AI tools can now produce a working landing page or a site layout from a prompt, which makes web development one of the jobs people most often ask about. The ILO data puts web developers among the most exposed occupations, and the US outlook names AI directly, while still projecting growth.
The short answer: AI is reshaping web development, but current projections do not show it replacing web developers. The ILO's 2025 index places web and multimedia developers in its highest exposure gradient, with a mean score of 0.60. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4 percent growth for web developers and 6 percent for web and digital interface designers from 2025 to 2035, while saying better tools and AI may soften that growth. Projections can change.
How exposed web developers are
From the ILO's 2025 index, which scores tasks 0 to 1 for generative AI exposure:
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO band | Mean task score |
|---|---|---|
| Web and Multimedia Developers | Gradient 4 | 0.60 |
| Software Developers | Gradient 3 | 0.53 |
| Graphic and Multimedia Designers | Gradient 2 | 0.49 |
Gradient 4 is the ILO's highest band. High exposure means many tasks can be affected; the ILO concludes that transformation of jobs is the most likely impact of generative AI.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|
| Web developers | Grow 4% |
| Web and digital interface designers | Grow 6% |
The BLS projects about 13,600 openings a year for web developers and digital designers combined. It expects growth as e-commerce continues to expand, but says improving web development tools and increasing use of AI for web development may soften employment growth.
Web work AI is taking on
- Boilerplate layouts, components and simple pages.
- Writing and explaining code snippets and styles.
- Converting designs into first-draft code.
- Generating test content, placeholder copy and images.
- Finding and suggesting fixes for common bugs.
What stays with the developer
- Understanding the client: what the site is for and who uses it.
- Architecture: how the pieces fit, perform and scale.
- Security: AI-written code needs review, and AI features add risks such as prompt injection (OWASP LLM01). See AI agent security.
- Accessibility and quality: testing that the site works for real people on real devices.
- Maintenance: owning a site after launch, when generated code has to be understood and changed.
How the job is changing
Simple sites are getting easier for anyone to build, which puts pressure on basic, template-style work. Developers who handle complex sites, integrations, performance, security and accessibility, and who use AI tools to move faster, are in the stronger position. Software roles more broadly are covered in will AI replace software engineers?
See also will AI replace graphic designers?, checking AI output and will AI take my job?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for web developers at $99,520 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace web developers?
Not on current projections. Web developers are in the ILO highest exposure gradient, but the BLS projects 4 percent US growth from 2025 to 2035, noting that AI may soften that growth.
How exposed are web developers to AI?
In the ILO 2025 index, web and multimedia developers score 0.60, in gradient 4, the highest band.
Will AI replace web designers?
The BLS projects 6 percent growth for web and digital interface designers from 2025 to 2035.
What web work is AI taking on?
Boilerplate layouts, simple pages, code snippets, first-draft code from designs and common bug fixes.
What keeps web developers needed?
Understanding clients, architecture, security review, accessibility testing and maintaining sites over time.