How Much Does it Cost to Hire Software Developer? [2024 Edition]

Blog Synopsis: The need for high-end software engineers has been breaking records. Knowing their significance in a tech-driven market, businesses are going back and forth in looking for the best talents. Additionally, how much it costs to hire a software developer is also a worrisome question for them. Although the cost is comparatively higher these days. Yet, you can get software developers at affordable rates. Learn about the influential factors and tips to minimize the cost. 

From the whopping emergence and expansion of AI, there is a huge increment in aggregate IT spending in 2023. Gartner predicts that IT spending will reach $5.1 trillion globally in 2024. It is about 8% higher than in 2023. Thus, it shows the gaining recognition of the IT sector in different business verticals. 

Well, it’s evident why IT services are becoming famous. The latest technology trends have been making the roadmap of future businesses. So, the demand for talented software engineers has also skyrocketed. Having said that, the rise in demand has led to the increased cost of hiring a software developer. 

For any business, it’s a serious matter to decide the cost. After receiving so many queries related to that, it is high time to discuss this. Therefore, here you will learn the factors to take into consideration. It will give clarity on how much it costs to hire an engineer for your software development project. Besides that, you will get some interesting ways to reduce the overall development cost.

What are the key Factors for Determining the cost to hire software developers?

• Skill of the Developers

When it comes to hiring, the foremost requirement should be undertaking the skills of software developers. It is the most influential factor which determines the core of the project. Onboarding the right talents depending on your project will make complete sense and entitlement. Alongside this, it will assist in planning a budget and executing the hiring process accordingly.

As the demand for highly skilled IT professionals is rising extensively, it spikes the average cost of software developers. The aggregate budget of software development projects will accelerate. So, you need to be very calculative and visionary during the hiring of the right developers. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology are ruling the market. You should emphasize the software developers with skillsets and knowledge in these areas. 

If you really want to make a big difference, software programmers with the latest technical skills are key needs. It might become costly to some extent but will have rewarding ROI in the long run.  However, by implementing the right strategies you can make a budget-friendly deal.

• Essential Technology Stack

What technology you have chosen vs. what technology should be used impacts the cost. The tech stack is the essential component for development and works as a determinant for cost. Usually, the popular technology stack is a blend of programming languages, frameworks, and tools. Without these, you can’t even imagine your software development process. So, it is really necessary to have clarity on the ideal tech stack that is suitable for your project. 

If you select the right developers it will eventually lead you to have the right tech stack and make you a project under the budget. That’s why hiring software engineers with solid work portfolios will make the way easier for you. 

For instance, if you are planning to build a feature-rich application that performs well on every platform, you should choose Flutter. Instead of iOS and Android, Flutter is a cross-platform solution that makes applications run on any browser. However, the cherry on the cake is its cost-effectiveness which takes less development time than iOS and Android technologies. 

• Type of Software Development

The next factor is the different types of software development. Do you know? The custom software development market size is estimated to surpass USD 185.1 Billion by 2032. So, the demand for new-age and advanced software development is soaring. As a result, depending on your development type the developer’s cost varies. 

With a variety of software, their functional and technical needs also differ. It is a crucial factor that affects the costs to hire a software developer. Thus, for different software types, you need to look for different developers. Right now, the website and applications are the more prevalent software in the digital landscape. So, for your project, you can hire the below-mentioned developers;

• Mobile app developers
• Full-stack developers
• Web app developers, etc.

Hence, the cost of hiring software engineers will be calculated based on the development type. You can unlock the major types of software development. It will give you detailed insights into your software development project and SDLC model.

• Developers Experience Level

Now comes the experience level of the developers in defining their cost. The experience level of developers depends on their work years and expertise. The projects with limited budgets should go for junior-level software developers and vice versa. Accordingly, the juniors and freshers are quite reasonable compared to senior-level software engineers.

The cost will increase with your selection of higher and superior developers who are backed by excellent work experience. So, startups or small companies used to prefer junior or mid-level developers. Generally, such software developers’ rates per hour range between $20 to $35. However, the senior engineers can serve with optimal solutions. 

For projects like banking and eCommerce apps hiring a dedicated development team is favorable. It will consist of programmers with different experience levels. Therefore, your software development project will gain high-end solutions and a strong base. 

• Project Timeframe

The timeframe of the project is necessary to answer how much it costs to hire a software engineer. It is indeed a cost-impacting factor. As soon as you start with planning it will give you some idea of how long it will take to go on the floor. If your project is time-consuming, you can hire full-time developers. Besides that, it will be cost-effective to hire for a long tenure. 

Because developers usually don’t agree to short-term projects at similar rates as normal projects. They tend to charge higher due to less work consistency and limited income allocation. Moreover, you can reduce software development costs by outsourcing software development companies. It will be a more reliable solution and has maximum ROI.

• Location of Developers

As IT outsourcing and remote hiring are taking center stage, the location of developers matters instantly. Moreover, the cost of outsourcing software developers delegates the responsibilities to the third-party service provider. So, it will decrease the workload and make the process smooth.

By hiring dedicated developers from India, you not only guarantee exceptional quality but also enjoy incredible value. The developers from other regions may charge you between $40 to $100. On the contrary, if you hire dedicated Indian developers, you will get outstanding services for approximately $20 to $25. Experience the expertise and cost-effectiveness of Indian talent for all your development requirements!

So, you can see the gap between the costs. It will definitely affect your project budget. As a result, you have to evaluate the software developer rates per hour based on their country/region. To keep it simple for you, here is an image map. It shows the hourly rates of developers from all different countries of the world.

• Project Size & Complexity

Your project size has a diversified impact on the cost to hire software developers. The size of the software development project is determined by the tech stack and required efforts. 

Usually, projects with limited resource needs and short duration are termed as small projects. Whereas, the projects with a variety of resource allocation are large-scale projects. With proper planning, you can estimate the overall project size and accordingly hire developers. 

Moreover, large-scale projects bring higher complexity to the development which even raises the cost. So, the size and complexity are correlated aspects for defining the cost of hiring a software developer. 

As the features, third-party tools, and other technical aspects increase, the cost of software engineers with relevant knowledge also increases. So, the size and complication make a visible impact on the cost. Usually, the cost changes as the parameter of complexity ranges from moderate to difficult levels. 

After taking account of all the factors, you now need to understand which type of developers your project needs. Here’s a POV on it.

Cost to outsource software engineers or development company 

The most common and widely accepted model these days is the IT outsourcing guide. Software engineers are also part of what has witnessed its craze. The CEOs prefer outsourcing software development services to make the process streamlined. It unlocks access to global talent with different price ranges.  

The cost to outsource a software engineer is less and more convenient for any project type. Getting a chance to interview and collaborate with developers from different regions gives your project enhanced productivity and security. It will keep the hassle of development to the providers only. So, you can plan and focus on the post-launching programs of your software. 

Additionally, offshore development companies provide a dedicated development team. So, you can remain rest assured that your project will be handled completely by experts. The team will be developers, testers, designers, and business analysts. Although outsourcing is mainly opted for by big software development projects, startups can also leverage it.

Cost to hire in-house developers

Moving to the in-house software developers hiring. It is the most courageous decision as the in-house team establishment raises the need for various related things. You need to set up the office premises with essential equipment and machinery. So, it determines the average cost of software developers within your locality or city. 

The in-house development team will exclusively work for your projects based on fixed shifts. It eliminates third-party interference. They will be assigned tasks and work to accomplish the business objective.

As a result, in-house hiring brings the cost of investing in office space, systems, etc. If you already have such infrastructure, you can definitely choose the in-house team. Otherwise, remote developers or outsourcing is a better choice. You can also get our dedicated remote team exclusively for work on your project and in your time zone. It will help to communicate and manage workflow efficiently.

Cost to hire freelance Software developers

Freelance developers are also favorable for short-term projects with limited budgets. You can look for freelance software developers from Upwork, Top Developers, Fiverr, and so on. Having freelancers makes your project management more flexible. They charge on an hourly basis, which makes freelance options good for part-time or contract-based projects. 

Also, for projects with less complexity, freelance developers can be affordable and complete the task within predetermined deadlines. They will report the duration and you can accordingly pay them. So, the development process becomes simple and transparent.

Along with this, the cost of hiring software developers of various types has been reduced. The article has disclosed everything about the cost. Now, you might be thinking about how to minimize the overall expenditure on your project. Let’s delve into some ways for that. 

4 Tips to Reduce the cost to hire software developer

Although there is no specified formula for minimizing the cost, you need to practice some tactics to make it favorable for you. It will be possible to compress the cost to fit into your budget with the following tips. These are tried and tested ways so you can also give it a shot and see how it will help your project.

• Startups should consider outsourcing software development
• For limited functionality, software choose low-code development
• Large-firm projects should hire a dedicated developers team rather than individual developers
• Hire Remote developers to save on office infrastructure

Remember that cost reduction doesn’t mean choosing the inferior solution. Because the cost spent on the software is going to generate revenue in the future. So, you have to make the best deal without compromising the quality.

Explore your project 

In summary, the cost of hiring developers combined with other resources may seem higher. But it will deliver your project with optimal benefits to compete in the global market. Having the right team will lead your project to capture the targeted audience rapidly. 

To do so, you need the team leader’s guidance, who not only works on the development task but also guides you on taking relevant steps for the software’s success. Moreover, Rlogical has such innovative minds. We have converted the client’s sluggish business into high profit-generating solutions!