How to Become a PHP Developer

One of the most common skills that is in demand at this time is PHP programming. There are many reasons for this, but one of the major ones is that it’s a skill that can be used to help run web servers and develop dynamic websites. It’s been said by some experts in the field that if you want to have a successful career as an online developer, then PHP will be necessary for your toolkit. If you’re interested in becoming a professional PHP programmer, then we recommend reading our blog post today to get started!

Looking to  become a PHP developer? Great!

Let us start by first defining what a PHP developer is.

Who is a PHP Developer?

A PHP developer is a professional that has mastered or demonstrates expertise in PHP. They can create and edit Web pages, programs, scripts and more using PHP.

While many think that PHP as a programming language  is dying, the actual truth is that it is evolving and very much  alive. But not only that – PHP developers are in high demand!

Here is a bit of perspective:

PHP means “Hypertext Preprocessor. Basically, it is a scripting language for web development that was created in 1995, and is constantly updated keeping it  at the forefront of web development. It is currently used by more than 200 million websites  on the Internet (including Facebook, Wikipedia, Tumblr).

One of the biggest draw of PHP – a selling point, if you will – and why businesses  are hiring PHP developers, is that execution does not take place in the client browser, but directly on the server. This means that the execution of the scripts is not dependent on the speed of the end device or the users’ browsers.

This makes for a much more reliable and faster execution.  In addition, as PHP is an open source project, it offers huge cost savings for businesses – it is free to use

PHP Frontend or backend?

PHP is a dynamic programming language that can be used in both the frontend and backend.

The most common use of PHP is for web development, where it has a  rich set of libraries and tools for creating dynamic webpages.

PHP is also used in a variety of other ways, including as the basis of content management systems  and as an interface to other languages or software.

Due to its versatility, PHP developers are in high demand  – with an average salary of $$86,003 per year according to Zip recruiter.

So, if you are looking to become a PHP developer and have  an opportunity to do so, then you need to take advantage of it!

Responsibilities of a PHP developer

The daily task of a PHP developer may differ depending on the company that they work for, but in general  their responsibilities include:

• Ensuring quality by testing and fixing bugs
• Ensuring the security of a Web application
• Making sure that data is not lost by designing and implementing backup systems
• Optimizing performance
• Building Web applications using frameworks
• Working on the design and build of a website by following specifications, standards and best practices
• Supporting clients by answering questions and resolving issues
• Developing a database system to store data of an application
• Developing a payment system, or setting up online purchasing
• Implementing security measures to protect data and keep it safe

So how do you become a PHP developer?

The answer is simple: you need to learn PHP

You don’t necessarily need to study computer science to become one, but you do need to take the time  and effort to learn it.

There are a number of ways that you can go about this. The common  one is to go to a university and take courses on it, or you can find tutorials online that are easy for beginners.

In addition to PHP, you will need to have knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript – which is not too hard considering that these are the three main tools for building a website.

You will need to be an expert in the  languages mentioned above, and you are also expected to know how databases work – how to create tables, queries and so on. 

Finally, you will need expertise in at least one of the frameworks that are used for PHP development. Examples are Symfony, Laravel or Zend Framework.

And once you have all that, the sky is your limit! You could be developing an app for iOS or Android, working on a CMS for a Fortune 500 company, or building an online store.

How much does a PHP developer earn?

If you are wondering what a PHP developer can earn, then wonder no more.

According to Ziprecruiter’s Salary Calculator  the average salary for a PHP developer is $$86,003 per year.

Salaries will vary depending on the size of the company that you work for and your level of experience.

For example, a beginner PHP developer may be making around $41,000 per year  while an experienced one can make up to $130,000 per year.

And if you would rather be a freelance PHP developer,  then we would gladly tell you the job is ideal for freelancers due to the number of hours you can work and your flexibility in choosing which projects to take on.

The hourly rate for freelance PHP developers is generally in the range of $61 to $80 per hour.

How to land jobs as a PHP developer

Now after you have all the knowledge, it’s time to put it into practice and make a  living off of it.

The first thing you should do is find a job or two that requires PHP development skills – and then apply for them!

The good news is that there are a lot of opportunities out  there, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

A good place to find PHP development jobs is on freelance  job sites, such as Upwork.com or Freelancer.com.

To land a job as a freelancer, it’s important to have an eye-catching portfolio that will get potential customers interested in your work.

You can also apply for jobs on job boards, such as Indeed or Glassdoor – but don’t forget the other social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, you can also go to  meet-ups or conferences related to PHP development – this is a great way to meet people that can be potential employers.