How to Hire Node.js Developers: Skills, Salaries, and Interview Questions

First of all, let’s take a look at the main roles of NodeJS developers and find out what they are usually responsible for.

The primary focus of Node.js specialist remains the management of data interchange between users and the server. Besides, developers work on such issues as creating logic behind applications, establishing close to perfect performance and making sure that user requests are thoroughly processed by the system.

Node.js development services include both front-end and back-end. So even if you’re going to hire a back-end developer proficient with Node.js, they should have a basic understanding of the user-facing part of application and be ready to work with front-end elements created by their colleagues.

Additionally, as third-party tools are used during any app development, Node.js roles include integration various tools into applications.

Software developers always have a wide range of responsibilities and Node.js devs are no different.

This way, tasks Node.js specialists are responsible for include:

• Adhering to Agile methods
• Clear code writing
• Front-end development
• Security implementation
• Detecting performance issues
• APIs integration
• Database configuration
• Staying up-to-date

Now let’s review the aforementioned responsibilities in details.

As always, in order to fill the position, a potential Node.js developer should have specific skills and be competent in the field. According to the skills, we can define three levels of developers: junior, middle and senior.

Some product owners may want to hire senior Node.js developers in order to make sure that their projects are in good hands. Still, in some cases, middle devs may show the same good results. So let’s take a look at the main skills of Node.js specialists by levels to find out which one suits you best.

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Skills of a junior Node.js developer include:

• Understanding of Node.js basics (Event Loop, libuv, asynchronous programming, etc.)
• JavaScript knowledge
• Knowledge of popular Node.js frameworks (Express.js)
• Database basics (relational or non-relational databases)

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As for middle/senior experts, they should be proficient with:

• HighLoad projects experience
• Architectural patterns
• Microservices architecture
• Performance optimization

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Finally, we would also like to mention the required soft skills:

• Active learning
• Commitment
• Engineering thinking
• Analytical ability
• Ability to work as part of the team
• Decent knowledge of English

You can also check more details on candidates’ soft skills testing in the next part of the article.

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Also, please note that the skills we mentioned refer exactly to Node.js developers. However, there are some competencies all software engineers should be proficient in. Thus, a qualified software engineer should have a decent knowledge of object-oriented programming and design, algorithms, encryption basics, know and follow code style standards.

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If you’re going to hire devs for your project, you must be also interested in testing their qualification and skills. We’re prepared a bunch of technical questions related to Node.js platform and you’re most welcome to use them for interviewing potential candidates.

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Node.js skills, therefore, is the first thing employers pay attention to as they define the professional level of the candidate. We list some of the questions every qualified Node.js developer should know the answer to.

• What is NPM?
• What is Closures?
• Explain Modules in Node.js
• Explain V8 Engine
• Explain event loop in Node.js
• Explain what is libuv in Node.js
• Why Node.js is single threaded?
• Since Node.js is a single threaded process, how to make use of all CPUs?
• What is a cluster?
• What are event emitters in Node.js?
• Explain the difference between readFile and createReadStream in Node.js
• Provide the steps for setting up an Express.js application
• How can you use middleware in Express?
• Explain the difference between process nextTick() and setImmediate()

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You can read detailed answers to these questions in the PDF file attached below.

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Soft skills are often as important as the professional level of a candidate, especially when you are going to hire Node.js developer for a long-time project. That’s the reason communication skills, stress tolerance, teamwork and conflict management are usually checked during the interview by HR managers or Team Leaders.

For experienced employers, an hour-long talk may be enough to form a view of the person. However, if you don’t have a chance to talk to the candidate personally, feel free to use the list of soft skills interview questions attached in the PDF file.

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When it comes to custom web app development company choosing, there are three popular hiring options on the IT market. To hire the best specialists you should rather prepare a list of your requirements and find out what option matches it most.

So, do freelancers with a decent knowledge of Node.js and hourly rate you can afford are the best? Are you considering in-house employees? Or, maybe, interested in outsourcing software developers? Let’s review all three in details to find out.

Hiring a freelancer often seems to be the most attractive option with a number of resources to look through. However, there always is a catch. Freelancers work for themselves and may indeed be experienced specialists with a number of projects under the belt, good rates, and nice reviews. Still, you cannot know for sure that all the information provided is valid. We suggest considering this option only in case you need to make some minor changes in a website or app, or someone to work on a simple short-term project.

By the way, it’s definitely worth paying attention to the fact that you cannot hire one Node.js developer for delivering a feature-rich product from scratch. Most probably, you will also need a team of front-end devs, QA testers, designers, etc. It may be extremely hard to remotely cooperate with a full team.

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Pros

• Cheap
• Wide range of specialists

Cons

• Deadlines may not be met
• Developers may disappear anytime
• No contract signed
• Possible language barrier
• Different time zones
• Management complexity

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In case you’re sure that freelance developer is exactly what you need, we suggest using the following resources to hire one:

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• Freelancer
• Toptal
• Upwork
• Codementor

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In-house specialists will be working from your office and, prior to that, should ace the interview. Office employees are great for delivering a specific project you put high stakes at – that means providing full support, maintenance, and updates when required. This approach allows you to control each and every member of the team, monitor their performance and assign specific tasks to certain people.

Although in-house approach is what we see in everyday life, it’s considered to be the most expensive option due to monthly wages, rent payment, a working place you have to deliver as well as many other expected or unexpected costs.

Pros

• Developers can be accessed anytime
• Effective collaboration
• Full control of the development process
• Same schedule, no communication issues
• Great for long-term projects

Cons

• Undergoing the interviewing process
• Monthly wages regardless of the actual contribution
• Additional expenses: sick leaves, vacations, paid days off
• Office rent and taxes
• Software and hardware expenses

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In case in-house option works for you, we suggest checking such resources as:

• Indeed
• Stack Overflow
• Hired
• Glassdoor

The last but not least option is working with an outsourcing team of Node.js developers from another country. This approach works for both small and large projects with any budget as the total cost is usually much lower than Node.js development done by of in-house employees.

Outsourcing teams are qualified and have all the required software and hardware – all they need is a thorough description of your project and your willingness to cooperate.

In addition, if you need just one Node.js specialist for completing a task, you can always hire them from the company and not to worry about failed deadlines or no documentation signed. Most outsourcing companies sign contracts and watch over their reputation by monitoring customers’ feedback.

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Pros

• Reduced production cost
• No additional expenses you have to bear
• Each aspect can be discussed with the product manager
• General team experience and quality work

Cons

• Possible language barrier and different time zones

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However, the cons of working with outsourcing developers are easy to manage. Companies often assign dedicated team managers proficient in English to projects to establish the cooperation process, and they are available almost anytime.

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Where can you hire an outsourcing team? We suggest checking such resources as Clutch or Good Firms. They provide a list of trustworthy companies, including their customers’ reviews and rates.

Drawing the line, we’d like to mention that it’s better to start the hiring process from identifying your project requirements, define the target audience and, of course, understand what MPV features should be implemented.

As we’re already aware of the hiring options, it’s high time to plan the budget. We provide a rough estimation of hourly rates and salary for Node.js developers to help you choose the right approach.

In addition, it’s worth noting that outsourcing companies and freelancers work with hourly rates while in-house devs prefer monthly wages. That’s why we’re providing hourly Node.js development prices for freelancers as well as outsourcing companies and annually pay for in-house employees.

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Let’s start with freelance developers hourly rates (according to Codementor platform).

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Hourly rates of outsourcing companies may differ so take a minute to check the following estimation based on GoodFirms and Clutch research.

Finally, we’d like to mention the annual pay of in-house devs. So here comes the rough estimation of average Node.js developer salary in different regions according to PayScale.

At Cleveroad we have a number of experts proficient in back-end development that use Node.js platform in particular.

First of all, Node.js is usually used for real-time application development. For instance, Uber-like apps, chats, and other projects that imply real-time updates.

Secondly, as we mentioned, Node technology is great for third-party services integration and that’s what our teams take advantage of. Due to the capabilities the platform provides, we create products that imply restful API usage.

Finally, as Cleveroad devs work on various projects that require database management, they can simplify the process with the help of Node.js.

You’re welcome to check some of the projects we’ve developed using Node.js.

In conclusion, we’d like to mention that before contacting developers with an intention to hire them, it’s always better to check and double-check their skills, define your requirements, find out if Node.js developers’ hourly rates are affordable for you and many other important aspects we’ve covered. If you have any question regarding the topic we didn’t include in our hiring guide, feel free to contact us.