How to Become a Webmaster: Career Path Guide
If you want to become a Webmaster, you first need to determine if this career path is well suited to your skills and interests. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited for a career as a Webmaster:
• You enjoy publishing and managing the contents of a website
• You understand how programming, graphic design, and content development integrate within a website
• You have knowledge of how to maintain a server
• You enjoy working with little supervision
Those who become successful Webmasters are individuals who are able to combine technical and communication skills for the purpose of designing, developing and maintaining a successful website.
Those who become successful Webmasters are individuals who are able to work effectively independently, as well as in a team environment. They must be able to gather information from others regarding the needs of the website, and execute most of the tasks related to the operation of the website on their own.
Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as a Webmaster. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Webmaster
There is no certifying industry authority that allows Webmasters to work in their trade, and because of this, the educational requirements for becoming a Webmaster depend on the preference of the client or the employer that employs the Webmaster.
• While having a formal education may not be necessary if you want to become a Webmaster, pursuing a degree in computer science, graphic design or a related field can be highly beneficial for this career.
• Taking classes in C programming or obtaining a certificate in computer programming, whether or not they’re part of a degree program, can also be highly beneficial to you if you want to become a Webmaster.
• Other Webmasters combine a natural aptitude for computers with on-the-job training and other types of informal education in order to interpret how websites function.
Webmaster Job Description
Webmasters are responsible for the design, development and maintenance of an organization’s or an individual’s website. Webmasters oversee websites for the Internet, such as e-commerce websites or informational websites, or intranet sites that are internal to organizations.
Webmaster Job Duties
• Publish and manager a website's content
• Fix broken links and other website errors
• Moderate chat rooms, message boards and comment strings
• Respond to functionality-related queries from the website’s users
• Track website access statistics by using software or online programs
• Ensure that the organization’s website is advancing its goals
• Oversee the technical activities of the site
• Oversee the work of employees or sub contractors
• Ensure the site is performing at optimal levels
• May liaise with web designers, programmers, content writers and other professionals
• May select server or desktop environments and web development tools
Who Creates Jobs for Webmasters?
Webmasters are hired by organizations that operate e-commerce, informational and social media websites, as well as large organizations that operate intranet websites that are internal to their organizations. The following types of organizations employ Webmasters on a part-time or full-time basis:
• Wholesale or retail businesses
• Large corporations in almost every industry
• Municipal, provincial/state and federal government departments
• Web service consulting firms
• Colleges and universities
• Non-profit organizations
Becoming a Webmaster: Building a Portfolio
Candidates for Webmaster jobs should be able demonstrate their creative, technical and overall website management skills with a professional online portfolio that features projects they have been part of.
A portfolio demonstrates a Webmaster’s ability to understand their client’s needs and objectives by displaying their work, as well as outlining what the needs and objectives were for each project. Clients and employers almost always prefer to hire Webmaster candidates with a solid, proven portfolio, regardless of their level of education.
Working Conditions for Webmasters
Working Hours and Setting: Webmasters may work in an office environment, or they may work from home. They typically work standard business hours, although they may also work mostly evening and weekend hours (when they have access to servers and systems while fewer users are online). Overtime is often required by Webmasters to meet project deadlines and to solve technical problems.
Work Environment: The work of Webmasters can be stressful in various instances, such as when there are technical issues with the website, personnel from different parts of the organization have conflicting ideas about the elements of the website, or clients have unrealistic expectations regarding the reliability or functionality of the website.
Skills and Traits Needed to Become a Webmaster
In order to become effective in a career as a Webmaster, you need to posses a certain set of technical skills, communication skills and personality traits. These skills and traits will help you make the most of your career as a Webmaster by allowing you to perform your job duties with competence, and by helping you to maintain a positive attitude towards your work.
Many of these skills and traits are also in high demand with companies that hire Webmasters; you will see many of these skills and traits, or variations of them, listed on Webmaster job postings.
Personal Characteristics
• Enjoy coordinating information
• A keen interest in keeping up to date with rapidly changing technology
• Enjoy publishing and managing the content of a website
• Enjoy working with little supervision
Soft Skills and Technical Skills
• Able to communicate effectively with people from a wide variety of backgrounds
• Excellent organizational skills
• The ability to make decisions in an uncertain environment
• Familiar with HTML coding and scripting and languages such as Javascript, PHP, and Perl
• An understanding of how programming, graphic design, and content development integrate within a website
• Knowledge of how to properly structure a website
• Knowledge of how to maintain a server
• Able to respond to functionality-related queries from the website’s users
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Webmaster Salary Level
The earnings of Webmasters can vary depending on their personal qualifications, the size and type of their employer, the specific responsibilities of their job, and many other factors.
Webmaster Salary Alberta: According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans working in the Web Designers and Developers occupational group earn a mean wage of $30.73 per hour.
Webmaster Salary Canada: According to Service Canada, Canadian workers in the Web Designers and Developers occupational group earn an average salary of $41,562 per year.
Webmaster Salary United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean salary level of American workers in the Web Developers occupational group is $66,100 per year.
Careers Similar to Webmaster
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to Webmaster, as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities:
References: How to Become a Webmaster
Please consult the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a Webmaster.
Occupations in Alberta: “Webmaster.” (March 31, 2018). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
Occupational Employment and Wages: “Web Developers.” (March 29, 2019). Bureau of Labor Statistics - United States Government website. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
Blog: “A Simple Guide on how to Become a Webmaster.” Nick Cooper (May 13, 2016). NCC Resources Ltd. website. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
Please Note: Some of the information for this career guide was gathered from actual job postings, which due to the brief nature of their online presence, are not listed here as sources.
Scholarships for Becoming a Webmaster
Scholarships in Canada and the United States listed for majors that apply to becoming a Webmaster can be found on the following pages:
Computer Engineering Scholarships
Software Engineering Scholarships
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Becoming a Webmaster: Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point to becoming a Webmaster. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
