Hiring a JavaScript developer can cost anywhere from $22/hour to $200,000/year—but what determines the right price for your startup? If you’re a CTO or founder, you need to hire the right talent without burning your budget.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
The cost of hiring a JavaScript developer depends on many factors. The key ones are:
Today it is possible to hire developers from virtually anywhere. But all regions aren’t the same. Hiring developers from specific geographic locations like the USA or Western Europe costs more than places like Asia or Africa.
Let’s break down the average hourly rates of Javascript developers in different regions.
The United States boasts a robust tech industry and pays the highest rates in the industry. JavaScript developers in the USA earn around $107,000 on average, according to ZipRecruiter. This is based on numbers received, which don’t always tell the full story.
Reddit threads provide further insight, like this one where a user asked if developers make a decent wage off programming. We deduced from the comments that most US-based developers were earning about $152,000 a year.
And it differs by experience levels too.
Junior and mid-level JavaScript developers who work full-time make between $93,000 and $174,000 a year, per Glassdoor data. In fact, the minimum for entry-level engineers at most tech companies is $110,000 to $120,000..
Senior devs charge a premium. Glassdoor data states the pay range for senior JavaScript developers in the USA to be between $162,000 and $270,000 a year ($85-$182/hour).
Freelance JavaScript developers also charge a premium. Info from Reddit threads and platforms like Upwork, Turing, and Toptal show hourly rates ranging from $30 for junior devs to $150+ for the most experienced engineers.
Canadian engineers charge similar rates to their American counterparts. The average Canadian JavaScript developer makes about $105,000 yearly. ($54/hour).
A junior JavaScript engineer in Canada takes home around $77,000/year (roughly $35/hour). Mid-level engineers earn between $85,000–$110,000/year ($58–$90/hour), and senior developers charge between $70-$100/hour.
Latin America, specifically Brazil and Colombia, are hot spots for IT talent. Developers from these regions cost less than North American talent, and they provide the extra benefit of aligned time zones. For example, Colombian JavaScript developers make between $27,000 and $96,000. Brazil devs earn slightly higher- they take home between $29,000 to $96,000 a year.
Here’s an overview of the cost of hiring JavaScript developers in Latin America:
Eastern Europe is the cost-friendly hub growing tech talent. Countries like Ukraine and Poland lead the way in providing skilled software engineers from this region. Startups that hire Eastern European developers do so because of their English proficiency, eliminating language barrier issues.
Hourly rates for developers in this region are as follows:
With countries like Germany, France, and the UK, Western Europe provides the most developers in the whole continent with nearly 4 million devs. The high cost of living accounts for engineers in these countries commanding top rates. For example, an entry-level Javascript developer from Germany may cost you at least $55/hour. Experienced freelance contractors typically charge between $100 to $130 an hour.
In places like the UK and France, developers even charge more per hour than in the US. So, if you plan to hire from these areas, expect to spend more. Here’s a quick glance at what JavaScript developers from Western Europe might cost.
Asia, the most populous continent in the world, unsurprisingly also produces the highest number of developers globally. Companies hire Asians for their affordability, but there’s a downside to it. By the time US companies are wrapping up their workday, Asian developers are now starting theirs. This time zone misalignment makes communication and collaboration a real challenge.
With over 7 million tech talents in the market, China’s tech ecosystem has grown significantly over the last decade. Yet, the cost of hiring is significantly lower than in Europe and America. Chinese JavaScript engineers cost between $38,000 and $113,000 annually, with the average around $63,000.
India has the second largest population of tech talent, with over 5 million software engineers. Indian developers are a source of affordable labor due to the low cost of living in the country.
Find typical hourly rates of Asian JavaScript developers below:
Africa's tech scene is booming, and the continent boasts a large and growing pool of software developers, especially in Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. With their lower cost of living, developer rates tend to be very affordable.
JavaScript developers in Australia and New Zealand also come at a premium. Here’s a quick breakdown, according to Jobicy’s data:
Whether hiring for a short-term project or a long-term role, understanding these cost drivers can help you budget effectively and make the right hiring decision.
The more advanced the skills required, the higher the hourly rate.
If your project requires only fundamental JavaScript skills, you can hire a junior developer at a lower rate. These skills include:
These entry-level developers typically charge between $40 and $50 per hour.
More complex projects—especially those involving performance optimization, scalability, or security—require a developer with a strong command of modern JavaScript frameworks and backend technologies. These skills include:
A developer with these skills can significantly impact your project's success, but they also come at a premium, with most charging $75 to $100 per hour.
The bigger and more complex your project, the more experienced and skilled a developer you'll need—and that comes at a higher cost. A simple website with basic interactivity? A junior developer can handle it for a lower rate. But if you’re building a large-scale platform with real-time data processing, you'll need a senior engineer with deep expertise, and their rates will reflect that. More complexity means more time, resources, and problem-solving ability, which drive up the cost.
This one's straightforward: the longer your project runs, the more you'll spend. However, if you're on a tight deadline and need your product shipped ASAP, expect to pay extra. Freelancers and contract developers often charge a premium for rush projects because it means putting aside other commitments and prioritizing yours. Urgency always comes at a cost.
The type of developer you hire also affects your budget.
Freelancers: Normally charge higher hourly rates but give you flexibility to scale up or down. You pay only for the work done—no benefits, office space, or long-term commitments. Great for short-term or specialized projects.
Full-time employees: More cost-effective in the long run for ongoing projects but requires salaries, benefits, taxes, and onboarding time. A full-time senior JavaScript developer in the U.S. typically earns between $150,000 and $190,000 per year.
When hiring a JavaScript developer, the listed salary or hourly rate isn’t the only expense. Many startups overlook additional costs that can add up quickly. Here are a few hidden costs to keep in mind:
Hiring platforms like Upwork, Toptal, or staffing agencies often charge a 10–20% fee on top of a developer’s rate. This can significantly increase the overall cost, especially for long-term engagements. If you’re hiring full-time, you might also need to budget for job board postings, recruiter fees, and onboarding costs.
Hiring a developer is just the beginning—keeping them is another challenge. If a developer leaves after a few months, you’ll have to spend time and money recruiting and onboarding someone new. Beyond recruitment fees, productivity takes a hit while new hires ramp up, leading to hidden operational costs. For startups, high turnover can slow down product development and delay crucial milestones.
Freelancers juggle multiple clients, so your project may not always be their top priority. If a freelancer disappears mid-project or takes longer than expected, you may end up spending more time managing deadlines and finding replacements than actually building your product.
For example, hiring a $20/hour freelancer might seem like a steal, but if they take twice as long to finish a task compared to a $50/hour developer, you’re not saving money—you’re losing time. In a fast-growing startup, time is usually more valuable than money.
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