How much does it cost to hire an offshore Kotlin developer?

Kotlin is an open-source, free, and statically typed language. It was designed to use in JVM (Java Virtual Machine), JavaScript, React Native, and Android. It also combines object-oriented and functional features.

Kotlin programming language became widely used due to its good amount of advantages:

• Multi-platform development. Not only Kotlin Android developers use this language but also many others, as it provides good support and compatibility for JavaScript and the ability to move projects to Kotlin or to do it from scratch.
• Less coding time. Kotlin is quite a concise programming language that allows for writing programs with less amount of code. It results in a decreased time of debugging as less code means fewer bugs.
• Good compatibility with Java. It is a great option to use Kotlin for Java developers as this programming language has access to every framework and library of Java. Java applications can be easily converted into Kotlin apps and still have easy-to-read, clear code that makes, in some ways, Kotlin better than Java.
• Safety. Kotlin has integrated principles that reduce the number of mistakes and crashes that may happen while executing the application.
• Easy to maintain. Kotlin gained its popularity also due to the fact that many IDE support it, which makes the development better as developers may choose the most comfortable environments without any hesitation.

When it was first designed, developers used Kotlin for Android app development. But later, after it became more popular among the Java community, developers began to imply it to different types of applications.

There are such ways where developers can use the Kotlin programming language:

• Android development. Software engineers use Kotlin for Android development as it helps to make safe and concise code. Businesses require now to have mobile applications as most of the time people use phones to access information. It makes Kotlin very useful, and Android engineers with knowledge of this language are in demand.
• Data science. Kotlin allows writing efficient and easy-to-read code and explicitly defined data structures while using Java libraries. Its static typing and safety provide developers the ability to write code that is easy to troubleshoot.
• Full-stack web development. Developers often use Kotlin for server-side development, which allows writing classes and functions which developers can later use for the JVM of the application. It is also possible to use it for front-end development which will compile JavaScript and will run on browsers and other platforms, such as macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.

There are several tools that are popular and widely used by developers with knowledge of Kotlin:

• IntelliJ IDEA. This IDE has plug-in and out-of-the-box support for Kotlin.
• Gradle. This IDE has integrated Java tools and support for Kotlin.
• Emacs. Emacs has a Kotlin Mode among those available in their package repository.
• Json2Kotlin. This tool can generate native Kotlin code used for web service responding mapping.
• Android Studio. Android Studio provides full support for application development with Kotlin as a base language.

Kotlin developer is an IT specialist who specializes in Kotlin. They usually know and work with functional programming, mobile app development and architecture, and web service concepts. Their main responsibilities are to design, develop, and implement Android applications.

You also can find skilled and experienced Kotlin developers by searching among Kotlin back-end developers and Kotlin full-stack developers. It is because the Kotlin programming language is widely used in full-stack development, which also includes front-end and back-end development.

Kotlin developers have three qualification levels: Junior, Middle, and Senior Kotlin developers.

• Junior Kotlin developers
  Junior Kotlin developers (Entry-level) usually have up to two years of experience. Junior developers have basic knowledge of Kotlin and Java, be acquainted with a minimum of one framework and databases. They also have an understanding of the software development process. To acquire more tech skills and advance their expertise, junior developers often work in teams with more experienced software engineers.
• Middle Kotlin developers
  Middle Kotlin developers have more expertise than junior developers and more years of experience (from three to five). These developers know Kotlin at a high level, have a good understanding of Java, databases, and frameworks. They also can create new software solutions, come up with effective ways of applications optimization, and implement them in life.
• Senior Kotlin developers
  Senior Kotlin developers are the most experienced among those types of developers: they have more than five years of experience and a lot more expertise in software development. These developers know more than one language, can write clean, efficient code in Kotlin, know more than one Kotlin/Java framework, and can effectively use it. They should also have advanced knowledge of databases, strong back-end development skills, and extensive experience with SQL. Senior software engineers also should have some soft skills, such as management and leadership skills, as they often run the development process and help junior developers to adapt to the team and acquire new skills.

Kotlin developers often have the following tasks and responsibilities during the working process:

• Write clean and readable code using Kotlin;
• Design, develop and maintain software and web applications;
• Take part in the development process at each stage if necessary;
• Troubleshoot and optimize application;
• Help in testing, debugging, and maintaining the applications.

To be a Kotlin developer, a programmer should have a certain set of skills:

• Experience with Kotlin and Java;
• Knowledge of SQL and databases;
• Knowledge of object-oriented fundamentals;
• Familiarity with web frameworks and XML;
• Advanced expertise in back-end development;
• Acquaintance with more than one programming language;
• Good communication and teamwork skills.

There are three types of developers which you can hire for your company: freelancers, in-house engineers, and outsourced developers.

• Freelance Kotlin developers
  Freelance developers don’t work for a company and are not dedicated to the projects—they usually have more than one project to work on. Freelancers are a good option if the startup is limited in its budget for the project or if the project is short-term. You also don’t have to worry about hiring&firing processes because they only work during the time of the project. Although, it is hard to find developers who will match all the requirements and will be skilled enough because top-quality engineers already have interesting projects they work on as in-house developers in tech companies.
• In-house Kotlin developers
  In-house developers are a good option if you need core development or a dedicated team of software engineers. An in-house team is the most interested in the project, and developers work not only with coding tasks but come up with ideas for product improvement and development. They can provide useful software solutions on how to make the final product better and grow business revenue. Although, there is one main drawback of this hiring option, as in-house hires are the most expensive because you have to pay for the needed gadgets, tools, employee taxes and bonuses, and another spending.
• Outsourced Kotlin developers
  Another option is outsourced developers. Outsource has two options for hiring. The first option means that you can apply to some outsourcing companies that will help you to find and hire a full-time team that will work on your project. There will be developers, QA, project managers, and designers. Such kind of a team will be working only on your project and will give you a great end product. Another option is to hire offshore developers as a supporting part for your in-house engineers who are as experienced and skilled as in-house team members who will be helping you throughout the development process. The main advantage of such hiring is that you only pay for the work, and there is no need for extra spending.

Detailed Kotlin job postings can attract the matching developers with the required skillset who will be interested in the project. Here you can read the information which you should point out in your job description:

• Write the job title of the specialist you are looking for.
• List tech and soft skills you need the candidate to have.
• Write the responsibilities the developer will have.
• Write about your expectations of the end project.
• Describe in which field you work (such description will help to attract the developers who have experience in the same area and can come up with effective solutions).
• Write about the development stage (is it core development or maintenance).

To assess your candidate’s tech skills, you can use different types of tools: from online tests to live coding practices. Another type of assessment of tech skills is asking questions connected to the required technologies during the interview. Here we have gathered the list of questions you can ask the candidate to check their expertise:

• What are extension functions in Kotlin?
• What are the basic data types in Kotlin?
• What are the structural expressions in Kotlin?
• What are data classes in Kotlin?
• What modifiers are available in Kotlin?
• What are deconstructing declarations?