Svetlana ShevchukFor more than a decade now, people have gradually appreciated the benefits of remote working. Now, more and more candidates are looking for job opportunities that include remote work option. According to recent Owl Labs research, due to those rapid changes, businesses must make work portable.
Thus, if you need to hire a Node.js developer for your business, now is a great time to look at the global pool of talents to choose from. On the flip side, since writing Node.js command-line tools on JavaScript codes has become popular, hiring a top-tier Node.js engineer has become hard.
For this reason, we have created a comprehensive guide to examine the best options you have when hiring a web developer nowadays. This article will explore how Node.js popularity affects your hiring process, the average salaries of Node.js development services, and the different employment types you can choose from. By the end of this 14-minute read, you will have everything you need before hiring a Node.js specialist.
Table of Contents
Node.js popularity: does it influence your hiring process?
As mentioned above, Node.js has become well-known as one of the best ways to execute JavaScript code outside a web browser. Likewise, software engineers also use this open-source, high-performing, cross-platform, back-end runtime environment daily in countless projects worldwide. According to Hackerank, JavaScript has been the best-known programming language since 2019 and continues to be in 2023.
Accordingly, Node.js programmers have gained extreme popularity as most companies use this runtime to back up their JavaScript code. Numerous giant platforms, like Netflix, Trello, LinkedIn, and eBay, use Node.js for building their primary and mobile apps.
Therefore, the demand for Node.js engineers is enormous, and hiring a professional developer has become more challenging than ever. To hire an expert Node.js developer with decent experience and good English, you should be ready to pay, on average, from $7K to $11K monthly, depending on the hiring model.
| In-house hiring in the US | Staff augmentation via YouTeam | Freelance contractor on Upwork | |
| Average monthly payment to Senior Node.js Developer | $14,345 | $9,540 | $7,800 |
| Extra costs for the company | Taxes, bonuses, non-financial benefits, office rent, and support | YouTeam commission | Upwork commission |
| Hiring costs | HR costs, job promotional ads | YouTeam does candidates’ sourcing and assists with interviews | Managers’ time for candidate sourcing, screening, and interviewing |
Sources: Glassdoor, YouTeam, Upwork
Before we dive deeper into the benefits of different employment types, let’s have a look at the Node.js developers’ average income worldwide.
How can knowledge of the average Node.js developers’ salaries help your business?
Average salary rates won’t give you an exact answer on your future development spending. There are too many other variables that can influence the final price.
For example, when you hire a developer in-house, you should also add all extra costs associated with a new employee. Development rates from outsourcing companies would be higher than the average salary because they already include all these extra costs like taxes, office supplies, etc.
If you need extraordinary talent, their salaries will also be higher than the average. There are a lot of other things that could influence the final cost.
Why, then, do we think it’s important to know an average salary? It’s a baseline that allows you to compare the costs of different hiring models and locations. And choose the best option for your particular case.
Nowadays, when remote work is no longer a problem, companies are not limited to a local talent market. So by comparing rates in different regions, we can find those that are aligned with your budget and make a smart hiring decision.
What is the average income of a Node.js developer in different countries?
Although there are highly professional engineers in numerous countries, we notice significant differences in the average Node.js developers’ incomes. The average salary varies from $50 to 90$ due to a country’s living cost and multiple other parameters; salaries vary greatly based on the engineer’s region.
Let’s explore differences by analyzing the average wages in different countries.
North and Latin America
As most of you imagine, the US has the highest average salaries worldwide when it comes to software engineers. According to Glassdoor, a Node.js developer based in the US earns more than $117K per year.
On the flip side, the developers’ average income-based in Latin American countries is very different. To be more precise, a Node.js developer in Mexico, a very well-known country for its professional engineers, makes $39K per year.
| Country | Junior, $ | Middle, $ | Senior, $ |
| Mexico | $22,000 | $39,000 | $70,000 |
| Brazil | $30,000 | $41,000 | $73,000 |
| Costa Rica | $24,000 | $48,000 | $75,000 |
| Uruguay | $23,000 | $45,000 | $67,000 |
| Colombia | $15,000 | $39,000 | $65,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale
Read more about developers in Latin America.
Europe
As with countries located in America, developers in Europe earn different amounts depending on the country they are based in. As a rule, Node.js developers in Western European countries have a much higher base income than those located in Eastern European countries.
Likewise, a Node.js developer in Germany has an average salary of $67K per year. On the other side, countries like Ukraine and Bulgaria have a professional IT workforce but offer lower incomes. For example, Ukrainian Node.js developers earn around $40K per year.
| Country | Junior, $ | Middle, $ | Senior, $ |
| The UK | $53,000 | $64,000 | $83,000 |
| Germany | $52,000 | $67,000 | $92,000 |
| Czech Republic | $32,000 | $54,000 | $78,000 |
| Poland | $22,000 | $41,000 | $74,000 |
| Ukraine | $19,000 | $40,000 | $63,000 |
| Hungary | $32,000 | $49,000 | $67,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale
Read more about developers in Easern Europe.
Africa and Asia
Finally, countries in Africa and Asia also have lower salaries than Western Europe and the US. For example, Node.js developers in India make around $18K per year. Likewise, an engineer with years of experience based in South Africa earns around $49K.
| Country | Junior, $ | Middle, $ | Senior, $ |
| India | $9,000 | $18,000 | $27,000 |
| China | $23,000 | $58,000 | $74,000 |
| Philippines | $14,000 | $25,000 | $41,000 |
| South Africa | $23,000 | $49,000 | $85,000 |
| Egypt | $12,000 | $20,000 | $34,000 |
| Kenya | $19,000 | $26,000 | $48,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale
It becomes evident that, although countries like Ukraine provide top-tier developers, the Node.js developer’s average income differs a lot based on region. Likewise, this is why companies from the US and Western Europe choose to invest in outsourced engineers from Mexico, Ukraine, Bulgaria, etc.
If you choose to augment your team with a Node.js developer from Ukraine, for example, you have to offer a much more reasonable salary. Therefore, by knowing the average wages in different countries of the world, you can cut your expenses significantly.
Now, let’s explore the different choices you have when hiring a top-tier developer based on geography and employment type.
Let’s explore differences by analyzing the average wages in different countries.
What are the main ways to hire a Node.js developer?
If you need to hire a professional developer for your Node.js application development projects, you should know that you have many solutions. In the last few years, different hiring models have been developed based on geography and employment type.
Thus, let’s explore all the different solutions separately. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify the best hiring model, depending on your company’s needs and budget.
Hiring a Node.js developer: based on geography
If you want to hire a Node.js developer, there are three options based on geography. You can hire an engineer locally, hire a nearshore talent, or trust an offshore developer (or development team).
For those who prefer to hire local Node.js engineers, all traditional ways of hiring will be good. Most companies first check well-known online job boards like Angel.co or Glassdoor.com.
Apart from that, you can also hire developers by hosting or attending local tech events such as hackathons and tech conferences. And yes, we know that lately, these activities have been minimal. But events have drifted online just like everything else. So here are your new opportunities.
Finally, you can request an in-house developer from headhunting companies or look at your local market by utilizing your HR services.
On the flip side, most businesses nowadays choose to hire nearshore or offshore engineers. The hiring process in those two cases is quite similar. The first thing you should seek is individuals and agencies with good ratings. There are numerous B2B platforms like Clutch and G2 that provide ratings for you to check before hiring a Node.js engineer.
Finally, many companies also choose to employ their next Node.js developers through regional events (tech conferences and hackathons) when it comes to nearshore talents.
Those were the different solutions you have based on geographic proximity. Still, analyzing the different employment types, you can choose from is equally important.
Where to find remote Node.js developers? Top communities and groups
If remote work is your option, we suggest to your attention a list of groups for Node.js developers. Post a job there, or contact the most active users directly, offering a deal. Either way, these online communities are the place where the most active Node.js developers in the world are concentrated.
- Node.js official Twitter account
- NodeBB at GitHub
- Node.js developers on Facebook
- Node Slackers for Slack users
- Node.js on Reddit
- Node.js developers at YouTeam
- Node.js Community (haven’t been updated lately)
- more resources on the official Node.js website.
Hiring a Node.js developer: based on employment type
As with solutions based on geography, when hiring a Node.js developer for your company, you can use different employment types: in-house hiring, staff augmentation, freelance, and outsourcing software development. Although some of those employment states prove to be more beneficial for most companies, each one has its advantages and disadvantages.
Hiring a Node.js developer: in-house development
If you choose to hire an in-house developer, you have to offer a monthly salary and pay all the worker benefits (financial and non-financial). To be more precise, in-house is the traditional hiring model and the best choice for companies who want a new addition to their company’s office crew.
However, in-house development is the most expensive solution, especially for development companies in the US and Western Europe. Likewise, this is not an ideal solution if you want to reduce your expenses.
Hiring a Node.js developer via staff augmentation
Staff augmentation is a brilliant solution for companies that want to rapidly scale their development process by hiring dedicated Node.js developer contractors. With team augmentation, you can choose an already hired and vetted engineer employed by some development shop. This is a way to hire great talent with no hustle.
Another way to save your time could be hiring via trusted online platforms like YouTeam, where you can find all currently available developers from top outsourcing companies in Eastern Europe and Latin America. In this way, you can easily and quickly (first available candidates within 48 hours) hire a top-tier Node.js engineer.
| Minimal Rate | Maximal Rate | Average Rate | |
| Middle NodeJS Developer | $55 | $120 | $43 |
| Senior NodeJS Developer | $60 | $260 | $55 |
Source: YouTeam
Browse 500+ Dev Teams Available for Hire
In a few words, staff augmentation is as safe as in-house hiring but much faster and usually more cost-effective. Thus, this is the perfect solution for you if you need to hire a top-tier, full-time Node.js developer at a reasonable price.
Hiring a freelance Node.js developer
Freelance is another alternative to augment your Node.js development team. If your company chooses to hire a freelance Node.js developer via platforms like Upwork, Toptal, or Freelancer, you only have to pay for the job done plus the platform’s commission.
Even though freelancers are the cheapest employment type, this hiring model comes at a more significant risk. Unfortunately, when working with a freelancer, you could face problems like delays and project cancellations. Thus, this is an ideal solution for small, insignificant Node.js tasks.
Hiring a Node.js developer: outsourcing
The last employment type we will explore is outsourcing. If your company chooses to hire via outsourcing services, the process is pretty simple and similar to staff augmentation. All your company has to do is contact a development shop with expertise in Node.js and agree on the project requirements and team needed for its realization. Then, an outsourced development team will work on your Node.js projects remotely.
Outsourcing usually is more affordable than in-house hiring. Nevertheless, outsourcing is a better solution for companies looking for a permanent team of Node.js developers and a safe way of hiring as each member of the contract signs the NDA (Non-disclosure agreement). Likewise, if you seek a temporary outsourced solution, staff augmentation is the best way to go.
Comparing Node.js developers: The US vs. Europe vs. Asia
We previously mentioned that Node.js developers in the US are much more expensive than Ukrainian or Indian developers. But does this variation in average income also influence the professionalism and skill set of the developers? The answer, according to Hackerrank’s research, is no.
More precisely, according to Hackerrank’s scoreboard, Ukrainian engineers ranked at #11 with a fantastic success score of 88.7% across all tech challenges. On the flip side, US developers ranked at #28 (78%), and server-side coders from India at #31 (76%).
One possible explanation of this situation is that US developers are generalists when engineers from Ukraine and other offshore countries focus on some particular stack during their careers. In this way, the last become better experts in a particular technology and overcome their US colleagues who have a wider tech experience.
Likewise, those statistics indicate that a country’s average income is not relevant to its workforce’s qualifications. For example, Ukraine proved to provide affordable, highly skilled developers.
| Node.js Developer | The U.S | Ukraine | India |
| Salary | $116K | $67K | $28K |
| Time Zone Convenience | Perfect for the US and Europe. | Perfect for Western European countries and the US. Big time differences with Australia. | Time differences between European countries and the US. Suitable for Australia. |
| English Proficiency | Native | Intermediate to High level of English | Basic to High level of English |
| Skills | Ranked at 28th place | Ranked at 11th place | Ranked at 31st place |
What questions should you ask when interviewing a Node.js engineer?
No matter which employment type you choose, there are two main categories of questions you should ask in real-time before hiring a web application engineer:
- Hard skills: You should always make sure that the full-stack developer you have an interview with has the skills you need for your projects (PHP, AWS and V8 JavaScript engine, npm, Angular.js, front-end and back-end development, and sometimes Python). Asking questions about Node.js and JavaScript (i.e., the environment’s features, creating a cross-platform Android or iOS app, Node.js frameworks, questions around functionality and API or Agile, etc.) will verify the candidate’s hard skills.
More question ideas for hard skills interviews with Node.js developers (with answers) you can find here. - Soft skills: After examining an interviewee’s skills, you should alter the discussion and ask questions to verify their cultural fit and background. In this way, you can prove that the candidate is a great team player that will fit into your company.
Ideas of questions for a soft skills interview with remote developers are collected by YouTeam here.
Why should you choose YouTeam to hire your next Node.js developer?
If you want to hire a top Node.js developer via staff augmentation or a flexible outsourced model, YouTeam is the best platform on the market. Let’s analyze the reasons why:
- Unlimited options: With YouTeam, you can find the best devs in no time. Our company has vetted top-tier developers from Eastern Europe and Latin America.
- Hire top-tier developers: Although our engineers are not freelancers, our platform gives you the final decision regarding the hiring process. To be more precise, you can host as many interviews as you need to verify our Node.js developers’ skill sets.
- There are no hidden costs for our clients: If you choose to hire a Node.js engineer through YouTeam, the sourcing and interviewing process is risk-free. You start paying money only after the contract with the selected developer is signed.
- Numerous good reviews from clients: Most of our clients fully trust our vetting process and choose to stay with YouTeam after trying our engagement models.
Wrap up
This article analyzed why Node.js engineers have become extremely popular and how this makes your hiring process harder. For this reason, we explored the average incomes and different hiring models you can choose to make this hiring process manageable.
We concluded that staff augmentation and outsourcing are the best solutions for companies on a budget. By the end of our research, we proved why YouTeam is the most trustworthy online platform for hiring a Node.js developer via staff augmentation.
Iryna Bilyk
YouTeam Editorial Team