Hire PHP Developer: Recruiting Nuances

Did you know that PHP (hypertext preprocessor technology) is used in 79.2% of all web resources worldwide? Such popularity is due to the clear, accessible syntax and extensive possibilities for code implementation. As of 2022, it is still a widespread technology for creating commercial, entertainment, corporate websites, blogs, etc. In this regard, you may ask a logical question: where can I hire PHP developer?

We analyzed the market for development services, compared all possible options, and concluded that the most promising implementers of the hypertext preprocessor code are representatives of only two countries: Ukraine and Poland. We offer you a brief guide into the world of Recruitment and Development, in which you will learn everything about skills, responsibilities, salaries, and all challenges of finding PHP developers for hire.

Pros and cons of hiring a PHP Developer

First of all, let’s take a closer look at the mentioned technology and assess its effectiveness for your projects. It is necessary to determine whether this scripting language is right for you or whether you should consider other frameworks or programming languages.

What is a PHP developer?

A PHP developer is an industry expert who knows how to adapt code to business needs. PHP professionals write functional elements quickly and properly, synchronize them with each other, and integrate them into the body of the program (website, web app). The help of such a specialist is essential when launching a startup.

Many of you have heard of CMS WordPress. It is one of the best digital solutions for blogging. Some modern websites still use it as a basis. These include tech giants like Facebook, Slack, Etsy, and Wikipedia.

PHP is considered one of the world’s most popular and in-demand languages, although it is quite controversial due to some peculiarities.

Hypertext preprocessor advantages: fast, functional, cheap

A key advantage of the technology is its easy syntax, which allows you to develop digital solutions faster than you can do with frameworks. Saving time = saving resources and getting an IT product to market quickly, increasing its competitiveness.

The cheapness of working with this technology is logically justified by its popularity and prevalence. Because of the low entry threshold, the amount of PHP specialists is many times greater than experts in various frameworks, making hiring a PHP coder a relatively easy task.

Top 7 advantages of the hypertext preprocessor:

• Easy and quick to learn.
• Considered one of the easiest scripting languages.
• Extremely flexible.
• Easy integration and compatibility.
• Efficient performance.
• Cost-effective.
• Gives the web developer more control

These are the benefits that make PHP technology in demand among business owners related to commerce, development, and customer service.

A comparison of the cost of hiring PHP, JavaScript, and React developers. A clear overview of the average hour-rate:

Ukraine

Rate $/hour	PHP	JavaScript	React
Junior	$8	$7	$8.65
Middle	$12.5	$16.4	$17.31
Senior	$20.1	$25	$25.96

according to Djinni.

Poland

Rate $/hour	PHP	JavaScript	React
Junior	$12	$9.5	$14.4
Middle	$21.5	$18.4	$24.5
Senior	$30	$32.3	$34.6

according to Alcor BPO, Krusche & Company.

USA

Rate $/hour	PHP	JavaScript	React
Junior	$19.2	$33.6	$16.8
Middle	$28.8	$41.8	$43.3
Senior	$33.6	$49.5	$52.88

according to Alcor BPO, CareerFoundry, Krusche & Company.

As you can see, it is more beneficial to hire PHP Developer from Ukraine or Poland than the USA, especially if the level is Middle+.

Common Criticisms of PHP

Development experts often encounter criticism from colleagues directed at the use of the technology. There are several reasons for this, which can be offset by a competent approach to creating a digital solution. The roughest drawbacks are considered to be:

• No requirement for syntax. It means that PHP has no strict rules or restrictions in terms of code structure, causing the main flow of criticism. Amateurs believe it is impossible to create high-quality, complex digital products using PHP. This myth has been debunked by experienced developers who write structured, clear, reusable code regardless of the presence or absence of typing and technology requirements.
• Technology vulnerability. Open sources allow anyone to access the information. Such vulnerabilities are not only dangerous in terms of leaking sensitive data but also in terms of holes in the code that give attackers access to system control. With each technology update, fewer vulnerabilities remain, making a PHP-based product totally secure.

All these problems are solved in a simple way: hire dedicated PHP developers with extensive development experience. Industry specialists will write great re-usable, structured, and scalable code and ensure maximum data security, up to encryption of communication channels.

Do you need to hire PHP developers?

This technology is best suited for any projects, in particular large and busy ones, where a stable and highly functional IT solution is required. Its functionality is sufficient to implement all elements of E-commerce. Some choose more advanced frameworks based on misconceptions about their capabilities, although PHP often solves all required tasks.

Why should this syntax be used as the basis of an IT solution, and why should you hire PHP programmers? The list of the technology’s key advantages includes:

• Quick operation. Thanks to easy and understandable scripting mechanics, this syntax is ideal for fast MVP implementation.
• Flexibility. The dynamism of the language expands the scope of its use in various types of development. With it, you can create both simple and complex elements.
• Full integration. Support for MySQL, LDAP, Oracle, ODBC, and SQLite simplifies data synchronization.
• Extended support. The language has a large community and many specialized resources (thematic forums). If a problem arises, be sure that the solution is in public access.
• Scaling perspectives. Expanding digital products in PHP is quite easy because the platform has sufficient functionality.
• Cheapness. The language is available to everyone, so its study and use are free. Therefore, hiring a PHP coder will allow you to save on licenses.
• Prevalence. Due to free access to training materials, many specialists master PHP. That’s why finding a PHP coder for hire is not a problem.

If your project type allows you to implement PHP as a basis, you should use it. In addition to the apparent savings benefit, you’ll get a wide range of candidates allowing you to choose and hire PHP programmers of the appropriate level. Most specialists will meet basic requirements, but it is still worth getting acquainted with the nuances of recruiting because there is a significant difference in the work methods of different ethnic groups, pricing policy, and skill gradation.

Developer Responsibilities

In the context of workflows, there is no difference in the routine of developers of any specialty. But technology specifics require some adjustments. As for PHP experts, their main responsibility is to create the back-end component of a website or app. After this, the tasks change, and the expert moves on to implementing the front-end part based on clean HTML+CSS or some framework.

In general, a modern PHP developer is responsible for:

• Creating the “body” of an app, website, or service.
• Writing or connecting a database.
• API integration.
• Implementation of the content system.
• Setting up the project on the server.
• Testing.

Usually, these processes are part of the standard package of a comprehensive freelancer service, allowing you to hire a PHP programmer or a dedicated team.

Average Salary of a PHP Developer: cons of hiring Ukrainian or Poland developers by level

Every employer who has ever hired a PHP app developer knows that the cooler the level of the performer, the more expensive their services are. But do skills affect the quality of a digital product so much that you need to hire only a Senior? Let’s figure it out.

Trainee/Junior

The lowest skill level primarily indicates the developer’s lack of experience. At the same time, practical skills may not correspond to experience because sometimes, even a Trainee may have sufficient PHP knowledge to implement a full-fledged website or app. Their code can probably be horrible and unscalable, but it will work and will cover all the necessary tasks. And while Trainees are considered students, their actual skills are often similar to Junior or even Junior+. Nevertheless, you are unlikely to want to hire a PHP web developer of this level, despite the low work cost.

According to Djinni, the average salary of a Junior PHP Developer in Ukraine varies in the range of $1,000-$2,000, and according to Indeed, it is $3,000 in Poland.

Middle

The experience of a Middle-level contractor varies in the range of 2-3 years, rarely 5 years. The skills of hired PHP developers usually include knowledge of Laravel, Symfony, as well as Agile/Scrum. As for quality, there is no need to worry because good skills guarantee the quick and responsible fulfillment of complex tasks. In most cases, hiring a midlevel developer is more than enough to fulfill all the needs of the project.

According to Indeed, the approximate salary of a Middle PHP Developer in Poland is $5,200, and in Ukraine, it is $2,200, according to the same Djinni.

Senior

Performers of a Senior level are first valued as industry experts who can not only write code but also teach beginners and manage teams. To achieve this level, they must go through a long and thorny path of learning methodologies, programming languages, working methods, and testing. On average, this long journey takes about 4+ years. It is reflected in the cost of hiring PHP developers.

According to Djinni, the average monthly salary of a Senior PHP Developer in Ukraine is $4,000. In Poland, according to GlassDoor, it is $4,050.

Hire PHP developers. What’s the difference between Ukrainian, Poland, and Indian developers?

Before hiring a specialist, you need to determine essential requirements and create a task plan. In addition, you must decide on the maximum acceptable development budget and recruit considering these factors.

The main models of cooperation can be classified as outsourcing and in-house job, as well as divided into remote or office work. Remote outsourcing reduces the cost of logistics, office, and equipment maintenance. However, according to popular belief, the in-house model improves IT solution quality. In practice, full-time employees may do their job much worse than a hired dedicated team. The fact is that third-party companies value their reputation and strive to execute customer projects as efficiently as possible.

Geo in recruiting: are there any nuances?

As you know, there are 5 key markets for digital services broken down by region:

• India
• Asia
• Eastern Europe
• Western Europe
• USA

The US and Western Europe lead the cost of services, giving customers a high level of compliance with expectations because of the local location nearby. Asia, India, and Eastern Europe are considered ideally balanced, where with a lower cost of an hour of work, you will be offered adequate quality services. Let’s consider the characteristics of performers by region in more detail.

Eastern European experts are more communicative and adapt to any conditions. They adjust to the client’s time zone, get in touch with reports at a particular time, and know English well, although Asian and Indian colleagues could be even better at it. These are the best reasons why it’s better to hire a PHP developer from Ukraine.

In the case of the Asian or Indian market, the situation is similar. On the one hand, hiring a PHP developer from India can save you a lot. On the other hand, it may harm the quality of your digital solution. But sometimes, we are approached by clients who are dissatisfied with developers from India and China due to unscalable code and misunderstanding of the project’s size and goals. But it’s up to you — hire a dedicated PHP developer in Ukraine, India, China, or the USA.

Outsourcing PHP Developers in Ukraine, Poland, India, Israel, and the USA

Why did we choose these five countries? The experts from Ukraine, Poland, India, Israel, and the United States are considered the industry leaders in PHP development. Yes, the difference in pricing between them is significant, but there is almost parity in terms of performance quality.

By choosing Ukraine or Poland as your outsourcing provider, you get the highest quality of IT solutions at a very affordable cost.

How to hire a dedicated PHP developer?

Developing IT projects with PHP is a complex and time-consuming process requiring the entrepreneur to hire professional PHP coders. At the same time, it is best to pay attention to hiring a dedicated PHP developer because only on outsourcing you find talented performers that can create a unique digital resource.

We offer help with the most challenging tasks, such as hiring PHP developers. Delegate the task to industry professionals. We know how to save you money without compromising the quality of your IT solution. Contact our manager, and we will find the best experts for your project!

Summary

Any cool idea must be implemented as efficiently as possible, turning into an outstanding and profitable digital product with the help of software development on outsource from India, Ukraine, Poland, and other leading regions. Don’t save on a company’s budget when hiring industry experts. Pay attention to the experience and skills of candidates, especially those related to the security of IT solutions.

Expand your staff or fully delegate tasks to PHP development industry experts with us! We will help implement a project of any complexity with minimal time and resources. Describe your project to our manager and get an expert consultation absolutely free.