Everything you need to know about hiring front end developers on OfferZen

10 January 2024, by Josh Nel

When scaling your team, finding the right front end developer can be a challenge. A poor hiring decision can lead to setbacks, low-quality code, and wasted time. Here we unpack everything they want from their next job.

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What skills does a front end developer need?

11.3% of South African developers identify as front end developers, making it the third most common role after full stack and backend developers. Here are the core skills to look out for when you’re hiring front end developers:

HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Typescript: These are the core technologies for building web pages and user interfaces.
Popular front-end JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue.js and libraries such as jQuery.
Other frameworks they might have experience with include Node.js, Nuxt.js, Next.js, Nest.js and Express.js.
Responsive design techniques and cross-browser compatibility, to ensure that the website functions well on multiple devices and web browsers.
Web accessibility best practices and guidelines.
Web performance optimisation techniques, such as minifying code and lazy loading images.
Version control systems such as Git and using it in a team environment.

Front end developers on OfferZen typically have at least 2-4 years of experience, and 33.5% of them are at the senior level.

Front end developers’ level of experience on OfferZen

What does it cost to hire a front end developer?

We gathered data from 517 front end developers to better understand what they can expect to earn over the course of their careers.

Key salary trends and insights:

Years of experience	Average salary	Salary increase
0-2	R20,387	-
2-4	R27,182	33.3%
4-6	R38,942	43.3%
6-10	R59,288	52.2%
10+	R71,214	20.1%

Front end developers in South Africa earn some of the lowest average salaries, especially at the junior level.
Front end developers typically see their largest salary increase when they pass the six-year mark.
Despite this significant increase, senior front end developers still see their earnings lag behind their backend and full stack counterparts.

What else should you consider when looking at what it costs to hire front end developers?

Salary is just one part of a standout compensation package. A great set of benefits can make a world of difference when it comes to landing top front end developers.

Let’s first take a closer look at the industries that front end developers commonly find themselves working in. The data shows that South African front end developers tend to work for companies based in Web development, SaaS development or FinTech. eCommerce and Consulting also employ a sizable number of front end developers.

Industries where front end developers commonly work

The FinTech and SaaS sectors typically have larger tech and enterprise companies where it’s normal for developers to receive generous benefits packages. However, developers in web development may work at companies that range from small dev houses to enterprise organisations. As a result, their total remuneration packages can vary.

So what benefits are common for developers working in these sectors?

Bonuses (with around half of developers receiving them at their current jobs)
Medical aid contributions
Retirement or pension contributions

Developers are also likely to get education budgets to support their career development, as well as allowances for things like home internet expenses.

Most common monetary benefits for front end developers in these industries

When you’re looking at potential front end developers for your team, it also helps to consider other factors they consider when evaluating an offer. This way, you know what to highlight in your interviews so you don’t lose the best people in the process.

What are front end developers looking for from their next role?

While a great compensation package can give you an edge when it comes to hiring front end developers, your non-monetary benefits also play a key part in getting the best people on your team.

When weighing up an offer, here are the top three things front end developers in South Africa prioritise:

Growth opportunities
Remote work options
Language frameworks

This means during the interview process, you need to show potential team members the career growth opportunities you provide. At the same time, if you’re not offering remote work, you run the risk of losing out on top front end developers.

Factors front end developers consider when assessing a role

Hire front end developers

Keep in Mind

The salary and benefits data in this article is taken from OfferZen’s 2023 State of the Software Developer Nation Report. In this article, ‘salary’ refers to the gross monthly salary (before tax) provided by more than 4500 survey respondents. It excludes other incentives like equity or bonuses.

Last but not least, it is always important to keep in mind that every individual’s context is different. At the end of the day, salary is a personal conversation that should take place between employee and employer and should consider the nature of work, perks and other contextual factors like tech stack or industry.

Ready to find your next front end developer? On OfferZen, you’ll get notified weekly about new candidates and receive recommended matches.

Hiring teams can makeunlimited hires across all the roles on OfferZen, saving up to 50% compared to traditional recruitment costs.

Are you hiring software developers? OfferZen is the curated developer hiring marketplace that connects job-seeking developers with exciting opportunities at over 2000 companies in Europe and Africa.

Hiring teams can make unlimited hires across all the roles on OfferZen, saving up to 50% compared to traditional recruitment costs.

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