Hire developers in Eastern Europe
We build and operate tech teams of 10+ senior software engineers, and deliver:
- Silicon Valley-caliber developers in Eastern Europe
- Up to 40% savings
- Scaling from 0 to 100 in a year
- Compliant employment without legal entity setup
- Candidatesโ tech expertise assessment
- Cultural fits for your company
Mexico
Colombia
Argentina
Chile
Poland
Romania
Ukraine
BulgariaYour Own Up and Running
Software Development Team in Eastern Europe
developers in the 1st month
developers in 3 months
Superior Hiring Performance
8 CVs
to get 1 accepted offer
2-6 weeks
to close a vacancy
15% chance
to hire from the 1st CV
98.6%
probation pass rate
3 months
substitution warranty
2.5 years
employee tenureKey things to Know About Eastern European Developers
Why tech business hires Eastern European developers
Extensive talent pool
There are over 1.8 million software engineers in Eastern Europe who shine with their skills and expertise in various technologies. Poland, Ukraine, and Romania hold top positions in terms of the number of tech specialists, with 650K, 302K, and 250K programmers, respectively. In need of rare tech talent? You can easily hire top developers here, even for the most specialized roles.
2x cost savings
American, Canadian, and Western European tech companies slash their compensation budgets up to 2 times when tapping into Eastern Europeโs talent pool. With senior software developers in Eastern Europe earning around $65,500 annually, compared to the $118,600 typical in the US, the savings are substantial.
Hi-tech expertise
Eastern European software developers are among the best, ranking high on platforms like SkillValue, TopCoder, and HackerRank. Poland and Ukraine hold the #1 and #4 positions in EE for tech skills, while Romania has the most certified IT specialists in Europe and ranks #6 globally. Their expertise spans programming languages like JavaScript, Python, C++, TypeScript, PHP, HTML, and many other technologiesโyou name it.
Top-notch STEM education
The talent pool in Eastern Europe is growing rapidly, with local universities churning out over 100,000 STEM specialists each year. In fact, 133 local institutions are featured in the QS World University Rankings, ensuring that software developers from Eastern Europe receive top-notch tech education and training.
Similar work ethics
Choosing Eastern European software engineers means embracing a Western-like approach to mindset and business ethics. Plus, Eastern European software developers excel in English, with Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria ranking in the global top 20. They masterfully meet development requirements, seamlessly integrate feedback, and communicate with ease, both in writing and speech.
Top destinations to hire developers in Eastern Europe
Poland: Ranking 1st in the region for tech sector revenue and boasting the largest tech talent pool of 650,000 developers, this country is a hotspot for software development in the region. With a thriving startup ecosystem, Poland is home to 11 unicorns, including Allegro, The Witcher, Brainly, and DocPlanner, offering a wide range of tech specialists to help grow your business. Key tech hubs in the country include Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, the Tri-City (Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot), and Poznan, making it an ideal location for companies seeking innovation and skilled talent.
ย Romania: Ranked #3 in CEE for talent competitiveness, Romanian coders stand out for their deep expertise among developers from Eastern Europe. A bonus โ the country’s 12th place globally in English proficiency ensures top-notch product development. Tech hubs like Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timiศoara offer the perfect talent pool, letting you build your team in the location that fits your business best.
Ukraine: #2 tech talent pool in Eastern Europe, Ukraine is also the most gender-equal country in the region, with every fifth IT specialist being a woman. Moreover, the country is at the forefront of defense tech, medtech, and AI innovations, offering ample opportunities to find your perfect match among top-tier specialists. Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa are the key tech hubs on Ukraineโs map, so if youโre looking for cutting-edge expertise and a resilient talent pool, this is the place to be.
Portrait of an Eastern European developer
Tech talent from Eastern Europe is recognized for their strong technical expertise and problem-solving mindset, making them a sought-after tech talent in the global market. Typically in their early 30s, these coders hold bachelor’s or master’s degrees in STEM fields, equipping them with advanced programming skills in languages like C#, JavaScript, Python, Java, PHP, and SQL.
Their expertise extends across various sectors, including AI, IoT, cloud computing, mobile development, and blockchain. With an upper-intermediate to advanced level of English proficiency, they seamlessly integrate into international teams. Beyond technical skills, software engineers from Eastern Europe stand out for their adaptability, critical thinking, and strong communication abilities, ensuring efficiency in dynamic work environments.
Eastern European vs US Developer Salary
One of Eastern Europeโs key competitive advantages is significantly lower rates, offering the same expertise and skill set as their Western peers. For example, a senior developer in Ukraine earns $66,600 per year, while in Poland, the salary is slightly higher at $78,500.
Whatโs in it for you? An average of 46% savings compared to hiring a tech specialist in the US, where the average salary reaches $114,000 per year. See the difference for yourself:
| Eastern European vs US Gross Developer Salaries | ||||
| Poland | Romania | Ukraine | USA | |
| Python | $81,600 | $80,400 | $72,000 | $126,000 |
| Node.JS Developer | $84,000 | $81,600 | $72,000 | $114,000 |
| PHP Developer | $75,600 | $72,000 | $60,000 | $102,000 |
| Java Developer | $84,000 | $81,600 | $72,000 | $114,000 |
| Mobile Developer (iOS/Android/Xamarin) | $84,000 | $69,600 | $72,000 | $114,000 |
Software Development Center in Eastern Europe
The advantages of Eastern European developers are clear, but if youโre a tech company looking for dedicated and highly motivated specialists, outsourcing might not be the right fit. Lack of transparency, limited direct oversight, hidden fees, lower development quality due to intermediaries, and potential threats to IP rights can turn your project into a costly headache. So, whatโs the alternative?
Build your own Software Development Center in Eastern Europe!
Alcor is your trusted software development center provider in Eastern Europe and Latin America. See the details:
- ย Our software development center includes Employer of Record, tech recruitment, and operational supportโall of this in one place with 40% cost savings compared to outsourcing.
- ย We hire the top 10% of the market talent, relying on local expertise and a 253,000+ candidate database. You get a Silicon Valley-caliber team with a 90% retention rate and an average tenure of 2.5 years.
- Alcor can establish your global capability hub within 2 months and build a team from 0 to 100 engineers in a year.
Want to collaborate with developers in Eastern Europe without stress? Make them part of your team today!
Explore Developersโ Salaries in Eastern Europe
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Contact UsMore Than Just Hiring Developers in Eastern Europe
Alcor is your tech expansion accelerator for global growth
- From 0 to 100+ software engineers in Eastern Europe
- Employer of recordโno entity compliant employment
- Comprehensive in-country support
- No buy-out or other hidden fees
- Your team from day one. Your management. Your culture.
Companies Scaling with Alcor
Alcor is a reliable partner that meets our hiring needs. We finally hired experienced software engineers in Eastern Europe with strong tech skills and business acumen. Account Managers are awesome!
With Alcor’s all-in-one solution, we got a software R&D office with 15 senior PHP devs and a compliant operational coverage. I really appreciated their transparent pricing structure and deep expertise.
We interviewed a lot of EoR platforms and companies, but Alcor was the only one that provides a combo package of EoR and Recruting offerings. Alcor helped us build a full stack team in 1.5 month.
We wanted to switch from our outsourcing provider, and Alcor has become really game-changing for us. Within a mere 6 months, we got a fully-fledged team of 30 engineers in our own R&D office.
Alcorโs R&D solution eclipses full-cycle recruitment, EOR service, and operational support for our offshore team. Their ‘all-in-one place’ approach is far more cost-effective than I could’ve imagined.
I value their commitment to going the extra mile. We evolved from an outstaff project into an independent company, and Alcor’s support was crucial. They hired and ondoarded 15+ professionals for us.
Thanks to Alcor, we hired four engineers and a designer that strengthened our team. Beside stellar recruitment, Alcor flawlessly handled our payroll. Their approach was seamless and swift.
Alcor closed our 4 QA positions in a month and more than doubled the team in a year! We chose Alcor because of their communication style, cost, scope of services, and ideas to help us be successful.
Expanding our engineering team outside the US with Alcor was a game-changer! They found 15 talented developers and provided seamless EOR & operational support. Great responsiveness to our needs!
Alcorโs flexible model helped us scale from 0 to 30 devs in a year first, and then to 50! No buy-out fees, seamless hiring, and top-tier talent. A hassle-free way to grow without setting up a subsidiary!
FAQs
Is it cost-effective to hire developers in Eastern Europe?
US-based tech companies can achieve up to 60% savings on labor expenses by hiringย software engineers in Eastern Europe. Use our budget-planning tool to estimate the cost of your future team of software engineers, or reach out to us for further information.
Does Alcor have any guarantees for hiring software developers in Eastern Europe?
Alcor guarantees to hire five developers in a month, 20 developers in 3 months, and 100 developers in a year in Eastern Europe. Moreover, we provide our clients with a 3-month warranty to substitute our candidate free of charge.
What is the average time for Alcor to hire a developer in Eastern Europe?
Usually, it takes our tech headhunters from 2 to 6 weeks to hire software developers in Eastern Europe.ย However, depending on the availability of tech talent, expertise level, and complexity of the tech stack, the closing time may vary.
Can Alcor headhunt C-level management in Eastern Europe?
Yes, our team of 40 tech researchers and recruiters has hands-on experience in headhunting lead and C-level specialists in the tech field. Usually, it takes us about 5-8 weeks to hire a team lead and 6-9 weeks to headhunt a C-level manager.
What about payroll, accounting, and office lease in Eastern Europe?
Alcorโs R&D center solution is devised specifically to satisfy all the needs of tech product companies expanding abroad. In addition to full-cycle tech recruitment of developers from Eastern Europe, we cover a range of essential back-office support services. These include the Employer of Record serviceโour compliant no-entity employment solution, office lease, equipment procurement, and setup of IT infrastructure.
What else does Alcorโs software R&D solution in Eastern Europe include?
In addition to standard operational support, our tech R&D solution covers additional services like employer branding, Tech RPO, WFH assistance, etc. Our clients also benefit from detailed consultations on various aspects such as taxation systems, labor laws, salary benchmarking, and more.
What is the process of hiring developers in Eastern Europe with Alcor?
We assign a group of tech researchers and recruiters to hire software developers for each client. Our researchers focus on crafting an enticing EVP, utilizing active search methods, and pre-screening candidates. Meanwhile, our tech recruiters conduct job interviews, assessing both hard and soft skills, as well as the English proficiency of candidates, to identify the best-matchingย developers from Eastern Europe for our clients. On top of that, we offer candidatesโ skills assessment from an Engineering Manager to increase the quality of your pipeline even more. Typically, it takes us 8 CVs to get to one accepted offer. Once a candidate is approved (the approval rate is 80%), we proceed with the offer and manage payroll and legal compliance.
P.S. We close 15% of vacancies from the first CV, while 98.6% of our hires successfully pass probation.
Why is it better for tech companies to hire software engineers in Eastern Europe via Alcor than a tech outsourcing provider?
Tech outsourcing and outstaffing can pose significant risks for technology companies. Issues like team indifference, hidden fees, and potential data breaches are just a few examples of hurdles that can arise when engaging with outsourced services firms. On the other hand, hiring developersย from Eastern Europe via a trustworthy IT staffing agency is devoid of these risks, as companies keep all decision-making under their control.
What do I need to start hiring developers in Eastern Europe with Alcor?
Firstly, you need to have a clear picture of the number and type of dedicated tech talent in Eastern Europe you want to hire. Decide on team composition, skill sets, and expertise levels. If you need to hire senior top-tier tech experts in Eastern Europe, it typically takes us 2-6 weeks to close positions, while C-level and rare experts require 5-9 weeks on average. Plus, you need to decide whether you prefer to hire developers on B2B or FTE terms, as it will determine the scope of Employer of Record services that you will need.
When you have a clear request, you can book a call where our sales managers will walk you through our services and pricing model and provide you with a developer availability report and salary benchmarks. Once weโve negotiated the best cooperation terms and signed the agreement, Alcorโs full-cycle tech recruitment service kicks in.
Do you use FTE or B2B models of employment when hiring in Eastern Europe?
We hire dedicated developers from Eastern Europe both on a B2B and FTE basis. Which one should you choose as a tech executive?
B2B contracts are the simplest way to hire remote developers, as you donโt need a legal entity in Eastern Europe. You can pay higher net salaries while avoiding costly social security contributions, payroll tax, and personal income taxโyour tech workers handle their tax obligations. But even this function Alcor takes care of, so your developers could have peace of mind. Plus, our lawyers can advise you on contract provisions, ensuring you hire tech talent from Eastern Europe on the best terms for both parties.
Want to hire a software development team in Eastern Europe on an FTE basis? Alcorโs Employer of Record service has you covered. We already have legal entities abroad, so you bypass business incorporation hurdles. Our lawyers will draft tech-focused employment contracts, with local labor law specifics included, and mitigate any risks related to worker misclassification, social security, and tax obligation. Meanwhile, Alcorโs payroll specialists will take care of taxes, social contributions, and accurate salary payouts so you can focus on your product development instead.
Contact us to get more details on this topic!