Why Learn Back-End Languages?

Key takeaways

Learning back-end languages equips you to establish the integrity and functionality of a site using programming, frameworks, and databases.

• Popular back-end languages include PHP, Ruby on Rails, and Python, also known as server-side languages because they connect the application to the server.

• While learning back-end languages, you’ll also need to learn technical skills like back-end frameworks and operating systems, as well as workplace skills like time management.

• You can learn back-end languages through a formal degree program, certificate programs, or coding boot camps.

Learn more about the differences between back-end, front-end, and full-stack developers, and explore the skills you’ll need to become an effective back-end developer. If you’re ready to start building expertise in back-end development, enroll in the Meta Back-End Developer Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn key skills like programming, API testing, cloud hosting, and more in as little as eight months. Upon completion, you’ll have earned a career certificate for your resume.

What are back-end languages?

Web developers use back-end programming languages to build the back-end, or server-side, of websites. Back-end development allows websites to store data and relevant information, operate complex programs, and generate content according to the user’s actions, making it a useful skill for many software developers to learn. Without the back end, websites would only be a facade of text, images, and animations.

Types of developers

Software development is divided into front-end, back-end, and full-stack programming. While front-end developers work on the visible parts of websites, back-end programmers connect the site to other enterprise functions, ensuring the operability of the site’s databases, operations, and application programming interface (API). Full-stack developers, as you might guess, handle both the front-end and back-end work.

With a focus on what happens behind the scenes, back-end developers establish the integrity and functionality of a site using programming languages, frameworks, and databases. 

Read more: Front-End vs. Back-End Developer: Understanding the Differences

Most popular back-end languages

Popular back-end languages include PHP, Ruby on Rails, and Python, and these are often called server-side languages because they connect the application to the server. Front-end languages, on the other hand, connect the application to the user. Once you know these languages, you’ll be on your way to working as a back-end or full-stack developer.

How back-end development helps businesses

With good back-end programming, applications and websites work as they should. That is to say, information is stored and retrieved properly, the application code is maintained, and the server is up and running. This functionality allows others in your organization or business to do their jobs, knowing that the programs work. 

Skills learned while studying back-end development

Successful back-end programmers have the same skills as any other web developer, although their language skills are concentrated on the back end of the application. Technical skills are vital to getting a programming job, but communication and management skills are equally important to advancing within the field.

Technical skills

You will need to understand certain programming languages to be a back-end programmer. You also need to know how to work with the frameworks that support the particular language you are working in.

Back-end programming languages 

Programming languages tell the computer what it needs to do. Each language has its own grammar and syntax, and some back-end languages are better suited for different programming tasks than others. Just as Spanish is the best language for getting things done in Mexico, PHP, Ruby, Python, and Java are some of the best languages for getting things done on the back-end of an application.

Frameworks

In addition to the back-end languages themselves, you need to understand the frameworks that these languages run on. For instance, programmers working with Ruby often use the Ruby on Rails framework, while PHP is often used with the Zend or Symfony frameworks. Frameworks are, essentially, the scaffolding within which your programs will run. They are collections of code in a particular coding language that handle common tasks expediently. A framework can take the form of a tool set, code library, compiler, or support program, and it relieves you, the programmer, from having to write every single operation from scratch.

Operating systems

In addition to languages and how they’re used within a back-end framework, you’ll probably want to know operating systems such as Linux, database tools like MySQL or Oracle, and version-control software like Git. These additional tools can help you develop more robust applications and nuance your programs to best suit your organization’s needs. These tools may be covered in the same boot camp or degree programs as the back-end languages themselves.

Workplace skills

As a back-end developer, you should be able to manage your time to deliver projects on a deadline. You also need to be extremely detail-oriented in order to catch bugs in dense code. If you love to learn, you’ll be a great fit because you will have to stay up-to-date on technology throughout your career.

As a developer, you should also be able to communicate effectively with the front-end developers, your managers, and any internal stakeholders or external clients. These colleagues often don’t understand technology or back-end languages, so explaining things in clear and precise terms is a very important part of your job. 

What jobs can you get after learning back-end coding languages? 

Once you know back-end languages well, you’ll probably start as a developer, writing the code that makes various kinds of applications work. This is both an entry-level position and a position that is critical to the success of an organization. If the code doesn’t work, there are going to be problems.

After gaining experience as a developer, you might want to move into development operations, or DevOps. DevOps combines the knowledge and practices of software development (“Dev”) with the IT operations (“Ops”) necessary to an organization’s day-to-day function. DevOps professionals focus on developing new tools and processes while maintaining and utilizing existing operations, so these positions require both digital fluency and a thorough knowledge of present and future organizational agendas.

Back-end developers who are more interested in coding than in management positions may decide to learn front-end languages and move into full-stack development positions rather than DevOps roles. Full-stack developers may have more opportunities than programmers who only work in either front-end or back-end languages. Front-end languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will be valuable supplements to your back-end knowledge if you’re interested in transitioning to full-stack development.

Industry outlook

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook shows that demand for software developers is much stronger than average, with growth in the US projected at 15 percent from 2024 to 2034 [1]. 

The salaries are expected to be good, too. According to Glassdoor, the median total pay for back-end developers is $120,000 per year [2]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Paths to learning back-end languages

As with any computer language, it’s possible to learn a back-end language on your own, but most people find it easier to master it in a classroom or a boot camp program. Most employers prefer developers who have a bachelor’s degree, though, because they want employees to be able to do more than just write code. 

Degrees

If you’re looking to learn a programming language and more about business, engineering, or computer science, a degree program may be the way to go. As a back-end developer, you’ll be working with databases and creating algorithms, which draw on more than just programming skills. Many universities offer online or in-person programs that can give you the skills you need to write code and work with other aspects of the technology infrastructure. Typical majors are computer science, information technology, or mathematics.

Certificates

Certificate programs demonstrate that you know a particular language, back-end framework, or technology. Often, these certificates are issued after passing exams offered by software companies and consortia. Some certificates for back-end programmers include the Ruby Association Certified Developer Examination and the Zend PHP Certification. Some students take additional preparation courses, while others study on their own.

Coding boot camps

Coding boot camps are short-term, intensive training programs that cover the basics of programming and immersion in a specific language. Some are offered by universities, while others are operated by for-profit training companies. Boot camps are available both in-person and online.

Explore learning tools that fit your goals

Discover fresh insights into your career or learn about trends in your industry by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat! Or if you want to keep learning more about developer careers, check out these free resources:

• Prepare for a developer interview: Back-End Developer Interview Preparation Guide

• Hear from a fellow learner: How This Self-Taught Web Developer Went Straight to a Master's Degree

• Watch on YouTube: Front-End or Back-End: Which Developer Path is Right for You?

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