Webmasters oversee all the features of a website. They solve technical problems, approve site content, and work with designers to ensure the site looks great, regardless of browser. Schools offering Graphics & Multimedia Management degrees can also be found in these popular choices. So, if you’re wondering what does a webmaster do, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will dive into the duties and descriptions of just that.
Job Description
Webmasters are skilled computer professionals who oversee a website’s optimal functioning and maintenance. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), webmasters choose which software to use when building a website, approve the content used in the site and troubleshoot technical problems.
Important Facts About This Occupation
| Key Skills | As webmaster, your customer service skills will be required as customers ask questions and request changes. Because even a small error can stop a web page from displaying, you must be detail-oriented. You will also need to concentrate on your work, while being creative. |
| Work Environment | Most people in this profession work full time. Many are self-employed. |
| Professional Certification | The World Organization of Webmasters offers Web Professional Certification based on exams at apprentice, associate and professional levels. |
| Similar Occupations | A webmaster likely to have responsibilities much like that of a computer programmer or software developer. Web pages contain code as well as the kinds of objects that a graphic designer, multimedia artist or animator might produce. If a website uses data, the webmaster responsibilities will be similar to database administrator work. |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Website Maintenance
According to About.com, most webmasters spend most of their time maintaining the website. Website maintenance includes updating content, fixing broken links and images, and ensuring the website’s code is compatible with all browsers. If the website owner or graphic designer wants to make changes to the site, it’s the webmaster’s job to implement them.
Troubleshooting
Webmasters constantly test their websites for load time, ease of use, and functionality. Webmasters also check to make sure that any content in the website is easily understandable. Users address complaints about a website to the webmaster, who will assess and solve the problem as quickly as possible.
Server and Release Maintenance
One of the most important aspects of a webmaster’s job is maintaining the server, the computer where all the website’s information is stored. In some organizations, webmasters monitor the server to ensure it is running. Additionally, they may write and run script programs to move website files from a development server to an online production server.
Education Requirements
Webmasters can adequately perform their many job duties with an Associate of Science degree or technical classes. A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science could help become a webmaster for more complex websites.
Salary Info and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes webmasters as one kind of web developer. The BLSOccupational Outlook Handbook notes that employment for all web developers will likely grow by about 27% between 2014 and 2024. These professionals earned median salaries of $63,490 as of 2014, per the BLSOccupational Employment Statistics.
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