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- HOURLY RATES FOR APP DEVELOPERS COMPARE ON ALL FACTORS
The hourly rate is one of the most important decision factors when hiring a developer. It varies on location, technology stack, skill level, programming language, etc. So how much do app developers make per hour?
You always want to find a cheaper option without sacrificing quality, no matter your budget. This is especially true in a high-cost service industry like IT. Developer hourly rates can range from $10 to $100. Is this to say that a $100 developer is preferable to you? Or should you go with something in the middle, such as a $50 developer?
This is a difficult question to give a direct answer to. The decision is entirely up to you and your requirements. That is precisely what we will discuss in this article. Let’s dig deeper!
1. How to calculate the hourly rate for a developer
To calculate this, multiply the number of hours worked every day (8 hours for a full-time employee) by the total number of working days per year (250 days in 2021). Then divide that number by the annual wage.
The average developer hourly pay in the United States, for example, is $110,390 / (8 * 250) = $55 / hour, according to Indeed’s annual compensation statistics.
2. Main factors that affect developer hourly rate
Although there are dozens of factors that influence a mobile app developer’s income and hourly rates, we’ll focus on the 5 most important ones in this article:
- Location
- Languages and technologies used
- The developer’s skills
- Developer’s experience and level
- Working model
Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as the project’s complexity or the sort of app produced. We’ll discuss them as well to help you grasp the big picture. Let’s start with the most critical aspect affecting an app developer’s hourly rate: the developer’s location.
2.1. App developer hourly rate depending on region/country
The location mainly determines app developer costs. A developer in the United States, for example, could cost ten times as much as one in Vietnam. The price range is so vast because of the global economy’s inhomogeneity. Neighboring countries belonging to a single economic area are similar in pricing policies. Here are the world’s foremost software development regions.
2.1.1 NORTH AMERICA
USA and Canada are the key countries in this region.
- In the United States, the cost of hiring app developers (without additional charges) ranges from $37 to $77 per hour. The average hourly rate is 53 dollars.
- In Canada, app developer hourly rates are between $31 and $65. The average hourly rate is 44 dollars.
Developers in the United States are, as expected, the most expensive in the region and, in the long run, one of the world’s most expensive. Canada has a little lower rate, but it is still relatively high due to its established economy and close relations with the US.
2.1.2 LATIN AMERICA
Key countries include Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
| Developer hourly rate | Brazil | Argentina | Colombia | Mexico |
| Price range | $21 – $52 | $19 – $49 | $18 – $50 | $28 – $60 |
| Average rate | $32 | $29 | $30 | $32 |
In Latin America, the cost of employing app developers is generally consistent. Mexico stands out a little bit due to its proximity to the United States.
2.1.3 WESTERN EUROPE
The UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Switzerland are key countries.
| Developer hourly rate | The UK | Ireland | Germany | France | Netherlands | Switzerland |
| Price range | $28 – $60 | $30 – $60 | $32 – $56 | $26 – $60 | $26 – $60 | $38 – $72 |
| Average rate | $39 | $43 | $45 | $37 | $38 | $54 |
In Western Europe, the cost of a developer is relatively uniform. Switzerland stands out because earnings and living costs are higher in Switzerland than in the rest of Western Europe.
2.1.4 EASTERN EUROPE
Key countries in the region are Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.
| Developer hourly rate | Belarus | Ukraine | Russia |
| Price range | $20 – $48 | $19 – $50 | $22 – $55 |
| Average rate | $28 | $29 | $31 |
2.1.5 NORTH EUROPE
Key countries include Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.
| Developer hourly rate | Norway | Sweden | Finland | Denmark | Iceland |
| Price range | $32 – $58 | $26 – $52 | $30 – $54 | $32 – $58 | $29 – $52 |
| Average rate | $44 | $35 | $43 | $37 | $42 |
2.1.6 SOUTH EUROPE
Key countries are Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
| Developer hourly rate | Spain | Portugal | Italy |
| Price range | $21 – $49 | $19 – $48 | $20 – $50 |
| Average rate | $32 | $31 | $33 |
2.1.7 CENTRAL EUROPE
Key countries are Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, and Serbia.
| Developer hourly rate | Poland | Czech Republic | Romania | Hungary | Serbia |
| Price range | $23 – $50 | $22 – $50 | $22 – $50 | $21 – $48 | $20 – $50 |
| Average rate | $35 | $33 | $33 | $30 | $29 |
2.1.8 AFRICA
Key countries are Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. The app developer cost in Africa is much lower than in Europe.
| Developer hourly rate | Egypt | Tunisia | Morocco |
| Price range | $15 – $40 | $13 – $38 | $16 – $42 |
| Average rate | $23 | $21 | $25 |
2.1.9 SOUTHEAST ASIA
Key countries are India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Singapore. Southeast Asia has the lowest cost of employing app developers in the world.
| Developer hourly rate | India | The Philippines | Bangladesh | Vietnam | Singapore |
| Price range | $8 – $45 | $8 – $40 | $7 – $38 | $10 – $40 | $25 – $60 |
| Average rate | $19 | $20 | $19 | $20 | $35 |
2.1.10 EASTERN ASIA
Key countries are China, Japan, and South Korea. Eastern Asia has higher prices than that its southern neighbors.
| Developer hourly rate | China | Japan | South Korea |
| Price range | $15 – $45 | $29 – $55 | $17 – $40 |
| Average rate | $30 | $41 | $28 |
2.1.11 OCEANIA
Key countries are Australia and New Zealand.
- In Australia, app developers cost between $33 and $65 per hour. The average hourly rate is $42.
- In New Zealand, app developers cost between $29 and $60 per hour. The average hourly rate is $42.
Learn more: Which country is the best place for software outsourcing?
2.2 App developer hourly rate depending on the languages and technologies
Of course, the languages and technology that app developers have expertise in the impact their market worth. You’ll have to pay your potential employee more if these elements are more current, sophisticated, and frequently used.
Take a look at the picture below:
As you can see, the difference can be significant: people with the same amount of experience, living in the same nation, but developing apps in different languages can earn anywhere from $35,000 to $75,000 per year.
However, keep in mind that location matters; whereas an Android app developer’s annual salary in the United States might be as high as $137,000, it can be as low as $10,000 in Vietnam.
2.3 App developer hourly rate depending on their skills
You may have noticed that persons with comparable backgrounds and working in similar roles can earn vastly different amounts of money. What causes this? Now we’ll look at another crucial factor: an app developer’s abilities. Some hard skills are unique to iOS and Android app developers, and some soft abilities are standard.
2.3.1 Hourly rate for iOS developer
The following are the hard skills that will determine an iOS developer’s salary:
- Have the ability to work with different iOS programming languages, including Swift and Python.
- Have the ability to develop apps for a variety of platforms.
- Work with the frequently used open-source APIs.
- Work with cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter.
2.3.2 Android developer hourly rate
The hard skills required of an Android developer are similar:
- Expertise in Android programming languages such as Java and Kotlin.
- Having the ability to work in open-source libraries and ecosystems is a plus.
- Work with cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter.
When it comes to soft skills, there are a few that employers value the most, such as teamwork, resourcefulness and innovation, critical thinking, and strong time management.
Of course, it’s hard to predict which abilities will “cost” more or which will be more desirable to a specific business. On the other hand, App developers can be confident that the more of these talents they have, the better the hourly rate they can expect.
2.4 App developer hourly rate depending on the experience and level
Junior developer | Middle developer | Senior developer | Architect | |
| Experience | From zero to 2 years of experience | From 2 to 5 years of experience | 5+ years of experience. | Most preferably, 10+ years of experience. |
| Project role | Juniors come with no or little experience and have to learn a lot during the working process to utilize their knowledge in real life. | Having good knowledge in the sphere but still have a lot to learn. | Knowing all common patterns and anti-patterns, having a masterful command of languages, understanding the standard application protocols, and being great mentors. | These developers are usually responsible for the technical control of the apps and manage the whole development process. |
| iOS | $78,000 per year | $100,000 per year | $115,000 per year | $123,000 per year |
| Android | $75,000 per year | $97,000 per year | $113,000 per year | $130,000 per year |
2.5 App developer hourly rate depending on hiring model
When you consider how much it would cost to hire an app developer, there’s one additional item to consider: which hiring method to choose.
Employers typically consider three sorts of app development collaborations: employing an in-house developer, finding a freelancer to execute a specific task, and outsourcing a complete project to an outsource app development company.
2.5.1 AN IN-HOUSE APP DEVELOPER
The first option is the most expensive and is only appropriate for businesses that regularly develop mobile apps. In this situation, you’ll need your app development team of four to six employees, each of whom will be paid an average of more than $70,000 per year (for a total of at least $280,000).
2.5.2 A FREELANCER
This is the most cost-effective alternative for an employer because you will only be paying hourly rates to your staff. In this instance, you avoid all costs associated with insurance, pensions, paid time off, and so on. On the other hand, this form of collaboration is best suited to small or simple projects. Otherwise, the number of communication issues you’ll confront, as well as a lack of skilled and cohesive staff, will be too much for you to handle.
2.5.3 AN OUTSOURCING COMPANY
Remote work has grown in popularity in recent years, notably since the introduction of Covid-19. As a result, you are not limited to selecting developers from your region. The idea of employing a professional offshore team of developers, rather than an individual app developer, to build an app for you for a predetermined price and with no additional costs appears to be a good compromise. This is why:
- A team of app developers typically takes 3 to 8 months to complete one app. If you hire a team solely to produce a single app for your firm, they will be unemployed after the mission is over. You can avoid having to hire a team of high-paid specialists to do a single assignment by contracting an outsource business to create one app for you.
- When you recruit an in-house team, you should expect to pay for things like paid time off, insurance, benefits, and annual contributions to retirement plans, among other things. When you choose an outsourcing company, you pay for the services you need. You are not responsible for any additional costs once the service has been provided and paid for.
- Your in-house developers or freelancer you hire can become unwell, have personal issues, or make excuses for not doing the duty you’ve assigned to them. You won’t have these issues if you choose an outsourcing company; you merely pay for your software, and it will be ready for you by the agreed-upon deadline.
- As an app development business appreciates its reputation, you save a lot of money while still getting a high-quality product. The higher their prospects of getting new clients are, the better project they generate. They will do all possible to produce a high-quality product for you since this product will prove the company’s solid reputation.
Read more: The facts you haven’t known before about Offshore Software Development
3. Common questions about Hiring App Developers
1. Which region should you choose to save money and not lose quality?
The Vietnamese IT outsourcing market is still in its early stages, but it is rapidly expanding: Vietnam has already surpassed Japan as the country’s second-largest IT outsourcing partner. By 2020, TopDev, a famous IT recruitment platform in Vietnam, expects to have 300,000 developer profiles registered.
Vietnam ranks fifth in the GSLI due to its meager labor rates, which compete with India’s, and favorable IT tax regulations. English skills vary, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll find a vendor whose communication level corresponds to your requirements.
The average developer salaries in Vietnam are approximately 85% lower than those in the United States, resulting in significant savings on your part.
During COVID-19, Vietnam is also one of the Safest Countries.
– Vietnam is ranked 1 in pioneering location and cost environment (Cushman & Wakefield business process outsourcing and shaped service location index, 2016-2017)
– Top 10 countries with the most engineering graduates (Forbes, 2015)
2. What to look for when choosing an app developer depending on programming languages?
Again, budgets do not always allow you to choose the best option. If this is the case for you, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
– What functionality will be implemented in the application? – What type of application is it (web, native, hybrid)?
– Will the application scale in the future?
– What is the expected traffic of the application?
– And other questions, depending on the project.
After answering these questions, you can make up a pool of languages that, in theory, could suit you. If this causes difficulties, we can select the optimal technology for your project for free.
4. The Cost of Hiring an App Developer: Wrapping Up
Hiring a software development team for your project might be a difficult undertaking. This is especially true if you are situated in the US or Western Europe and are seeking tech talent in your region. It may take you a long time to find ideal people at reasonable prices.
You may, however, engage an offshore programming team to expedite the process and minimize unanticipated costs. If you are new to hiring remotely, offshore software development rates by country can be a factor to consider.
The good news is — we have solved this issue at InApps.
If you want to build a professional offshore software development team in Vietnam, look no further than InApps Technology! We’re proud to rank by Clutch as:
- 1st for Top Blockchain Developers in Vietnam
- 1st for Top Mobile App Development Companies in Vietnam
- 1st for Top E-Commerce App Developers in Vietnam
We provide offshore software development services to help clients increase their software development capacity and efficiently turn their ideas into working products. A dedicated Development Team of experienced engineers to design and develop high-quality technical solutions of any level of complexity.
Our offshore software development rates are from $2,800 to $4,000 per month depending on the position that you need. Reliability is one of the elements to make the best decision! Hence, we shall show you our reputation via Our Case Studies. Reach out today, and we’ll be happy to provide you with more insights into the management of outsourced development.
Let’s create the next big thing together!
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
