PHP developers are expensive – and hard to find. If you have ever been on the search for a top-rate PHP developer, then you understand the problem. The popularity of PHP as a programming language is very high, but the supply of well-trained professionals can’t really keep up with demand.
The boom in complex web applications is to blame. Nearly all of them run on LAMP Stack, which stands for Linux as an operating system, the open source web server Apache, MySQL as a server side database software and PHP as the programming language. As internet statistics show, nearly 82% of web applications run on PHP.
PHP developers develop a huge amount of what we see in our browser windows. This also includes hybrid apps for Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and other mobile platforms, which work with HTML, CSS and PHP.
PHP developer – traditional fields of use
PHP developers work in various areas and specialise accordingly. They are not always involved in the development of new web applications because the further development and expansion of existing systems takes up an even larger share. PHP has existed since 1995 and more and more outdated PHP systems need their operation improved.
The complexity of PHP web applications should rarely be tackled by only one PHP developer, it is usually done in teams. There are always more and more specialists in certain areas: back end professionals, front end developers, security experts and more.
Back end PHP developers are primarily responsible for the part of the web application running on the server side, and know the pitfalls of performance and data management. Front end PHP developers are well experienced in usability and user experience. Full stack PHP developers are experienced in both area, and are therefore expensive and usually interested in a position as Lead Developer or Project Leader.
In addition to the work on proprietary web applications, many PHP developers also work in the field of CMS development on plugins and templates. Ultimately, nearly all modern content management systems (CMS) run on PHP, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento and Typo3. The knowledge profile of a PHP developer will differ accordingly. They are usually very heavily focused on existing web applications, and might not have the necessary toolkit for other tasks.
PHP developer with framework experience
Nowadays, hardly anyone produces pure code for hundreds of PHP and HTML files in a manually-crafted structure. PHP frameworks play an important role in this regard, like in other programming languages. Handling running PHP framework requires special knowledge and experience, which is why job advertisements will list the necessary knowledge the applicant should have.
The PHP frameworks Zend or Symfony are usually used in complex PHP web applications. These development environments are powerful and it is not very easy to learn them. There are also more streamlined development environments which are optimised for performance such as CakePHP, CodeIgniter or Yii.
The Wikipedia category for PHP frameworks shows nearly 40 different PHP frameworks that PHP developers can specialise in. If you are looking for a PHP developer you should pay careful attention to which PHP frameworks and which versions the developer is experienced in. Various certifications, such as ones given for Zend framework, can be helpful in the selection.
Indian PHP developer
India is a good starting place to find an excellent PHP developer who is affordable. Many companies are increasingly relying on full or partial Outsourcing of developer activities. The significantly lower cost of living in India creates a huge cost advantage when compared to Europe.
You can find an Indian PHP developer for €20 per hour as an Outsourcing professional. In Germany, for example, you will need to pay €65 for the same profile.
At Outsourcing4work we can help you take advantage of these cost advantages and find a suitable PHP developer for you. We do not only act as a provider, but we as the contract partner, and our project managers, will take over the responsibility to ensure that your project is successfully implemented.
Depending on your needs, you can find an individual PHP developer as a temporary employee to strengthen your team, or have a complete project realised in India at a fixed price. You can also hire a complete team who will work exclusively for you in India.
