How to hire a blockchain developer in 2019

The blockchain industry is growing rapidly, yet the number of available blockchain developers is still relatively small. Out of the 18 million software developers in the world, only a few thousands are dedicated to blockchain development. Web developers may be easy to find, but many still are searching for how to hire a blockchain developer.

According to Stripe, 53% of businesses say that lack of software developers is a bigger business threat than lack of capital. The study also reveals some interesting statistics:

1. If the software developer needs of all companies were fulfilled efficiently, we would see an increase of $3 trillion in global GDP.
2. Companies lose $300 billion every year due to scarcity and inefficiency of software developers.
3. Technical debt (or “bad code”) leads to $85 billion in losses every year.

RELATED: What is Technical Debt?

Clearly there is a severe lack of software developers. The number of blockchain developers is even smaller. So how are you supposed to find and hire an efficient and experienced blockchain developer in an industry that didn’t even exist a decade ago?

How to find a blockchain developer

You may struggle to find employees through word of mouth, or through recommendations on websites like LinkedIn or Facebook. Instead, in 2019, you’ll have a much better time looking for blockchain developers on one of the following platforms:

1. Toptal: Toptal is one of the top freelancing platforms where you’re likely to find talented and experienced blockchain developers. The platform has a series of tests that must be passed leaving a highly skilled and capable pool for you to chose the blockchain developer most fit for you.
2. BountyOne: A crowdsourced alternative to Toptal if you’re looking to pay your team in a cryptocurrency. BountyOne is a job board where you can post your requirements and get in touch with qualified blockchain developers. The payment is handled through a Smart Contract system. Pretty neat.
3. Stack Overflow: Stack Overflow is a forum full of professional programmers and developers, many of whom are blockchain specialists. You can try to find developers through the forum or use Stack Overflow Talent which allows you to post job ads or find developers through their Candidate Search system. The website has a complete system to make the hiring process as painless as possible.
4. Reddit: Contrary to popular belief, Reddit is actually a great place to find employees and freelancers, especially experienced blockchain developers and even full-fledged agencies. Here are some subreddits/job boards where you can post an ad or look for potential candidates: r/jobs4bitcoins, r/forhire, /r/jobs4crypto, and r/bitjob.

How much does it cost to hire a blockchain developer?

Blockchain development is one of the most sought after skills and also the fastest growing on freelancing platforms like Toptal and Upwork. Has this demand translated into sky-high wages? Depends on what you’re looking for.

If you want to bring a full-time blockchain developer on board in the US, you’ll likely have to pay somewhere around $96,000 USD, according to paysa.com. But you don’t have to hire a blockchain developer on a full-time salary — you can also hire freelancers.

There are thousands of qualified blockchain developers in 2019 who offer their services on an hourly basis. The average hourly rate to hire an experienced blockchain programmer in the United States is between $81 and $100. You can also hire an offshore developer or a team to make the process more cost-effective. For instance, the average hourly rate for a blockchain developer in Belarus is $40. Developers from Ukraine, Poland, and India can cost the same and sometimes even less.

What to know before hiring a blockchain developer

Different blockchain developers and programmers specialize in different fields and you’ll always want a developer dedicated to one niche, not someone who just has blockchain coding skills. Some developers can help you create smart contracts and some can help you launch your own cryptocurrency but whatever your needs are, don’t just settle for a decent developer, hire someone great.

The reason behind this isn’t simply ideological but quantifiable. If you hire an “okay” developer, you’ll likely have to let them go in the future — and when you do, there will be an even greater shortage of blockchain developers as more and more businesses decide to get a piece of blockchain.

Blockchain developers at SUPERTEAM

Blockchain development is one of our specialties here at SUPERTEAM. Some projects we are currently developing for clients include a smart-contract based authentication system for a professional organization. We’ve also been a part of creating proposals for the Department of Defense through the writing of white papers. If you prefer to not deal with managing freelancers, you can work take advantage of the expert blockchain developers at SUPERTEAM to bring your project to life.

RELATED: Blockchain Use Cases: 8 Ways The World Will Change

Originally published at https://www.superteam.io on June 25, 2019.