How To Become A Content Developer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a content developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Brian Law

Content developers research, write, gather, organize, and edit information for publication on websites. The fancy advertisements and blogs you see are made by them. They work with different types of web content, which may consist of text, graphics, pictures, recordings, movies or other media that is distributed by a hypertext transfer protocol server and viewed by a web browser.

Some of the skills that an employer looks for include adaptability, researching skills, originality, search engine optimization (SEO), time management, communication and editing, among others. In order to become a content developer, a bachelor's degree in journalism or communication along with two to three years of work experience is usually what the employer requires. The benefits of being a content developer include working from any place, any time. They are in great demand, especially in business and marketing fields. Thus, you earn a lot of money. With time, your writing capabilities, vocabulary, and language fluency improves.

The rewards do not end there. A content developer makes an average of $38.47 an hour. That's $80,023 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 13% and produce 20,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Content Developer?

Brian Law

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Illinois Wesleyan University

i) Explore your options thoroughly. Too many students get bewitched by Big Tech companies, with their bold promises, their fancy campuses, their big recruitment events, and their nice swag. Nowadays, this also happens to students with start-ups. But those jobs are not only highly competitive, but they also have very similarly exacting work cultures and very little work-life balance. These are cutthroat environments that are, frankly, not suited for everyone. Instead, many graduates would probably be happier working at, say, medium or small-size companies where they can find a workplace culture that fits them rather than the other way around, or non-tech companies where the pressure is lower because the goal is more stability and support rather than rapid innovation. Of course, this is the exact same dynamic that plays out with young consultants, accountants, lawyers, and doctors, who are also often initially attracted to high-powered, high-pressure environments but often end up deciding it's not for them, especially as they get older and start thinking about families.

ii) Specialize. There's no job out there with the title, "Computer Scientist." Employers are looking to hire you for a specific set of skills and knowledge. If you can identify the area of Computer Science you're interested in and the work you want to do in that area, you can again get a big leg up over your competition if you can demonstrate that you actually want to do what your future employer wants you to and that you're good at it. If you want to work with databases, then take those extra database electives and learn some other database technologies on your own time, and your resume will stand out amongst all the others for any DBA job.

iii) Don't sweat it too much. You've probably been alive for 22 years or so, so you'll probably be in the labor force for 50+ years. Your first job is not going to be your last job, and you may easily find your career path taking unexpected turns that you never even knew existed. Just like you didn't know what the areas of computer science were as a freshman, there are many many CS-related job types out there that you're not even aware of, and 50 years from now, there will probably be even more. While it may seem like your first job will set you on one path for the rest of your life, really it starts you towards 5000 possible paths out of millions in total. No, you don't get the stability of a "job for life" anymore, but that can also be freeing in a way. Don't worry about finding that "perfect" job; even if you did find it, you and the world around you will change over time anyway, so just take your first step confidently and always keep an eye out for your next one.

ScoreContent DeveloperUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $72,030

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.2

Growth rate 13%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 12.93%

Black or African American 7.05%

Hispanic or Latino 13.09%

Unknown 6.68%

White 59.83%

Gender

female 48.71%

male 51.29%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

5.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a content developer

Explore content developer education requirements

Most common content developer degrees

Bachelor's

71.5 %

Master's

17.1 %

Associate

6.4 %

Start to develop specific content developer skills

Skills	Percentages
Content Development	9.73%
Digital Marketing	8.26%
Subject Matter Experts	4.87%
Digital Content	4.75%
Project Management	4.68%

Complete relevant content developer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New content developers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a content developer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real content developer resumes.

Gain additional content developer certifications

Content developer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific content developer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for content developers include Certified Technical Professional (CTP) and Certified Web Professional - Web Developer.

More About Certifications

Research content developer duties and responsibilities

Develop scripts to automate operations and optimize web performance (jQuery).
Manage, design, and create new HTML help look and feel that provide cost-effective ways to reuse content.
Analyze, plan, develop, QA, and deliver training courses for instructor lead training and web base training.
Manage social media marketing, including Instagram

Prepare your content developer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your content developer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a content developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable content developer resume templates

Build a professional content developer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your content developer resume.

Apply for content developer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a content developer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first content developer job

Olalere Taiwo

Content Developer, DM Holdings Limited

From an early age, I have always had a passion for education and a knack for making complex concepts more digestible. This natural inclination led me to pursue a B.Sc. in Industrial Chemistry from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, where I graduated with Second Class Honors in 2019. During my academic journey, I not only excelled in my studies but also developed a strong foundation in problem-solving and analytical thinking.

After completing my degree, I served as a tutor and laboratory instructor at Evangel Model Schools in Cross River State during my national youth service corps. This role provided me with invaluable experience in managing classrooms, developing lesson plans, and preparing students for WAEC and A-level examinations in mathematics and chemistry. My ability to convey intricate scientific concepts in a comprehensible manner was further honed during this period.

My passion for content development truly blossomed when I joined Dynamic Tutors and Educational Consults in Ilupeju, Lagos, as a facilitator. Here, I was responsible for preparing students in mathematics and chemistry, helping them achieve remarkable results in their examinations. The satisfaction of seeing my students succeed fueled my dedication to educational content creation.

In 2023, I took on the role of Academic Content Executive at DM Holdings Limited in Ikeja, Lagos. At DM Holdings, I developed and implemented a comprehensive content strategy for online examinations and TV quiz shows. One of my significant achievements was designing and developing a landing sales page for the Ispak Study Pack, a compendium of past questions in science subjects suitable for WAEC, JAMB, and NECO exams. This project showcased my proficiency in content management systems and my ability to create engaging, educational content.

Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated effective communication skills, attention to detail, and a strong willingness to learn. My experiences have equipped me with the technical expertise and interpersonal skills necessary to excel in content development. I am continually driven by the desire to create impactful educational content that facilitates learning and inspires students to achieve their full potential.

How do content developers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Content Developer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

I love content and marketing overall. As a former journalist turned marketer, I love connecting with audiences and catering to what their interests may be, whether they know it or not yet. As a content director, I get involved in various departments like business development, finance, presidental level and others. Normally, most expect to only be involved in marketing efforts, but that simply isn't true.

Cons

I do think that depending on where you are employed some companies are not accustomed as to how involved a content department should be. Oftentimes it's either completely dead or pure chaos with workload. I think content director should be given larger authorities, teams and say regarding strategy. Oftentimes, they are overlooked due to old-school employees assuming they're glorified proofreaders or the grammar people.