With the advent of the 21st century, the profession of software developer began to be increasingly recognized. Today, in the era of increasing digitalization in the public space, the demand for such PHP Developers is constantly growing. One of the most popular programming languages is PHP. It is a dynamically typed language and its official implementation was created by Zend Technologies, an American software company specializing in World Wide Web software. Today, the profession of PHP Developer is becoming one of the most popular positions in the IT industry. Without PHP Developers we wouldn’t be able to browse many popular websites, social media, or even read this article. Many PHP Developers work for companies like Accenture, STS, Tidio, Asseco, or Wasko in Poland. Who are PHP Developers, what do they do, and how to hire them? You can find out by reading this article!
If you wonder what other programming languages are the most popular in 2022, we recommend our article dedicated to this topic.
What is PHP?
PHP is a scripting programming language designed to generate web pages and create real-time web applications. It is handled on the server side, which means that it is invisible to the user. It allows, among others, dynamic page generation, creating and modifying files on the server, limiting access to specific subpages of the website, data encryption, or using cookies. It also allows the handling of databases, which, however, requires knowledge of SQL. It is also worth noting that the latest versions of PHP are characterized by very high performance, which affects the speed of websites created in it. PHP is currently the most popular coding language when it comes to websites. As of 2021, PHP was the fourth most used programming language according to the RedMonk index and has been consistently ranked among the most popular technologies for years according to Stack Overflow reports. It is the language in which 80% of the 10 million most popular websites are written, including Facebook, Wikipedia, IBM, WordPress, Tesla, and WhatsApp. It is distributed under an open license, so anyone can download it for free and use it with virtually no restrictions.
In recent times, this language has also been very popular in the ever-growing e-commerce industry, where it is used to build and develop online stores.
Who is and what does PHP Developer do?
PHP Developer is a person who creates computer programs using a specialized programming language. He uses it to prepare special code for the website and is responsible for data exchange between the website and its visitors. PHP Developer uses PHP scripting language to generate web pages and create web applications. Before starting the work, he has to determine the goals and objectives of the project and the necessary hardware requirements for its implementation. Then he writes the operation of the website or application in the form of algorithms, which he then codes using the capabilities of the PHP language. The program version created in this way is then tested and corrected if necessary. The final process is to install and run the created application.
PHP Developer’s job also involves modifying and improving created solutions – he/she can add new features or fix bugs that appear. His tasks also include creating and archiving documentation for specific projects. Sometimes he/she also prepares user manuals or other technical documentation. Performing duties also involve working with experts in other fields. PHP Developer not only develops websites and applications but also tests them and draws conclusions from the analyses conducted.
According to Bulldogjob reports, most PHP programmers are in the following age range: 19-30 years old, and there are about 61% of the total surveyed. There are slightly fewer people before 40, about 36% and the least are programmers who are over 40 – here we have only about 2% of the total.
The above data may be surprising, especially due to the fact that PHP is not the newest language (it was created in 1995). However, recently, as we mentioned earlier, we can observe a very dynamic growth of this language and its popularity is not decreasing – perhaps this is the factor that attracts many young PHP Developers.
According to GoWork’s observation, a good number of PHP developers work individually, but some companies require teamwork. When working on an important project, you need to keep in mind that it may require many hours of work. At the same time, some employers allow programmers a lot of freedom in scheduling their work, not imposing fixed hours – in this profession it is the end results that count.
What skills should a PHP Developer have?
Knowledge of PHP is not the only thing a PHP Developer should know. In addition to PHP, a PHP Developer should have good knowledge of MySQL, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, AJAX, XML, XSL, and Smarty. PHP Developer should also have experience in web application development and should have very good knowledge of the broader internet and web development standards. In most advertisements for this profession knowledge of English is also required. Soft skills are also important, such as the ability to think logically and draw conclusions, communication skills, creativity, and independence.
PHP Developers Salary
It is common knowledge that salaries in the IT industry are very attractive. The high salary of a PHP programmer is one of the main motives of people who have decided to switch industries in recent years.
It is important not only the budget available to the employer but also the professional experience of the specialist, his education, and seniority in the company. What is more, some programmers declare that their salary consists not only of the basic salary but also bonuses – and you can count on them after the completion of the project or in case of satisfactory results. As a result, some PHP programmers earn even several times more than the stated average salary for this position.
According to our report “Prepare for IT Recruitment Process in 2022“, the salary rates of PHP Developers are as follows:
As the report shows, the rates are strongly dependent on experience. The highest salaries can be counted on Expert PHP Developers and Senior PHP Developers, who work on the basis of a B2B contract.
How to hire PHP Developer? 3 basic rules for successful recruitment:
1. Prepare a suitable job offer
In the IT industry, high salaries for PHP Developers are a normal thing. For many of them, as well as other professionals, they are the main starting point to begin any conversations about possible employment. Be sure to include a salary range in your ad. Many IT professionals don’t even read job postings if they don’t include the rates you can offer.
In your job offer, show that working in your company means not only a good salary but also a nice atmosphere or other interesting benefits. Sports cards and private medical care are already the norms. It is similar to the possibility of remote work. Additional paid vacations, funding for foreign language learning, or child care support (in the form of school or kindergarten funding) will certainly be an appreciated benefit. This area depends on your creativity and budget.
According to our report, the most preferred benefits among IT professionals are the ability to work remotely, flexible work hours, a medical package, extra vacation days, and professional training.
2. Look for candidates in the right places
Once you’ve defined your terms and conditions and drafted a professional ad – it’s time to get it out to as many PHP Developers as possible.
For this purpose use the opportunities offered by the Internet and place them on popular job boards. You can choose general job boards such as Pracuj.pl, but it is more advisable to post your job on specialized job boards that will allow you to reach experienced PHP Developers looking for employment in a shorter time. These sites include Just Join IT, No Fluff Jobs, and Bulldogjob. It’s also a good idea to post your job offer on themed Facebook groups.
3. Use third-party support
It is worth remembering that the IT industry is governed by its own laws. The increasingly stringent requirements that candidates place on their potential employers mean that many recruitment processes require more than a good offer and a well-prepared ad. A lot of very good and experienced PHP Developers are not looking for a new jobs. They are satisfied with their current employment, so they rarely look into places where they could see your offer.
That is why it is so important to skillfully reach out to such people, which professional recruitment agencies specialize in.
Summary
PHP language has a huge future ahead of it. As you can see by the statistics, a lot of people are choosing to re-brand themselves and become PHP Developers. However, there is still a great shortage of this type of specialist in the market and thus, it is hard to find a PHP Developer on your own who can meet the requirements. So if you are looking for such a specialist to join your team or you need PHP Developers for a project – contact us. Thanks to our network of contacts, internal database, direct search method, consistency and ability to thoroughly vet candidates, we are able to carefully select candidates and deliver only the most promising resumes, even within 3-5 days.