What does an AEM developer do?

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AEM developers are responsible for the design and development of services and applications using the AEM system. Wondering what an AEM developer does on a day to day basis? We take a closer look at the role!

What is AEM?

AEM stands for Adobe Experience Manager, and is a Content Management System (CMS) similar to the well-known WordPress. AEM allows users and companies to easily build websites, apps, and to manage web pages and content.

AEM role overview: tasks, background, skills, salary
The role of an AEM developer – Role overview

Adobe has a very large partner base, so AEM is a system that is used worldwide amongst some of the largest organizations making it widely accessible and in demand.

Looking back over the last half of the decade, AEM Development has witnessed a considerable amount of interest from users owing to its versatility and wide range of features.

Many organizations now look to AEM to showcase their product and services in a user-friendly manner. This has resulted in a demand for AEM experts who are able to handle the AEM development process, making this a suitable career option for software developers. 

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Responsibilities of an AEM Developer

Responsibilities and tasks of a AEM developer
List of responsibilities on the job

As an AEM developer, your primary responsibility is the design, development, and testing of software that makes use of or is based on the Adobe Experience Manager. After initial evaluation and analysis, you help integrate AEM with the existing setup in line with the requirements of the organization.

In essence, you have all the same responsibilities as a software developer but with a narrower focus on the AEM system.

As an AEM Developer, you run tests to evaluate software builds for issues such as performance, debugging, and also work to enhance existing systems. Depending on the size of the organization you work for, you may be responsible for a team of programmers.

Furthermore, you work with agile methodologies, responsive frameworks, and front-end development techniques to meet deadlines in a fast-paced development environment.

What is the role of an AEM developer?

  • Conception and implementation of enterprise content management solutions based on AEM
  • Analysis of customer requirements and the creation of implementation concepts
  • Independent development and implementation of innovative ideas
  • Support with the transfer of the AEM into the development and operating environment of the EPD (AEM architecture and staging)
  • Java-based development of release-capable AEM software components
  • Implementation of the supplied web frontend HTML templates in AEM JSP templates
  • Integration of Adobe Marketing Cloud systems such as Adobe Analytics, Adobe Target or Adobe Tag Manager
  • Support of the product owner in the assessment of requirements with regard to AEM architecture, technologies, internal interfaces or connections to third-party systems

AEM Developer: Skills required

Skills required as AEM developer
Skills required on the role

In order to carry out the duties and tasks listed above, AEM developers need to be proficient in certain technical skills. These include, first and foremost, excellent knowledge of programming languages, and experience in areas such as CMS development, Java content repositories, and web service creation.

As a developer, you should also have great communication skills, and the ability to translate requirements and needs into specific programming objectives. A proactive mindset and the ability to share your ideas and bring them to fruition is also important.

What skills does an AEM developer need?

  • Experience with AEM Developer tools such as: 
    • Apache Felix
    • Apache Sling
    • Jackrabbit
    • CRXDE
  • Familiarity with the Java Content Repository API
  • Knowledge of OSGi and its Declarative Services
  • Familiarity with building tools, including Maven
  • Knowledge of version control tools, especially Git
  • Knowledge of Patterns and Good Practices to design and develop quality and clean code
  • Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (preferably ExtJs and jQuery)
  • Experience in pair programming and code reviews
  • Experience with testing at all levels: unit, integration, functional, and performance
  • Familiarity with task management, bug tracking, and wiki-based documentation tools like JIRA and Confluence

Looking for your next job in AEM?
AEM developer jobs

Education and Background

To start your career as an AEM Developer, you will probably need a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, or Software Development.

You must also possess several years of experience with Adobe Experience Manager. This can be achieved by working in other development positions to gain experience before transferring to a full-time AEM Developer role.

AEM training can increase your knowledge and skills on Adobe Experience Manager. Adobe offers a training catalog for all their solutions. 

Certifications and courses can also help highlight your resume for potential jobs. Some AEM training and certifications to consider: 

AEM Developer Salary & Freelance Rates

According to Neuvoo, the average annual pay for an AEM Developer in the United States is $114,367 a year. Junior developers can expect a salary of $54,588 while senior developers with years of experience can earn up to $165,750 annually. 

Your income as a developer depends on a host of factors such as:

  • Industry; such as Banking, Commerce, Service or Product based
  • Your Experience level
  • Technical skills and abilities

Additionally, location can also play a key role in deciding overall pay. For e.g., as an AEM developer in Australia, salaries can fall between AUD 37,000 – 74,000 and on average, AEM developers earn a salary of AUD 53,000.

How much do AEM developers make?

Junior salary$54,000
Average salary$114,000
Senior salary$165,000

How much does a freelance AEM Developer charge?

Average rate AEM Developers (2022) $81/hr

The average hourly rate amongst freelance AEM Developers is $81/hr.

Freelance rates in AEM range between $56 and $100 for the majority of freelancers.

Considering a freelance rate of $81/hour, a freelancer would charge $648/day for an 8-hour working day.


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Natalia Campana

Natalia is part of the international team at freelancermap. She loves the digital world, social media and meeting different cultures. Before she moved to Germany and joined the freelancermap team she worked in the US, UK and her home country Spain. Now she focuses on helping freelancers and IT professionals to find jobs and clients worldwide at www.freelancermap.com

By Natalia Campana

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