How to hire a developer/consultant

How to hire a developer/consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step developer/consultant hiring guide:

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

What does a developer/consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The developer/consultant 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a developer/consultant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a developer/consultant that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of developer/consultants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Developer/Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Developer/Consultant	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	$34-64
   Applications Developer	An application developer is responsible for creating program applications for devices based on clients' specifications and business needs. Application developers must have excellent knowledge of computer systems, as well as a strong command of programming languages to develop customized programs... Show more	$32-56
   Contract Developer	Contract Developers develop secure web applications for data collections, quality measurement efforts, and reporting purposes for large-scale performance, wireframes and UI specifications for interactive and static reporting and analysis features, and developing UI to interact with reporting engines. They are involved with system design and technical documentation and responsible for dot net development... Show more	$32-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Project Management
   • JavaScript
   • HR
   • Microservices
   • JQuery
   • MVC
   • JSON
   • Business Development
   • Ajax
   • Data Analysis
   • XML
   • C++
   • Python

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage SDLC development including analysis, writing technical documentation, design, coding, testing.
   • Lead the project, development and architecture of an innovative SharePoint contract warehouse, including designing several process improvements.
   • Interpret, develop, and enhance graphic, visual & interaction designs in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
   • Work with other web technologies such as AJAX, jQuery, and PHP throughout this redesign.
   • Work with AJAX data consisting of JSON responses parsing the same and presenting on the UI layer.
   • Coordinate new test environment builds with CICS & DB2 support teams, streamline existing test environments by identifying and eliminating redundancies.

   More developer/consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your developer/consultant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A developer/consultant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, developer/consultants' average salary in wyoming is 39% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level developer/consultants 47% less than senior-level developer/consultants.
   • Certifications. A developer/consultant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a developer/consultant's salary.

   Average developer/consultant salary

   $98,508yearly

   $47.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level developer/consultant salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average developer/consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$118,438	$57
   2	Massachusetts	$117,419	$56
   3	New York	$116,149	$56
   4	Pennsylvania	$113,327	$54
   5	Connecticut	$112,351	$54
   6	North Carolina	$103,741	$50
   7	Texas	$100,691	$48
   8	Washington	$100,182	$48
   9	Virginia	$98,491	$47
   10	Michigan	$97,889	$47
   11	Illinois	$95,706	$46
   12	Georgia	$91,547	$44
   13	Ohio	$90,847	$44
   14	Oregon	$90,729	$44
   15	Maine	$89,357	$43
   16	Florida	$88,692	$43
   17	District of Columbia	$87,016	$42
   18	Indiana	$83,621	$40
   19	Minnesota	$81,945	$39
   20	Arizona	$80,887	$39

   Average developer/consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$121,348	$58.34	582
   2	Novartis	$119,814	$57.60	1
   3	Eli Lilly and Company	$119,587	$57.49	7
   4	Thoughtworks	$118,645	$57.04	1
   5	Commonwealth Financial Network	$118,364	$56.91
   6	TD Ameritrade	$117,657	$56.57
   7	Dell	$117,392	$56.44	1
   8	Avanade	$116,340	$55.93
   9	Unity Technologies	$114,538	$55.07	33
   10	Recorded Future	$114,216	$54.91
   11	BB&T	$114,036	$54.83
   12	EMC Insurance	$113,604	$54.62	1
   13	U.S. Bank	$113,412	$54.52	67
   14	Autodesk	$113,088	$54.37	2
   15	Koch Industries	$112,600	$54.13
   16	Medtronic	$112,318	$54.00	66
   17	Essilor USA	$111,694	$53.70
   18	Unitedheath Group	$111,675	$53.69
   19	Affiliated Computer Services	$111,363	$53.54
   20	First Citizens Bank	$111,142	$53.43	28

4. Writing a developer/consultant job description

   A developer/consultant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a developer/consultant job description:

   Developer/consultant job description example

   At SpartanNash, we deliver the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation. We do this for our supply chain customers and U.S. military commissaries, retail store guests and, most importantly, our Associates. In fact, we see a day when each will say, “I can't live without them.”
   
   Our SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 strong, ranging from bakery managers to order selectors; from IT developers to vice presidents of finance; from HR Business Partners to export specialists. Each of them plays an integral role in SpartanNash's People First culture, Operational Excellence and Insights that Drive Solutions. Ready to contribute to the success of our food solutions company? Apply now!
   
   This role is responsible to develop and implement training programs, e-learning courseware, and/or job aids and is responsible for related communications, programs and systems to include performance management, talent management, learning management and other organizational development tools. Responsibilities may vary based on assigned area within the department. Here's what you'll do: Responsible to execute and/or participate in assigned Talent Development programs and initiatives which may include training, performance management, career/succession planning, etc. and responsible for related systems such as the performance/talent management system, learning management system, succession planning system, etc. Oversee the assigned program(s) to include timelines, communications, training, etc. as appropriate. Lead assigned training and performance improvement projects through all life cycle phases (analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation); may work with external vendors and consultants to plan and coordinate talent development programs; manage the business relationships, contracts and quality of the programs, resources and results. Design, develop, coordinate, implement, facilitate and evaluate seminars, workshops or training programs for professional and management/leadership curricula. Provide effective training or development of programs (i.e., instructor led training, e-learning courseware, distance learning strategies) on a variety of subject matter. Provide consulting to internal and/or external customers in the areas of performance improvement/management, performance solutions, talent development, leadership development and related HR best practices and employment law in order to help managers improve their group's performance and proactively address performance-related questions, challenges and opportunities. Partner with various HR areas and cross-functional business partners to respond to questions accordingly in other areas of expertise. Deliver innovative training and development solutions that are repeatable, sustainable and cost effective; utilize forward thinking content development tools to develop training solutions. Identify improvements with talent development programs, training and communications and develop tools and resources to support talent development and on-going performance improvement. Prepare and maintain reports and documentation related to talent development programs and communicate necessary information to business partners and management in an accurate and timely manner. Maintain current knowledge of industry trends and best Talent Development practices; make recommendations to improve current programs and processes. Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.
   
   Here's what you'll need: Bachelor's Degree (Required) in Human Resources, Organization Development, Psychology, Instructional Design or related field or equivalent combination of education and/or experience. Three years' experience in training, instructional design, performance, talent/organization development or related area. CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning & Performance), CPT (Certified Performance Technologist) or PHR (Professional in Human Resources) preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong facilitation and presentation skills in large and small group settings. Ability to interface with all levels within the organization and able to develop and maintain highly effective relationships, externally and internally. Must have strong organizational, prioritization, project management, time management and attention to detail skills; ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Ability to travel between 5 and 50% to company locations as needed (to include local and/or overnight travel); varies based on assigned area and responsibilities. Experience in training and/or performance management/succession planning based on assigned area. Experience in instructional design instructor led training, self-paced, and e-learning formats, working knowledge of media use for training solutions (online training and eLearning authoring software). Knowledge of performance engineering and performance improvement troubleshooting; working knowledge of performance management/succession planning software and systems. Knowledge of Human Resources and employment law is helpful. Knowledge of retail grocery industry is helpful.
   
   SpartanNash is a certified Veteran-Friendly Employer. We value the perspectives, backgrounds, skills, work ethic and leadership that those who are military connected bring to the workforce.
   
   As part of our People First culture, SpartanNash is proud to offer a robust and competitive Total Rewards benefits package.
   
   SpartanNash is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity and believes employing a diverse workforce is key to our success. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals.
   We are not able to sponsor work visas for this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right developer/consultant 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 developer/consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit developer/consultants 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 developer/consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit developer/consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting developer/consultants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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.

   If your interviews with developer/consultant applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you 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 developer/consultant

   Once you've found the developer/consultant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new developer/consultant. 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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