| In-house senior dev | Us | |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $120,000/yr | — |
| Benefits, tax, insurance | ~$30,000/yr | — |
| Software and licences | ~$3,000/yr | Included |
| Recruiting and onboarding | 2–4 months | Same week |
| Cost in a slow month | Full salary | $0 |
| Cost of a bad hire | 6–9 months of salary | Switch partners, no notice period |
| Typical project cost | — | $1,500–$6,000, fixed before we start |
| Monthly maintenance | — | From $300/month |
Salary is the headline number but the true cost of a full-time developer runs 25 to 30% higher once employer tax, benefits, equipment, software licences and paid leave are counted. Add the months the role sits empty while you recruit, and the weeks between client projects when the developer is on payroll with nothing billable to do.
None of that disappears in a quiet quarter. That is the real difference, not the hourly rate.
5.0 / 5
11 reviews
Figma, a wireframe, a reference site, or a paragraph.
Fixed price, fixed timeline, before any work starts.
You review, we revise, you ship under your name.
A recurring line on your invoice, not just a one-off build.