What is PHP?

PHP is an all-purpose scripting language with a complimentary web development design.

PHP is one of the top ten programming languages and has maintained that position for at least the last decade.

PHP is a recursive acronym for hypertext processors. This means that you can embed PHP right into the HTML of a website.

Scripting languages like PHP are, by definition, interpreted language. Interpreted languages use an interpreter to run programs line by line. Compiled languages, in contrast, are translated to machine codes at runtime.

PHP files have the extension .php. These files can contain texts, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and PHP code.

PHP is used by 79.1% of all websites with known server-side programming. PHP is used in Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress and Zoom.

Some Ways to hire a PHP developer-

Afterall recruiting a PHP developer is quite tricky and tiresome, thus here are some of the ways you can hire a PHP developer-

1. Job networks– Indeed and ZipRecruiter are one of the best job networks. You must write a well-structured and coherent job description entailing the requirement for PHP developers, the vision and mission of your business, and the developer’s roles and responsibilities. It is plausible that many candidates apply for the PHP developer job, but choosing the right candidate will require a lot of screening and filtration from your end. Here are some of the job portals where you can find experienced PHP developers-

General Job Portal-

These are the oldest recruitment mediums that offer thousands of jobs for every industry. There are filtration options that help you to find an apt developer for your PHP project.  Some of the popular Job portals for hiring PHP developers are-

* Naukri.com

* Indeed

* Glassdoor

 

* LinkedIn

 

* Monster

* AngelList

Some of the Location-based Job Boards are–

These offer the developers community to share and connect with specific job opportunities.
They also provide location-based jobs and hiring solutions. Some of the popular location-based job boards are-

– CrunchBoard
– Dice
– Remote Masters
– Reddit
– Google Jobs

Remote Job Boards-

These job boards list remote development job opportunities. The candidates are not required to work from the office and can work from the comfort of their homes. Few jobs need a developer to work from the office or Hybrid working model, especially after the pandemic. Some of the remote job boards are listed.

– dev
– WeWorkRemotely
– PowerToFly
– Remote OK
– Stack Overflow
– Remote Co
– Remotive
– Dynamic Jobs

 

Other Freelance Job Sites-

These sites connect recruiters to freelancing developers. These developers are hired on an hourly and monthly basis. Some of the freelancing job sites are-

– Guru
– Upwork
– Fiverr
– TopTal

2. Referrals are one of the most effective ways of hiring PHP Developers. These referrals include employees, associates, friends, family, and business partners. One advantage of it is you have direct contact with the developer. Apart from this, a sense of mutual trust is created between the developer and the employer. Having said all of that, it is also true that your network of acquaintances, friends, or family limits the variety of developers you can access. Nevertheless, this is one of the best ways of recruiting a PHP developer.
3. Campus Hiring- There is no better way to hire fresh talent who has just graduated. The positive side is that you not only recruit new talent but also develop them with the business. You can expand your outreach by providing exceptional training and boot camps in relevant programming areas.
4. Direct advertisement– Direct and paid ads can target and find developers with specific skill sets. The next phase is scheduling an interview with apt candidates. The downside to this method is that you will have to bear the cost upfront. You can advertise on many online platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, Google and LinkedIn. These online media can target both local and freelance developers.

5. Join Facebook Developer communities and groups- Facebook is crowded with several professional groups. You can join groups and search for apt candidates. You can also act on the recommendation of group members. Once you are a member, you can make posts regarding hiring developers or privately reach out to some more active members.
6. Freelancer Platforms– Many common freelance marketplaces help you find and streamline the most eligible candidate for the job. Such platforms offer an opportunity to the developers to advertise themselves and their skills. You can search on these platforms and find the apt candidate that fits your requirements. Some of the most popular freelancing platforms are-

– Upwork
– Fiverr
– Upstack
– Craigslist
– PeoplePerHour

7. Outsourcing Agencies– Asia and South America are some of the most popular locations for outsourcing IT needs. These agencies will help you in bringing your dream project to reality. The positive side to outsourcing is that you do not have to worry about hiring developers yet getting the job done. The advantage of outsourcing from India and South America is higher-quality developers at lower costs.

Skills of PHP developers-

The skills of a PHP developer include the average web developer’s basic skill set and the skill necessary for writing clear, maintainable PHP code.

A moderately experienced back-end web developer should be able to analyze website requirements, troubleshoot code, implement database solutions, and add back-end features to enhance performance.

PHP developers need the same basic skills but with a much narrower focus. For instance, a PHP developer should know how to work with PHP web frameworks like Laravel or CodeIgniter.

They must be well-versed in object-oriented programming (OOP) in PHP. Though PHP initially could only support procedural programming after its fifth stable release, it also supports OOP.

PHP developers who stand by the Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY), which makes code easier to modify and debug, should know how to use PHP towards this objective via building classes and objects.

Some of the Advantages of PHP developers are-

There are plenty of reasons why the most prominent companies today are using PHP, and therefore the demand for PHP developers is also high. Let us explore all the advantages of PHP in general-

1. Simple to learn and Use- The syntax is intuitive, and commands correlate with the functions they perform. This advantage enables developers to reduce time in development. It also encourages developers to learn PHP in the first place.
2. Portable- The language is compatible with most platforms, including Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. PHP is also compatible with most popular servers like Apache and IIS.
3. Open-Source- PHP has a large and supportive community to keep PHP running smoothly. This is a considerable benefit as PHP has a collection of powerful libraries, which significantly helps in the development phase.
4. Database connectivity-This is one of the most significant advantages of PHP. PHP has a built-in module for connecting to databases. The language supports many databases such as MySQL, Apache and PostgreSQL.
5. Flexible- Since PHP is written between tags, developers do not have to worry too much about where they write their codes. And PHP developers can add or mix HTML tags as they wish, paving the way for highly dynamic content.

Best use of PHP-

The primary use of PHP is to generate dynamic web page content.

PHP can be used to build client-side graphical user interface (GUI) applications.

PHP is also used for command-line scripting granting developers interactive access to the browser.

PHP also has a friendly relationship with HTML. PHP and HTML are interchangeable within the page.

Costs of hiring PHP developers-

According to ZipRecruiter data, the average cost of hiring a PHP developer is around $86000 per annum in the United States. Overall salary ranges from $15,500 to $136,500.

According to a survey conducted by Codementor, the average rate of hiring a PHP developer around the world is $61 per hour.

If you think of outsourcing PHP developers, the cost will be comparatively low. For instance, a software developer makes an average salary of R$85,751, equivalent to $26 852 in the US.

The average salary of PHP developers in different parts of the world

According to Payscale, the salaries of PHP developers based on their skills are-

– Junior Developers: $50K
– Mid-level developers: $60k – $70k
– Senior developer: $80k

Average Hourly Rates

– Junior PHP Developers: $20
– Mid-level PHP Developers; $ 30
– Senior PHP Developers: $40 – $50

Developers are evaluated based on specific skills and experience in PHP, JavaScript, MYSQL, HTML, jQuery, etc.

Roles and responsibilities of a PHP Developer

PHP developers are essentially back-end web developers. Web technologies involving JavaScript, HTML and CSS typically handle the front-end development of any website or web application.

PHP is responsible for server-side web application logic. With PHP, developers should build back-end components, connect the application to web services, and support the front-end by effectively integrating their work into the application.

This integration requires that PHP still be familiar with javascript, HTML and CSS. PHP developers must work closely with HTML mainly.

A strong understanding of UI is crucial as a developer will work with front-end developers to create a fully functional website.

Conclusion-

Considering the overall scenario, a PHP project costs around $9760 to $10,000 for one month to roll out in the US. Of course, you can get the project done economically in countries like India and Ukraine, where development costs go down considerably. But if the PHP project requirement is complex and rare, the price can go as high as $50,000.

Suppose you are comfortable with the cost of developing a PHP project and want to go ahead with the website development process. In that case, you should consider hiring a PHP Developer for the project.