Python Developer Salary: Where To Find Great Devs for Your Project (And Budget)

When you start looking for Python developers and Python development companies, you will find copious amounts of data. Python programmers here, Python programmers there, they’ll speak different languages and have different experience levels. Perhaps it’s no surprise. Python is frequently the programming language of choice for developers since it’s easy to learn and is considered simple to work with. On top of that, it can be applied to various IT spheres, ranging from app development to AI and data science—fields that are particularly valuable to businesses that want to automate and streamline operations. As to the Python developers salary, in 2020, it was ranked 10th highest in the world compared to salaries of developers who use other programming and scripting languages.

From my experience of looking for Python developers, the most difficult is to find a starting point—where is the best market to find a Python programmer? What level of experience do I need for my current project? Should I outsource or try hiring talents in-house? Going the wrong direction with this matter may cost you too much. This article will help you find out the actual situation on the market of Python developers, get a better look at the top locations, and will prevent you from paying unreasonably high Python programmers salaries.

Uses of Python and why is it so popular?

As the main programming language of 85% of developers, Python is one of the three most popular programming languages. According to the Python Developer Survey 2020, domains where Python dominates include data analysis, web development, machine learning (ML), deep learning, DevOps, and artificial intelligence (AI). Because many businesses need to create and deploy these types of solutions, skilled Python programmers are in high demand.

One example of Python’s growing popularity is its use for the medical internet of things (IoT), which shows impressive market growth. Analysts expect the global market share of medical IoT to reach $534.3 billion by 2025, with a 19.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecasted period. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed medical IoT development forward. Medical providers desperately sought and continue to seek ways to provide more value to their clients. Providers want to develop medical apps and programs for connected devices to ensure better care by enabling remote medical assistance when needed, instead of in-person visits.
Here is what python was used for in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Python Developer Survey 2020.

If your business needs a digital solution in any of the domains I’ve mentioned, chances are, you’ll need to hire a Python developer. Before you hire, you’ll want to learn about the average salaries of Python specialists around the world so you can hire without breaking the bank. Before we review salaries, though, let’s look at the global distribution of Python developers.

Where to find Python developers

In 2020 alone, the world gained 1.6 million new Python developers, bringing the worldwide total to approximately 10 million. The reason for such a drastic jump? The growing popularity of machine learning and AI-powered solutions, for which Python has become an essential tool. The North American market currently has the largest share of Python developers. However, it’s expected that by 2030 Asia-Pacific market will face unprecedented growth due to the rise of cloud-based solutions.

Python developers by country.

As the need for AI and ML-based solutions grows across various industries, so will the demand for skilled Python developers. Next, let’s talk about salaries.

Python developer salary in the US

As the above-mentioned chart from a recent survey of Python developers shows, 16% of respondents lived and worked in the US. The US national average pay, based on the Glassdoor information, comprises $95,211. If we look at the PayScale information, the US Python developer salaries span a range, for example, from near $80,000 per year in Chicago to near $110,000 per year in New York City. Have a look at the table below to see how data differs across the country, but keep in mind that the salaries below lump together different levels of developer skill, work experience, and knowledge of other technologies. These factors, which we’ll address later, do influence salaries.

Average Python developer salary across the US, according to PayScale.

Python programmer salary outside the US

Six-digit salaries may be fine to pay when you have a huge budget, but you may be surprised to see what Glassdoor data shows for average Python developer salary on a global scale. Let’s see, for example, the locations such as the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and Israel.

Python developer average salary in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and Israel.

Why such a drastic difference compared to US salaries? Well, the different cost of living between the US and EU plays a crucial role. Residents of the EU spend less on healthcare and housing than residents of the US.

And there are countries where the cost of quality Python-based development is even lower.

Python developer salaries in Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania)

As the 2019 SkillValue report shows, developers residing in Easter Europe offer their colleagues around the globe pretty tough competition in terms of skill. The same report features the technical test results highlighting that Poland, Ukraine, and Romania are three of the top 25 countries when it comes to the trustworthy developers. This means that you can find developers with extensive talent and programming skills in Eastern Europe that will cost your company less than if you hired developers in the US or the EU. Below, we list average salaries in Poland, Ukraine, and Romania, as provided by PayScale, Glassdoor, and Djinni, respectively.

Average Python developer salary in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.

It’s been proven multiple times that the lower cost of a developer’s work doesn’t mean its lower quality. However, what can compromise the quality of output is not knowing what to look for when hiring a software engineer, like when you fail to conduct a technical assessment, thorough background check, and proper interview. Now, let’s talk about the most typical factors that might raise salaries.

Factors that determine Python developer salaries

The rule of thumb in the programming world is this: the more you know and the more skilled you are, the higher your worth in the selected market. But there are additional factors that can justify higher salaries.

• Experience and qualifications. Senior python developer salary and junior Python developer salary can differ from each other a lot. Developers with experience working for an international IT company will also cost more than those without that experience. Experience is expensive, they say, and rightly so.
• Position at the company. Team leads, and project managers tend to earn more because they have more responsibility and need leadership skills to keep teams focused and productive, in addition to programming skills.
• Niche knowledge. Knowing Python and frameworks like Django or Flask is the minimum expected of Python developers. However, if you require a programmer experienced in full-stack development or other very niche skills, like virtualization or medical AI, be ready to add a few thousand dollars to the base salary.
• Location. If you search for salaries in different European cities on Glassdoor, you’ll see that, like in the US, salaries in Europe can differ by city too. For example, a developer living in a capital city will most likely earn more than one residing in a suburban or rural area.
  

Make sure you get documentation from developer candidates to verify their qualifications and any factors you think they might use to negotiate a higher salary.

To conclude: how to make sure you pay fairly?

As one of the most sought-after programming languages, Python has quickly gained a huge community of coders worldwide. Machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence solutions use Python as their primary tool, which makes the language very attractive for developers, and the skilled developers are highly paid. As we’ve described, Python developer salaries differ greatly depending on where developers are located, so there will be a gulf between, say, the US and Romania, and for a reason, of course. But geographical location isn’t the only factor impacting the salary you’ll have to pay. You’ll have to consider such factors as the employee’s experience, niche knowledge, their previous titles, and more.

With the knowledge of worldwide Python developer salaries, I’m sure you’ll hire skilled professionals at a reasonable cost. That’s exactly what Altigee is dedicated to. We analyze the candidate pool based on your requirements and budget, and we source talent whose experience will bring the most value to your project. After all, if you can save thousands of dollars, why wouldn’t you? Contact our team today and start thinking how you’ll use the money you save!