The Inside Scoop To Finding WordPress Jobs and Gigs
WordPress is a global industry, opening vast new opportunities in all areas of digital business. This includes companies dedicated to improving WordPress itself.
Anxious to begin a new position working in the WordPress industry? It’s a great time to do so. And P.S. — you don’t have to be a programmer or coder to get started.
Grab a coffee and get ready. In this post, I hope to open your mind up to new opportunities with WordPress, show how the industry is growing, and point you where to go for a career.
I’ll be going over:
- The WordPress Empire: WordPress as an industry in itself
- WordPress growth stats
- Why WordPress has become its own industry
- Benefits of building a career with a company dedicated to improving the WordPress industry
- Coding and WordPress designer opportunities
- Non-technical WordPress opportunities
- Companies that hire specifically for WordPress
And more!
In fact, you might be surprised by WordPress positions out there that suit your niche and you never thought of before. One where you’ll say, “Hey! I’d be perfect for that.”
WordPress: An Industry in Itself
You might think of WordPress as just a popular CMS with some flashy plugins and themes that you can create websites with. Well, you’re right. But beyond that, it’s a lot more.
It’s also not just coders, developers, or designers that are in the driver’s seat, keeping WordPress growing.
The WordPress community is extremely diverse. It’s made up of individuals who represent many different backgrounds, ages, races, skill sets, and talents.
And I’m not talking about working at just WordPress itself. This is about the expansion of companies that have developed from WordPress.
Where It All Began…
Think of us, for example. We here at Incsub (WPMU DEV) have a lot going on.
Our company isn’t awesome (patting ourselves on the back) just from WordPress alone. Sure, it’s the bread and butter of what we do. After all, we make life easier for businesses that use WordPress to help other businesses grow.
However, beyond just a digital business, we’re also a digital publishing platform for commentators, observers, trainers, teachers, educators, writers, translators, video creators, documentation experts, and more.
We were started back in 2005 as Edublogs and Incsub as a development company for clients who were looking for Multisite setups. Around 2008, WPMU DEV became a premium membership site and grew into what it is today. You can read more about the WPMU DEV history here.
This has created positions for customer service, HR, sales, account managers, tech support operators, marketers, illustrators, QA, business development professionals, cartoonists (hey, that’s me!), accountants, and plenty of other jobs.
Then, we obviously have our developers, designers, coders, and the tech-savvy team. They develop our plugins and keep our sites, hosting, and more up and running.
Plus, Incsub is more than just WPMU DEV. We also have Campus Press and, as mentioned, Edublogs.
We’ve opened the door to new creative approaches, ideas, and concepts.
It takes an army for us to function at what we do.
As you can see, it has brought on many opportunities when it comes to working in this industry. Even for those who don’t know a lick about code!
Of course, we’re not the only company out there that’s devoted to WordPress. There are many more (and I’ll be showing you some specific ones coming up).
Just Grow with It
In a nutshell, WordPress is growing. Working for a growing industry — that’s a good thing :)
And that goes for every aspect of WordPress; from plugins to professional development.
Here are some specific examples:
- In 2020, WordPress runs 50-60% of the global CMS market and is the fastest-growing CMS, with nearly 500-plus new sites being built daily in the top 10 million websites on the internet.
- Over 300,000 of the top one million websites use WordPress.
- When it comes to posts, 17 posts are published every second on WordPress sites around the globe.
Your favorite brands? Many of the most popular ones out there are using WordPress. That includes Mercedes-Benz, The Walt Disney Company, and even 007 himself, James Bond!
Let’s talk about plugins. Over 1,250,000,000-plus total plugin downloads have happened so far on WordPress.org. That’s, well, a lot.
WordPress is growing rapidly and it’s not going away anytime soon. This makes it a great industry to be a part of right now and for the future — which makes us happier than an updated theme.
The Word(Press) is Out
With rapid expansion, popularity, and a bright future, WordPress has become an industry on its own. Whether you’re looking for freelance work, employment, contract, full-time, or part-time work, there are definitely opportunities for you working in a WordPress-related position.
So, are you ready to start work in the WordPress community? Or, maybe you already have worked in WordPress and are wanting to start a fresh new gig? Maybe start your own WordPress service for additional income?
There are many ways to make money with WordPress.
In Good Company
If you want to go the route of working with an established company, I’ve compiled a list of great companies and resources to explore various WordPress opportunities.
Since your work revolves around WordPress, you can typically work from anywhere in the world, which leaves the playing field wide open. Earth is a pretty decent sized planet.
Most of these companies offer remote options, so you can easily go to work on your sofa in your boxers, lounge by a pool, or head over to your favorite Starbucks and toss on the headphones during your workday while sipping on that venti cappuccino.
Just make sure you have decent wifi…
I’ll start with WordPress-friendly companies. These are specific companies that hire skilled professionals directly on their payroll. Then, I’ll cover a couple of other job boards to check out.
So, have your resume tweaked, iron that shirt for a Zoom interview, and get ready to land that new dream WordPress job.
Incsub
Incsub needs no introduction. We’re always looking for new talent and constantly have openings for various roles in development and other careers.
We have over 130 employees. Most of us are remote, however, we do have an office in Melbourne (where we’re based) where several people work. Plus, WordCamps bring us together from time to time in person.
As of the date of this writing, we’re looking for a video/content producer, technical document writer, marketing warrior, sales enthusiast, and support superhero.
Instead of a formal interview, we believe in giving folks the chance to show us what you’re made of. So, we typically have a task we’ll ask you to complete during the application process. From there, there’s usually a trial period to make sure we’re a good fit for you and you’re a good fit for us.
Be sure to check the job board for the latest positions.
Automattic
Automattic is behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Simplenote, and many other companies.
They have 1,191 Automatticians (they call themselves) in 75 countries. They have a Grand Meetup once a year for seven days so that everyone gets a chance to know each other. These meetups happen all over the world in various locations.
At this time, they have openings for positions in engineering, design, business development, marketing, HR, accounts payable, and more.
When you make it past the interview stage with Automattic, they’ll do a project with you on a contract basis that typically lasts between 2-6 weeks (subject to change).
Check out the job board for current openings.
Codeable
Codeable is a great opportunity on a freelance basis if you’re a developer or designer. They vet professionals to work on specific WordPress projects that come in on a regular basis from around the world.
You’ll get paid fairly. Their pricing system starts at $70 per hour for freelancers. Plus, they monitor the workflow to ensure all goes well between you and the client.
Essentially, they’re like your own WordPress agent. Finding you clients and bringing in work.
If you’re looking for freelance opportunities and you’re extremely professional, Codeable might be a great fit for you. You can apply to work with them here.
10up
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10up is a company devoted to making the web better with finely crafted websites and tools for content creators.
They have a culture and community made for inspiring and challenging their employees. They also contribute to open source projects, speaking conferences, and meetups around the world.
Why work at 10up? from 10up on Vimeo.
Currently, they’re on the lookout for web engineers, team leads, QA, accounts coordinator, visual designer, creative director, and other roles.
Be sure to check out the latest openings here.
WP Engine
WP Engine is one of the leading platforms for building experiences on WordPress. They focus on digital experiences so that small business owners to global brands can compete and create an amazing experience online.
They promote uncovering opportunities for careers with them. With a 4.7-star review on Glassdoor, it’s clear that they’re doing something right and employees enjoy working here.
One difference with WordPress Engine is that many of the opportunities for employment are not remote-based. However, they have offices all across the world; from London, USA, Ireland, and other locations.
Currently, they have openings for a variety of careers; everything from engineering, sales, and marketing.
They have a very impressive and detailed career page. It’s full of videos, testimonials, and plenty of material that would get almost anyone excited to work at WP Engine. Check here for the latest openings.
Human Made
Human Made is a WordPress development agency. They bring open source to big publishers and enterprise-level clients. Their work includes custom WordPress development, strategy, and infrastructure.
They are an entirely remote company with employees spread across the globe. They believe that they do best when they strike the right balance between work and life and prioritize home and family while still being dedicated and serious about their careers.
They’re not as big of a company as some of the others, so careers are limited. However, you can always contact them about a role that you’d be interested in working in.
Check out their job board regularly for new positions as they become available.
Crowd Favorite
Crowd Favorite focuses on digital strategy, web development, and digital support services. They work on everything from WordPress eCommerce integrations to data compliance consulting.
They offer flexible work arrangements, career growth opportunities, and encourage their teams to lead and innovate.
They have a General Interest application available for if you believe you can make an impact with their company and your perfect job isn’t on the job board. That’s great for bringing big ideas to the table.
All jobs currently posted are remote. You can review their current openings here.
Flywheel
Flywheel offers “delightful” managed WordPress hosting. They cater to freelancers to full creative teams.
Though they’re based in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and have inhouse positions, they also offer remote opportunities. They have everything from customer support, software development, marketing, and everything in between.
You’ll notice that if you get a position at their headquarters, they have free beer! Talk about a perk.
Currently, they have positions for engineers and a VP of marketing. Check out their career page for any open positions.
Elegant Themes
Elegant Themes creates the most popular WordPress themes in the world and the ultimate visual page builder.
They have a distributed team of 100 with their headquarters in San Francisco. There are careers for product design, development, and marketing. And definitely a lot of perks and benefits.
Though they’re based in California, they have remote positions available. Be sure to check out their job board for the latest.
Other Sources
These next several options offer options to work with WordPress in various companies around the world. You can get as specific as you’d like with your searches.
Working Nomad
Working Nomads is a strictly remote job board. It’s a very simple way to browse jobs and find any WordPress related positions.
It’s not just for developers, designers, or programmers, either. For example, when searching ‘wordpress’, positions for a content writer, SEO strategist, and other non-technical jobs came up.
It’s a good place to explore if you’re unsure of a specific WordPress-based company you’d like to become a part of.
We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely is similar to Working Nomads. It lives up to its name with all of the positions being remote.
You’ll find many jobs for programming, web development, and more. However, there’s also a lot of customer service, writing, and marketing positions for WordPress available as well.
Flexjobs
FlexJobs has a small fee (which starts at $14.95 a month) to become a member, however, it’s worth it with their vetted jobs and positions that are available.
They are remote-based, however, some of the companies that are populated in a job search have partial remote options. You can also determine if you’d like to work as a freelancer, full-time, part-time, or contract.
It’s a trusted resource for finding careers in WordPress. In fact, it’s how I discovered my position as a writer with WPMU DEV.
WordPress Jobs
The WordPress Jobs job board is updated regularly and is free to use. You’re bound to find a specific area of expertise that you’d be suitable for.
Dress to Word Im(Word)Press
You can add value to WordPress related businesses in many ways.
For example, if you have the entrepreneurial spirit, consider starting your own business. There are lots of ways to make money in WordPress on your own. We have 18 ways right here.
Maybe you even have your own creative idea that would make a great addition to a WordPress company (e.g. you can create video tutorials in a unique way).
Maybe your plan is to just find work as a WordPress developer and build your skills and experience.
Or, like our own CEO James did, maybe you’re ready to launch your own WordPress-driven company.
Whatever the case is, dress for the job you’re looking to land and start your WordPress journey today.
After all, WordPress is just more than themes, plugins, and a logo with a big ‘W’ in a circle. It’s an industry on its own that you can be a part of. Even if you don’t know the difference between JavaScript and java.
So, what’s your niche? Are you a developer? Can you offer your sales expertise to help a company grow selling the best themes in the world? Or, maybe you’re a writer like me that found an outlet to express my WordPress knowledge here on the WPMU DEV blog.
Whatever it is, WordPress probably has a creative opportunity for you. Like a good plugin, make sure your resume is updated and we’ll see you on “the inside”.
N. Fakes Nathanael Fakes is a blog writer and cartoonist at WPMU DEV. He’s worked with WordPress for over a decade. Beyond WordPress, he’s a published author, syndicated cartoonist, and donut enthusiast. Connect with Nate on Instagram and learn more about his work on his comics website.