How to hire a program developer

How to hire a program developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step program 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 program developer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new program developer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a program developer do?

Post a program developer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The program 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a program developer 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 program developer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of program developer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Program Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Program Developer	Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow.	$22-56
   Information Technology Programmer	Information technology programmers are known as software engineers, systems, and computer programmers who are responsible for designing and creating programs, system integration, maintaining operating systems, and supporting data architecture. They do complex tasks, including managing system performance, modifying source code, analyzing algorithms, and provide technical support... Show more	$30-59
   Applications Programmer	An application programmer is responsible for creating and designing computer systems and applications according to client specifications and business requirements. Application programmers run quality checks on the draft outputs to ensure its stability and efficiency for high-level performance... Show more	$30-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Development Programs
   • Community Outreach
   • Project Management
   • Professional Development
   • C++
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Java
   • Curriculum Development
   • PowerPoint
   • Mathematics
   • Training Programs
   • Mental Health
   • Windows
   • Community Resources

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop windows forms programs to automate manual in-house processes integrate with third party applications using Microsoft VB.Net.
   • Convert PSD mockups into pure hand-written HTML, HTML5 and CSS, CSS3 pages.
   • Train community members and health care professionals in first-aid and CPR.
   • Create, design, and code the HTML coding for the user interface.
   • Provide individual and group tutoring in areas including but not limit to; reading, writing, mathematics and study skills.
   • Deploy a distribute Jenkins environment for continuous integration/builds.

   More program developer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the program developer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A program developer 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 program developer in Kansas may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level program developer. Additionally, a program developer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average program developer salary

   $74,749yearly

   $35.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level program developer salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average program developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$118,847	$57
   2	Washington	$108,914	$52
   3	Arizona	$80,918	$39
   4	Colorado	$79,187	$38
   5	Minnesota	$74,788	$36
   6	New York	$74,032	$36
   7	Texas	$73,326	$35
   8	Illinois	$73,053	$35
   9	Massachusetts	$72,799	$35
   10	Ohio	$69,634	$33
   11	Iowa	$68,167	$33
   12	Wisconsin	$67,247	$32
   13	Michigan	$65,153	$31
   14	Nebraska	$62,442	$30
   15	Georgia	$57,467	$28
   16	Missouri	$55,765	$27
   17	North Carolina	$54,650	$26

   Average program developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Western Digital	$137,781	$66.24	14
   2	Amazon	$128,281	$61.67	541
   3	Expedia Group	$127,939	$61.51	16
   4	Ciena	$115,873	$55.71	4
   5	Axway	$113,213	$54.43
   6	The Vanguard Group	$110,296	$53.03
   7	FactSet	$99,663	$47.91
   8	Accenture	$98,623	$47.41	117
   9	Great American Insurance	$98,454	$47.33	12
   10	Columbia Sportswear	$98,360	$47.29	3
   11	Caterpillar	$97,412	$46.83	49
   12	NetJets	$95,653	$45.99	6
   13	Capgemini	$94,660	$45.51	178
   14	Andersen	$93,863	$45.13
   15	Prudential Bank	$90,080	$43.31	1
   16	BankFinancial	$89,786	$43.17
   17	Anheuser-Busch	$86,530	$41.60	3
   18	ITW	$86,370	$41.52	17
   19	CMC Motocross	$85,331	$41.02	8
   20	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$85,106	$40.92	11

4. Writing a program developer job description

   A job description for a program 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 program developer job description:

   Program developer job description example

   Primary Functions

   1. Manages the Trial Academy training program for legal aid lawyers.
   2. Manages the Access to Justice Internship Program for law students to gain experience working with legal aid organizations.
   3. Manages the State Bar's legal research network.
   4. Handles all logistics for the annual statewide Poverty Law Conference and the annual Pro Bono Coordinator's Retreat attended by 500 legal aid professionals related to the conference space (including AV, rooms, session space, food, breaks, etc.), registration, and scholarships.
   5. Develops materials to be presented to Congressional members and state legislators related to access to justice.
   6. Assists with logistics for Pro Bono Spring Break, involving students from ten law schools and multiple legal aid providers.
   7. Assists with TAJC's annual gala.
   8. Assists with the bi-annual production of the SBOT Referral Directory.
   9. Assists in the planning and implementation of CLE programs for legal aid providers.
   10. Serves as backup on other projects, such as disaster related efforts, as needed.
   11. Answers public inquiries about where to get legal help and performs other duties as assigned.
   

   Position Requirements

   Must have college degree and 3 years related experience, preferably in project management or event planning, handling complex projects with multiple deadlines. Must be organized and detail-oriented with excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Must be skilled with computer software, including MS Word and Excel. Experience with website content software preferred. Excellent writing skills required. Entails day-to-day communication and cooperation with TAJC chair and board members, the Texas Supreme Court, division staff, members of the legal aid community and the public. Occasional travel is required. Experience with legal services to the poor or other public interest groups preferred. Ability to speak Spanish desirable.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find program developers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your program developer job on Zippia to find and recruit program developer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with program developer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with program developer 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 program developer

   Once you've found the program developer 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a program developer?