If you have asked yourself this question, like many of our clients, you should find the information on
www.itjobswatch.co.uk points toward a very obvious answer.
Let me guess, you’re looking for an experienced web developer who is experienced in ASP.NET, SQL, C#, PHP, MySql and not forgetting that they have to be an e-commerce expert. All for a very reasonable £30k?
You're offering really cool offices, city centre location and great career opportunities. Yet, whilst these may have some influence on a free roaming Developer, they are simply not the answer to the question.
Would it surprise you if I tell you that, in Manchester, the average salary for a “.net” developer is £33,000, and this is before you increase the seniority or start delving further into your wish list.
Salary average - (.net developers) - Manchester
I am afraid the bad news doesn’t stop there. We haven’t even taken into consideration that if a web developer works freelance, they can potentially earn double that, charging on average, £250-£300 per day. To put this into perspective, for the same amount you are willing to pay they would only have to work half the year, or less.
So what’s the answer?
Firstly you need to ask yourself, do I need a developer in-house and how much am I paying a year to bring in a freelance web developer?
If your answer is “yes, damn right I need a developer,” then be prepared to pay for it, at least for now.
Demand Trend - (.net devleloper) – UK
The good news (well almost) is that, like everything, eventually the supply will catch up with demand and there are more students coming out of university than ever before with relevant IT or Computer Sciences degrees, meaning that eventually these very high paying roles will slowly become more reasonable.
For now though, when hunting developers on the open grasslands of the creative industry, our advice is, reign in your wish list, bait your trap with a large pot of gold and hope that a good one bites!
James Mellor