How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Java Developer: Rates per Hour in Different Countries

Key takeaways

• Is there a demand for Java developers in 2022? Get the answer to this question in our article. 
• Find out what responsibilities and skill sets to expect from Java developers with different levels of experience and how it affects the cost to hire Java developers.
• Learn about the various hiring models available and select the one that best suits your project. 
• What unexpected expenses may you possibly run into when developing a Java project? Learn how to avoid this and save more money.
• One of the most important factors affecting the developers’ rates is location. Let’s examine Java developers’ salaries globally.
• Why hiring Java developers from Aimprosoft can be the best and most profitable option for you?

You must admit that Java comes to mind right away when asked about the most well-known programming languages you are familiar with. Java is on everyone’s lips in the global IT community. This programming language is used in many scenarios, from the development of desktop GUIs and mobile apps to self-driving automobiles and IoT devices. Depending on your project, skilled Java developers can assist you in applying the large pool of the technology’s advantages to the product’s creation. 

When deciding to hire skilled Java specialists, you may stumble over the range of their salaries. The cost of a Java developer can vary depending on a number of factors, including the developer’s level of expertise or location. Hence, continue reading to explore pricing, the factors that influence it, and the tips to find specialists that will meet your needs in terms of salary and the quality of work.

The demand for Java developers in 2024

So, is there still demand for Java in 2022? The answer is, of course, yes! According to the Statista report, Java is still one of the most popular programming languages on the planet. Since Java is easy to learn, object-oriented, and platform-neutral, this is not surprising. Referring to research from Statista, Java is still leading among the most popular programming languages in 2023.

What applications is Java best suited for?

Java is commonly used for desktop GUI, web-based, gaming, mobile apps, and cloud-based applications development. Java is a critical component of the tech stacks of well-known products like Uber, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, Spotify, Netflix, and Airbnb. Hence, we can observe that people interact with applications that have Java behind their tech stacks on a daily basis. Apart from the mentioned ones, explore the image below to see the number and versatility of well-known products that benefit from Java. 

As we can see, Java is not losing its position, and in 2022 it is still in favor. Let’s learn more about the responsibilities that Java developers perform and what you can expect from them based on their experience level. 

Java programmer’s qualification levels and what to expect from them

Java developers’ categorization, which is impacted by their level of knowledge and years of experience, directly affects the skill set they should have. Let’s look at the skill set that a developer should acquire at each experience level.

Technical skills and responsibilities

Trainee

Responsibilities 一 trainees are at an entry-level and usually have no experience in developing commercial projects. All they have is only theoretical knowledge, either not used in practice or used very little while applying it to some pet projects. Hence, the mentor is always assigned to them. Trainees can get small tasks like fixing minor and relatively simple bugs.

Skill set:

• Years of experience: 0一1
• Must-have knowledge: Java core, JDBC, Proficiency in building RESTful interfaces using Java (REST/JSON), SQL. As a plus will be Spring, Hibernate, and Web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Level of English proficiency: pre-intermediate and higher

Junior

Responsibilities 一 junior developer works on the project, carrying out easy-to-understand tasks assigned by the manager or the client. It is worth remembering that these are still beginner developers who need the help of a mentor, they may make mistakes, and their code needs to be checked. Such specialists are perfect for the completion of simple tasks and bug fixing.

Skill set:

• Years of experience: 1一1,5+ years
• Must-have knowledge: Java Core, Spring (Core, MVC, Security, Data), JavaServer pages (JSP) and servlets, Version-control systems and services (GitHub, GitLab), Jdbc/Hibernate. Gradle/Maven, Design Patterns,  SOLID, RESTFull, Java 8+, Spring MVC, SQL (MySQL/PostgreSQL), JPA/Hibernate, Angular/React. 
• Level of English proficiency: intermediate and higher

Middle

Responsibilities 一 mid-level Java developers are typically already independent developers. Therefore, they don’t need a mentor to oversee their work. They can also support less experienced programmers. Mid-level developers can develop a project from scratch, deliver the product, and solve issues relating to ongoing development.

Skill set:

• Years of experience: 2+ years
• Must-have knowledge: Java Core (Core, Boot, MVC, Security, Data, Cloud, Integration), Jdbc/Hibernate/JPA, SQL (MySQL/PostgreSQL), Message Brokers, Docker, Gradle/Maven, Design Patterns, SOLID, DDD, TDD, Docker, RESTFull, Java 8+, Spring Framework/Spring Boot, Hibernate, JWT, Angular/React.
• Level of English proficiency: intermediate and higher

Senior

Responsibilities 一 this category of developers can build the project from scratch, manage it, and deploy it fully. They have the knowledge necessary to serve as a mentor for both junior and middle developers. The senior Java developer is supposed to be the team’s leader. However, this is entirely up to the developer’s initiative and skill set.

Skill set:

• Years of experience:  4+ years
• Must-have knowledge: Java Core, Patterns, Spring Framework/Spring Boot (Core, Boot, MVC, Security, Data, Big Data, Cloud, Integration), Jdbc/Hibernate/JPA, SQL (MySQL/PostgreSQL/Oracle), NoSQL, Message Brokers, Docker, AWS, Multithreading, Microservices, CI/CD, DDD, TDD, Docker, Java 8+. Good knowledge of the JVM, including identifying and analyzing performance issues. Good understanding of the architecture and design of OO software. Proficiency in developing and deploying large-scale systems.
• English: upper-intermediate and higher

Team leader 

Team leaders are senior specialists that don’t just write code. They set requirements for code styling and architecture, do code reviews and check the work of their team members. Writing code is an optional part of their job, and they do it occasionally.

• Impact of experience level on the developer’s salary

Of course, years of experience and a solid skill set are highly valued. That is why the salary of a junior Java developer cost will be quite different from that of a senior developer. For example, let’s take the average annual salary of a programmer in Ukraine. The median salary of a junior Java developer will be a $700 monthly rate, whereas a senior developer’s salary will be $3,500.

We hope now you understand the difference between Java developers at various levels. At this point, you can better understand what kind of Java programmer you need for your project. Also, don’t hesitate to check out average hourly rates of Java developers in the table below. As an example, we offer to explore the rates of the US Java developers. 

Let’s now explore the developer hiring models available so that you choose which one best suits you.

Types of hiring models

In this section, we’ll take an in-depth look at the different recruiting models, comparing their advantages and disadvantages to help you decide what’s best for you and your project. And let’s find out how much does it cost to hire a Java developer, depending on the hiring model you choose? 

Freelance

You can always hire Java developers by searching for them on freelance platforms. Freelance Java developers have flooded the IT field recently, so this hiring model is gaining popularity. You need to fill in freelance sites with important parameters and start your search. 

The most popular and reliable freelance platforms:

• Upwork 一 a freelance website with plenty of developers and a strong emphasis on collaboration. Some of them might reside nearby and be looking for a full-time position.
• UpStack 一 strives to improve remote tech teams across the globe by utilizing committed freelance workers.
• Guru 一 is an employment and knowledge resource that covers a wide range of areas, although the site’s section for freelance developers is the most popular.

The main pros of this hiring method are that it significantly reduces the price. This is because freelancers’ median rates per hour are lower compared to the salaries of the in-house specialists, and you can save money by avoiding expenses like labor, taxes, office upkeep, and other related costs.

And the biggest and most significant cons of this recruitment model is the great risk of encountering an unqualified specialist. When something goes wrong, freelancers are rarely accountable and may disappear. Since there is no means to oversee their work, deadline misses are frequent, which puts the project at significant risk. These circumstances can provoke additional expenditures because you will have to look for a replacement and spend your valuable time. 

In-house

A full-time Java developer employed by your business is known as an in-house developer. This person works for your company, goes on vacation, works in the office, etc. This recruitment model is still one of the most popular in the world. You can hire a developer this way through job posting sites like Dice, social networks like LinkedIn, or through a recruiting agency.

The main disadvantage of this model is the high costs. Having a full-time employee comes with extra costs in addition to their salary. To create the necessary working environment, you must also take into account paid vacation time, leave requests, insurance, taxes, workstation charges, and other expenses. However, this model will suit you if you need a Java developer permanently as a part of your team. But if you need an employee for a certain period or a particular Java-based project, then you should choose another option, which we will discuss below. 

Outsourcing and outstaffing

Many people confuse these two concepts, which is not surprising because they are similar. And in both hiring models, you hire an outside employee or employees from a third-party company. But these models are still different, and we will look at them in more detail today. Understanding what model you need more, outsourcing or outstaffing depends on your project’s requirements. 

The outsourcing model assumes that you outsource a certain amount of work or the entire development cycle to an outsourcing company. Also, if you need object-oriented development for your project. In this case, your vendor will take care of the management of the entire process and team and will be responsible for the end result. Outsourcing has many advantages for large and small businesses. If we refer to Deloitte, the main reasons for applying to such a recruiting model are cost savings, flexibility, and reduced project launch time.

Outstaffing, in turn, is a variation of outsourcing, where you also apply to a third-party firm. Still, you do not want to delegate a certain amount of work but to hire offshore Java developers or several to extend your team for a certain period. One of the pros of this model, as opposed to outsourcing, is that you have control over the team’s management and development process. You influence the flow and tempo of the project by having a clear overview of the product implementation. Let’s look at the table with the contractor rates in the most popular destinations for outsourcing.

Outsourcing and outstaffing have been gaining popularity rapidly in recent years for a good reason. Both business practices allow businesses to hire less expensive developers for a certain period of time without loss of quality of work. Outstaffing is more suitable for clients who need to take over long-term project management duties, require higher flexibility and more control, and looks for fast and problem-free existing team extension. Outsourcing better fits clients who need access to a full package of development services from providers and plan to delegate the entire development, in most cases from scratch, and project management to the chosen vendor.

Each business model has pros and cons, but the most important bit is that you pick the one that works best for you and your project. Let us now find out the cost to hire java programmers, depending on the country.

The average Java developer’s salary worldwide

One of the key elements that have a significant impact on the developer’s pay rates and, consequently, the cost of development is the location of the Java programmer. Many people think a low or high price depends on quality, but this is far from the case. Java developer contract rates vary from region to region due to several factors, including the economy and living standards in various countries, salary levels, purchasing power, tax system, cost of maintaining an office, etc. Let’s compare the rates of Java developers in different countries together. 

So we compared average java developer hourly rates around the world. We found that the rates vary from $60 and $80 in the US, $40 and $65 in Latin America (i.e., Brazil), $60 to $70 in the UK, $35 to $55 in Ukraine, and $75 to $95 in Australia. We certainly hope you find a region that offers good value for your money.

Of course, when choosing a location from where you want to hire a Java developer, you should be guided by essential factors other than Java developer rates. Such factors as what security measures are taken, language skills, cultural differences, time zone, the level of development standards, or whether the country adheres to international quality standards for software development. For example, there is a quality standard such as ISO/IEC 12207:2008, and many IT companies stick to it, even in 2022.

Other factors affecting Java developers’ hourly wages: possible hidden costs

Since we’ve analyzed how Java developers’ qualifications, we suggest taking a global look at what other factors affect contract hourly rate for a Java developer. And what kind of hidden cost to hire Java coders can you encounter?

Prolonged development process

When the development process begins, it is often the case that essential requirements and artifacts had not been collected in the initial stages that could have more thoroughly made a development plan. Usually, such thorough planning occurs at the discovery stage, often omitted to save money. But neglecting this step leads to a longer development process because any update could require changes in the design or the implemented functionality. All of these factors combine to make it much more expensive to make changes during development than during planning.

Fees for each developer

If you choose to employ an in-house developer, you will have to cover many other expenses besides the developer’s salary. Taxes, benefits, office rent, software licenses, and hardware equipment are all expenses that must be covered. Additionally, due to the legal requirements to provide notice and severance pay, you cannot fire immediately unsuitable employees in some countries like Germany or Switzerland.

The hiring process costs

The longer the hiring process, the more it will cost you. If an HR manager with an average hourly salary of about $20 (in the USA) can interview ten candidates, for example, the cost can be $200. Hiring a software engineer also has other costs, such as reducing productivity when you hire a new employee, and the onboarding period also has additional expenses. These costs are usually present in such a hiring model as in-house.

Now you know what unobvious financial costs can be expected during the recruitment of a Java developer and the development of your product. Let’s now go over the main factor affecting Java developers’ rate: location.

Find experienced Java developers with Aimprosoft

In this article, we discussed various factors that can affect the salary of Java developers and the development of the entire product in general. We discussed the hidden costs that you may encounter. If you contact Aimprosoft, we can be the best solution for you in terms of price and provide the highest quality. Let’s make sure of it!

Because there are no significant social benefits or high taxes in Ukraine, development costs are slightly lower than in other EU countries. That’s why the developer’s rates in Aimprosoft are optimal, and for that, you are guaranteed to get the job successfully done. Great quality is confirmed by our successfully released projects, such as Virtual1, Motive Retail, and GenesysPGR. You can always get in touch with us, and because we have more than 80 Java developers to choose from, we will do our best to match you with the ones that have the most relevant skill set and expertise level. 

Conclusion 

Java is a profitable solution for your business because this programming language has not given up its position for many years while continuing to bring significant benefits to companies, including security, versatility, and cost-efficiency. Hiring such developers will not be very costly and time-consuming, thanks to the large Java community. We hope we’ve answered all the questions that have ever crossed your mind about how much it will cost you to hire a Java developer. But if you still have questions and want more details about Java development costs for your project, you can always contact us at Aimprosoft. We can help find the best-fit Java developers based on your request. 

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