Web Development skills are very practical and in demand. If your friend is learning up to date programming languages, there is a good chance he/she can find work. Is your friend doing any internships? That might be the way to get a foot in the door. Web Developers can work freelance as well. Have your friend contact local design studios and send out a resume/portfolio of work. There is a guy who wrote a book called Program or be Programmed who talks about how important programming knowledge is becoming in our world and sees it as an ability that will be on par with reading in the near future.
YouTube - ‪SXSW 2010: Program or be Programmed: Ten Commands for a Digital Age‬‏
As for income level, to start it won't be high but if your friend is pretty sharp and becomes and expert in the more complex languages (Drupal, Flash etc) they could earn up to $75/hr.