What does a Back-End Developer do?

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What does a Back-End Developer do?

A back-end developer writes code that forms the backbone of a website or app. Learn more about this career field and how to get started.

[Featured Image] A man is using his laptop in a computer lab with two coworkers in the background.

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of a website? How, exactly, does clicking on a button take you to a different page? And where does your personal information go when you sign up for a free trial? 

Back-end developers are the experts who build and maintain the mechanisms that process data and perform actions on websites. Unlike front-end developers, who control everything you can see on a website, back-end developers are involved in data storage, security, and other server-side functions that you cannot see.

Since the late 80s and 90s, the internet has transformed the way humans access information, and web development has continued to evolve. Its central importance to our digital world means web developers are in high demand. Fortunately, anyone can learn the technical skills needed to be front-end, back-end, or full-stack (both front- and back-end) developers.

What is back-end development?

Back-end development means working on server-side software, which focuses on everything you can’t see on a website. Back-end developers ensure the website performs correctly, focusing on databases, back-end logic, application programming interface (APIs), architecture, and servers. They use code that helps browsers communicate with databases, store, understand, and delete data.

On a team, back-end developers collaborate with front-end developers, product managers, principal architects, and website testers to build the structure of a website or mobile app. Back-end developers must be familiar with many kinds of tools and frameworks, including languages such as Python, Java, and Ruby. They make sure the back-end performs quickly and responsively to front-end user requests.

Back-end developer vs. back-end engineer

Back-end developers and engineers have similar technical skills, but different responsibilities. A back-end developer is like a teacher, whereas a back-end engineer is like a school principal who creates the big-picture strategy. Back-end developers tend to focus on smaller parts of the whole, such as applications and programs, working with teams to prove their design methods are viable. 

Back-end developer tasks and responsibilities

Back-end developers are required to have technical expertise, analytical thinking, and excellent collaboration skills. As a back-end web developer, you should be able to work independently to design the web infrastructure. 

Here’s what many back-end developers do on a day-to-day basis:

  • Build and maintain websites: A back-end developer’s main responsibility is to use various tools, frameworks, and languages to determine how best to develop intuitive, user-friendly prototypes and turn them into websites. This requires an understanding of cross-platform functionality and compatibility.

  • Write high-quality code: To produce sustainable web applications, developers must write clean and easily maintainable code.

  • Perform quality assurance (QA) testing: Create and oversee testing schedules to optimize user interface and experience, ensuring optimal display on various browsers and devices.

  • Assess efficiency and speed: Once a website is up and running, and during updates and edits, developers need to assess its performance and scalability, adjusting code as necessary.

  • Troubleshoot and debug: Be able to troubleshoot issues and resolve them, while communicating them to project managers, stakeholders, and QA teams.

  • Train and support: Maintain workflows with client teams to ensure ongoing support, along with leading training and mentorship for junior developers.

    Credits: Coursera