How to hire a computer applications developer

How to hire a computer applications developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer applications developer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a computer applications developer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new computer applications developer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The computer applications developer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A computer applications developer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, computer applications developers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents computer applications developer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Computer Applications Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Applications Developer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$35-62
   Developer	Developers are usually system or application developers in a company who work on specific projects related to networks or applications from conception to implementation. They attend planning sessions to ensure that the program is feasible... Show more	$36-62
   SQL Developer	An SQL developer is responsible for designing database systems for storing and accessing business information. SQL developers incorporate a high-level of data management and technical knowledge to ensure the safety and security of the systems, preventing unauthorized access that may put the company's reputation in jeopardy... Show more	$33-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Java
   • Application Development
   • C
   • C++
   • JavaScript
   • HTML
   • TFS
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • Fortran
   • Systems Analysis
   • Perl
   • Asp
   • XML

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead cost evaluation for incremental release plan of business intelligence and cloud technology infusion.
   • Used YUI library for building richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, HTML, AJAX.
   • Develop PL/SQL store procedure/function/package and triggers.
   • Experience with command-line software development using Linux.
   • Design, develop and implement data input screens utilizing system utilities and the COBOL programming language
   • Develop, test, debug, implement and document moderately complex programs using COBOL programming language.

   More computer applications developer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your computer applications developer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A computer applications developer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, computer applications developers' average salary in hawaii is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level computer applications developers earn 43% less than senior-level computer applications developers.
   • Certifications. A computer applications developer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a computer applications developer's salary.

   Average computer applications developer salary

   $97,158yearly

   $46.71 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer applications developer salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average computer applications developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$132,489	$64
   2	Washington	$125,348	$60
   3	Nevada	$106,313	$51
   4	New York	$99,871	$48
   5	Massachusetts	$98,043	$47
   6	New Jersey	$92,300	$44
   7	Georgia	$87,355	$42
   8	Wisconsin	$87,191	$42
   9	North Carolina	$87,072	$42
   10	Maryland	$85,628	$41
   11	Indiana	$85,226	$41
   12	New Mexico	$85,096	$41
   13	Texas	$85,031	$41
   14	Missouri	$84,628	$41
   15	Michigan	$84,590	$41
   16	Ohio	$82,534	$40
   17	Florida	$82,517	$40
   18	Illinois	$80,067	$38
   19	Kansas	$77,892	$37

   Average computer applications developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Randstad North America, Inc.	$111,421	$53.57	51
   2	Logitech	$108,056	$51.95
   3	iStar	$107,865	$51.86
   4	Open Systems Technologies	$107,179	$51.53	2
   5	Philips	$106,482	$51.19	7
   6	Spirent Communications	$105,198	$50.58
   7	Z3 Graphics	$104,408	$50.20
   8	auto	$104,363	$50.17
   9	Paramount	$104,204	$50.10	5
   10	Call	$103,452	$49.74
   11	INDUS IT VALLEY	$102,809	$49.43
   12	Fermi Research Alliance	$98,401	$47.31
   13	Siemens	$95,860	$46.09	14
   14	Wipro Limited	$95,724	$46.02	29
   15	Enterworks Acquisition, Inc.	$94,786	$45.57
   16	PTC	$94,560	$45.46	4
   17	Linde Engineering	$94,276	$45.33
   18	Lenmar Consulting	$94,050	$45.22	2
   19	Ishi Systems	$92,588	$44.51
   20	Sandia National Labs	$91,478	$43.98	6

4. Writing a computer applications developer job description

   A job description for a computer applications developer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a computer applications developer job description:

   Computer applications developer job description example

   About Apprentice Now:
   
   We call it being a life changer, but you'll call it a job you love while helping others find the same. You'll have a hand in improving the lives of countless Apprentice Now students by working with impassioned educators and campus faculty in a collaborative, interactive environment to create optimized environment for our students.
   
   Under the direction of the Director of Education, the Mentor will be responsible for academic support, curriculum review, and grading for their program area with assigned student cohort. You are knowledgeable of and adhere to all institutional educational policies and procedures
   
   Requirements
   
   Responsibilities
   
   + Work in a cooperative setting with instructors, students, and support personnel to accomplish the mutual goal of training and placing our students;
   
   + Provide academic support, assisting students with instructional review, technical questions, debugging, code review and reinforcing conceptual knowledge;
   
   + Counsel students on the importance of class attendance, contact students who have missed a class, and document all attendance related matters;
   
   + Field and respond to student inquiries over chat, email and phone;
   
   + Monitor and report on student academic progress; Responsible for student outcomes such as persistence rates, pass rates, and completion rates.
   
   + Contribute to the Institution and the community by attending, and participating in, scheduled events, meetups and workshops;
   
   + Work collaboratively with the Admissions Department to ensure an exceptional student experience from enrollment to graduation;
   
   + Participate in retention activities
   
   Requirements
   
   + Proven hands-on Software Development experience
   
   + Proven working experience in Java development
   
   + Hands on experience in designing and developing applications using Java EE platforms
   
   + Object Oriented analysis and design using common design patterns.
   
   + Profound insight of Java and JEE internals (Classloading, Memory Management, Transaction management etc)
   
   + Experience in the Spring Framework
   
   + Experience as a Sun Certified Java Developer
   
   + Experience in developing web applications using at least one popular web framework (JSF, Wicket, GWT, Spring MVC)
   
   + Experience with test-driven development
   
   Benefits
   
   + Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
   
   + Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
   
   + Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
   
   + Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
   
   + Short Term & Long Term Disability
   
   + Work From Home (Excluded locations: MA, WA state, WA DC, CT, OR, CA, NY)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right computer applications developer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with computer applications developers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit computer applications developers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your computer applications developer job on Zippia to find and recruit computer applications developer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit computer applications developers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a computer applications developer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new computer applications developer

   Once you've decided on a perfect computer applications developer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new computer applications developer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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