Do you want to hire back-end engineers for your software development needs, but don’t know what skills to consider when hiring? Or are you looking for the cost of hiring developers? Or do you want a checklist that can assist you in the hiring process?
Don’t worry we have provided all of that in our detailed blog. Let’s explore.
Essential Skills to Look for in Back-End Developers
Back-end engineers build the soul of any software. They play a crucial role in determining functionality, features, where the data will be stored, and so much more.
In today’s transforming digital landscape, software’s security, stability, performance and scalability matter the most and experienced back-end developers help you get these.
Hiring right back-end developers is one most crucial aspect, let’s take a look at some essential skills to look for in back-end developers when you are hiring.
Programming Languages Expertise
As we already know that scalability, security, performance and various other core features and functionalities of a software solution depends on back-end developers. If they are proficient in the following programming language, you can short list them.
- Python: One of the most adopted back-end languages, Python is popular for its cross-platform functionality, flexibility, strong software design capabilities and efficiency in artificial intelligence projects.
- Java: It is a scalable, secure, and easy-to-integrate programming language for large back-end projects which makes a go-to choice for developing enterprise solutions and computer science education.
- Node.js: Node.js is a programming language based on JavaScript that allows back-end developers to use it on both back-end and front-end making it an ideal choice for developing interactive websites.
- PHP: PHP is a common programming language for developing web applications and has powered major platforms like Facebook (in initial years), WordPress and Shopify. It is compatible with most web servers.
Frameworks
Frameworks provide structure and reusable components which boosts the development speed. Here are some common frameworks back-end developers should have expertise in.
- Spring Boot (Java): Great for developing enterprise-grade microservices
- Express.js (Node.js): Suitable for lightweight APIs
- Django (Python): Ideal for scalability and rapid prototyping
- .NET Core: Preferred for cross-platform development
- Laravel (PHP): Go-to option for developing web applications
APIs and Protocols
Back-end developers also integrate the whole system together. They must have expertise in the following APIs and Protocols.
- APIs: GraphQL, gRPC and REST
- Protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, WebSockets, and QUIC (HTTP/3)
Databases
There exist three types of databases and a back-end engineer should have knowledge and expertise in all of them.
- SQL: PostgreSQL, MySQL
- NoSQL: MongoDB, Redis
- Vector Database: Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant
Cloud and DevOps
At the core, back-end developers have the full ownership of the software development lifecycle. To ensure consistency, automation, lesser manual errors and faster release they should have expertise in following Cloud and DevOps tools and platforms.
Tools and Platforms: AWS, GCP, Azure, CI/CD Pipelines, Kubernetes, Docker and Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform and Ansible.
Security and Authentication
Every back-end developer should know how to build a secure back-end and for that they should have knowledge of the following.
- Data Encryption: To comply with security standards and protect sensitive information
- Secure Authentication: Knowledge of tools like JWT, OAuth and MFA
- Regular Security Audits: To find and fix vulnerabilities before they damage the software
AI/ML Basics
As AI/ML is growing rapidly, it becomes very important for back-end developers to have a basic understanding of how to integrate data engineering pipelines and machine learning models.
Soft Skills
Working with teams makes development much smoother. Back-end developers should also have soft skills like collaboration, communication and problem-solving.
Cost of Hiring Back-End Developers
The cost of hiring back-end developers depends on their location, expertise and experience. If you are going to hire back-end developers, here’s the cost break-down based on region and levels.
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in United States
- Entry-Level: $20 – $40+ per hour
- Mid-Level: $40 – $100+ per hour
- Senior: $80 – $350+ per hour
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in Canada
- Entry-Level: $20 – $40/hour
- Mid-Level: $40 – $80/hour
- Senior: $80 – $150+/hour
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in Latin America
- Entry-Level: $20 – $40/hour
- Mid-Level: $40 – $60/hour
- Senior: $40 – $90+/hour
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in Eastern Europe
- Entry-Level: $18 – $25 per hour
- Mid-Level: $20 – $40 per hour
- Senior: $35 – $70+ per hour
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in Western Europe
- Entry-Level: $40 – $70 per hour.
- Mid-Level: $60 – $120 per hour
- Senior: $100 – $150+ per hour
Cost to Hire Back-End Developers in Asia
- Entry-Level: $10-20/hour
- Mid-Level: $30-50/hour
- Senior: $40-$150+/hour
Checklist of Hiring Back-End Developers
Here we have prepared a detailed checklist that you can go through while hiring back-end developers for your business. This list consists of all the crucial touchpoints that you should consider when you are hiring. Let’s explore.
Technical Assessment of Back-End Systems
Here you give take-home assignments or coding challenges where they have to design assessments mirroring the real-world back-end system challenges.
Code Review Exercise for Python and Java Developers
Exceptional back-end developers go beyond functional codes, they write maintainable codes, with this exercise developers recommend improvements based on their evaluation of existing code snippets.
Cultural and Communication Evaluation
It is crucial to assess how they communicate complex technical concepts, navigate disagreements related to architecture decisions, manage technical debt, and approach legacy codebases in accessible terms.
Expert Technical Validation
Make back-end developers undergo rigorous technical validation processes led by senior developers who hold expertise in the same tech stack to ensure they have both technical proficiency and problem-solving capabilities.
Clearly Defined Role Requirements
When you are hiring, clearly define who you are looking for without giving vague descriptions about the job profile. Clearly define what could be the core responsibilities and cross-team collaboration requirements.
Final Thoughts
Here comes the end of the blog. In the end, you now know about various important factors to look for when you are hiring a back-end developer for your software development needs. The skills we mentioned must have skills, all the back-end developers from the entry-level have them. With detailed knowledge about cost from different regions, you can get in-house, nearshore or offshore developers based on your budget and requirements. And never forget to go through the checklist we have provided.
