How do you hire a frontend engineer for a technology company?

In short

Hire a frontend engineer for code that works in every browser and device your users have: someone who turns user needs into technical requirements, writes the interface code and tests it after every release. The closest O*NET occupation is Web Developers, so search Web Developer and Web Architect profiles as well as the frontend title.

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What does a frontend engineer do at a technology company?

A frontend engineer at a technology company builds the part of the product people click, type into and read. O*NET has no frontend-specific occupation; the closest O*NET occupation is Web Developers (O*NET 15-1254.00), and its core tasks include:

  • Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.
  • Evaluate code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.
  • Analyze user needs to determine technical requirements.
  • Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.
  • Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.

Which skills should a frontend engineer be screened for?

Screen a frontend engineer for cross-browser and cross-device quality first, because O*NET lists checking code for compatibility with browsers, devices and operating systems as a core task. Framework names matter less than evidence of shipped, tested interfaces.

O*NET's technology list for Web Developers includes AJAX alongside design tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Ask for the design tools only if the engineer will work from raw design files rather than a finished design system.

  • Shipped interface code that runs on the browsers and devices your users have
  • Runs tests after every product revision, not only before a launch
  • Turns a user need or design into technical requirements before coding
  • Chooses libraries and tools and can defend the choice

Which titles do frontend engineer candidates use?

Frontend engineer candidates appear under web titles as often as under the frontend label. O*NET records these titles for Web Developers:

Titles O*NET records for Web Developers, and what each usually signals
TitleWhat the title usually signals
Web DeveloperBuilds and maintains web interfaces; the broadest match
Web ArchitectSenior; owns structure and standards across a web product
Web Design SpecialistCloser to design; check depth of coding
Technology Applications EngineerVaries by company; read the project history

How much of a frontend engineer's work do people bring to AI tools?

0.64% of sampled Claude.ai conversations in May 2026 were about the tasks of the O*NET occupation behind this role, according to the Anthropic Economic Index. In those conversations, 55.26% asked Claude to complete the task directly (automation) and 44.74% worked with it iteratively (augmentation).

Those shares count conversations about Web Developer tasks, frontend and full stack alike. They are not a forecast of frontend hiring; they do suggest asking candidates how they review interface code an assistant produced before it reaches users.

Common questions

Which O*NET occupation is closest to a frontend engineer?
The closest O*NET occupation is Web Developers (O*NET 15-1254.00). O*NET has no occupation specific to frontend work, so the tasks and titles on this page come from Web Developers.
Should a frontend engineer job ask for design skills?
Ask for design skills only when the engineer will work from raw design files. With a mature design system, test interface code quality and browser coverage instead.

Where this data comes from

  • O*NET 31.0 DatabaseThis page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. EmployLabs has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
  • Anthropic Economic Index, release_2026_06_26 (claude_ai, global, soc_occupation, May 2026)Anthropic Economic Index (Anthropic), data released under CC BY. Usage share is the share of sampled Claude.ai conversations classified to this occupation; the automation/augmentation split describes how those conversations used Claude. Neither measures the labour market.

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