Things Businesses Should Know Before Hiring a Python Developer in 2023

According to a survey by Hired, software engineers are drawn by either opportunities and continuous growth or earning potential. Software engineers are in demand and sourcing one for your business may likely be more challenging than it seems.

This guide explores what you should know before hiring a Python developer. We highlight the salaries of Python developers globally and how their popularity makes recruitment challenging.

We further explore the percentage of Python developers that are sourced from freelance marketplaces such as Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Hired compared to others. It was discovered that 68.61% of over 70,000 identified as full-time in-house employees while 14.95% of this number work as freelancers.

We also examined the unique options for recruiting Python developers and what you should do during the process. Starting from where applicants apply for an open position to the point where the most qualified candidate is hired and onboarded. The onboarding process highlights where the new hire is offered the necessary support to discharge assigned duties, complete a non-disclosure agreements, and sign other policy documents before meeting with the senior developer.

We finally take a look at how interviewzen.com is streamlining the hiring of Python developers by providing a unique job board where job advertorials can be posted, as well as a testing and interview solution to hasten the hiring process and onboard the right candidate.

Based on a survey by Hired

Impact of Python’s Popularity on Developer Hiring

Python is the second-largest programming language after JavaScript. Globally, Python appears to be one of the most-sorted skills by tech enthusiasts. A 2023 report by HackerRank shows Python witnessed a 19% growth compared to the previous year.

Source: HackerRank

Due to its popularity, large companies such as Netflix, Google, and Facebook use Python programming for their software.

Python, as a widely used, objective, and high-level program language, was conceived by Guido Van Rossum in the late 1980s in the Netherlands. Python succeeded the ABC programming language. Since then, Python has tremendously grown to rank as the second most-used programming language.

You might want to know if Python is easy to use. The answer is yes. Python prioritizes readability, making it easier to understand and beginner-friendly. Its syntax is similar to the English language, allowing entry-level developers to dive into the deeper programming world.

Finding an experienced Python developer is a huge task due to its popularity and high demand for the skill set. However, there are unique hiring solutions to help businesses get developers with a preferred level of experience.

But first, let’s check out the global average salary index for Python developers and how they vary with countries.

Global Average Salary Index of Python Developers

Before you embark on your search for a Python developer, it’s essential to compare the average salaries of these engineers based on their regions — Asia and Africa, Europe, North America, and the Americas.

The data used in this section are based on anonymous and public salary reviews on Glassdoor, with additional insights from Payscale, Indeed, and World Salaries.

Asia and Africa

Compared to Europe and North America, the average salary for Python engineers in Asia and Africa is pretty low. While a developer in India could earn around USD$15,000 per annum, a developer in Cape Town, South Africa can end up to USD$31,800 yearly. Salary expectations are higher in China.

Europe

A major factor that influences the salary range in Europe is the cost of living. Average salaries for Python developers in Germany can hit $70,000 due to higher living standards.

The United Kingdom pays an average of $62,000 yearly. Countries such as Ukraine and Hungary pay Python developers lower salaries compared to Germany and the UK.

North and South America

The United States offers developers the highest salary compared to other regions of the world. The average salary offered is around $120,000 per annum. In South America, compensations are usually lower as living costs are fair.

Mexico offers an average of $62,000 yearly, despite its reputable track record for developers.

Job Preferences of Python Developers and Upwork Hourly Contract

While Python developers can work as full-time in-house staff or freelancers, making a choice is all about individual preferences.

Several reputable job marketplaces exist where companies can source freelance Python developers. Some of these platforms include Upwork, Fiver, Toptal, Hired, AngleList, Braintrust, and many more. These platforms support fixed and hourly contracts for both one-time and ongoing projects.

You may think developers will love freelance work due to the flexibility involved. However, a survey by JetBrains in 2021 showed that 62% of Python developers identified as full-time in-house workers while just 6% identified as freelancers.

Similarly, according to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, 68.61% of 71,709 developers were employed full-time, while 14.95% identified as independent contractors or freelancers. Both surveys confirm that Python developers prefer in-house full-time employment.

The survey by Stack Overflow

Remote Hourly Contract on Upwork

Upwork is a job marketplace where employers can connect with job seekers. The platform has an hourly and fixed protection contract which recruiters and job seekers find interesting. When a developer is hired, they receive their wages from Upwork.

Junior Developer: $35/hr

Mid-Level Developer: $65/hr

Senior Developer: $110/hr

Comparing Developer Salaries in the U.S., Ukraine, and India

As stated earlier, the U.S. compensates developers more than any other region. This is captured in the image below. We can also see that though Ukraine’s compensation is nowhere close to the U.S., it’s visibly higher than India’s.

Let’s compare these developers based on time differences, English proficiency, and ranking.

• Time difference: The time in the U.S. is suitable for companies in the country and Europe. Ukraine’s time is also perfect for those in the U.S. and Western Europe. But there’s a time gap for those in Australia. India’s time difference is convenient for those in Europe and the U.S. The time difference with Australia is much.
• English proficiency: U.S. developers are native English speakers. In Ukraine, the English level is intermediate to high level while Indians speak beginner to intermediate level English.
• Ranking: The U.S., Ukraine, and India have a developer ranking of 28th, 11th, and 31st respectively.

Comparing the salaries of Python developers in the U.S., Ukraine, and India.

Leveraging the Salary Differences

The differences between compensations offered by the U.S. and South America, as well as Eastern European countries, explain why startups in North America tend to hire developers from lower-paying countries. As earlier stated, you should review the various salary packages in different countries if you want to hire a Python developer with a lower budget.

As we go further, we explore the various hiring options companies have when recruiting developers.

Hiring Options for Python Developers

Several options for recruiting Python developers exist. Remote work is now popular and Nexford University estimates an 81% growth in 2024.

Remote work allows companies to hire developers from different geographical locations. Similarly, Python developers can be hired based on different employment options — from freelance to in-house hires, outsourcing, and staff augmentation.

Now let’s look at each option in detail.

Hiring Python Developers Based on Geographical Location

Hiring Python developers according to geographical location can be done in several ways. If you seek to hire a local specialist, either check out job boards such as Glassdoor or CV Library or attend a tech conference such as hackathons. You can also hire nearshore from your local talent pool.

As a business, you hire local talents from close competitors. However, this may be more difficult than it seems. Companies will always protect their best talents. However, you can get a headhunter to recruit them. But your salary package and company culture are factors that should be attractive.

Furthermore, you can streamline your hiring process by recruiting offshore developers as either individuals or agencies. However, they should have good ratings on B2B platforms such as G2.

Hiring Python Specialists Based on Employment Types

Hiring Python specialists can be based on several employment options such as in-house hires, freelancing, staff augmentation, and outsourcing.

In-house developers:

These developers are hired through the conventional recruitment process and are paid monthly salaries in addition to other benefits. In-house developers can be directly recruited from local talent pools.

Though it may cost a lot, in-house developers can help with almost everything in the company such as WordPress development, e-commerce site creation, and mobile app development.

While employers may choose this option, finding a specialist with such a skill set is even more difficult with a tight budget.

However, you can spend half the price by hiring a developer and allowing the talent to learn new frameworks while on the job.

Freelance hires

If you can’t afford to hire an in-house developer, a freelance hire may come in handy. You only get to pay for services rendered, as well as platform fees.

Upwork, Freelancer, and Toptal are great freelancer platforms.

This option may be uncomfortable due to delays or cancellation of contracts.

Staff Augmentation

As an employer, you can scale your staff strength by bringing a full-time developer on board temporarily. This process is called staff augmentation. You’ll be able to employ vetted specialists who work for a development agency.

Several tested platforms exist for this purpose. Staff augmentation is less expensive as taxes and other benefits will be covered by the vendor.

What Skills Do Companies Seek in Python Programmers?

Python is a popular programming language that is employed in almost every aspect of software development. It’s used in building websites and mobile applications, as well as machine learning and data analytics.

To understand what skills Python developers should have, let’s take a look at what exactly it is that they do.

What Python developers do

Python is a widely used coding language. Unlike frontend development skills such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it’s used for other programming types such as data science, web development, mobile app development, and several others.

Python code focuses on readability. Being object-oriented and closely similar to English allows developers to write codes for small and large-scale projects.

A Python developer’s job can be narrowed down to coding, developing, designing, integrating, and debugging software products. It’s essential to understand that the job of a Python developer varies with level.

Junior developers often work closely with senior developers to learn more. Occasionally, they may be tasked with writing unit tests and improvement of existing codes with the close supervision of the senior developer.

Mid-level developers, on the other hand, should be capable of writing and building components and integrating them into new and existing systems. They should also know how to maintain existing codes by fixing and making changes.

Senior Python developers must be capable of designing whole systems and architectures for software solutions using appropriate technologies. Another major task is to manage and mentor new developers.

Like every job, employers require a desired skill set. Those required for Python programming aren’t limited to all or some of the following:

• Knowledge of front-end development frameworks such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Understanding of machine learning and data analytics.
• A grasp of Python-based frameworks such as Flask and Django.
• An understanding of data types and structures.
• Knowledge of version control systems such as GitLab and Github.
• Other skills include:
• APIs
• Amazon web service
• Django
• Continuous integration
• Flask
• PostgreSQL
• React
• Java
• Go

Steps Businesses Can Use in Hiring the Right Python Programmer

If you are hiring a Python developer or DevOps team, certain steps must be taken to pick the right candidate.

This section exploits the stages involved in the Python specialist recruitment process.

Setting clear expectations

This starts with identifying the skills you need for a project at a particular time. It’s necessary to consider if the job should be handled by a junior, mid-level, or senior specialist. Your budget is another critical aspect that influences your hiring decision.

Once you have an idea of what you need, you can now write a clear job description and requirements. The description should explain the main job functions at length. Additionally, a degree in a technical course, certifications, and personality tests may form part of the requirements.

Testing and interviewing selected candidates

After screening the applications, testing the candidates should follow. You need not conduct personal screening as dedicated sites such as TestGorilla can create customized skill-based tests for candidates.

The successful candidates should be interviewed based on the project requirements. Both technical and non-technical questions should be asked. The technical question should be based on concepts in Python programming while the non-technical aspect should cover soft skills and interpersonal skills.

Hiring and onboarding

Once a decision has been made, an employment letter should be sent out to the selected candidate. Upon resumption, the new hire should be onboarded for a week and a month. The new hire gets to meet other members of the team including the senior developer where applicable, receives a work email, signs a non-disclosure agreement and other policies, receives necessary work tools, and gets familiar with the project.

Questions to Ask a Python Specialist During an Interview

Once a candidate that’s considered a good fit is selected, they should be interviewed. A unique set of questions should be drafted. These questions should cover the candidate’s technical skills, experience, and soft skills.

Now let’s explore each of these.

Technical skills

Asking candidates technical questions about the subject reveals their familiarity with it. Some of these questions include their years of experience and the companies they have worked for. Look out for certain keywords as they speak. It tells if they are vast in Python development.

Additionally, technical questions about Python frameworks such as Django and Flakes should be asked. It’s important to listen to how these questions are answered.

Experiences

Asking a candidate for the years of experience they have isn’t sufficient to give valuable insights. Rather, they should speak about their experience with similar projects and how projects were handled. You can take it further by asking if they would want to talk about accomplishments or rewards for a job well done.

Soft skills

Asking questions about soft skills will tell how well a candidate can blend with the team. You’ll know how well they communicate and if they are likely to function well in a team.

Bottom Line

This guide explores innovative and novel ways businesses use in hiring Python developers. The software job market was reviewed based on the popularity of Python and its application in almost every area of tech. We further compared the compensations for software specialists globally as well as options for recruiting Python developers. Essentially, hiring developers can be streamlined with Test Gorilla. Test Gorilla is a candidate-screening platform that provides businesses and companies with several multiple-choice and short-answer questions to streamline their hiring process. The platform has questions that are suitable for candidates at all levels and areas of specialization.

With Test Gorilla, businesses can save time while hiring the right candidate in the shortest possible time. Are you hiring soon, visit testgorilla.com to set custom test questions for your candidate.