Hiring the right PHP developers for your PHP development project can get overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for. While platforms like Toptal and Arc are famous for their rigorous screening procedures to vet their candidates, other platforms like LinkedIn and Upwork require you to do the heavy lifting of vetting and hiring.
What is PHP?
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a general-purpose scripting language commonly used in web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. PHP is a server-side scripting language used to develop more than 77.4% of all the websites out there.
PHP is a widely-used, open-source scripting language that is executed on the server. PHP can generate dynamic page content and can also be used to create, open, read, write, delete, and close files on the server. PHP can send and receive cookies and can add, delete, modify data in your database. Furthermore, PHP can encrypt data and you can output images, PDF files, and even Flash movies.
PHP celebrated its 25th birthday this past year and has come a long way from being a simple server-side scripting language to become a more dynamic web development language. According to Zend, PHP is at version 8.1 and offers full object-oriented capabilities, an opt-in strict-typing system, a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler, extensions for just about any database in use today, robust date and time processing tools that put other languages to shame.
PHP is a very relevant language given the fact that it powers content management systems, eCommerce websites, customer rights management, and resource management systems. Furthermore, PHP is also integral for APIs feeding mobile applications and communicating between businesses.
Most of today’s digital economy uses PHP in some form, and so PHP development will be in high demand for the foreseeable future.
For employers, it gets easy to hire freelance PHP developers given the number of online platforms and websites now available to find talented software developers with wide range of skills. Some of the best sites to hire PHP developers include Toptal, Arc, Gun.io, Fiverr, Upwork, and more.
PHP Programming and Development Specifics
One of the main reasons why PHP is so popular is because it is relatively simple to get started with. Here are some more reasons why PHP critical for web development:
- PHP is easy to learn and use.
- PHP is open-source and free!
- PHP is versatile and can be used on Mac OS, Windows, Linux, and supports most web browsers.
- PHP boasts a strong community of users, developers, and supporters.
- PHP is fast and secure.
- PHP is well connected with databases.
- PHP is a tried and tested web development language.
Advantages and Challenges of a PHP Projects
Pros:
- Swift custom web application development: PHP frameworks provide handy tools, features, and code snippets that help developers build custom web applications quickly and efficiently.
- Simplify web application maintenance: PHP does not focus on code readability and maintainability. Since PHP frameworks support model-view-controller (MVC) architecture, it helps to simplify web application development and maintenance.
- Automate common web development tasks: The PHP frameworks help development teams to automate common programming and web development tasks like caching, session management, authentication, and URL mapping.
Cons:
- Web developers need to learn PHP frameworks instead of PHP: Development teams need to learn the PHP frameworks in order to add functionality to a web application without the need to actually write additional code.
- Impacts speed and performance of websites: Most PHP frameworks come equipped with robust features and heavy tools to accelerate the development process of large and complex websites. This tends to impact the speed and performance of smaller websites as they don’t require all the tools and features.
What is a PHP Developer?
Simply put, a PHP coder (developer) is a Software Developer or Programmer who specializes in the coding, design, testing, and implementation of software using the PHP programming language.
A Senior PHP Developer creates and implements a suite of Web-based products using PHP, MySQL, Ajax, and JavaScript, and other advanced technologies.
Great Freelance PHP coders for hire
Some of the best sites to find PHP developers for hire include Toptal, Arc, Upwork, and more. Here is what you need to keep in mind when hiring a PHP developer:
- Review the PHP developer’s portfolio and body of work. This will give you an insight into the quality of work and the overall capabilities of the programmer as well as their technology stack.
- Try and get to know the PHP developer on a personal level. You can do this by getting on a call with them and assessing their personality and whether or not they match your requirements.
- Discuss and communicate all the details about the project requirements. It’s wise to explain what you are expecting the project to look like and operate like.
- Offer a paid trial period to dedicated PHP developers so you get a feel for their style of working. This also helps to check if the developer understands what you are expecting of them.
How to Hire PHP Developer
Essentially, there are three different options for hiring a development team. Hiring a full-time PHP developer makes sense if you are building an in-house web development or tech team. Hiring part-time is a sensible option for employers and companies looking to scale and expand their development teams without having to deal with the downsides of hiring full-time developers. Hiring part-time talent is also great for organizations comfortable with working flexible hours. Hiring freelance programmers benefits companies when it comes to cost and terms of employment as well as the added flexibility to hire on-demand for specific periods of time.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Freelance PHP Developer?
While an expert PHP developer can help you estimate a budget pretty easily, based on the amount of information you provide him, there are certain factors that determine the cost of hiring a freelance developer:
- Complexity and scope of the project
- The geographic location of the freelance developer and the employer
- Expertise and experience level of the developer
- Past work experience and brands they’ve worked with
According to Upwork, PHP Developers on Upwork cost $15–$30/hr. A Full Stack Developer Mix of front-end and back-end technology expertise working with Twig, Blade, and ReactPHP can cost over $45/hr. India is another great option to outsource or hire freelance PHP developers. India is widely regarded as a hub of talented developers. Hiring a PHP developer in India will cost you ranging from $20 to $50 per hour. India is a very good market to hire a PHP developer as they have the potential of delivering quality work really quickly. According to Payscale, the average salary for a PHP programmer is around $65K-66K.
What Skills To Look For Before Hiring A Freelance PHP Developer
Look for the following qualities in your PHP freelancers candidates.
- Strong technical proficiency
- Experience with various PHP frameworks
- Great communication and soft skills
- Ability to work independently
- Strongly motivated and reliable
- Depth in past work
- Keen problem solving and coding
- Excellent reviews and feedbacks
Choosing the right site to hire PHP Developers
Depending on whether you’re looking for a freelance, full-time, or part-time PHP developer or one with a specific set of skills for server-side coding or front-end development, your criteria for choosing a PHP developer will vary.
Ultimately, which talent matchmaking platform you choose depends on a multitude of factors. Answer the following questions before zeroing in on your platform of choice:
- How quickly do you need to hire a PHP developer?
- How much experience do you have hiring PHP freelancers?
- Whether or not you're equipped to test technical skills in the development process?
- How many developers do you need to bring on?
- The level of experience you need for PHP developers?
- Whether or not you're open to remote workers?
- What are your project management capabilities?
- What is your budget?
- How important is quality to your software solutions?
Hiring PHP developers - FAQ
- Is PHP a front-end or back-end language?
- PHP is a back-end development language only. PHP is part of the LAMP stack, which is an acronym for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python. To develop apps with this technology stack, a developer must know these four different syntax systems and HTML and CSS.
- What is the main use of PHP?
- The abbreviation PHP originally stood for Personal Homepage. However, it is now a recursive acronym for Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP is primarily used for creating and building reliable web servers. PHP runs on the browser and can also run on the command line. This is particularly useful for developers who don't feel like showing their code output in the browser, as they can show it in the terminal.
- Are PHP and Java related?
- PHP and Java are not related to each other, PHP is a server-side scripting language whereas Java is a general-purpose compiled programming language. PHP is used to build web applications and dynamics, while Java is used to power versatile and dynamic web apps.
- Where can I hire a good PHP developer?
- Toptal
- Hired
- We Work Remotely
- GitHub Jobs
- Authentic Jobs
Find more recommended sites to hire PHP developers.
- How much does it cost to hire a PHP developer?
- On average, web developers make $33 per hour. However, it varies on the expertise and knowledge of an individual web developer. Individual PHP developers start at a salary of $55,158 and can earn upwards of $101,000 for senior developers. Find more on web developer salaries in this helpful article.
- Are PHP developers in demand?
According to the PYPL Index, PHP is one of the most popular programming languages, ranking in the top 5 in 2020. It has been used to build the front end of popular websites like Facebook and Yahoo. As a server-side technology, other programming languages like Javascript are needed to run the full site of most web applications. Because of the popularity of PHP and its use on large sites across the Internet, PHP developers are very much in demand--either for starting new web projects or for updating older ones. These sites will help you hire a PHP developer.