How to hire a development team member

How to hire a development team member, step by step

Here's a step-by-step development team member hiring guide:

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

What does a development team member do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The development team member 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 development team member's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, development team members 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of development team members and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Development Team Member	Description	Hourly rate
   Development Team Member	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	$8-18
   Software Programmer	A software programmer is an information technology expert who specializes in programming software and generating codes, ensuring quality and efficiency. In a company setting, they typically perform research and analysis to understand and identify the projects' needs, develop and implement test structures, troubleshoot and resolve issues, write technical instructions, and provide technical support to staff as needed... Show more	$26-44
   Programmer	Computer programmers provide assistance and services concerning computer applications and software programs. A computer programmer must be highly-knowledgeable on programming languages and operating systems to create projects and fix any malfunctions under minimal supervision... Show more	$25-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Customer Service
   • Wine
   • Java
   • Web Application
   • Python
   • Linux
   • JavaScript
   • Application Development
   • C++
   • HTML
   • Junit
   • PL/SQL
   • API

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage QA environment usage and OS patching with infrastructure team, ensuring compliance to corporate standards.
   • Manage an inventory database, manage sales and shipping, provide customer support, and provide SEO services.
   • Develop different VBA macro tools to automate reporting and assure information accuracy, overlapping avoidance and management control.
   • Develop multiple database applications to streamline and automate core processes: including human resources in-boarding, payroll systems and article/advertising layouts.
   • Develop the presentation layer using JSP, HTML, CSS and client validations using JavaScript.
   • Used HTML, CSS and JAVA-Script as the development tools.

   More development team member duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the development team member job description is a good way to get more applicants. A development team member salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a development team member in Georgia may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level development team member. Additionally, a development team member with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average development team member salary

   $13.01hourly

   $27,071 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level development team member salary

   $18,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average development team member salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$32,220	$15
   2	California	$31,117	$15
   3	New York	$30,688	$15
   4	Minnesota	$29,406	$14
   5	Washington	$29,054	$14
   6	Pennsylvania	$28,888	$14
   7	Maryland	$28,590	$14
   8	Wisconsin	$28,155	$14
   9	Ohio	$27,308	$13
   10	Arizona	$26,603	$13
   11	Indiana	$26,554	$13
   12	Illinois	$26,319	$13
   13	Colorado	$26,082	$13
   14	Nevada	$25,380	$12
   15	Utah	$25,301	$12
   16	Texas	$24,777	$12
   17	North Carolina	$24,771	$12
   18	New Mexico	$22,885	$11
   19	Georgia	$22,824	$11
   20	Florida	$22,800	$11

   Average development team member salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Tata Group	$91,521	$44.00	54
   2	Merck	$90,588	$43.55	10
   3	Farmers Insurance	$88,439	$42.52	7
   4	IBM	$85,612	$41.16	223
   5	Bank of America	$79,331	$38.14	119
   6	Deloitte	$78,554	$37.77	265
   7	Wells Fargo	$77,153	$37.09	37
   8	General Motors	$71,017	$34.14	149
   9	Rivian	$67,092	$32.26	11
   10	Infotech	$66,136	$31.80
   11	TPC Group	$59,965	$28.83	1
   12	BD	$45,595	$21.92	4
   13	AT&T	$45,072	$21.67	23
   14	KPMG LLP	$45,038	$21.65	35
   15	Simon Property Group	$43,971	$21.14	5
   16	Clean Juice	$42,757	$20.56	1
   17	Diners Club International	$41,591	$20.00
   18	Peet's Coffee	$41,565	$19.98
   19	Boeing	$41,252	$19.83	180
   20	Mars	$41,072	$19.75	4

4. Writing a development team member job description

   A job description for a development team member 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 development team member job description:

   Development team member job description example

   If you enjoy working in a fun, high-energy environment with a growing company where the game is always on, we invite you to bring your enthusiasm and passion to Buffalo Wild Wings! Come join a team that is all about sports, great food, family and friends!
   We are currently seeking *Heart of House/Kitchen Team Members *to join our team!
   
   It's not called Heart of House for nothing. The kitchen is where much of the magic happens. Through preparation and production, your talents bring to life the vision of our founders - incredible wings and a large selection of other great eats that make Guests hunger for another visit. Slicing, dicing, cooking, grilling and saucing gives you all kinds of opportunities to utilize your skills. As we reach out to more and more fans with changing and varied tastes, the HOH Team is instrumental in making exciting menu items craveable and contribute to what we believe is the highest calling of all - delivering the ULTIMATE food experience for sports fans! How's that for cutting edge?
   
   *Knowledge and Skills include but are not limited to:*
   
   * Knowledge of proper sanitation, food safety and security procedures
   
   * Understanding of specs, cook times, plate presentation, etc.
   
   * Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills in order to serve BWW Guests
   
   * Strong skills in time management and organization, with excellent attention to detail
   
   * Ability to take direction and execute team and company objectives
   
   * Conflict management skills, analytical skills and a high degree of emotional intelligence in order to recognize and solve problems that come with the position
   
   * Ability to maintain a high degree of pace and intensity for an extended period of time
   
   * Must be reliable and dependable by being punctual, adhering to a schedule and covering shifts when necessary
   
   * Maintain positive working relationships with all Team Members and Managers
   
   *What do employees think of working at Buffalo Wild Wings?*
   
   "I left a company I had been with for 11 years to join Buffalo Wild Wings, and I do not have a single regret about my decision! In every store I have worked, I could feel the excitement that everyone has for this company, from Management to Team Members to the Guests. With its focus on people, Buffalo Wild Wings will continue to have a very loyal following among their Team Members and Guests for a long time."
   
   - Brian (Minneapolis, MN)
   
   We offer great pay, schedules that fit your life, awesome managers, and other excellent benefits and opportunities. If you've got a flair for fun and are looking for a great team to work with, we want YOU!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right development team member for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your development team member job on Zippia to find and attract quality development team member candidates.
   • Use niche 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 development team members, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview development team member candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 development team member

   Once you have selected a candidate for the development team member position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new development team member. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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