YouTeam Editorial TeamRuby development outsourcing is a challenge for many entrepreneurs worldwide. The lack of specialists capable of building a high-level Ruby solution, along with high rates, forced the US and Western European companies to outsource their products to Eastern Europe, Latin America and India. Outsourcing attracts companies that hire developers or entire teams because they pay a reasonable price and get a perfect product that meets their needs and expectations. We will discuss the nuances of hiring Ruby engineers to successfully meet development goals.
Table of Contents
Why is Ruby so popular
Ruby is one of the most popular programming languages for the development of web projects. No matter what project it is for, a great enterprise or uprising startup, Ruby can handle all of the issues. It has powerful capabilities for building websites, games, and applications, as well as prototyping and administration. NASA, Motorola, and many other industry leaders use Ruby to empower their businesses. Additionally, such services as Twitter, Airbnb, and Slideshare are written in the Ruby on Rails open-source framework.
There are 2 main reasons why software developers love Ruby:
- It is simple and readable,
- It allows for fast development and simple deployment.
Are Ruby developers in demand
Here are also several statistics that show you that Ruby is not only a popular programming language but also in high demand among software development companies.
- According to Simplilearn, Ruby is in the top 10 best programming languages to learn in 2024.
- The statistics of Top Computer Languages show that Ruby is among the 20 most popular languages in the US.
- According to the Stack Overflow 2022 survey, Ruby is among the top 20 most popular and in the top 5 among the most paying programming languages.
- Approximately 580,000 currently live websites use Ruby’s most popular framework—Ruby on Rails.
The point is only to find a person that knows what it means to code well and is responsible and communicative. We prepared some tips for your better understanding of how to find the best Ruby developers.
What are the types of Ruby developers based on experience
There are three types of Ruby developers based on experience: junior, middle, and senior. In the table below, we will explore what skills each type should have, how independent they are, and how many years of experience each of them has.
| Types of developers | Years of experience | Skill stack | Independency |
| Junior Ruby Developer | 0-2 years | Basic knowledge of Ruby syntax, object-oriented programming principles, and common Ruby libraries like Ruby on Rails. | Needs guidance from a senior developer or team lead and relies heavily on documentation and tutorials. |
| Middle Ruby Developer | 2-5 years | Strong proficiency in Ruby and related technologies, including advanced Ruby on Rails techniques, database design, and API development. | Can work independently on projects of moderate complexity but may still require some guidance on more complex tasks. |
| Senior Ruby Developer | 5+ years | Deep knowledge of Ruby and related technologies, the latest trends, and best practices. Strong proficiency in software architecture and design, system administration, and DevOps tools and techniques. | Can work independently on complex projects and may take a leadership role in guiding other developers. |
How much does it cost to hire a Ruby developer
According to Indeed, for example, the average Ruby developer salary in San Francisco is around $150K. However, the annual wage of Ruby developers in other countries is a bit different as it depends on many factors. For example, it can vary based on the living costs of the country, the developers’ experience level, and engagement type, which can impact their earnings in different ways.
Average Ruby developer salary based on experience
The average Ruby developer salary varies on many factors. One of these is the experience of the developer. Here, let’s see what Ruby engineers can make based on how many years of expertise they have.
| Experience | Average developer salary, $ |
| Junior Ruby developer salary | $97,000 |
| Middle Ruby developer salary | $125,000 |
| Senior Ruby developer salary | $171,000 |
Source: Indeed.com
Average Ruby developer salary based on region
Another thing to take into consideration is the geography of the developers. It is known that the highest average wages are in North America and Western Europe. Some other regions that have become more popular as outsourcing destinations are Eastern Europe and Latin America due to a vast pool of tech talent. So, let’s explore the average salaries of Ruby developers in different parts of the world.
Average Ruby developer salary in North and South America
According to Indeed and Glassdoor, the average salary of Ruby engineers in the United States is about $125K. Thus, it is the highest salary in the region. The next highest salaries in the region are in Canada and Latin America.
Speaking of LatAm, it is quite a popular destination for American businesses. All this is due to a slight difference in time, culture, and the availability of a pool of experienced developers who are proficient in popular technologies. The table below shows how the average Ruby developer salary differs in different countries of the region.
| Country | Junior Ruby developer salary, $ | Middle Ruby developer salary, $ | Senior Ruby developer salary, $ |
| The US | $97,000 | $125,000 | $171,000 |
| Canada | $46,000 | $72,000 | $105,000 |
| Mexico | $25,000 | $51,000 | $82,000 |
| Colombia | $17,000 | $28,000 | $56,000 |
| Uruguay | $13,000 | $28,000 | $43,000 |
| Costa Rica | $26,000 | $49,000 | $74,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, Indeed, SalaryExpert
Average Ruby developer salary in Europe
The average Ruby developer salary highly depends on the country you look at. For example, the highest average salaries in the region are in the UK—$65K, in Germany—$73K, and in France—$55K. In contrast, the lowest salaries are in Eastern Europe, more specifically, Poland—$49K and Ukraine—$41K.
| Country | Junior Ruby developer salary, $ | Middle Ruby developer salary, $ | Senior Ruby developer salary, $ |
| The UK | $44,000 | $65,000 | $97,000 |
| Germany | $52,000 | $73,000 | $82,000 |
| France | $47,000 | $55,000 | $73,000 |
| Poland | $29,000 | $49,000 | $70,000 |
| Bulgaria | $25,000 | $46,000 | $73,000 |
| Ukraine | $22,000 | $41,000 | $63,000 |
Source: Glassdoor, SalaryExpert
What are the different options for hiring Ruby developers
After exploring the average annual salary of Ruby developers across the world, it is good to discuss what types of hiring options you have. There are several ways you can get your ideal candidate based on geography and engagement type. In the table below, we will talk about the types of hiring models, what they are, and their pros and cons.
| Hiring Types | Definition | Pros | Cons |
| Local Talent | Hiring from the local pool of talents. | Same time zone; Access to the local talent; Easy team management. Opportunity to build a co-located team. | Limited pool of talents; May not find the right candidate with the required skills. |
| Nearshore & Offshore Developers | Hiring from a distant location, either nearshore or offshore. | Access to a larger pool of talents; Can select development companies with great reviews and ratings. | Time zone differences; Communication barriers; Difficulties in ensuring quality work. |
| Staff Augmentation | Hiring developers who are officially employed by a development agency but are managed by the hiring company. | Easy scalability of software development resources; Access the world-class software developers, not limited to the local market. | More complicated team structure and management; May have difficulties with the onboarding process (it typically takes less time than for in-house employees) |
| Freelancing | Hiring a freelancer for a quick software task through platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal. | Affordable hiring solution; Access to a global pool of talents. | Unsafe solution due to possible delays and project cancellations; Lower quality of work. |
| Outsourcing | Hiring from an outsourcing company as an affordable alternative to in-house development. | Access to numerous developers and dev teams; Cost-effective solution. | Lack of control over the outsourced developer’s work; Time zone differences; Communication barriers. |
Outsourcing Ruby development: 4 things to consider when choosing a candidate
Most of the companies that think about outsourcing Ruby development face four main questions. The expertise answers to these questions provide great help to entrepreneurs and make outsourcing a piece of cake.
- What are Ruby developers responsible for
The very first step to hiring the right person is building an accurate image of what actually this expert can do for your project.
Task 1. New features development
Whether you need a website built from scratch or just a couple of new features added, real Ruby dev can do this for you.
Task 2. Making sure the idea works
Implementation of new features is never enough if they work wrong. Ruby professional is able not only to write a line of code but also to test it properly and make sure that everything works.
Task 2. Taking care of UX
An experienced Ruby developer can easily get your website user experience to a brand new level. By making it smooth and seamless they make an amazing contribution to your website improvement.
- Where to find skilled Ruby developers
As Ruby is an open-source technology, it gathered a large community of contributors. They visit the Ruby on Rails Talk forum, Ruby forum, Meta Ruby, and other dedicated resources to discuss news, tendencies, and ideas. Communication and collaboration of the developers make Ruby even more powerful.
Of course, Stack Overflow wouldn’t be complete without the Ruby community. The statistics even show that the tag #rubyonrails is the most frequently used one. You may also read a guide to finding a Ruby developer on StackOverflow.
Finally, many online hiring platforms are emerging, such as YouTeam, Arc, and TopTal. In addition to a large engineering talent pool, they offer locally-compliant contracts and billing, trial periods, white-glove customer support, and the flexibility to scale development teams up or down.
Browse 500+ Dev Teams Available for Hire
- What to pay attention to before offering a job
Your final decision should be made after you have seen the developer’s resume, portfolio, code examples and conducted an interview with them. If you are a non-technical specialist, it’d be great if your company’s technical expert helped you handle this all.
- How to engage a Ruby developer
Lots of companies literally fight for skilled developers. So if you found and hired a specialist, do not let one go. Take into consideration such an important fact: software development takes time. If you are expecting a high-quality solution, give your development team some time and space.
Of course, the salary slightly higher than the market medium along with some pleasant benefits like insurance would add some points to your potential success.
Ruby engineers’ expertise: the US vs. Europe vs. Asia
To address these questions, we can rely on the survey by HackerRank. Based on this research, developers from countries like Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine have vast experience and outperform developers from the United States regarding IT proficiency.
Ukrainian developers displayed an impressive score of 88.7% across various tasks on HackerRank, placing Ukraine in the 11th position. In contrast, developers from the US ranked 28th, while Indian engineers secured the 31st spot.
To provide further insights, we have created a table comparing developers from the United States, Ukraine, and India based on such aspects as time convenience, skills rank, and English proficiency.
| The US | Ukraine | India | |
| Salary | $125K | $41K | $42K |
| Time Convenience | Perfect for the US and Europe | Perfect for Western European countries and the US.
Big time differences with Australia. |
Big 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 according to HackerRank | Ranked 28th | Ranked 11th | Ranked 31st |
A step-by-step guide for hiring and interviewing Ruby developers
- Create a list of requirements that includes a desired skill set, domain expertise, education, and language proficiency.
- Request the developer’s programming portfolio. The experience of implementing Ruby development projects like yours shows that the developer will deliver the results you expect. In addition, check their GitHub and StackOverflow activity.
- Make sure the Ruby developer’s skills match their experience. Ask technical questions and conduct a code assessment to understand if the candidate meets critical job requirements before hiring.
- Discuss their tech stack preferences, future career plans, and learning goals. Compare them to your project plan and expectations for the candidate.
- Discuss their interests to learn more about the Ruby developer’s personality.
In addition, start the interview with a brief introduction about the company, the project, and your expectations for the candidate. This will help the Ruby developer to make a first impression of the company and better understand what experience they should describe in detail and what information will be less useful for the interview.
Why is YouTeam the best way to hire Ruby developers for your business
If you need to hire a professional Ruby developer using staff augmentation, YouTeam is a great platform to consider. Here are some reasons why choosing us as your developer hiring platform can be the most innovative solution for you as a hiring manager:
- Plenty of options: YouTeam can help you find the best individual developers or companies quickly. We have already vetted the best (and most affordable) developers from Eastern Europe and Latin America.
- Hire top-tier developers: Although our developers are not freelancers, you still have the final say in the hiring process with the YouTeam platform.
- Good reviews from previous clients: YouTeam has many satisfied clients who have left positive reviews about our platform. You can check out these reviews and learn why they trust our vetting process and choose to stay with YouTeam after using our matching service.
The Bottom Line
Companies that are ready to find a perfect development team would get the perfect software solution in the future. We believe that our brief description of Ruby developer’s role and short tips on what to pay attention to will be of great help to you in searching for skilled Ruby outsourcing experts.
Svetlana Shevchuk
