Mean Stack Developer: Role, Responsibilities, Skills, Salary And More

With digital initiatives increasing multi-fold, the software development arena is moving towards a full-stack development trend, and one big name in these technologies is MEAN stack development. The need of the hour is fast, efficient, and dynamic websites and apps. With so many technologies floating around, it is a tough call to center down to a single option.

At such a time, the MEAN stack has been the latest jargon, and MEAN stack developers are very much in demand. Most industry segments like energy and utilities, retail and FMCG, real estate, shipping, logistics, etc. have been leveraging the potential of this powerful technology. Let us understand what this technology is all about.

What is MEAN Stack?

MEAN focuses on a free, user-friendly, and open-source JavaScript software stack to create dynamic websites and robust web applications, with its technology stack. MEAN includes MongoDB (M), ExpressJS (E), AngularJS (A) and NodeJS (N). Right from the client to the server and back, everything is dependent on JavaScript. It gives an organized way to create faster prototypes for web-based applications.

MEAN stack has been considered the ideal choice for hybrid app development with full-stack JS and it assures a quick and competent software output. Its open-source nature, utilization of a common language on both – client and server side, well-organized technology setup, and flexible development model are key reasons why developers are keen to garner expertise in this technology.

The four fundamental technologies that comprise MEAN are:

• MongoDB – It is a popular, cross-platform database written in C++. A single document in MongoDB looks like an object in OOPS.
• ExpressJS – It is a mature and lightweight server framework that is specially created to build single and multi-page web applications. It makes use of the Pug engine to give support for templates.
• AngularJS – As an open-source web and mobile application framework operated by Google, AngularJS has been influential in enabling both the development as well as the testing of apps with MVC and MVVM architectures.
• NodeJS – It is one of the world’s best performing & versatile platforms, organizations – startups, SMBs, and Fortune 500 companies seek its utilization for building a variety of web, mobile, and desktop applications, inclusive of full-stack development.

Some of the popular organizations using the MEAN stack are Google, Sisense, Netflix, Accenture, LinkedIn, Vungle, Uber, PayPal, Fiverr, Raindrop.io, UNIQLO, AngularClass, Capabilities Stack, Onkore Inc., etc.

Key Features of MEAN Stack

• Scalable, customizable with single language development – JavaScript
• Easy to create a full-stack application
• Flexible to understand and easy to use
• Huge modules library and global community support
• Cost-effective, stores data in JSON format
• Robust and maintainable solutions
• The rapid development of applications and prototypes
• Assists in avoiding irrelevant groundwork
• Utilization of very low memory and overhead
• Prepares isomorphic code
• Simplification of the servery layer

No wonder why the demand for MEAN stack developers is soaring so high. Let us now understand what a MEAN stack developer does and what are the associated skills, roles, and responsibilities.

MEAN Stack Developers: Who They Are?

MEAN stack developers are JavaScript-based developers who have gained expertise in the 4 technologies that comprise the MEAN stack – MongoDB (NoSQL database that stores documents and collections in JSON format), ExpressJS (flexible server framework for creating web applications), AngularJS (frontend JS framework maintained by Google) and NodeJS (backend JS environment for server-side applications).

A MEAN stack developer is a full-stack web developer who is an expert in the above-mentioned technologies. They are also known as JavaScript full-stack web developers. Though full-stack developers deal with a superset, this technology extracts the best out of the lot, and hence MEAN stack developers are considered ideal for dynamic and flexible development.

MEAN stack developers work on the front end as well as the back end. They are application developers who work on features and modules for the front and back end, integrating APIs and forming their work structure around modern-day development approaches like DevOps and Agile.

MEAN Stack Developer Responsibilities

Here are the different MEAN stack developer responsibilities that the developers need to shoulder, to produce the best possible output:

• Develop, test, and deploy fast and scalable web apps
• Designing and maintenance of fully functional large relational and non-relational databases
• Timely deployment of web apps on the cloud
• Server management and cloud-based infrastructure
• Establishment and integration of development tools as required
• Identification of application issues when deploying the apps
• App deployment on the cloud along with solving debugging issues
• Coding architecture for frontend and backend
• Building interactive consumer data
• Collaboration with the IT team, researchers, and designers to design robust apps and encourage business goals
• Creating features in apps that have a mobile responsive design
• Testing applications and fixing bugs, along with security and data protection features
• Establish code architecture decisions for supporting scalability and good performance
• Makes use of popular front-end frameworks like Bootstrap, LESS, etc and design UI components
• Participation with developers for the creation of scalable RESTful APIs
• Conducting code reviews of peer developers

MEAN Stack Developer Skills

As a MEAN stack developer, the following are the basic technical and soft skills that are necessary to showcase their expertise:

Technical Skills

• Expertise and experience in the four main technologies – MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS
• Knowledge of HTML/CSS, jQuery, PHP, Java, Python, OOPS, Symfony, UI/UX design, AWS, Git, design framework, web services, JSON, AJAX, cryptography, and security, frontend CSS frameworks like Bootstrap, etc.
• High-quality programming skills for a robust design
• Experience in application architecture, server management, cross-browser compatibility, responsive design, and website performance
• Understanding of DB architecture design and programming templates, Agile methodologies, client-side and server-side procedures
• Familiarity with the package manager
• Server management skills

Soft Skills

• Good communication skills
• Critical thinking and time management
• Good team players and ability to lead a team of developers
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Collaboration skills to support business goals
• Competence for individual contribution

MEAN Developer Salary: Figures And Details

As per recent surveys,

The average mean stack developer salary in the USA is $120,000 per year or $61.54 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $97,500 per year while most experienced workers make up to $175,500 per year.

As of Aug 15, 2021, the average annual pay for a Mean Stack Developer in the United States is $116,269 a year.

Source: ziprecruiter.com

The average mean stack salary in Canada is $112,250 per year or $57.56 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $90,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $175,500 per year.

The average mean stack developer salary in the United Kingdom is £42,500 per year or £21.79 per hour.

Source: talent.com

The average full stack developer salary in the United States is $96,740 as of July 28, 2021, but the salary range typically falls between $82,430 and $109,156.

Source: Salary.com

The average full stack developer salary in Canada is $85,000 per year or $43.59 per hour.

The average full stack developer salary in the United Kingdom is £47,500 per year or £24.36 per hour.

MEAN Stack Developer Interview Questions

Here are some of the most asked MEAN stack developer interview questions:

• What is MEAN Stack?
• What is the purpose of MongoDB/ExpressJS/AngularJS/NodeJS?
• Define data modeling, containerization, dependency injection
• State the difference between linear search and binary search
• How would you compare SQL databases with MongoDB?
• What are the benefits of using MongoDB/ExpressJS/AngularJS/NodeJS
• What is ‘Decorators’ in TypeScript?
• What is a Service, and when will you use it?
• Which are the popular DevOps tools?
• What is Mongoose?
• Explain REPL in NodeJS
• Explain Routing in ExpressJS
• Why is consistent style important and what tools can be used to ensure it
• What is the difference between a programmer and operational errors?
• What does event-driven programming mean?
• Justify when to use MongoDB/ExpressJS/AngularJS/NodeJS.
• What is the purpose of an index server in MongoDB?
• Explain Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), AOT
• How is AngularJS different from NodeJS?
• How is responsive design different from adaptive design?
• Is MongoDB ACID compliant? What does that signify?
• What is a blocking code?
• Which are the IDEs commonly used for NodeJS development?
• What are the steps in Continuous Integration?

On a Closing Note

The MEAN family of technologies is a highly popular and user-friendly interface to create dynamic applications and websites. It helps you build a simplistic, flexible, and open-source solution that can be most lucrative. No wonder, MEAN stack developers are much in demand and can continue to do so. Hiring MEAN stack developers is on a high and shall remain so for the near future.

It has its own set of challenges, but with perfection and detailed knowledge, it is easy to garner mastery over the MEAN stack and thereby, come up with a range of solutions. Taking guidance from an experienced IT partner would surely help in availing the best of services – getting flexible and dynamic apps developed by experienced MEAN developers.