How To Become A PHP Developer - Deep Drive Into Data

Are you curious to know how to become a PHP developer?PHP development is one of the most demandable and fast-growing professions. One popular programming language for web development is PHP. As businesses increasingly depend on web applications and websites, the demand for skilled PHP developers has risen. 

PHP is the backbone of the vast number of websites that you can see and consume over the internet. 

Reports show that 

77.5% of websites use PHP in their server-side Code.

When those who are new to tech are considering which programming language to learn first, PHP is a great choice. Learning PHP can lead to huge opportunities for your future career.

Want to be a PHP developer and build a dynamic career on this platform?

We will guide you to know what qualifications you require to excel in this career.

What Is PHP Development?

PHP has been popular with developers since it emerged in the mid-1990s.

PHP is a popular web scripting language that covers a large portion of the internet. 

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a mostly used server-side scripting language designed for web development. 

It is particularly used for building dynamic and interactive web applications. 

PHP can be embedded within HTML code. It runs on a web server to develop dynamic web pages, interact with databases, and perform various tasks necessary for web development.

Who Is A PHP Developer?

First of all, PHP developers are software developers and also work for the backend side.

A PHP developer is an expert who develops different types of applications and website programs. He must use a dynamic scripting language called PHP. Sounds simple enough.

Or you can say that. 

A PHP developer is someone who loves to work with PHP and related technologies. Such as 

• MySQL
• JSON
• AJAX
• XML
• HTML 

Or 

A PHP developer must be comfortable to work with various PHP frameworks. Such as

• CakePHP
• CodeIgniter 
• Laravel 
• PHP IDEs (PHPStorm, ZendStudio)etc.

Responsibilities of a PHP developer 

• Working in line with Development Teams and Product Managers.
• Writing effective APIs
• Develop plugins and extensions. 
• Define and Maintain a clean database 
• Develop a working plan for a new project. 
• Designing, developing, and modifying the backend architecture
• To improve software development overall performance work with data scientist 
• Create security and data protection settings. 
• Write technical documentation 
• Connecting app with third-party web service.

Is PHP Developer A Good Job

So you are considering to become a PHP developer. But you have a question in your mind. Is a PHP developer a good choice for a job? Or is it a good career to choose?

We have 5 Reasons to 

 choose PHP development as a career.

• It's also basically very easy to master and a good starter language for new developers.
• PHP is readable, clear and easy to understand. 
• Suppose you are new in the programming world. Easily navigate the ins and outs of PHP.
• PHP easily pairs up with other languages like Java or C++.
• It has a pretty big community base and a ton of free resources. If you need PHP developer help, then you can get it easily through the community.
• PHP development doesn't strictly require a formal degree. Many successful PHP developers are self-taught, leveraging online resources and hands-on experience to master the craft.

What Skills Do You Need To Be A PHP Developer?

To be a professional PHP developer, you need some skills on your bucket list. A skill helps to create more value in your CV or resume. Skills also help you to make some possibility to get a high salary job.

To be a professional PHP developer, you need the following skills mentioned below. 

Strong knowledge of PHP

A good understanding of PHP is a must. A good knowledge of PHP syntax, functions, and features is compulsory.

Technology that relates to web development

Technology like HTML, CSS, and Javascript is the key programming language to build any web development project. So, A PHP developer needs those programming language skills to be a PHP web developer.

Some of the web development tools that follow 

• Atom
• Notepad++
• Visual Code Studio
• Django
• Sublime Text
• Vim
• Angular
• React
• Vue
• Ruby on Rails
• ASP.NET

A broad knowledge of database management 

A professional PHP developer must maintain and update a database on the internet. Pro in this section is a plus point for any developer to work spontaneously.

Continues learning from a different platform

Web development is a growing field. So, if you want to cope with this growing field, there is only one way to continue learning. If you can't afford the PHP learning platform cost, then no worries. The free course does not mean below average. 

we got you 

Here is the list of the top 10 PHP learning platform

• Official PHP Manual 
• W3Schools PHP Tutorial
• PHP: The Right Way
• FreeCodeCamp's Free PHP tutorial
• Learn PHP with Codeacademy
• PHP Apprentice
• GeeksforGeeks PHP Tutorials
• TutorialsPoint PHP Tutorial
• Learn PHP in Y Minutes
• The Net Ninja's PHP Tutorial for Beginners 

Be comfortable with Testing and Debugging. 

Testing is the method of finding bugs and errors. So, being a PHP developer, it is important to have a skill in testing and debugging. It ensures that a PHP developer maintains a high-quality code pattern.

Version Control 

If you have Experience in version control systems, then it's much easier for any developer in collaborative coding practice.

Project management and communication ability 

When you are working on a team project, it's important to communicate with your team members easily. Communication skills can make your work experience much easier. Suppose you are not friendly with your team, so what will happen? You don't get any help if you want to.

Many times during the project work, PHP developers might be required to communicate with the clients.

As a PHP developer, you must attend and communicate with the team confidently. So Project management and communication ability are a must-neddy skills you should have in your bucket.

PHP Developer Salary

PHP developer gets handsome wages, which is why people are so desperate in this field.

PHP Developer Salary By Different Websites 

Now, let's get into the average php developer salary according to different websites.

Is PHP well-paid?

Let's find out 

1. Glassdoor

Yealy, a PHP developer, gets $81k.Maximum $100k and a minimum $55k

2. ZipRecruiter 

Yealy, a PHP developer, gets 107,205k.Maximum $147k and a minimum $52k

3. PayScale 

Yealy, a PHP developer, gets $69k.Maximum $95k and a minimum $44k

4. Indeed 

PHP Developer Salary is $85k/year, based on the Indeed

 

Experience is also an important part that helps to increase your salary range.

PHP Developer Salary By Experience 

According to ZipRecruiter, the moderate hourly pay for a Junior PHP developer in the United States is $32.84 an hour.

On average, they will get $68,309 /year.

On the other way, the average senior php developer salary is $131,390 /year to $162,500

An hourly rate is $63 /hour.

PHP Developer Salary By Location 

Location is also important to find variations in a PHP developer's salary. It's kind of obvious that if you work in big cities, then you will get better wages than in small cities.

According to Indeed, these reports are for PHP Developers near New York, NY.

Atlanta, GA:$117,898 per year

Chicago, IL:$106,101 per year

Austin, TX:$105,182 per year

New York, NY:$94,596 per year

Denver, CO:$89,734 per year

Dallas, TX:$88,940 per year

Orlando, FL:$83,646 per year

Brooklyn, NY:$75,200 per year

Miami, FL:$71,995 per year

PHP Developer Salary By Job Title 

According to ZipRecruiter, salaries also vary for your job title. Let's get an idea about it. 

  Php Architect developer:$199,999/year

Lead Php Developer:$144,558/year

          Senior PHP Developer:$131,390/year 

                 Symfony PHP Developer:$129,846/year     

                 Senior PHP Software Engineer:$129,322/year 

     Full Stack Developer Salary:$107k/year

PHP Developer Salary By Country 

We already know the average salary of a PHP developer in the USA, but if you are living outside of us, then what is the solution for you? No worries, we've got you. We also gather other country salaries. 

PHP Developer Salary in Switzerland: $83k/year.

USA: $81k/year.

Australia: $73k/year.

Denmark: $73k/year.

Norway: $70k/year.

Sweden: $58k/year.

Germany: $56k/year.

UK: $52k/year.

The Netherlands: $52k/year.

PHP Developer Salary in Finland: $50k/year.

France: $45k/year.

Canada: $58k/year.

Spain: $34k/year.

Portugal: $22k/year.

PHP Developer Salary in India: $43k/year.

PHP Developer Salary in Bangladesh: 33T/year 

Suppose you are comfortable working indoors. So it's time to learn the average remote PHP developer salary.

How much does a Remote PHP developer make?

As of 2024, the average monthly pay for a Remote PHP developer in the United States is $8,933 a month.

Let's dig into the best way to learn PHP.

How To Become A PHP Developer-A To Z Guide

1. Bachelor’s Degree In Any Relevant Field

A bachelor's degree from any university is a minimum requirement for a senior PHP developer position. A normal degree in software engineering, computer science or programming language is preferable.

It's not right that if you don't have a degree, you have no future in this field. But if you have a bachelor's degree in your hand, it is a plus and positive point for you. It will help you to get a job easily without any hassle.

2. Learn The Language(PHP) Very Well 

A bachelor's degree in PHP is a minimum requirement, but you must have good knowledge of PHP it must. It will make a bridge that can help you stand out from other candidates.

But you have a question in your mind,

How to Learn PHP?

How long will it take to learn a PHP language to become a PHP developer

or 

how long does it take to become a PHP developer?

Take a cup of tea first because reading content without tea is boring.

If you commit to studying part-time, it will take three to six months. But, if you decide to give all your time to learning PHP, It will take learning the basics within a month or two.

So, how do you go about learning to code in PHP fast? Check the few steps you should follow to learn how to code in PHP.

• Before you learn PHP, you should give some time to learn HTML and CSS. It will give you an idea of how the structure and style of a web page work.

• After getting the basics in HTML and CSS, you are ready to go learn PHP. We have made a shortlist that helps you to learn php main-term  

Syntax and variables

Functions

Arrays

Working with forms

Conditionals and loops

Object-oriented programming

• Start working on your project, like how to make a PHP website.
• Readability in your Code is an essential part of being a good php developer. Writing readable Code makes it easier for you to understand your Code and also for others.
• Joining developer communities is a great path to meet new developers who can help you along your journey. Top PHP communities to follow, like dev. to or freeCodeCamp.

Learning all this online is kind of easy, but implementing it is kind of hard. 

Practice makes a work perfect 

3. Work On Some PHP Projects 

What is the best way to learn any skill?

Practice 

Through practice, you can improve in coding. You will continue on your journey to becoming a professional PHP developer. Working on some PHP projects is beneficial for newcomers as well as experienced ones. let's check some of the benefits 

• PHP live project helps beginners write clean Code. 
• PHP projects offer hands-on Experience and theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios.
• PHP's seamless integration with databases like MySQL enables beginners to learn database manipulation easily.
• A live project experience also helps beginners to make their portfolio strong.
• You can get a chance to work on design, user interface, and branch of features.

4. Get Your Certificate 

The last final step of becoming a PHP developer is to get proper certification. All aspiring professionals need to get certified by taking a php development course and passing the exam. 

Having a 

Many ed-tech organizations like 

• Udemy
• Simplilearn
• Coursera
• Oracle Certified Professional
• Magento Certified Developer Plus
• UpGrad, etc., 

Certificates and practical Experience are the power in the current job market.

They offer an online certification course on PHP development. Choose one based on your requirements.

The certificate can be added to your CV, Resume, LinkedIn profile, and so on as credentials.

It helps to get more responsibilities, larger projects, and a higher salary.

5. Job Interview

After all those steps are done, it's time to go to the real war field because getting a job is not easy at all. So, how to become a PHP developer? So it would be best if you were perfect in all sections. It's also important to perform better in job interviews. 

What should you do to give the best shot?

Take a good knowledge of PHP basics. like 

• What is PHP?
• What is your Experience with PHP?
• How is PHP executed?
• What is the difference between Variables and Constant?
• Differences between ECHO and PRINT in PHP
• GET vs. PUT, etc.

This kind of question is quite common in any PHP job interview. So, long story short, basics are important.

#Remember it 

Another important thing is to make eye contact when you answer any viva question. It helps to grow confidence and also positive feedback from the recruiter.

#Note 1

47% of candidates fail job interviews. Because of need for more information about the company.

So do some good research about the company. 

#Note 2

Make a perfect, decent resume. 

You need to add your basic details, like name, address, skills, and contact info. First, set up in your mind what to add and what not.

#Keep it in your mind 

Practice answering common behavioural questions to present yourself as a well-rounded candidate.

How Do I Become A Good PHP Developer?

At least 20 million domains use PHP.

Learning how to become a PHP developer is your target. But it's also important to make sure how to become a good PHP Developer.

PHP Development is relatively easy and fun to work at. Here, we gather some tips that should help you to be a good PHP developer.

• Use OOP 

Using classes (or Objects) will keep things together, remove the repetition of Code, and quickly perform basic production tasks.

• Keep your distance from anything ending with _once(): include_once() and require_once() is extremely hard on server resources. These things will kill your server resources.

• Design Patterns

Design Patterns are some default structure solutions to solve design problems, but the application design (modelling). 

But why should I learn that? 

To write better Code and improve reusability. 

With design patterns, you will find some common default problems. Every time you find that problem, you will find a default design to apply. so it's easy to solve design solutions in your project. (recommended: "Head First Design Patterns")

• Use Frameworks

If you are a PHP developer concerned about security and productivity, I recommend you use a framework. It will improve your development speed and give you a better-designed and structured application.

• Use PHP's built-in functions.
• Stay updated with what's happening in PHP.
• Well-documented and commented Code.
• Last of all, effectively practice the Code.

Endnote

So now you know all the details about how to become a PHP developer.

Becoming a successful PHP developer requires a combination of technical expertise, continuous learning, and a proactive approach to career development. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you'll be well-equipped to navigate the challenges of the PHP software development landscape. Find a rewarding php developer career in this dynamic field.