There are many top nearshore outsourcing destinations within Latin America, but this week we’re focusing on sunny El Salvador. This nation is located in Central America and boasts a good number of talented developers ready to deploy.
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Contact Us Today!There are several benefits to hiring nearshore developers and starting software outsourcing to El Salvador. Keep reading to learn how to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador!
The advantages of hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador
#1 Salvadoran developers share their workdays with US-based companies.
El Salvador has a workday that matches that of US-based businesses located in the North and the East side of the country. This allows both your remote development team and your in-house staff to interact throughout the different business hours and advance on projects much faster than with an offshore strategy.
#2 The El Salvador Software development scene has solid potential.
Software development in El Salvador is a growing industry, powered by the country’s overall recent growth. According to a recent labor market assessment by the USAID Bridges to Employment, 58 percent of El Salvador’s IT companies expect to expand their workforce.
This shows the rapidly expanding IT and technological industry of this country, which only motivates more and more aspiring Salvadoran developers to enter the field. Moreover, El Salvador also has a history of great collaboration with US-based businesses.
The country offers different services as an export, including software development, and business outsourcing companies have a relevant presence in many of the main cities.
As for El Salvador’s growth, recent improvements are noticeable despite the lingering effects of the pandemic on the country’s economy. In fact, 2021 was the year where El Salvador saw its biggest GDP growth rate in almost a decade.
The local economy expanded 11.7% in the third quarter of 2021, easing from an incredible 25.3% jump in the earlier half of the year. It’s clear that the rise of remote work and nearshoring has helped El Salvador develop its export sector and position itself as a top nearshore outsourcing destination.
#3 Hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador will save your company money.
El Salvador has a lower cost of living compared to the United States. This allows Salvadoran developers to charge less expensive rates than their American counterparts while still earning a good living.
In consequence, your company can significantly reduce its software development costs and use that extra money to keep growing the business. This is one of the main advantages of hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador!
Here are the standard rates for nearshore developers in El Salvador. Please consider a 30-40% increase in costs if working with a third-party agency:
- Junior developers: $3000-$4000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $4500-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$7000 USD per month.
#4 Salvadoran developers have a good English proficiency level.
When hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador, it’s good to keep in mind that most remote developers have a strong command of the English language. This will help your nearshore software development team interact with your US-based staff much better thanks to the lack of a communication barrier.
According to the 2021 EF EPI Score, El Salvador has a moderate English proficiency level. The country ranks #54 out of other 1112 nations in the world, with an overall score of 508 points. It’s also important to note that Salvadoran developers have the 9th highest English proficiency level in the Latin American region.
#5 El Salvador offers local nearshore software developers high-quality education.
Education in El Salvador is mandatory for anyone between 7 and 15 years old. This primary education is free and all local children must attend school for that length of time. This free yet mandatory education system helps Salvadoran developers be educated from a young age and save money for their secondary and tertiary education.
El Salvador also has a literacy rate of 79% for men and 73% for women and boasts a technological secondary education program This program gives aspiring Salvadoran developers access to specialized courses that help them enter the labor market and build the skills needed to thrive in college.
There are different Software Development Centers created by Bridges to Employment and CasaTIC, the country’s IT association, to help local professionals learn new programming languages and complete the training required to become qualified software developers.
These centers are located all around the countries, including the less-developed neighborhoods, and serve as training and coding practice laboratories where developers and companies work on IT projects through remote internships or project-based assignments.
When it comes to technological higher education, El Salvador has different IT and programming degrees perfect for aspiring Salvadoran developers to harvest their tech skills and grow as well-rounded professionals.
The Technological University of El Salvador is one of the top institutions for developers to attend, so keep an eye on candidates from that educational background.
Though don’t limit yourself to a smaller talent pool just because of this factor, as man IT professionals train themselves with free internet resources or attend online courses to learn how to code.
#6 Nearshore developers in El Salvador have versatile development skills.
Salvadoran developers know the importance of having versatile technological skills. They learn different coding languages and frameworks to achieve this competitive advantage and place themselves ahead of the competition.
This means your company can hire the same developer for multiple projects and for an extended period of time!
Here are the most popular programming languages when software outsourcing to El Salvador:
- Javascript
- PHP
- React
- Python
- Node.js
- Perl
- Ruby on Rails
- Go
- Lua
How to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador
#1 Hire nearshore developers in El Salvador through a staff augmentation firm.
Software outsourcing to El Salvador is made easy when you partner up with a staff augmentation/nearshoring agency like us, Next Idea Tech. Agencies like us help US-based companies hire nearshore developers at cost-effective rates and in record-breaking timeframes.
We take care of all recruitment, vetting, onboarding, and payment procedures. This leaves you with only one primary concern: decide which coding candidate is the best fit for your development needs.
#2 Look for Salvadoran developers working as direct contractors.
Direct contractors can help your company further cut down its software development costs by eliminating all third-party interferences. Still, Salvadoran developers working as direct contractors are harder to book and usually work on a short-term basis.
Moreover, you would have to handle all financial procedures on your own. If you think you can take care of these aspects and want to find direct contractors, it’s best to look for them on LinkedIn or Google.
#3 Ask your contacts for a few referrals.
It can take a while to scout for qualified Salvadoran developers that are enough of a fit for your company to start interviewing them. Because of this, referrals are one of the best things that can happen if you’re trying to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador.
When you have a referral, the recruitment process becomes easier thanks to knowing which developers to approach with an interview offer. This is why you shouldn’t be afraid of asking for referrals when looking to start software outsourcing to El Salvador!
#4 Contact a Global Employment Agency to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador.
Global Employment Organizations help you hire Salvadoran developers through them while still being fairly present throughout the whole process. This is due to their partnership with local governments, ensuring developers abide by the law.
Once you hire nearshore developers in El Salvador through their organization, you can collaborate with them for as long as you need. Their services usually cost the developer’s salary, the costs of perks and other benefits, and a 10% fee for their services.
#5 Post a job ad on job boards or social media groups.
With the rise of remote work, online job boards and social media groups have maintained steady popularity for years- This makes them a convenient outlet for US companies looking to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador and all of Latin America.
Online communities like Reddit or Facebook and technology-focused job boards will help you reach dozens of remote developers looking for new work.
#6 Attend tech events in El Salvador to find nearshore Salvadoran developers.
Though El Salvador is a small country, its local developers still attend different IT and technology events in Latin America. These coding conferences allow Salvadoran developers to network, get up to speed with the newest market trends, and find better employment opportunities.
While El Salvador is only a short flight away from the US, the events are also offered in a virtual format to make it easier for international companies to attend. They’re a great way to connect with nearshore developers in El Salvador!
#7 Scout through freelancing platforms to start software outsourcing to El Salvador.
Nearshore software development services have risen in popularity after The Great Resignation. But this unprecedented event also favored thousands of workers who decided to start offering their services through freelancing platforms.
UpWork and Fiverr are the two most popular platforms for Salvadoran developers, and you should encounter no difficulties hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador through this approach. Just keep in mind it’s not so easy to vet and test a developer’s skills before actually hiring them on these sites.
#8 Set up a subsidiary of your US-based company in El Salvador.
While this is an ambitious way to start software outsourcing to El Salvador. If you establish a sister company or a local subsidiary of your US company, you can then hire developers both remotely and in person. Just make sure the company and its local team comply with all Salvadoran regulations to avoid getting in trouble with the law.
Ready to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador? Let’s work together!
As you can probably tell from this article, there are several advantages to hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador. This country shares a workday with the US and provides high-powered developers with versatile tech skills.
That’s why El Salvador is a top nearshore outsourcing destination! If you’re interested in learning more about nearshoring to other countries, we have an entire blog post series on the subject.
Last week we covered how to hire developers in Costa Rica!
At Next Idea Tech, we help US-based companies looking to hire nearshore developers in El Salvador and all of Latin America. Our goal is to bring your ideas to life through quality software development, which we do by finding and vetting top-notch developers ready to work for your company. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn how to hire nearshore software developers in El Salvador!
FAQ about hiring nearshore developers in El Salvador
How to hire developers in el Salvador?
Software outsourcing to El Salvador is made easy when you partner up with a staff augmentation/nearshoring agency like us, Next Idea Tech. Agencies like us help US-based companies hire nearshore developers at cost-effective rates and in record-breaking timeframes.
How much does it cost to start software outsourcing to El Salvador?
Here are the standard rates for nearshore developers in El Salvador. Please consider a 30-40% increase in costs if working with a third-party agency:
- Junior developers: $3000-$4000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $4500-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$7000 USD per month.
Can I work in real time with nearshore developers in El Salvador?
Yes! Salvadoran developers share an entire workday with US-based companies.
