the industry and types of projects you’re working on. 

Here are some common technical skills you’ll need as a front-end engineer: 

• Version control: Version control is a system for organizing changes in a file, such as adding new information, deleting old information, or making other changes. With version control, you can revert a project back to an earlier version if you change your mind or run into a problem with the new code.

• Command line: The command line is a text-based interface for interacting with the computer. Unlike the graphical interface that users view, you can give typed text commands in the command line to run programs.

• Application program interfaces (APIs): An API is a set of protocols that allows two different applications to communicate with one another. For example, you might use a social media account to log into a different website. An API allows the social media account to communicate with the website you want to log into. 

• JavaScript libraries: JavaScript libraries contain code to add functionality and perform tasks within JavaScript. Some popular JavaScript libraries include React, Vue.js, Angular, and jQuery. 

• Web optimization: With this skill, you’ll understand how to improve your website's performance so that it's faster, more reliable, and user-friendly. 

• Frameworks: Frameworks are pieces of prewritten code that make it easier to add functionality and responsiveness to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They can also help automate repetitive tasks. 

• Content management systems: A content management system, or CMS, is a method of managing content for your website that often allows you to create, edit, and publish written content to your website within the program. 

Workplace skills

As a front-end engineer, you’ll also need workplace skills to operate well within a team, manage a project, and write code. Here are a few examples of skills you can build on for an office setting: 

• Communication: Communication is important because you might need to articulate your design ideas to your team and clients.

• Working with a team: As a front-end engineer, you may need to collaborate with other front-end team members and coordinate with other departments, such as the back-end team, marketing, leadership, and clients. 

• Detail-oriented: This role requires attention to detail, both when working with code and when coordinating many different elements of the project. 

• Analytical and problem-solving skills: You may encounter problems in the development process that require you to think critically and apply analytical thinking to solve problems successfully. 

• Creativity: In this role, you can work on a team to design interesting and visually appealing interfaces for your client, a responsibility that requires creativity.

Front-end engineer salary and job outlook 

According to Glassdoor, the estimated total pay for a front-end engineer in the US is $160,870 annually [1]. This figure includes an average base salary of $116,856 and $44,014 in additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that web development jobs will grow by 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average industry growth rate [2]. In the next 10 years, the BLS expects an average of 18,600 job openings per year in the field. 

Front-end engineer career paths

A front-end engineer can be an entry-level career, or you can transition into this role with relevant experience, such as through past work as a web developer, software engineer, or mobile app engineer. After gaining some experience, you could move into a higher position as a senior or lead front-end engineer. The skills you use as a front-end engineer can also help you gain more responsibility in similar but different fields, such as web programming, project management, or back-end development. 

Education requirements

Employers may require at least a bachelor’s degree to become a front-end engineer. You could choose to study computer science or earn a design-related bachelor’s degree in a field such as web design or graphic arts.

Additionally, you might need to have experience with front-end engineering skills, as discussed above. You can earn these skills through additional degree programs, certification programs, and online courses. 

Next steps 

If you’re ready to take the next step and start a career as a front-end engineer, consider earning your Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera. You can develop the skills you need for an entry-level position as a front-end engineer, including responsive web design, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, user experience design, and more. Upon completion, gain exclusive access to career resources like resume review, interview prep, and career support.