Hiring a developer in the US costs $45 to $120 per hour through a vetted marketplace, $100 to $200 per hour through an agency, or $85,000 to $175,000 in base salary for a full-time hire. The full-time number is the one most often understated: benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and management overhead add 25 to 40 percent on top of base, and you carry that whether or not there is work that month.
Vetted marketplace
$45 – $120 / hour
You interview and choose the engineer, no recruitment fee, and you can stop with notice.
Agency or consultancy
$100 – $200 / hour
A managed team with delivery process included, which is worth paying for when nobody internally can direct the work.
Full-time employee
$85,000 – $175,000 base
Plus 25 to 40 percent in benefits and overhead, plus recruitment cost, in exchange for continuity and accumulated context.
The cheaper option
If the need is under three months, hiring full-time is the expensive option once recruitment time and severance risk are counted. A contractor through a vetted marketplace starts in days and stops without a process.
Want a number for your actual scope? Tell us what you need built and get a matched team in 48 hours, $0 until you hire.
Per hour, no. Over a year of steady work, often yes, because you pay only for hours worked and avoid the fixed overhead attached to a seat.
A vetted marketplace presents profiles within 48 hours and starts in one to two weeks. Permanent recruitment realistically runs four to eight weeks including notice periods.
Commonly six months of salary once ramp-up, lost delivery, and replacement are counted, which is why a paid trial is worth insisting on.
Tell us the scope. You get matched engineers and a real number in 48 hours, $0 until you hire.
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