Building Your WordPress Career
From Beginner to Pro
A comprehensive guide to growing your career in the WordPress
Meeky Hwang
Presented by
About Me
Cross-Disciplinary Expertise
- Solution Architect and Software Engineer
- Co-founder and CEO of Ndevr
- Built businesses around WordPress
- Blog post author
- Boozy Browsing Podcast Co-host
The Journey Ahead
My WordPress Journey
A little bit about my career journey
Understanding WordPress
Learn the platform's history and evolution
Technology Trends
Explore how web technology has shaped careers
Career Evolution
Discover salary ranges and skill requirements
Various Career Path Options
There are many different career paths
Future Opportunities
Position yourself for the AI revolution
"Every journey is different"
Your WordPress career journey is unique to you. Whether you're starting as a blogger, designer, developer, or entrepreneur, there's a path that fits your goals and aspirations.
Personal Journey Overview
Common Themes in Successful WordPress Careers
Growth
Continuous learning and skill development
Adaptation
Embracing new technologies and methodologies
Opportunity
Recognizing and seizing career moments
WordPress: A Brief History
Understanding WordPress's evolution helps you appreciate where opportunities have emerged and where they're heading next.
43%
of the web runs on WordPress
22 Years
of continuous development
61.3%
of CMS market share
522 million
websites powered by WordPress
WordPress Evolution Timeline
Technology Trends That Shaped Careers
Each technological era has created new opportunities and shifted the skills that employers value most.
1991-1995
Static HTML Era
1996-2003
CSS & JavaScript
2021-2025
AI Integration
Web Technology Evolution
WordPress Career Evolution
Explore the 3D WordPress Career Timeline
See how WordPress roles and skills have evolved visually over time.
View Interactive Timeline DemoEnterprise WordPress Opportunities
Headless WordPress
$120K-160K+ salary range
- API-first architecture
- Modern frontend frameworks
- Performance optimization
Enterprise Security
$110K-150K+ salary range
- WordPress security audits
- Compliance frameworks
- Large-scale deployments
AI Integration
$130K-180K+ salary range
- Custom AI solutions
- Machine learning models
- Automated content generation
Enterprise Performance
$115K-155K+ salary range
- Scalable hosting solutions
- Advanced caching & CDNs
- Global site optimization
Freelance vs Agency vs In-House
Freelance
Pros
- Higher hourly rates ($75-150/hr)
- Complete project control
- Flexible schedule
Cons
- Income variability
- Business management overhead
- No benefits
Agency
Pros
- Diverse project experience
- Team collaboration
- Steady income ($60K-120K)
Cons
- High-pressure deadlines
- Client management stress
- Limited project depth
In-House
Pros
- Excellent benefits
- Job security
- Deep product knowledge ($80K-140K)
Cons
- Limited technology exposure
- Slower career growth
- Less variety
Skills That Command Premium Rates
Technical Skills
Business Skills
WordPress Career Explorer
- 💻 WordPress Developer
- 🎨 UX/UI Designer
- 📝 Content Editor
- 📋 Project Manager
- 🧪 QA Engineer
- 💼 Sales Specialist
- 🎙️ Content Creator/Podcaster
Try the 3D Career Explorer
Interactively explore WordPress career paths, skills, and roles in 3D.
Launch 3D Career Explorer DemoLooking Ahead
The AI Revolution is Here
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we build, maintain, and interact with WordPress sites. This isn't the future—it's happening now.
76%
of devs already use or plan to use AI in their WP work
Software 2.0
"In Software 2.0, much of the code is written by neural networks, which are trained rather than programmed. The programmer's job is to specify the architecture, the loss function, and the data, and the rest is handled by the learning algorithm."
This shift means WordPress developers who understand AI integration will have significant competitive advantages.
AI Impact on WordPress Development
76%
of devs already use or plan to use AI in their WP work
40-60%
speed gain in development
315M
visits to top 40 AI plugins
82.1%
of developers use ChatGPT
75%
of WordPress users are expected to rely on at least one AI plugin in 2025
90%
of digital agencies already save up to $10k per year thanks to AI—and expect a 134% jump in savings in 2024
4 Key Points to Take Away
Be Open
Embrace new technologies and approaches
Try:
- Stay curious about emerging trends
- Experiment with new tools
- Be willing to step outside your comfort zone
Be Flexible
Adapt to changing industry needs
Try:
- Learn complementary technologies (React, Node.js)
- Experiment with new development approaches
- Stay updated with WordPress roadmap changes
- Practice different project management methodologies
Be Curious
Continuously learn and explore. Curiosity drives innovation and career growth.
Try:
- Ask questions
- Dig deeper
- Never stop learning
Be Creative
Think differently and solve problems uniquely. Creativity sets you apart in a crowded marketplace and leads to innovative solutions.
Try:
- Challenge conventional WordPress implementations
- Combine WordPress with unexpected technologies
- Create unique user experiences
- Develop original plugins or themes
Every Story is Different
Your path through WordPress will be unique, shaped by your interests, opportunities, and determination.
This is my story
So What's Your Story?
Every successful WordPress career started with a single step. Whether you're building your first website or scaling enterprise solutions, your unique journey is just beginning.
The WordPress community is waiting for your unique contribution.
Start your story today.
Thank You
Questions & Discussion
Let's talk about your WordPress journey