What should your best developer or architect cost?

Jul 23, 2024

Zlatan? I also play soccer?

The IT industry lacks a clear price difference between junior and senior developers. While law has succeeded in differentiating between levels of experience, the IT industry has failed to raise prices for truly senior people. The price for a senior developer is often only a few hundred Swedish kroner higher than for a junior.

There is a big difference between a really experienced developer and one who only has a few years of experience, like the difference between Zlatan and your friend Steffe who both play soccer. The experience and ability that a heavy developer has cannot be compared to a skilled developer.

The value of a day with an experienced developer is many times higher than that of a less experienced person. The difference in quality and efficiency can be so great that a day's work by a senior developer is equivalent to a week's work by a junior.

Despite this, the price difference is small, which is partly due to managers and salespeople failing to explain and stand up for the value of senior developers. A price list should range from SEK 600 to SEK 3,000 per hour. However, it is difficult to compare the performance of a senior developer, with a more junior person.

What should your best developer or architect cost? ⚽️