How to Calculate the Average Cost for a Website Developer

Web developers in the U.S. earn about $84,960 a year. Yet, this price doesn’t tell the whole story.

The average cost for a website developer ranges widely depending on the location, experience, technology and hiring model. Understanding these areas will help your business hire web developers and save costs without compromising quality.

Here we’ll calculate the cost to hire a web developer, including key factors, salary ranges, budgeting tips and more. With our web development pricing guide, you’ll be better equipped to make informed hiring decisions that fit your budget.

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Factors Affecting the Average Cost for a Website Developer

Assessing the average cost for a website developer starts with knowing key factors. Here we’ll give a website cost breakdown so you know what to expect.

Geo Location and Market Demand

The developer’s location has a direct impact on salary. For example, LatAm-based developers have 40-50% lower competitive rates compared to the U.S. Overall, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia/Pacific tend to have the most affordable developer rates.

Experience and Expertise

Level of experience also matters when it comes to the cost to hire a web developer. The number of years and industry expertise can up the price. Same goes for any technology or management specialization.

Tech Stack

Your business’ tech stack is one of the most important pricing factors. In 2024, the top-paying technology was Erlang, while the least paid was Ada. The range here is extremely wide. When choosing your tech stack, keep in mind this variation, as well as limits in talent availability for the most in-demand languages.

Project Complexity and Timeline

The logistics of your web project come into play, too. Besides the project complexity and scope, your vision for the timeline will influence the cost. For instance, a rush job or a project with many phases will involve a higher web development budget.

Type of Engagement

Finally, the way that you hire will affect website developer rates. For example, a flexible hiring model will let you scale the project over time. What’s more, a long-term talent solution may help you save, as you’ll avoid the costs of turnover and time-to-fill.

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Average Costs by Developer Level

The average cost for a website developer varies quite a bit. Naturally, senior web developers are more expensive (approximately twice that of junior talent). Yet, there are still opportunities to save on your web development budget by choosing to outsource.

At TECLA, we connect businesses to elite LatAm-based talent at half the cost of U.S. talent. Depending on the exact country, you can get senior web developers for between $48,000-$108,000. For even more specific full-time website developer salary estimates, try out our salary wizard!

Keep in mind that the average freelance web developer rate is $67,000-$106,000. While this may be somewhat cheaper than U.S. rates, it’s not significantly lower than outsourcing. When you factor in the risks of freelancing, choosing to hire via an outsourcing partner is by far the most cost-effective website solution.

Average Costs by Technology

Of course, the exact price of a website developer often hinges on the technology. Here you can check out the costs of high-demand programming languages by country. As you can see, U.S. rates are notably higher than outsourcing destinations in LatAm.

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The Price of Freelance Website Developers

At this point, you may have ruled out hiring web developers in the U.S. due to the high cost. But what about freelance website developer fees?

Hiring freelancers may be somewhat cheaper and lets you retain full flexibility of the project. It may also seem super easy to click and hire on freelancing platforms. That said, you should be aware of potential pitfalls:

• Freelancer focus may be divided among multiple projects.
• Communication can be hit-or-miss (i.e. becomes unresponsive or misses deadlines).
• Lack of alignment with business needs and/or company culture.
• Little to no screening process for skills.
• Risk of freelancer’s availability changing.
• Risk of low-quality end product.

Hiring freelancers is best when you already have a good working relationship with a developer and want to contract their services for a specific project. Otherwise, the “price” of going with freelancers can lead to missed deadlines, unaligned needs and poor quality.

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Tips for Budgeting Website Development

Website development is typically a major investment for your business, which is why you should plan ahead to know your real costs. Let’s discuss how to keep your budget in check during the full development lifecycle.

1. Define Your Project Scope Clearly.

Pinpoint a project scope that captures all your needs upfront. This will give you a complete picture of your development features and related pricing before you even get started. Here you can also estimate the average cost for a website developer based on the hours and team size you require.

2. Decide Between Hiring Freelancers, Partners or In-House Developers.

You’ve got options when hiring web developers. Know which engagement model is best for your needs:

• If you have long-term permanent requirements and a large budget, an in-house developer is probably right for you.
• If you’re struggling to get cost-effective specialists or want to try them out on a short-term basis first, using a talent partner can be effective.
• If you find a freelancer you feel you can trust with your business-critical needs, this can be an affordable and flexible way, too.

3. Understand Regional Hiring Markets.

Hiring global web developers can be an expert move for your budget. Even so, you’ll want to be smart about navigating the talent landscape in new regions. Every country has its own unique networks, characteristics and regulations. Often it’s worth leveraging a knowledgeable talent partner to access this talent with minimal friction.

4. Integrate Teams to Save.

Line items on your budget aren’t the only ways to save. When you boost the effectiveness of your teams, they’re more productive, resulting in faster and higher quality development. Focus on integrating your new website developer so that collaboration is seamless from the start.

5. Plan for Ongoing Maintenance Costs.

Finally, plan for monitoring and maintaining your website in the long run. You’ll want to factor in these ongoing costs, such as hosting, integrations, cloud services, servers, etc. Add these costs to your budget now, so that there are no surprises down the road.

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Count on TECLA for Hiring Web Developers on a Budget

Crafting a successful budget starts with understanding the average cost for a website developer. In our web development pricing guide, we’ve discussed comprehensive cost variations, so that you can choose the right path forward for your business.

As you strive for cost-effective website solutions, count on a top talent partner like us. At TECLA, we have a winning reputation for matching U.S. businesses with skilled and affordable tech professionals across 18+ LatAm countries. Our extensive talent solutions are tailored to your budget goals and more. Get in touch with our talent specialists today!

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