As the world continues its rapid migration to digital solutions and internet-based connectivity, organizations need various web applications to remain relevant. Since 2012, the New York-based Bubble platform has enabled companies to create customized web applications without needing to write code.
The demand for business-related software applications greatly exceeds the number of available developers to write custom code. Bubble’s no-code platform has a 4.4/5 rating, making products built on the platform a popular alternative to traditional app development methods.
There are more than 3 million apps built on the Bubble platform , created for startups, medium-sized, and enterprise-level organizations. Bubble also boasts over 6.5k integrations and plugins.
The platform releases updated versions almost daily, introducing more features and improving existing ones. For a layperson, this continuous change is daunting. For a skilled Bubble developer, the platform’s evolutions open new possibilities.
Although Bubble is suitable for non-developers to use, a skilled Bubble developer knows how to best harness the platform’s many capabilities. Evolving market trends and emerging technologies mean that it is imperative to find Bubble developers who keep their knowledge up to date. However, this is a challenging prospect if you do not have all the information you need.
“If we want to build great products, we need great people.”
— Jim Highsmith, software engineer and co-author of the Agile Manifesto
Crafting an effective hiring strategy takes research and planning. Rather than having to consult multiple sources, use this hiring guide as the ultimate tool. We explain the various ways a Bubble developer can benefit your company, what skills to look for, job description and interview tips, average salaries, and how to choose between sourcing and hiring methods.
“If we want to build great products, we need great people.”
Hiring a Freelance Bubble Developer
Although you can hire part- or full-time employees to develop your Bubble applications, it is usually more advantageous to hire a freelance Bubble developer. With freelancers, you:
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Can hire and start project development faster
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Do not need to make a long-term commitment
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Can find specialized skill sets more easily than in local talent pools
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Can scale teams up or down to meet fluctuating workflow demands
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Benefit from significant cost savings without sacrificing quality
Limiting yourself to your local talent pool is no longer necessary. With today’s remote work possibilities, you have real-time access to the world’s best Bubble developers from around the globe.
What Does a Bubble Developer Do?
The Bubble platform uses a visual interface that allows developers to build mobile and web applications without writing code. Unlike other no-code platforms, Bubble enables full-stack development. The multiple benefits of Bubble include:
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Customization: Developers can create user interfaces tailored to UX design requirements and your exact specifications.
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Flexibility: The nature of Bubble products means that developers can expand the applications’ capabilities, including writing custom code, and integrate them with multiple APIs or third-party services.
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Responsiveness: The Bubble platform edits and optimizes your solutions for any device or browser, enabling automated responsive design.
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Security and scalability: Because Bubble uses Amazon Web Services, your custom web application benefits from AWS’s vast computing power, almost constant uptime, and various security systems, meaning you can scale your Bubble applications easily.
Rather than laboriously writing code for every feature and function, Bubble developers use the platform’s drag-and-drop interface. Developers simply click on the desired elements and drag them into desired positions on a page. They can also customize the relational database and define your app’s automated workflows.
Once your developer assembles the pieces, the Bubble platform writes the required code to make user interfaces match. Bubble also automatically updates code bases, sets up servers, executes security protocols, optimizes performance, and handles other technical app hosting tasks.
When you hire dedicated Bubble developers, you should see a drastic decrease in development time and much faster release dates, resulting in lower costs and higher profits. These professionals can quickly design, create, test, and deploy Bubble web apps and mobile applications that satisfy users, increasing brand loyalty and sales.
Your team of Bubble developers may need other skill sets in addition to being intimately familiar with the Bubble platform. Consult our other hiring guides for more information. If you are unsure which skill sets your team needs, consider utilizing a talent-matching service like Toptal. Working from a project description, Toptal can quickly furnish you with a shortlist of qualified candidates who possess the right skills.
Why Hire Bubble Developers?
One of Bubble’s many advantages is that you do not have to be a coder to use the platform to build custom solutions. However, the best project outcomes depend on the specialized knowledge of the people who comprise your development team.
Bubble experts understand this platform’s advanced features and the architecture behind them, giving them a crucial advantage when it comes to making the most of Bubble. Whether you need robust mobile apps or responsive web applications, hiring experienced Bubble developers to produce them is a sound investment.How To Hire Bubble Developers
Before you begin searching for the best Bubble developers, you need to set project parameters. Clearly defining your project helps to pinpoint the skills needed and the best sourcing method. List the project’s:
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Budget
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Goals, nature, and scope
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Required and desirable skill sets
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How many Bubble developers you need
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Timelines for hiring, project start, and completion
Now, you can look for developers who fit your project requirements and meet your availability needs. You need to decide whether to hire employees or utilize freelance Bubble developers. Use the top sites provided in this guide to identify qualified candidates.
The best Bubble developers have a blend of all the right technical skills, including niche skill sets, and a good mix of soft skills. They are enthusiastic, innovative, and constantly honing their skills. They focus on UX design principles and evolving user expectations. Look for candidates who have successfully completed similar Bubble projects and are familiar with your industry.
What do junior-, mid-, and senior-level developer designations mean? Each label typically specifies the amount of experience a developer has utilizing specific skills, although labels sometimes refer to overall experience.
Developers at each level can often perform the same tasks, although those with more experience may have additional project management skills. Senior developers are not necessarily better than others, and they typically cost substantially more to hire.
Many organizations build diverse development teams with individuals who have varying experience levels. This approach ensures that a qualified person will perform all necessary tasks while reducing overall costs.
Many business owners and hiring managers lack technical expertise. If you are uncertain about how to determine team makeup, consider utilizing sourcing sites like Toptal that identify your project requirements and build highly qualified teams to match. This strategy also eliminates the need to vet technical skills, as Toptal only allows top-notch developers onto its roster.
What Skills To Look for When Hiring Bubble Developers
Although Bubble is a no-code platform, your developers still need various technical skills to build highly functional, effective, UX-focused applications. Top technical skills include proficiency with:
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API integrations
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Application security
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Coding languages, such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML
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Data and database management
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Full-stack development
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In-depth understanding of the Bubble platform and its capabilities
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Optimization in various areas to enhance app performance
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Responsive design principles
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Testing, debugging, and troubleshooting
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Traditional development skills and tech stacks
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UI/UX design
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Visual programming
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Workflow design and logic
Depending on the nature of your project, your development team members may need additional technical skills. For instance, developers can use React Native in conjunction with Bubble.io to develop cross-platform mobile apps.
While possessing these technical skills is critical, soft skills are also essential. Soft skills are personal attributes that can make one developer stand above the rest. Vital soft skills include:
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Ability to perform effectively in stressful situations
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Active listening
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Adaptability
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Analytical thinking
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Attention to detail
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Confidence and motivation
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Creative thinking and problem-solving
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Cultural fit and understanding
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Fluent verbal and written communication in a preferred language
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Strong work ethics
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Teamwork and collaboration mentality
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Time-management
Soft skills determine how well an individual reacts to different situations and enable team cohesiveness. A Bubble developer with impeccable technical skills may not be a suitable team member if they are unable to mesh well into the team’s structure.
While not all do, some sourcing sites like Toptal include soft skill vetting to give organizations more confidence about their hiring decisions. Toptal also offers a free trial period so you can evaluate each Bubble developer’s competency and fit.
| Freelancers | Employees |
|---|---|
| No long-term commitment required | Must make long-term commitment |
| A wide variety of available skill sets in a global talent pool | Local talent pools that often lack hard-to-find, niche skill sets |
| Flexible hiring terms | Set hiring model |
| Hire and scale teams on demand, typically within a few days | Hiring takes weeks or months, and scaling down means terminations and paying unemployment benefits |
| Lower overall costs | Higher salary expectations, benefits costs, payroll taxes, and overhead expenses |
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Bubble Developers?
Bubble developers earn an average annual salary of $73,283 or $35 hourly in the U.S. Yearly earnings range from $16,500 to $159,500, depending on factors such as location and experience. You will likely pay freelancers lower hourly rates than employees, and you will not have associated payroll taxes, overhead costs, or benefits expenses.
Tips for Writing a Bubble Developer Job Description
Developers have resumes designed to highlight why you should hire them. Your job description is like your resume, crafted to entice top talent to want to work for your organization. When writing your job description, include everything you would want to know about the company and specific role if you were seeking a job, such as:
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Project description and timeline
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Role-specific skill requirements and responsibilities
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Hiring method
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Company achievements, current projects, brand statement, and culture
As you begin receiving and reviewing resumes, you need to develop a consistent scoring model and list of interview questions to avoid bias. Using the same for each candidate reflects a commitment to the inclusivity and diversity required by labor laws.
Common Interview Questions To Ask When You Are Looking To Hire a Bubble Developer
Interviews give you the opportunity to assess both technical and soft skills. The way candidates answer your questions gives you invaluable insights into their:
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Language comprehension, listening, and communication skills
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Attention to detail
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Confidence and technical expertise
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Problem-solving approach
Frame your questions so you can gauge these and other soft skills.
Common interview questions include:
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When would you use objects vs. optionsSet? Typically, dynamic entry creation utilizes objects, while options sets are for categorization.
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How would you troubleshoot workflows in both front- and back-ends? Developers should have specific approaches and record them via logEntries or Bubble logs.
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Do you participate in the Bubble Forum or other development community groups? This can indicate their level of dedication and continuous learning.
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What are the basic security concepts you routinely use? Listen for endpoint and API call securing and privacy rules as a minimum, but a more thorough explanation is desirable.
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How do you build recursive logic using Bubble? Although “counts” is an appropriate answer, “lists” shows an in-depth knowledge of the Bubble platform.
Some sourcing sites allow you to include skills assessments as part of the application process. Others, like Toptal, conduct rigorous technical vetting before providing you with candidate shortlists.
How To Find Freelance Bubble Developers for Hire
When it is time to start your search, you have multiple sourcing options. You can leverage professional networks, create job listings on freelance marketplaces or job boards, utilize recruiting agencies, partner with coding boot camps, or choose a talent-matching service like Toptal. Browse through the top sites in this guide and compare various factors, such as:
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The time and effort required of you
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Your hiring and project start timelines
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The quality of available talent
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Niche skill sets you might need
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Your qualifications to assess technical skill sets
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Your budget
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Whether you want to make a long-term commitment
Toptal is our top choice for several reasons. This talent-matching service will quickly provide a shortlist of qualified candidates and give you a risk-free trial to gauge fit and competence. Regardless of the skill sets your project requires, Toptal has Bubble developers who possess them. Excellent customer service and zero work for you round out some of the top benefits of hiring Bubble developers through Toptal.
This carefully researched hiring guide is the ultimate tool to help you develop a successful hiring strategy. Using this resource can help you attract top talent to provide high-quality Bubble applications that will ultimately benefit your business.