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

Laravel Framework is an open-sourced framework used in PHP to create web applications. This framework has all the necessary tools for building web applications with the model–view–controller (MVC) template. Using MVC architecture helps work with codebases that usually have no architecture to keep the code structured, making the work easier.

Laravel aims to create the best conditions for PHP developers to develop applications without sacrificing the functionality of the application. Taylor Otwell, the creator of this framework, tried to combine all the best features available in PHP and other programming languages such as Ruby on Rails and ASP.NET MVC. The availability of many powerful tools and well-integrated test support make this framework attractive for web developers.

Nowadays, more than 7,000 companies use Laravel for their websites and applications, and around 170,000 web applications use this framework as a base for their websites. Among some of the most famous websites and social media which use Laravel services are Wattpad, BBC, GitLab, 9GAG, etc.

Using the Laravel framework for the back-end, it is possible to implement it in the following projects:

• Web pages (static and dynamic);
• ECommerce websites;
• Content management systems;
• Single-page applications and multi-page applications;
• Portal web applications;
• Social networking sites.

Many tools are available for Laravel developers that can ease and fasten the development process and help make high-quality applications. Here we will review top tools for Laravel applications development.

• PHPStorm It is an IDE created for Laravel development which provides many great features, such as intelligent code navigation, fast refactoring, comfortable debugging, and testing process.
• Entrust Entrust is a way to add role-based permissions in Laravel. There are four available tables–role, role user, permissions, and permissions role. You can choose this flexible and concise way to set the roles in different categories.
• Bitbucket Bitbucket is a web service that provides the ability to host projects with Git and allows you to share the project’s code with limited viewers. Due to its flexibility and sound privacy, it is popular among the developers of applications based on the Laravel framework.
• Socialite Laravel Socialite allows its users to handle OAuth authentication, allowing users to log in through the various social networking sites–Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
• Laravel Debugbar Another handy tool for the Laravel framework is Laravel Debugbar. This tool is located at the bottom of the window and shows all the needed information: memory usage, session data, database request, etc.

A Laravel programmer is an IT specialist whose specification field is developing web applications using the Laravel framework.

Among the primary skills that Laravel developers should have, web development is the primary one. Laravel developers should know the fundamentals of web development, which means they should know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Being a server-side PHP framework, those developers who know the Laravel framework can be full-stack developers. If the developer has deep knowledge of JavaScript, they can work as both back-end and front-end developers.
They also have database management skills. Laravel programmers can quickly and easily manage the organization’s data for its fast and easy access by the end-users or to share between organizations.

There are three types of developers’ job titles based on their level of experience. Here are the following:

• Junior Laravel developer
  Junior Laravel developer has 0 (Entry Level) to 2 years of experience. Junior developers should have basic knowledge of back-end and front-end development, frameworks, and a basic understanding of PHP. Junior Laravel developers usually do minimal tasks which don’t influence the final project too much. Senior software engineers mentor junior developers and help them with their duties. They also work in teams that help them grow and learn new technologies with their experienced teammates.
• Middle Laravel developer
  Being a middle Laravel developer requires 3 to 5 years of experience. During this time, they must have more advanced knowledge of the Laravel framework web development and have expertise in PHP, Node.js, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Moreover, these developers usually need to show initiative and generate ideas for further implementation.
• Senior Laravel developer
  Senior Laravel developers usually have more than five years of experience. Such a level of expertise requires having advanced knowledge of database development, programming using Laravel framework and a deep understanding of other frameworks, expertise in PHP, and other essential web development technologies. Such an experience also requires that senior developers have good personal and management skills, which will help them guide and manage junior developers and provide excellent support to the development team.

Laravel developer makes the following things:

• Development and maintenance of the web applications based on the Laravel framework using the corresponding tools.
• Write clean and understandable, and secure code for further testing and evaluation.
• Check the parts of the website for validation in different browsers and platforms.
• Provide code for testing and debugging if there is a need.
• Test back-end and UI for ensuring its functionality and serviceability.

Among the requirements and qualifications which Laravel programmer needs to have are the following:

• Experience in web development with Laravel framework;
• Experience and knowledge in software testing (PHPUnit, PHPSpec);
• Knowledge of object-oriented PHP and Laravel Framework;
• Experience in optimization of databases SQL, MySQL, and REST API design;
• Understanding of web languages;
• At least basic knowledge of cloud servers (AWS, Azure, and Rackspace) and server tools (Nginx, AVG, Apache, and PHP-FPM);
• Good communication skills;
• Analytical thinking;
• Good problem-solving skills.

There are three types of developers which you can hire depending on your needs and requirements of the project:

• Freelance Laravel developers
  If you want to hire a Laravel developer as a freelancer, there are some things you need to consider. First of all, freelancers are usually not assigned by any company and can work on many projects simultaneously. Such freedom can often lead freelancers to leave the project if it is not interesting for them anymore as they always have another one to work on. They are also not very interested in the project and won’t usually provide some excellent ideas on optimizing the final project. They are also relatively cheap for hire, so you can choose this type of developer if you have an undefined or just a small budget. Another con for hiring a freelancer may be that it is tough to find developers among the freelancers who will perfectly fit your expectations. If you have a small project with no need to continue working with the developer later, freelancers are the best choice as they will leave as soon as the project ends.
• In-house Laravel developers
  On the contrary, if you need a dedicated development team for the core development stage, it is good to hire in-house engineers. You can rely on them if you need to create the project from scratch or continue working until the end. In-house developers will dedicate all their time to the project. It distinguishes them from freelancers because they are interested in the project and will be able to provide ideas on how to create an excellent final product. If you need developers to create high-quality products with no delays, in-house engineers are what you need.
• Outsourced Laravel developers
  Another option of hire is outsourcing developers. Such developers usually work for development agencies from where you can hire them as a separate team or as helping developers for your in-house engineers. Outsourcing and outstaffing models may be a good choice compared to the in-house engineers as they have the same level of expertise in required technologies and cost less as most of them live in countries with lower costs of living, which also influences their salaries.

Before you hire the developer, it is essential to identify your requirements for the product and what you want the developer to create. Here we will describe what you should write in the project description to get the best matching developer.

To begin with, you need to shortly describe the expectations about the product and write about the industry your company works in so developers familiar with your industry could understand what to expect and what possible solutions they can create. It is also important to point out what development stage the project is, whether the developer needs to make the project or support and maintain it. After you need to list which tech and soft skills the developer needs to have and shortly describe the responsibilities.

To determine whether the developer is skilled enough for the project, you can evaluate their skills by interviewing them by asking them basic questions or passing the online test. Here we have gathered some of the questions you can ask Laravel developers to evaluate their hard skills:

• What are some benefits of Laravel over other PHP frameworks?
• What is a Laravel Service Container?
• List some Aggregates methods provided by query builder in Laravel?
• What are autoloading classes in PHP?
• What is the benefit of eager loading? When do you use it?
• Why do we need Traits in Laravel?
• What is the Facade Pattern used for?