How much does it cost to hire a Magento developer?
So you decided to build an e-commerce shop with Magento. Or maybe you’re a software development agency aiming to build such a shop for your customers.
The key challenge, as always, is to hire a Magento developer who can get the job done on time and within budget.
Why is it a challenge? Surely, there should be ample opportunities to find a Magento-certified developer? Well, as a Magento development agency, we can tell you firsthand — no, it’s not so easy. The main reason is that a Magento developer’s salary can vary so much — according to an expert’s seniority level, certifications, and most importantly, their geographical location.
For example, the rates to hire a certified Magento developer range from $15/hr in India to $200+/hr in the US. Actually, according to Talent.com, the average Magento developer salary in the US is $112,000, which works out at $57/hr.
And that’s just for mid-level talent. In the US, a senior engineer can charge about $150-200/hr, and a system architect $300-500/hr. If you’re a startup or SME on a tight budget, this means that your only solution is to look for candidates further afield.
But how can you be sure that a more affordable option won’t compromise your product quality?
Read on to learn the hourly rate for Magento developers you can expect in different countries and how certifications, technical and soft skills, and outstaffing models affect a Magento developer’s salary.
Hourly Magento development rates in different countries
Several things influence the hourly rate for Magento developers.
While Magento is one of the most popular tools for building e-commerce platforms, it’s by no means the easiest one to master. Earning Magento certifications and keeping them up-to-date takes both time and thousands of dollars in self-investment.
This is why an average Magento development company charges between $40-$50/hr and $200-$250/hr. One thing that makes a big difference is geographical location, as this table shows.
| Region | North America | South America | Europe | Asia |
| Min hourly rate | $105 | $70 | $85 | $50 |
| Max hourly rate | $140 | $105 | $120 | $75 |
This table is compiled from November 2021 data taken from open sources, including Talent, Clutch, Glassdoor, and Indeed.
Still, location isn’t the only thing you’ll need to consider.
Why location isn’t everything
It’s true that you can hire a Magento developer in China or India for literally a quarter of the US rate, but cheaper international rates come with other challenges.
- Holiday times. Asian developers follow different religious and state calendars, so their days off and holidays don’t coincide with Western ones. Just compare this list of 21 federal US holidays with this huge list of Indian holidays.
- Business culture. It would be naive to believe that business culture is the same the world over. Some common cultural differences for China and India are explained in articles by a top cultural intelligence platform and a diversity and inclusion industry leader. For example, while you may praise Indian contractors for being skilled and hard-working, they may lack initiative and require micro-management. Meanwhile, Chinese contractors will try to avoid confrontation and give or receive honest feedback, which can impact project quality.
- Time zone differences. We don’t need to remind you how important direct communication is and how syncing up in the middle of the night or early in the morning is nobody’s favorite task.
- Miscommunication. What happens when English is not a second but instead a third or even fourth language for your Magento expert? Poor communication and misinterpreted project requirements can lead to costly mistakes.
A reliable outsourcing solution for less
If the cheapest outsourcing regions aren’t always the best, where can you find good developers for less?
There are plenty of reasons businesses choose to outsource to Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary). These countries — and Ukraine in particular —have made a name for themselves as reliable IT outsourcing destinations.
For example, in this 2019 SkillValue report based on 250,000 coding assessments across 46 countries, Ukrainian developers ranked well ahead of their counterparts in countries such as Germany, the UK, and Russia.
And it’s not only about skills. Outsourcing to Ukraine provides many other benefits:
- Cultural fit. Ukrainian IT companies are comfortable with Western culture. What’s more, the Ukrainian holiday calendar mostly matches the European and US ones, so your team will be working when you work.
- Time zone overlap. Ukrainian time is UTC+2, which overlaps with the working hours of most US regions and EU countries.
- Fluent English. Most Ukrainian developers are fluent in English, which reduces the risk of miscommunication.
In summary, outsourcing to Ukraine allows you to hire a Magento expert at an affordable rate ($25-40/hr, based on statistics from Djinni, a leading Ukrainian IT hiring portal).
Still, while rates are essential, there are hard and soft skills a Magento developer must have in order to bring you the expected results.
Here’s what you’ll need to look for.
Technical and soft skills for a Magento expert
Naturally, you want your Magento developer to be an integral part of your team. This makes time management, communication, negotiation skills, and feedback handling pivotal soft skills for a Magento expert.
As for hard skills, look for the following:
- Knowledge of existing Magento modules and how to combine them in a secure and performant platform
- A strong command of front-end components — HTML, CSS, and Javascript — and familiarity with the latest design trends
- In-depth experience with Go, Ruby, PHP, Python, and Java to ensure stable operation and interaction of all your backend components
How can you know at a glance if a Magento developer has the right skills? The easiest way is to check their certification level.
Magento certifications
Before 2020, Magento developers could validate their skills with up to nine certificates.
Adobe updated the Magento certification program in August 2020, and now there are just three types of certificates that have to be updated every two years.
As a result, you can expect to see Magento certified developers using both types of certificates, but the new system will gradually replace the old one.
Location and skills level, then, are the key factors that influence the rates to hire a certified Magento developer. As you can see, you can check the technical background and expertise level of any Magento professional relatively easily when putting your team together. All that’s left is to choose a suitable project management model?
Outstaffing and outsourcing solutions
You probably already know an uncomfortable truth: reliable developers are hard to find. A CodinGame survey of 2021 states that 61% of HR professionals worldwide struggle to find qualified talent.
There are two main approaches to handling the Magento developer shortage with external help: outsourcing and outstaffing.
- With outsourcing, you hire a Magento development team to handle the project end-to-end. You sign a contract with an agency that forms the team and delivers a functional platform built to your requirements. The agency is responsible for the partnership outcome and reports on project progress using task tracking tools and communication channels of your choice.
- With outstaffing, you augment your in-house team with Magento experts but keep control of team management and project delivery. This approach can be cheaper but will require more management resources from you.
Of course, there are challenges to both approaches, and listing them all is a topic for another article. A good partner will handle talent retention for your project, provide QA and L&D for your team, and provide the required assistance every step of the way.
Whichever solution you choose, ultimately, the project outcome depends more on your choice of Magento development agency and less on the individual Magento expert’s skills.
Conclusion: a reliable Magento developer doesn’t have to cost the earth
As you can see, hiring a Magento developer overseas can be a good way to cut project costs without compromising on quality.
In general, a Magento developer’s salary gets more affordable the further afield you go. You can also choose between outsourcing your Magento services to a dedicated team and hiring individual experts for Magento services to bridge the skills gap.
Whichever way you choose, the cheapest options can come with hidden risks in terms of cultural challenges. The best middle path is to partner with a reputable company closer to your culture with ample Magento development experience and a good track record. Outsourcing to Ukraine is both reliable and affordable.
As a Magento development agency working since 2012, IT Delight has substantial expertise and an in-depth understanding of the Magento platform. We’re here to help you create feature-rich, secure, and eye-catching Magento products that will deliver value to your customers and help reach your business objectives. Just take a look at our portfolio — maybe we have ready solutions for the challenges you face?
And if you have questions or want to discuss your next Magento project, just contact us, and let’s talk business!
