Outsourcing Software Development: Ukraine vs Western Europe

Outsourcing software development to foreign countries is a popular and cost-effective solution utilized by small startups to global enterprises all over the world. It became a necessity in our modern, fast-paced world.

In 2019, the global IT outsourcing market generated $92.5 billion in revenue, compared to $76.9 billion in 2016. Nowadays, more and more companies that consider in-house vs outsourcing software development choose the latter.

Outsourcing project development allows businesses to gain many benefits, including:

  • Access to a larger talent pool. When you choose to outsource software development, you get access to global expertise and professionals located not only in your city or country but all over the globe.
  • Ability to find experts with relevant experience in the field. Following the idea above, it is much easier to find a software developer with proven experience exactly in your field and with the tech stack you need.
  • Reduced costs and time to market. You can find a credible outsourcing partner located in another country that offers top-level services at much lower rates compared to local experts. The expertise of foreign outsourcing companies allows for optimizing and improving development processes, thus, reducing time to market and delivering first-class end results.
  • Possibility to concentrate on core business goals. While outsourcing software development to a reliable service provider, the management can concentrate on strategy and other complex business tasks.

This article discusses how outsourcing software development can save your business money, the possibilities of software development outsourcing to Western European countries, and the pros and cons of outsourcing software development to a particular country.

We have researched, analyzed, and compared the following 16 countries: the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.

The attractiveness and profitability of the countries for outsourcing was evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • The level of development of the IT market of a particular country.
  • Education and expertise levels of IT specialists in a given country.
  • Software developer salary rates in the discussed countries.

Let’s start with the current development levels and trends of IT markets in Western Europe and Ukraine to evaluate the state and potential of each country.

Outsourcing Software Development Levels of Ukraine vs EU

Nowadays, the European IT market is the second largest (20%) in the world, after the US (32%), according to the CompTIA report. It has shown steady growth during past years and is expected to remain stable and developing in 2020 and beyond, even though the corona outbreak will slow some countries more than others, according to the Forrester forecast.

The size and growth of the IT market in the country directly impact the quality of IT services provided by the developers living there. That’s why, when choosing a software development outsourcing company, it is important to pay attention to the country it operates within and the state of the IT market in the given country.

Let’s focus in detail on the capitals invested in the IT sectors ($M) in 2015-2019 by country, based on The State of European Tech Report 2019, and the growth trends we can expect in 2020-2023.

CountryCapital invested in IT sector ($M) by country
2017201820192020202120222023
The UK8,6507,51711,11711,93213,65814,90417,021
Ireland600615441601615628642
France2,6513,3634,7744,7836,8858,5179,391
Germany3,3134,7005,8546,4808,7189,59010,862
Spain9911,3431,3411,6251,8662,0432,221
Netherlands7086669918221,0151,0711,163
Belgium267289494485565658701
Austria322140136188196204213
Portugal24418141300349406455
Denmark198369544501656768841
Switzerland8351,0891,6871,8822,2312,6202,983
Italy308437537597631744801
Norway164264300363411478525
Sweden1,4401,0973,3542,9393,6004,3345,081
The Czech Republic23192620232323
Ukraine2142120223031

From the table above we can see that the UK, Sweden, Germany, France, and Switzerland have the biggest capitals invested by 2020 and can boast of stable growth trends. No wonder that software companies in Switzerland and the UK have the highest rates for their services.

The Capitals Invested in the IT Sectors ($B) by Country

Such countries as Denmark, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland have also shown noticeable growth in the IT market indexes. Software development outsourcing companies that operate in these countries are known for the mix of high-quality services and more affordable prices compared to the countries above.

The Investments in the IT Sectors ($M) by Country

Capital investment in the IT sectors of Austria and Portugal was not stable in the last few years. But it’s expected that Portugal will attract significant attention of the foreign investors in the near future.

Capital Investment in the IT Sectors ($M) of Different Countries

However, it is worth noting a positive tendency of the IT market growth of all Western European countries. Although there are some fluctuations in capitals invested by each country, the overall trend highlights a solid interest in the IT sector development. Thus, we can expect a growing number of outsourcing software development companies in each area, according to the index growth and demand on the market.

The situation on the Ukrainian IT market can be characterized as a positive one. The capital invested in the IT sector by Ukraine grew almost 4 times between 2016 and 2019 and reached $21 million. Experts expect this figure to grow 1.5 times more by the year 2023. However, if we compare the capital size invested in the IT market by Ukraine with other Western European countries, it appears as one of the lowest ones. All in all, Ukraine stands as a promising destination for outsourcing software development services for businesses that don’t have a multimillion budget and seek high-end project development solutions.

IT Education in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

The educational base available for developers in each of 16 countries varies and is one of the crucial factors that influence the quality of software development performed in a particular country. Although universities, colleges, schools, and courses can be accessed in all Western European countries, the educational approaches and costs for learning informational technology differ.

Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Belgium have the highest expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP (4-5%), according to the educational data compiled by The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The educational base of these countries is strong, as well as those of Germany, the Netherlands, and Ukraine.

Each country has top universities that prepare graduates in IT specialties. According to the US News, the universities listed below are the most famous in each country and neighboring ones for their strong bases in technical specializations:

Top Universities for IT Specialists in Different Countries

Moving on, let’s take a look at the average percentage of all annual graduates in each country that have taken IT specializations (computer science, engineering, etc.) in 2016-2018, based on the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data.

share of IT graduates in different countries

The lowest average percentage can be seen in the Netherlands (19.13%) and Belgium (18.58%). That’s why these countries are often interested in the outsourcing of software development to other European countries. Germany (40.42%), Austria (34.35%), Ireland (read more about software companies in Ireland) (32.21%), Sweden (30.95%), and Portugal (30.60%) have the biggest share of qualified IT graduates per year. The UK has almost reached 30%, with 29.94% of IT graduates per year and a high number of software developers in the UK.

Ukraine has a pretty high average percent (28.81%) of IT graduates per year. The country is known for a large pool of IT talents with strong knowledge of the basics and innovative solutions in software development.

The Number of IT Specialists in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

Now, let’s analyze how many IT specialists are there in each of 16 countries, based on The State of European Tech reports 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Number of IT Specialists by Country

Germany (901,400), the UK (849,800), and France (533,300) have the biggest IT talent pools among the 16 discussed countries. A large talent pool is a big advantage for all IT businesses that need software developers for their projects because the bigger is the choice of IT specialists, the higher is the possibility to find the IT expert needed (with relevant experience, skills, knowledge of programming languages, soft skills, etc.).

On the other hand, Norway (77,100), Ireland (78,600), Portugal (93,800), and Denmark (95,700) have the smallest number of software developers per country. Therefore, businesses that look for web developers Portugal may hire developers in Spain (323,200) or another country as a result because of the lack of IT experts in Portugal. The same situation with companies that need app developers Denmark and, as a result, outsource app development to foreign countries.

Countries and Their Top Tech Hubs

France, Germany, Spain, and Sweden had the largest increase in the number of software developers per country in recent years, while the Netherlands, Denmark, and Austria haven’t gained a much bigger number of IT experts within 2018-2019. Norway is the only country among those discussed which reported a decreased number of software engineers.

The number of Ukraine developers is above average compared to Western European countries. There are 192,100 software developers in Ukraine, and this figure increased by 20,000 within the last two years. Ukraine has five main tech hubs, with Kyiv being the tech capital of the country and the city with the highest numbers of programmers working in-house and remotely.

Years of Programming Experience: Ukrainian vs Western European Developers

Experience is an important thing in every developer’s qualification, as a higher experience inevitably results in a higher level of skills, as well as versatility of developed solutions and tech stack in use.

Young specialists, on the other hand, have their own advantages. Junior programmers tend to be better versed in the newest programming languages and frameworks, adapt to the changing IT environment quickly and effectively, have a fresh perspective on software development, and are innovative in their solutions.

The information was taken from the Stack Overflow Annual Developer Survey 2019 that processed 90,000+ responses from developers from different countries.

Share of Developers with Different Years of Experience by Country

So, the most experienced (20+ years) software developers live in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. The percentage of Junior programmers in these countries is about 4-5% of the total number of IT specialists. Because of a large number of Senior developers, outsourcing software development costs to these countries are above average on the European outsourcing market.

Most countries have the highest percentage of software developers of 3-5 years and 10-20 years of experience. At the same time, the percentage of Junior programmers is pretty low, meaning a small number of new talents entering the IT market. It may result in IT shortage and the need for outsourcing custom software development in the next five years, especially in Austria, Denmark, and Belgium with 2.96%, 3.42%, and 3.87% of Junior developers out of the total number of IT specialists, respectively.

Ukraine has the biggest percentage of young IT talents (12.75%) among the 16 countries. Besides, most software developers in Ukraine hold Middle (3-5 years) to Senior (10-20 years) level, similar to Western European countries. That’s why it is easy to find a developer of the needed expertise in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian IT market is expected only to grow in the upcoming years.

IT Specialists for Software Development Outsourcing in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

There are different areas in the IT market that require IT specialists with different knowledge, skills, and experience. If we had to divide all of the existing IT specialties in the most distinctive categories, these would be:

  • Software/ app developers. Software developers create different software products, including programs, platforms, networks, etc. App developers specialize in application development for mobile devices, wearables, etc.
  • Web developers. Web developers create website designs and workflows. Front-end developers manage the visual appearance of sites, while back-end programmers are responsible for the proper operation of the web solutions.
  • Cloud computing engineers. Cloud computing engineers are software developers that build cloud solutions, software, and applications. Cloud technologies differ a lot from traditional software development, so this category of programmers is considered a separate one.
  • Database administrators. Database programmers create computer database systems and are responsible for their maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting.
  • IT analysts. IT analysts implement, analyze, and optimize informational systems. Such specialists communicate with stakeholders, programmers, and other specialists to ensure maximum productivity of software development.

Let’s take a look at the percentage of different IT specialists mentioned above in each of the 16 countries we discuss. The statistics below represent the answers of interviewed developers presented in the Stack Overflow Annual Developer Survey 2019.

Share of Developers Working in Different IT Areas by Country

The UK

There’s the highest percentage of app/ software development UK specialists (58%) and cloud computing engineers (20.20%) in the country. At the same time, IT analysts take only 5.10% of the total number of IT experts.

Ireland

Similar to the UK, Ireland has a high percentage of software/ app developers (58.33%) and cloud computing engineers (24.22%). Web developers, database administrators, and IT analysts are among approximately 5% of all IT workers in the country.

France

France can boast of 63.39% of all IT experts being software/ app developers. At the same time, there is a really low percentage of IT analysts (2.87%).

Germany

Similar to France, Germany has the highest percentage of software/ app developers (63.86%) compared to other IT specialists. However, German cloud computing engineers take only 15.27% of IT experts, which is much lower than in the countries mentioned above. At the same time, the percentage of database administrators (8.74%) is similar to that of the UK.

Spain

Spain has a common distribution of IT experts among different specialities. The country has the highest percentage of software/ app developers (59.02%) and cloud computing engineers (23.71%).

The Netherlands

Similar to other countries, the Netherland’s most widespread IT speciality is software/ app development (59.24%). The country also has 21.79% of cloud computing engineers.

Belgium

Although 56.94% of Belgium IT experts are also software/ app developers, the distribution of expertise can be seen here as more even. Belgium has 9.30% web developers, 19.30% cloud computing engineers, 8.33% database administrators, and 6.11% IT analysts.

Austria

61.53% of IT experts in Austria work on software/ app development. Remarkably, the country has 10.50% database administrators, which is a pretty big percentage compared to other countries.

Portugal

Portugal’s 61.48% of IT specialists are software/ app developers, similar to other Western European countries. There are many cloud computing engineers (19.16%) and not so many IT analysts (4.74%).

Denmark

Most of the IT experts (59.37%) on the Danish IT market are software/ app developers. Notably, there are only 5.82% web developers but 10.55% database administrators.

Switzerland

Switzerland has 58.69% software/ app developers and 18.94% cloud computing engineers. It is worth noting that there are also 6.25% IT analysts working in the Swiss IT market.

Italy

Italy has a pretty wide distribution of IT specialists, with 56.63% being software/ app developers. The smallest percentage of IT workers relates to web developers (6.47%) and IT analysts (4.92%).

Norway

Norway is home to software/ app developers (57.94%) and cloud computing engineers (21.18%). At the same time, the percentage of IT analysts (5.29%) living in Norway is above average compared to other countries.

Sweden

Sweden is a typical representative of Western European countries, with most of its IT experts being software/ app developers (59.43%) and cloud computing engineers (19.43%). The percentage of IT analysts is only 4.89%, the same as in Spain.

The Czech Republic

There are 64.42% software/ app developers in the Czech Republic, which is above average compared to other countries. However, there are only 5.52% IT analysts and 7.41% web developers in the country.

Ukraine

Ukraine can boast of the highest percentage of Software/ app developers (66.23%) out of the total number of IT experts in the country, meaning that software development Ukraine is the main specialty of IT workers. At the same time, only 5.93% of IT specialists position themselves as web developers, and there are only 4.30% IT analysts.

Based on the data presented above, we can conclude that for specific project development needs and IT experts to hire, you may pay attention to different countries that specialize in the services you are looking for.

  • If you need a reliable outsourcing software development company in Europe, turn your attention to Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Austria, or Portugal;
  • In search of web developers, pay attention to companies from Belgium, Austria, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, or Norway;
  • If you need cloud computing engineers for your project, there are many such specialists in Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Norway;
  • Seasoned database administrators can be found in Austria, Denmark, Italy, and Sweden;
  • If you look for IT analysts, consider outsourcing experts from Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Norway, or the UK.

Percentage of Developers Using Different Tech Stack in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

Software development services are extremely popular worldwide because our fast-pacing world is constantly changing and requires new approaches and solutions to address the needs of the global population and local communities. That, in turn, influences a high demand for software programmers of different skills and technical expertise. In this paragraph, we will analyze the percentages of software developers with different specialization and the tech stack each of the group uses.

Although there is a wide variety of programming languages, frameworks, databases, tools, platforms, etc. available on the market, and each of them can be used for creating different software/ technological products, we will concentrate on the most popular and widely used tech stack, including:

  • Java
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • PHP
  • .NET
  • C
  • C++
  • C#
  • Ruby
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Scala
  • SQL

Let’s take a look at the situation with software developers specializing in this or that technology in each of 16 countries separately. The information below was driven from the answers of interviewed developers and availed in the Stack Overflow Annual Developer Survey 2019.

The UK

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in The UK

Java (18.45%), JavaScript (16.45%), and SQL (13.14%) programmers form the majority of software developers in the UK. There are not so many Ruby (2.12%) and Scala (0.95%) coders and only 5% Android and 3% iOS programmers.

Ireland

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Ireland

Same as with the UK, most software developers in Ireland specialize in Java (19.57%), JavaScript (16.00%), and SQL (13.69%). Also, there are 10.44% Python coders. Ruby (2.31%) and Scala (0.99%) are not so widespread here, as well as C++ (3.83%).

France

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in France

French programmers are also well-versed in Java (19.14%), JavaScript (16.36%), SQL (12.47%), and Python (10.66%). Notably, there are only 2.93% .NET developers, and the percentage of Ruby programmers (1.66%) is pretty low. However, the number of Scala coders (1.24%) is a bit bigger.

Germany

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Germany

Germany has a similar situation in the popularity of programming languages to France. Java (19.37%), JavaScript (15.20%), and Python (10.25%) are the most used ones among software developers, and SQL (12.39%) is pretty popular, too. The lowest percentage of coders use Ruby (1.85%) and Scala (1.14%).

Spain

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Spain

Spanish programmers specialize the most in Java (19.70%), JavaScript (16.16%), and SQL (13.29%). Notably, there is a high percentage of Android developers (7.30%) compared to other countries.

The Netherlands

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Netherlands

Java (18.80%), JavaScript (16.32%), and SQL (12.72%) are the three most popular technologies in the Netherlands, too. Ruby (1.64%) and Scala (1.16%) are the least used programming languages. Notably, the percentage of iOS developers (3.23%) is above average compared to other countries.

Belgium

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Belgium

In contrast to the countries analyzed above, Belgium has a lower percentage of Java developers (15.10%) and a higher one of C# coders (11.74%). Also, there are many Android (8.52%) and iOS developers (3.78%) compared to other Western European countries. Scala (1.76%) is the least used programming language here, too.

Austria

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Austria

Besides Java (16.06%), JavaScript (13.05%), and SQL (11.11%), .NET developers (12.74%) are in high demand in Austria. Also, notably, there are 9.70% Android and 4.32% iOS programmers that is almost twice bigger than in other Western European countries. Ruby (1.37%) and Scala (1.06%) are the least popular technologies in Austria.

Portugal

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Portugal

Java (18.85%), JavaScript (15.82%), and SQL (13.92%) programmers form the majority of software developers in Portugal, too. Notably, Scala coders (0.89%) are the least popular in this country, and it is among the lowest percentages in the whole Western Europe.

Denmark

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Denmark

Denmark has many Java (16.91%), JavaScript (15.05%), SQL (12.17%), and C# (11.16%) programmers. Ruby (0.90%) and Scala (0.65%) coders are in the absolute minority in this country.

Switzerland

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Switzerland

Switzerland has a high percentage of Python coders (11.09%), similar to Ireland, France, and Germany. Also, there are many Java (18.46%), JavaScript (14.98%), and SQL (12.50%) programmers. Ruby and Scala developers both take 1.49% of the total number of Swiss coders.

Italy

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Italy

Java (17.92%), JavaScript (14.78%), and SQL (12.31%) programmers are the majority of software developers in many countries, and Italy is no exception. There are also many Android developers (7.30%). Scala (0.75%) and Ruby (1.09%) coders are not in demand at all.

Norway

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Norway

Besides Java (19.34%), JavaScript (17.86%), and SQL (12.78%) developers, there are many Python, C#, and .NET coders in Norway. Typically, Ruby (1.14%) and Scala (1.19%) programmers are the minority of Norvegian software developers.

Sweden

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Sweden

Similar to most Western European countries, Sweden has Java (18.11%), JavaScript (15.49%), and SQL (11.24%) coders as a core programming force. Scala and Ruby programmers hardly exceed 1% of the total number of Swedish software developers.

The Czech Republic

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has many Java (17.88%) and JavaScript (14.50%) programmers, as well as SQL experts (12.30%). It is the only country with a similar percentage of Android (5.40%) and iOS (5.22%) developers. Scala (1.01%) and Ruby (1.36%) programmers are not in favor here, too.

Ukraine

Share of Developers Specialized in a Specific Programming Language in Ukraine

Java developers Ukraine form the absolute majority (21.17%) of programmers in the country, and Ukraine has the highest percentage of Java coders among all 16 countries analyzed. Also, there are many JavaScript (16.77%) and SQL (12.41%) coders, as well as Android (6.69%) and iOS (4.06%) developers. The lowest percentage relates to Ruby (1.56%) and Scala (4.06%) programmers.

From the analysis above, we can see that Java, JavaScript, and SQL are the top 3 popular programming languages, with the largest percentage of developers utilizing them in response to the demand. Ruby and Scala are the least popular languages, translating into the lowest percentage of coders specializing in them.

At the same time, each country has a slightly different percentage of software developers who mastered this or that technology. While in one country, there are 20% of Python coders, in another, it is possible to find a lot of C, C++, and C# programmers. Thus, if you want to outsource your project or offshore outsourcing software development and need a specific IT expert, here are the countries to pay your attention to when looking for:

  • Java developer: Ukraine, Norway, Spain, Germany, France, Ireland;
  • JavaScript developer: Norway, Ukraine, the UK, France, the Netherlands;
  • Python developer: Switzerland, France, Ireland, Germany;
  • PHP developer: Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic;
  • .NET developer: Austria, Sweden, the UK, Norway;
  • C developer: Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany;
  • C++ developer: Sweden, Denmark, Belgium;
  • C# developer: Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway;
  • Ruby developer: Belgium, Ireland, the UK, Spain;
  • Android developer: Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Ukraine;
  • iOS developer: the Czech Republic, Austria, Ukraine;
  • Scala developer: Belgium, Switzerland, France;
  • SQL developer: Portugal, Ireland, Spain, the UK.

So, we have analyzed that many Western European countries have strong educational bases, a large number of IT specialists, stable growth of IT markets, etc. But still, how to choose which country to outsource your project to? Is there any other vital point to consider?

Let’s take a look at such an important criterion as the costs of hiring software developers in different countries. This will make our comparison of the countries full and allow you to make the optimal decision for your business.

Monthly Median Developer Salary in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

The challenges we all face with outsourcing software development include the costs involved. To provide a full picture of outsourcing project development to a particular country, we prepared a cost analysis of outsourcing software development to each of 16 countries.

Below, you can find monthly median developer salaries (in US dollars) in 2018-2020 and forecasts for 2021-2023, based on Payscale, TradeInvest, ITJobsWatch, Stack Overflow, SalaryExplorer, and Glassdoor data.

CountryMonthly median developer salary, $ K
201820192020202120222023
UK3,354,224,535,215,656,25
Ireland2,73,983,364,013,814,17
France3,54,023,894,194,214,41
Germany4,35,365,085,695,716,13
Spain2,13,482,893,613,463,89
Netherlands2,76,714,716,726,057,17
Belgium6,266,386,616,776,977,15
Austria3,483,614,474,845,546,02
Portugal4,674,764,935,055,205,33
Denmark18,5918,8819,3219,6620,0720,43
Switzerland15,715,9616,5916,9717,5217,96
Italy3,523,623,763,874,004,12
Norway10,0110,3210,6911,0211,3811,72
Sweden3,24,033,553,943,753,95
Czech Republic3,473,61,941,472,353,40
Ukraine1,61,550,921,101,601,85

As you can see from the table, the salary rates of software developers in different countries vary a lot, which directly influences the average cost of outsourcing software development.

Monthly Median Developers Salary in Different Countries

Software developers located in Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Belgium have the highest salary rates that exceed the earnings of programmers from other countries several times. For instance, custom software development Switzerland will cost you 8 times more than in Spain or the Chezh Republic and 16 times more than in Ukraine.

How much do software developers in Germany make? Definitely above average. The average monthly software development salary in Germany is $5.08k and expected only to grow.

Monthly Median Salary of Developers in Different Countries

Such countries as The Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, France, The UK keep up with Germany in terms of developers salaries.

Monthly Median Salary of Software Developers in Different Countries

Ukraine average developer salary is the lowest among all 16 countries. Ukraine developer salary is only $920 a month. At the same time, Ukrainian programmers are known for their high level of coding skills and innovative solutions. That’s why Ukraine is one of the most popular destinations for software development outsourcing.

Comparing Monthly Salaries of Different Software Developers in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

To dig deeper into detail, let’s analyze the salaries of different software developers in 16 countries separately by country. For the analysis, we used outsourcing software development rates of a Middle-level specialist (in US dollars) as of the year 2020.

This will help you to figure out which countries are the most cost-effective to outsource project development to. The data on developers’ salaries was taken from Payscale, Glassdoor, Salaryexplorer, Paylab, Work.ua, Jobs.dou.ua.

The UK

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer salary UK$3.3 k
Back-end developer$5.25 k
Full-stack developer salary UK$5.03 k
PHP developer$3.92 k
Web developer salary UK$3.41 k
Java developer$5.97 k
C developer$5.72 k
C++ developer$4.85 k
C# developer$3.47 k
Ruby developer$6.20 k
JavaScript developer salary UK$6.85 k
Python developer$7.13 k
Android developer salary UK$5.61 k
iOS developer salary UK$5.37 k
.NET developer$4.88 k
Scala developer$5.66 k
SQL developer$3.18 k

Python ($7.13k) and JavaScript ($6.85k) developers earn the most among programmers in the UK. At the same time, a SQL software developer salary UK ($3.18 k) is the lowest compared to other specialists. This may be not cheap to hire developers in the UK but their skills and talent worth it.

Ireland

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.6 k
Back-end developer$5.56 k
Full-stack developer$5.22 k
PHP developer$4.69 k
Web developer$3.04 k
Java developer$5.27 k
C developer$3.75 k
C++ developer$5.23 k
C# developer$3.83 k
Ruby developer$5.68 k
JavaScript developer$5.02 k
Python developer$5.67 k
Android developer$5.35 k
iOS developer$4.84 k
.NET developer$4.93 k
Scala developer$5.68 k
SQL developer$4.52 k

In Ireland, Ruby ($5.68k), Scala ($5.68k), and Python ($5.67k) programmers get paid the highest rates. However, note that there are only 2.31% of Ruby and 0.99% of Scala coders out of all software developers in the country. Web developers have the lowest rates here ($3.04k).

France

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.5 k
Back-end developer$5.05 k
Full-stack developer$4.63 k
PHP developer$4.00 k
Web developer$3.22 k
Java developer$3.97 k
C developer$3.82 k
C++ developer$4.52 k
C# developer$3.65 k
Ruby developer$3.71 k
JavaScript developer$4.31 k
Python developer$4.18 k
Android developer$4.77 k
iOS developer$4.09 k
.NET developer$3.70 k
Scala developer$4.32 k
SQL developer$4.31 k

Back-end ($5.05k) and Android ($4.77k) developers have the highest salary rates in France. On the contrary, front-end ($3.5k) developers have one of the lowest rates. Similar to Ireland, French web programmers ($3.22k) earn the least.

Germany

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$4.3 k
Back-end developer$5.46 k
Full-stack developer$5.68 k
PHP developer$4.78 k
Web developer$4.21 k
Java developer$5.03 k
C developer$5.98 k
C++ developer$5.26 k
C# developer$4.72 k
Ruby developer$4.99 k
JavaScript developer$5.97 k
Python developer$4.82 k
Android developer$5.24 k
iOS developer$5.25 k
.NET developer$5.08 k
Scala developer$5.30 k
SQL developer$4.38 k

C ($5.98k) and JavaScript ($5.97k) coders are among the highest-paid IT specialists in Germany. Web ($4.21k) and front-end ($4.3k) developers earn less, but not that much less compared to other Western European countries. Software development in Germany can be a match for those who have not a restricted budget.

Spain

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$2.6 k
Back-end developer$2.83 k
Full-stack developer$3.32 k
PHP developer$2.75 k
Web developer$2.26 k
Java developer$2.73 k
C developer$2.29 k
C++ developer$2.77 k
C# developer$2.78 k
Ruby developer$2.49 k
JavaScript developer$3.43 k
Python developer$3.21 k
Android developer$2.90 k
iOS developer$3.53 k
.NET developer$2.67 k
Scala developer$2.68 k
SQL developer$2.68 k

Notably, it is iOS ($3.53k) and JavaScript ($3.43k) programmers who are paid the most in Spain. Web ($2.26k) and C ($2.29k) developers have the lowest rates. However, the overall rates of Spanish programmers are much lower than those of German or British experts.

The Netherlands

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.8 k
Back-end developer$6.10 k
Full-stack developer$5.94 k
PHP developer$4.15 k
Web developer$3.65 k
Java developer$4.79 k
C developer$6.03 k
C++ developer$5.02 k
C# developer$5.25 k
Ruby developer$4.63 k
JavaScript developer$5 k
Python developer$4.71 k
Android developer$5.12 k
iOS developer$4.52 k
.NET developer$4.34 k
Scala developer$5.52 k
SQL developer$5.24 k

Back-end ($6.10k) and C ($6.03k) developers are the most in-demand and well-paid specialists in the Netherlands. Among the coders with the lowest rates are web ($3.65k) and front-end ($3.8k) programmers.

Belgium

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$2.8 k
Back-end developer$5.41 k
Full-stack developer$3.54 k
PHP developer$2.65 k
Web developer$2.76 k
Java developer$3.23 k
C developer$6.49 k
C++ developer$5.33 k
C# developer$5.33 k
Ruby developer$4.5 k
JavaScript developer$3.54 k
Python developer$3.75 k
Android developer$3.13 k
iOS developer$3.52 k
.NET developer$3.49 k
Scala developer$4.32 k
SQL developer$3.15 k

C coders ($6.49k) earn the most in Belgium. In contrast, PHP ($2.65k) and web ($2.76k) developers get paid three times less.

Austria

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.7 k
Back-end developer$3.68 k
Full-stack developer$5.85 k
PHP developer$3.64 k
Web developer$3.41 k
Java developer$4.06 k
C developer$6.07 k
C++ developer$3.89 k
C# developer$7.5 k
Ruby developer$3.56 k
JavaScript developer$6.89 k
Python developer$10.16 k
Android developer$3.88 k
iOS developer$4.34 k
.NET developer$4.5 k
Scala developer$3.24 k
SQL developer$3.73 k

In Austria, Python programmers ($10.16k) are the most well-paid coders compared to other IT specialists. Scala ($3.24k) and web developers ($3.41k) have the lowest rates.

Portugal

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$1.8 k
Back-end developer$1.98 k
Full-stack developer$3.52 k
PHP developer$1.51 k
Web developer$1.45 k
Java developer$1.98 k
C developer$2.9 k
C++ developer$5.01 k
C# developer$2.7 k
Ruby developer$2.48 k
JavaScript developer$4.01 k
Python developer$1.89 k
Android developer$1.76 k
iOS developer$2.25 k
.NET developer$1.83 k
Scala developer$2.07 k
SQL developer$4.50 k

C++ ($5.01k) and SQL ($4.50k) coders earn the most in Portugal. Remarkably, 13.92% of Portugal programmers specialize in SQL, as can be seen from the previous paragraph. Web ($1.45k) and PHP ($1.51k) developers earn three times less compared to C++ and SQL experts. As we can see developer’s salaries in Portugal are not expensive comparing to other countries. This fact makes IT nearshoring in Portugal so popular.

Denmark

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$4.9 k
Back-end developer$5.80 k
Full-stack developer$5.80 k
PHP developer$6.9 k
Web developer
$5.25 k
Java developer$8.3 k
C developer$8.1 k
C++ developer$8.8 k
C# developer$7.7 k
Ruby developer$9.9 k
JavaScript developer$7.9 k
Python developer$7.7 k
Android developer$8.3 k
iOS developer$9.6 k
.NET developer$7.6 k
Scala developer$5.69 k
SQL developer$5.80 k

Ruby ($9.9k gross) and iOS ($9.6k gross) developers have the highest rates in Denmark and among all the 16 countries. Front-end developers earn only $4.9k per month.

Switzerland

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$6.9 k
Back-end developer$3 k
Full-stack developer$7.59 k
PHP developer$7.27 k
Web developer$5.97 k
Java developer$7.71 k
C developer$8.2 k
C++ developer$7.66 k
C# developer$7.65 k
Ruby developer$7.61 k
JavaScript developer$6.35 k
Python developer$8.4 k
Android developer$6.84 k
iOS developer$7.96 k
.NET developer$6.8 k
Scala developer$7.65 k
SQL developer$7.57 k

In Switzerland, Python ($8.4k) and C ($8.2k) programmers also have one of the highest rates in the country and all over Western Europe. Notably, back-end coders ($3k) here are not in demand.

Italy

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$2.4 k
Back-end developer$2.7 k
Full-stack developer$2.44 k
PHP developer$2.28 k
Web developer$2.08 k
Java developer$2.41 k
C developer$4.33 k
C++ developer$4.39 k
C# developer$4.13 k
Ruby developer$2.30 k
JavaScript developer$2.12 k
Python developer$2.67 k
Android developer$2.36 k
iOS developer$2.72 k
.NET developer$2.44 k
Scala developer$2.61 k
SQL developer$2.34 k

C++ ($4.39k), C ($4.33k), and C# ($4.13k) developers have the biggest salaries among all Italian programmers. Web ($2.08k) and JavaScript ($2.12k) developers earn not that much, although 14.78% of Italian coders are skilled in JavaScript.

Norway

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.9 k
Back-end developer$4.8 k
Full-stack developer$3.94 k
PHP developer$3.56 k
Web developer$3.90 k
Java developer$6.59 k
C developer$6.5 k
C++ developer
$7.12 k
C# developer$9.93 k
Ruby developer$7.67 k
JavaScript developer$6.48 k
Python developer$6.38 k
Android developer$4.73 k
iOS developer$3.94 k
.NET developer$4.49 k
Scala developer$7.40 k
SQL developer$4.50 k

C# coders earn remarkable $9.93k per month in Norway, and it is the highest rate in Western Europe. PHP programmers ($3.56k) earn three times less than C# specialists.

Sweden

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$3.3 k
Back-end developer$3.9 k
Full-stack developer$4.54 k
PHP developer$3.24 k
Web developer$3.12 k
Java developer$4 k
C developer
$5.46 k
C++ developer$4.76 k
C# developer$4.48 k
Ruby developer$4.64 k
JavaScript developer$3.60 k
Python developer$3.83 k
Android developer$3.75 k
iOS developer$3.99 k
.NET developer$3.96 k
Scala developer$4.04 k
SQL developer$0.99 k

In Sweden, C ($5.46k gross) and C++ ($4.76k) programmers have the highest salary rates. Notably, Swedish SQL coders earn only $0.99k a month, and that’s the lowest rate among Western European countries.

The Czech Republic

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer$1.8 k
Back-end developer$1.8 k
Full-stack developer$2.39 k
PHP developer$1.99 k
Web developer$1.99 k
Java developer$2.18 k
C developer$2.09 k
C++ developer$2.07 k
C# developer$1.3 k
Ruby developer$3.99 k
JavaScript developer$3.85 k
Python developer$4.03 k
Android developer$1.28 k
iOS developer$1.79 k
.NET developer$2.39 k
Scala developer$2.13 k
SQL developer$3.32 k

In the Czech Republic, Python ($4.03k) and Ruby ($3.99k) developers get paid the most. On the other hand, C# ($1.3k) and Android ($1.28k) coders have one of the lowest salaries in Western Europe.

Ukraine

Software developerAverage monthly salary
Front-end developer salary Ukraine$ 1 k
Back-end developer$1.2 k
Full-stack developer$1.66 k
PHP developer$0.88 k
Web developer salary in Ukraine$0.92 k
Java developer salary in Ukraine$2.9 k
C developer$2.05 k
Average C++ developer salary Ukraine$2.16
C# developer$2.35 k
Ruby developer$2.5 k
JavaScript developer salary Ukraine$2.5 k
Python developer Ukraine salary$2.52 k
Android developer salary Ukraine$0.91 k
Ukraine iOS developer salary$0.76 k
NET developer salary in Ukraine$2.35 k
Scala developer$3.55 k
SQL developer$2.40 k

In Ukraine, Scala ($3.55k) and Java ($2.9k) developers receive the highest salaries per month. The lowest is an iOS developer salary Ukraine ($0.76k). Also, iOS developer salary in Ukraine is the lowest among all the 16 countries. The same is with the salary rates for many other Ukrainian software developers.

To sum up the salary rates of each specific software developer in each of the 16 countries, we prepared a handy table that shows where a particular programmer is paid the most and the least.

ProgrammerPaid the mostPaid the least
Front-end developerSwitzerland ($6.9k)Ukraine ($1k)
Back-end developerThe Netherlands ($6.10k)Ukraine ($1.2k)
Full-stack developerSwitzerland ($7.59k)Ukraine ($1.66k)
PHP developerSwitzerland ($7.27k)Ukraine ($0.88k)
Web developerSwitzerland ($5.97k)Ukraine ($0.92k)
Java developerDenmark ($8.3k)Portugal ($1.98k)
C developerSwitzerland ($8.2k)Ukraine ($2.05k)
C++ developerDenmark ($8.8k)The Czech Republic ($2.07k)
C# developerNorway ($9.93k)The Czech Republic ($1.3k)
Ruby developerDenmark ($9.9k)Italy ($2.30k)
JavaScript developerDenmark ($7.9k)Italy ($2.12k)
Python developerAustria ($10.16k)Portugal ($1.89k)
Android developerDenmark ($8.3k)Ukraine ($0.91k)
iOS developerDenmark ($9.6k)Ukraine ($0.76k)
.NET developerDenmark ($7.6k)Portugal ($1.83k)
Scala developerSwitzerland ($7.65k)Portugal ($2.07k)
SQL developerSwitzerland ($7.57k)Sweden ($0.99k)

From the all mentioned above we can see that Switzerland and Denmark have the highest rates for most developers, while Ukraine is the leader in the low developers’ salaries. In Ukraine, you can find the next programmers for the most affordable cost:

  • Front-end developer;
  • Back-end developer;
  • Full-stack developer;
  • PHP developer;
  • Web developer;
  • C developer;
  • Android developer;
  • iOS developer.

In the Czech Republic, you can find C++ and C# coders at the lowest rates. In Portugal, it is possible to find Java, Python, .NET, and Scala programmers at fewer cost. And in Italy, a company can find Ruby and JavaScript developers with the most affordable rates.

Monthly Cost of Living of Developers in Ukraine vs Western European Countries

It is worth noting that a developer’s salary depends not only on their skills, years of experience, and the company they work in but also on the costs of living in a particular country. That’s why we decided to provide some stats on the monthly cost of living for a developer in each of 16 countries in 2020, based on Expatistan data.

Monthly Cost of Living in Different Countries

It is evident that the monthly cost of living in Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, and Norway is much more expensive compared to living in Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Actually, Ukraine cost of living for developers is the lowest among all 16 countries.

This, in part, explains a lower software developer salary in Ukraine compared to Western European rates. Thus, Ukrainian programmers are cheap to hire not due to a low quality of services they provide but because of the low cost of living in Ukraine. So, it comes as a great advantage for foreign companies outsourcing software development Ukraine.

Summing Up: Outsourcing Software Development to Ukraine vs Western European Countries

It is time to sum up our detailed research and comparison of countries according to the data provided above:

  • The UK, Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, and Switzerland have the biggest capitals invested in the IT sector by 2020 and can boast of stable growth trends.
  • Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Belgium provide the best conditions for IT expert education. At the same time, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Sweden, and Portugal have the biggest share of qualified IT graduates per year.
  • Germany, the UK, and France have the biggest IT talent pools among the 16 discussed countries. Norway, Ireland, Portugal, and Denmark – the smallest.
  • The most experienced software developers live in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. At the same time, a low percentage of Junior programmers in the majority of Western European countries may result in the IT shortage in a few years. Ukraine has the highest percentage of Junior programmers (12.75%) among all 16 countries and an even distribution of Junior to Senior developers within the country.
  • Software developers located in Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and Belgium have the highest salary rates that exceed the earnings of programmers from other countries several times. Ukraine is the leader in the low developers’ salaries.
  • Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, and Norway are the most expensive countries to live in. Spain, Portugal, and the Czech Republic have a more affordable monthly cost of living compared to Switzerland and the UK. Ukraine is the cheapest to live in among all 16 countries.

So, if you need fast and not expensive solutions, it is worth turning attention to Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, or Ukraine. If you are looking for long-term and expensive cooperation, Switzerland, Denmark, the UK, Germany, or Belgium can be your best pick. And if you seek reasonable value for money, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Ukraine are the optimal destinations to gain all the benefits of outsourcing software development.

Why is Ukraine good in software development? Ukrainian software developers are known to be among the most skilled and versatile specialists on the global IT market. At the same time, an average software developer salary in Ukraine is several times lower than that of any Western European IT specialist due to the low cost of living in Ukraine. That’s why when companies seek cost-effective solutions, they opt for software development outsourcing Ukraine.

Mobilunity – Outsourcing Software Development Provider in Ukraine

When compared to Western European countries, Ukraine stands as the most cost-effective and beneficial destination for outsourcing software development. Based on all the data provided, we can say that Ukraine proudly and publicly boasts of the following advantages:

  • The country that has a high potential for further investment in its IT sector;
  • A large pool of skilled IT talents that fills in each year with new well-educated and highly motivated IT graduates;
  • Affordable cost of developers in Ukraine and the lowest one compared to Western European rates (Front-end, Back-end, Full-stack, PHP, C, Android, iOS developers etc);
  • Good command of English among developers from Ukraine;
  • Convenient geographical location and time zone;
  • Common business culture and values.

Among reputable Ukrainian companies to note, Mobilunity is one of the software development companies in Ukraine with 10+ years on the global IT outsourcing market and dozens of loyal clients all over the globe. If you consider outsourcing software development in Eastern Europe, we at Mobilunity will be happy to help you to hire developers in Ukraine and gain the maximum from outsourcing your project development to our IT experts.

Here are the benefits of outsourcing your project development to Mobilunity experts:

  • 10+ years of successful operation on the global IT outsourcing market;
  • Flexible and scalable dedicated development teams for any project needs, specifics, and complexity due to the special outstaffing model of work;
  • Individual approach;
  • Custom high-end solutions.

Are you ready to take your project development to a whole new level? Hire Ukrainian software developers at Mobilunity!

All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.

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