Svetlana ShevchukAccording to Mehul Patel, there were more than 25 million software developers in 2021, which is expected to reach 28 million by 2024. Thus, if you need to hire a front-end developer, there are many web developers. But how do you decide which candidate best suits your company?
To help you with that, we have created this guide. This article will first explore a front-end developer’s types, skills, and responsibilities. Then, we will analyze the cost of hiring one for your company and all your alternatives. By the end of this 13 minutes read, you will be able to identify the best option for your company when hiring a front-end developer.
Table of Contents
Who is a front-end developer
In a few words, a front-end developer is a member of your development team that will architect and develop your website or application by utilizing web technologies (i.e., HTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript).
In addition to their expertise in web development, front-end developers are also highly skilled in handling the graphic elements of games, bringing their proficiency in HTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript to create visually appealing and interactive experiences.
By having the user experience as his main priority, the front-end developer is a crucial member of every web development team. Let’s dive deeper into the role’s types, skills, and responsibilities.
What are the types of front-end developers based on experience
Front-end developers are divided into three main categories based on their experience: junior, middle, and senior.
| Types of developers | Years of experience | Skill stack | Independency |
| Junior front-end Dev | 0-2 years | Basic HTML, CSS, JS, and popular frameworks. | Needs guidance and relies on documentation. |
| Middle front-end Dev | 2-5 years | Strong proficiency in front-end and some back-end technologies. | Can work independently on moderate complexity projects. |
| Senior front-end Dev | 5+ years | Deep knowledge of front-end and strong back-end skills. | Can work independently on complex projects and takes a leadership role. |
Below, let’s look at each of the types a little deeper.
Junior front-end developer
A junior front-end developer has, in most cases, 0-2 years of experience and is familiar with one programming language. However, most junior front-end developers have the required knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and other frameworks.
For this reason, a web developer of this level could be the best option for your company if you need to offer a lower salary but still complete a project. Although most junior front-end developers have the urge to prove themselves, they work slower than middle and senior developers and might not have all of the skills you require.
Middle front-end developer
Seniority comes with years of experience. That is why a middle front-end developer is safer for your company. A great web developer will examine your business aims and budget and propose alternatives and ways to solve problems. As it concerns their skillset, the middle front-end developer has already gained expertise in multiple programming languages.
Senior front-end developer
On the other hand, if you need a front-end developer for a senior position, then only a senior front-end developer will have the skills required for the job. This person is a quick and effective web developer and has the knowledge required to create high-quality code for an optime UI on your company’s website. The senior developer doesn’t require much time for onboarding and needs no supervision.
What are the skills a front-end developer should have
As mentioned, a web developer can utilize core technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Markup languages as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are crucial for your website to be built.
You should choose a candidate proficient with JavaScript, as this language is created to promote user interactions like video and audio, animations, etc.
However, with the growth of the complexity of web apps, no one uses ‘vanilla’ JavaScript these days. That’s why many JavaScript frameworks appeared that allow us to create complicated, rich front-end apps faster and easier. For example, the most popular frameworks are Angular 2, React.js, Backbone.js, and more.
A great web developer is also familiar with version control, usually at GitHub, which allows recording the changes done to the website files. Proficiency with AJAX, JSON, and Websocket is also important for a front-end developer. Implementing AJAX on a WebSocket connection is conceptually easy. AJAX allows sending and retrieving JSON data from a server asynchronously without interfering with the display and behavior of your web page.
There are numerous other skills that a front-end developer utilizes to create a great website, like working with Single Page Applications, CMS, Bootstrap, and other CSS frameworks, React, and DOM. Therefore, it’s crucial for you as a hiring manager to focus on your next developer’s skills rather than over-indexing their education.
What are a front-end developer’s main responsibilities
Given that, a great front-end developer is both a great designer and a reliable programmer, UI, and web development are their main responsibilities. The front-end developer will be the person that ensures that the user interaction is simple by utilizing all the web developing skills we mentioned earlier.
A front-end developer is also responsible for creating clean, safe code. It should be easy to understand to any developer that works with them or will continue coding after. Likewise, code testing, optimization, and website security are usually your developer’s responsibilities.
A decent front-end developer should also be good in project management or at least understand how Agile project management works.
Apart from development skills, you should look into every candidate’s soft skills too. Your front-end developer needs to be an enthusiast who loves the job and a great team player. Don’t forget that the collaboration between your front-end developer and other team members (like the back-end developer or the project manager) will be constant and thus crucial for your website.
In our current reality, one more important skill is the ability to work in a remote team and organize their time themselves.
How much does it cost to hire a front-end developer
According to indeed.com, a front-end developer’s average base salary in New York for 2023 is $130K. However, is this salary close to the New York average in other parts of the globe? Of course not. Front-end developer salaries vary based on region, experience, type of engagement. Let’s have a look at those three parameters individually.
How front-end developers’ salaries vary in different regions
As most of you guess, the USA and Western Europe are the regions where front-end developers have the highest salaries. According to PayScale, the average front-end developer salary in the US is $81K per year. As an example of pricing in Western Europe, the average front-end developer salary in Denmark is $91K.
However, when it comes to Latin America or Eastern Europe, things are completely different. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a front-end developer in Ukraine is $45K. That is why many companies from the US choose to invest in offshore development teams from Eastern European countries, as this type of hiring is more cost-effective.
A comparison of the average yearly salary of front-end developers between the US and popular outsourcing destinations
Average front-end developer salary in North and South America
When looking to hire front-end developers, it is good to know how salary ranges across different parts of the world. For example, the highest salaries are in the countries of North America, as these countries have the highest cost of living.
Developers from South America, in contrast, have lower costs of living which also influences the average annual wage. Although, despite lower costs, they have the same level of expertise and skills, so it is possible to find what you need. To see clearly the differences, let’s compare the average salaries of developers in North and South America in the table below:
| Country | Junior front-end developer salary, $ | Middle front-end developer salary, $ | Senior front-end developer salary, $ |
| The US | $64,000 | $118,000 | $182,000 |
| Canada | $61,000 | $105,000 | $168,000 |
| Mexico | $29,000 | $49,000 | $98,000 |
| Brazil | $24,000 | $40,000 | $91,000 |
| Colombia | $15,000 | $38,000 | $53,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed
Average front-end developer salary in Europe
The average front-end developer salary varies across different parts of Europe. The highest average salaries are in Western Europe, for example, the UK—$67K, Germany—$70K, and Switzerland—$75K. It is also worth noting that Eastern Europe countries are the home of more than 400K developers. The average front-end developer salaries in such countries as Poland, Bulgaria, or Ukraine are lower due to a lower cost of living and the overall lower cost of doing business. So, let’s look at how actually different these average salaries are in the table below:
| Country | Junior front-end developer salary, $ | Middle front-end developer salary, $ | Senior front-end developer salary, $ |
| The UK | $58,000 | $62,000 | $81,000 |
| Germany | $57,000 | $70,000 | $83,000 |
| France | $46,000 | $58,000 | $79,000 |
| Bulgaria | $25,000 | $44,000 | $67,000 |
| Poland | $28,000 | $59,000 | $83,000 |
| Ukraine | $21,000 | $52,000 | $72,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed
Source: PayScale, Indeed, Glassdoor
What are front-end developers’ salaries based on experience
As mentioned earlier, the average front-end developer salary in the US is $108K per year. This amount is also influenced not only by the amount each company intends to pay but also by the developer’s experience. Likewise, a senior front-end developer in the US has an average salary of $175K. On the other hand, a mid-career front-end developer makes around $105K a year, and a junior front-end developer has a salary of $65K.
A comparison of the US front-end developers’ salaries based on the experience
| Junior front-end developer | Middle front-end developer | Senior front-end developer |
| $65,000 | $105,000 | $175,000 |
Source: PayScale
How front-end developers’ salaries are different based on engagement type
When hiring a front-end developer, you have three different options based on the engagement type. You can either hire a freelancer, an in-house developer, or an outsourced one.
When a company hires a freelancer through Upwork or another platform, it only pays for the job. Compared to the other two options, hiring a freelancer is the most affordable choice. Nevertheless, it has been noticed that many specific problems occur when working with a freelancer, like delays, time zone difference difficulties, or even project cancellations. For this reason, hiring a freelancer for a mobile app or web development might be cheaper but isn’t always a safe choice.
On the other hand, in-house developers are directly interested in positive project results and are less likely to leave a project. Of course, when the company hires a full-time in-house developer, it has to offer a monthly salary and pay different financial and non-financial benefits.
That is why IT outsourcing proves to be an excellent choice for a vast number of US companies.
The global market for IT outsourcing was estimated at $530.15 Billion in the year 2021 and is expected to reach a revised size of $1065.10 Billion by 2030.
There could be different engagement models with outsourcing services, but the general methodology is pretty simple. All you have to do is hire your front-end developers through an offshore software development company. Then, a dedicated team of offshore developers will work on your project remotely. The fact that this company doesn’t have to be situated in the US makes this solution much more affordable than in-house developers. Although this solution’s price is relatively higher than most freelancers, it is favored due to its safety.
We have compared the cost of hiring a front-end developer per different hiring options: hiring a freelance developer, outstaffing a front-end developer, and hiring an in-house US engineer. See the comparison below.
| In-house hiring in the US | Staff augmentation via YouTeam | A freelance developer on Upwork | |
| Average hourly rate of a front-end developer | $62 | $51 | $52 |
| Extra costs | Taxes, bonuses, non-financial benefits, office rent, and support | YouTeam does candidates’ sourcing, vetting, and assists with interviews. This service also includes commission | Upwork commission |
Source: PayScale, YouTeam, Upwork
Offshore front-end developers available for hire
Top websites to hire front-end developers
To find and hire the best software engineers for your company, you should first define your business goals. It is also essential to settle your time frames, needs, and requirements from a front-end developer.
That will allow you to understand your needs. By defining your priorities, goals, and needs, you will understand how to organize your development process and whether you want to hire a freelancer or an in-house team, a junior or senior developer, etc.
Where to find and hire a freelance front-end developer
Hiring a freelancer is the best option for companies that need to spend the lowest amount possible. Due to the competition on freelance platforms, in most cases, you will find a front-end developer that will do the job at a relatively low price.
For this reason, you should consider hiring a freelancer if you need to complete a one-time startup web development project. Let’s have a look at the best platforms to hire a freelancer:
Where to find and hire an in-house front-end developer
If you need to hire a long-term employee for your company’s front-end development needs, hiring a freelancer isn’t always a safe choice. That is why many companies prefer to hire an in-house front-end developer. By offering a monthly salary, you ensure to add a motivated developer to your team.
Thus, if you have high-priority, substantial web development projects, an in-house front-end developer is a safe (yet expensive) solution. If you wonder where you can find an in-house developer, those are the best online job boards:
Where to find and hire a front-end developer through staff augmentation
Companies choose staff augmentation when they need a dedicated development team or individual. Staff augmentation uses full-time employed front-end engineers from outsourcing agencies. However, unlike assigning or handing over an entire project to an outsourcing company, employers manage remote developers and communicate with them directly.
In addition, organizations don’t have to worry about retirement contributions or health insurance and make a commitment to integrating front-end engineers into the team as they do with in-house employees. Finally, hiring contractors is a faster and more flexible way to close skill gaps since the developers are already employed, their skills and experience are verified, and the company doesn’t need to negotiate the benefits package.
You can hire dedicated front-end contract engineers on YouTeam.
Questions to ask when interviewing a front-end developer
We really like how Coursera has broken down the front-end interview questions into the following categories:
- Front-end developer’s technical skills.
- The impact of their previous work on the companies they’ve worked for, from increasing revenue to meeting customer needs.
- An engineer’s ability to take feedback on a project and collaborate with other teams.
- Their commitment to improving their skills.
Based on this suggested framework of interview questions, companies can ask candidates the following:
- What techniques do you use to optimize front-end web pages?
- What impact could these optimizations have on the company’s project goals and site visitors’ experience?
- What has been your most significant professional accomplishment and why? Are there any projects that you just knocked out of the park?
- What are your favorite types of front-end development projects to work on?
- How long would it take you to learn the new library, framework, or skill set?
- What technical challenges have you recently faced and how did you overcome them?
Additionally, if you want to delve deeper into a front-end developer’s personality, team communication skills, and ability to work remotely, use our remote developer interview tool.
Why hire dedicated front-end developers with YouTeam
If you are thinking of hiring an outsource front-end developer for your web or app development, our company will ensure that this cooperation will be both affordable and effective. Let’s have a look at the advantages of hiring an offshore development team (or individual) with YouTeam:
- You have a vast number of software developers to choose from.
- We vet each and every engineer and cooperate only with trusted development firms.
- You will have the ability to scale your development team.
- There will be no recruitment fees or other overhead costs.
- You will be able to check the previous work of full-stack developers listed on the YouTeam platform here.
- We can source the first candidates within 48 hours.
Conclusion
To summarize, we have analyzed the characteristics of a front-end developer and the role’s main skills and responsibilities of a member of your development team. We also had a look at the cost of hiring a front-end developer and its variations based on region, experience, and type of engagement. Ultimately, we concluded that using YouTeam’s platform to hire outsourced front-end developers proves to be a safe and cost-effective choice for your company.
How to hire the best front-end developers—FAQ
Our article in a nutshell.
Who is a front-end developer?
A front-end developer is a member of your development team who will architect and develop your website or application using web technologies (i.e., HTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript).
What skills do the front-end developer need?
- Core technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Single Page Applications
- CMS
- Bootstrap and other CSS frameworks
- React
- AJAX. JSON, Websocket
- SVG
- jQuery
- DOM
- Version control
What is the salary of a front-end developer?
Front-end developer salaries vary based on region, experience, type of engagement. Likewise, a junior developer is paid less than a senior, a freelancer less than an in-house developer, and the salaries in Eastern European countries are smaller than those in the US. Thus, the difference between the salary of a junior and senior developer in the US can make up to $105K from $65K for a junior dev and to $175K for a senior. At the same time, the salary of a junior developer in Ukraine and other popular outsourcing destinations can be $45K or even less.
How do I find a front-end developer?
If you have identified which type of developer suits you best (freelancer, in-house employee, or outsourced developer), there are numerous platforms for each category.
What is the safest way to hire a front-end developer?
What are the best countries to hire offshore front-end developers?
Countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America are both cost-effective and provide great web developers. What’s also essential is a minimal time zone difference between them and the UK and the US.
Artem Vasin
