Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to perform both frontend and backend web development. The 2022 Stack Overflow Developer Survey shows that Node.js is the second most wanted development framework among programmers.
Node.js simplifies the development of flexible and scalable servers while also enabling fast and lightweight JavaScript processing on the front end. Node.js allows developers to gain full-stack expertise rather than limiting themselves to conventional boundaries.
This article will show you how to design a Node developer job description and where to hire Node developers. You’ll also discover which Node.js interview questions to use to vet candidates.
It will also cover the necessary skills a Node.js developer should possess and the cost of hiring one. If you’re looking to get a new Node.js project off the ground or bolster your existing teams, you’ve come to the right place.
Why Use Node.js in 2023?
Node.js lends itself beautifully to building modern and future-ready real-time web applications that work seamlessly across devices.
Node.js differs from other frameworks due to the ecosystem around it. It is open-source, allows fast and flexible server-side development, and meshes well with JavaScript on the client side.
Besides having multiple performance and cost benefits, Node.js allows developers to build widely different applications, covering almost every industry and technology. The following are some of the benefits of using Node.js:
Performance
Node.js was developed by developer Ryan Dahl in 2009 on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine. Node.js operates on an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model. This essentially means that it executes all functions asynchronously, without blocking any other request, making it efficient and lightweight.
Cost
Hosting and executing Node.js is much faster than comparable frameworks and uses less computational power too, saving you precious dollars that can be better used in areas like talent recruitment and technological diversification.
Scalability
Node.js was built with scalability in mind. You can scale your applications both horizontally– adding additional machines– and vertically—upgrading existing machines. Developers can also utilize Node’s cluster module to better utilize the CPU to perform parallel processing.
Full-Stack Development
Developing in Node.js means you’ll be using a single codebase (JavaScript) for both client-side and server-side development. In addition to easier integration and communication, this also means less development overhead as you don’t need to hire developers from multiple disciplines.
SEO-Friendliness
Thanks to Node’s backend rendering, websites benefit from increased visibility to search engines, boosting their SEO ranking. Node.js is, therefore, often picked by organizations to make webpages more SEO-friendly.
Cross-Functional Development
Node.js is widely used to develop APIs, IoT (Internet of Things) applications, real-time chatbots, and collaboration tools like Slack and Trello.
What Does a Node.js Developer Do?
Node.js developers are experts in building and maintaining network applications with Node.js. They should be skilled in JavaScript—both core JavaScript and its various libraries.
And Node.js developers rarely work alone. They often collaborate with front-end developers when integrating web-based applications, facilitating data exchange between servers and users, and developing back-end components.
The responsibilities of a Node.js developer can vary depending on the exact requirement of your project. But the broad responsibilities of an ideal hire can be summed up below:
- Write clean, robust, and reusable code
- Develop and maintain server-side components
- Integrate server-side and client-side components
- Identify the right data storage solutions
- Incorporate data protection and cybersecurity best practices
- Handle diagnostic testing, fix bugs, and provide technical support to users
- Document all software development processes
Also, don’t always go for the senior-most developers for every role. Highly-skilled developers might not work together as efficiently as you’d expect. Moreover, if you’re dealing with a small-sized project, then developers with years of experience might be overqualified for your requirement.
What Are the Skills Needed for a Node.js Developer?
When you’re in the market to hire Node.js developers, you can’t just pick any Node developer that applies to the job. There are a variety of technical and soft skills that a potential hire should possess in order to stand out from the crowd.
Look for the following skills in your candidates when hiring developers for your Node.js development project:
Node.js Expertise
This is a given. Any potential hiree is expected to have a decent portfolio of Node.js projects on their resume. It is even better if they have contributed to the Node.js community with bug fixes and patches.
You would be bringing in an addition to your development team and hence, prior expertise in working with teams and developing bespoke applications is a must.
Knowledge of Node.js Frameworks
Frameworks are indispensable to Node.js development as they extend Node’s features and capabilities. The Node.js developers you hire should be familiar with the frameworks in the scope of your current project.
HTML and CSS Expertise
For a JavaScript and Node.js developer, familiarity with technologies like HTML and CSS is a huge factor. These technologies come in handy while designing robust back-end programs that need to be integrated with front-end applications.
Familiarity with Asynchronous Programming
Node.js is a non-blocking, asynchronous development environment. Multiple functions can run simultaneously, allowing fluid and responsive client-side performance. Node.js developers should have considerable expertise in asynchronous programming concepts and technologies.
Proficiency in RESTful APIs
Node.js developers regularly encounter situations involving the integration of APIs between different projects. Knowledge of RESTful APIs allows them to better handle communication between multiple applications.
Problem-Solving Skills
Any Node.js developer should possess decent problem-solving skills including error troubleshooting and syntax manipulation.
Teamwork
Teamwork is essential to a smooth and efficient development process. Node.js developers who understand this are open and collaborative in their approach and take individual responsibility for their job.
Communication
Excellent communication skills can do wonders for a Node.js developer’s performance on the team. It ensures that client-facing interactions go smoothly and that even peers and team members feel comfortable voicing concerns and feedback.
You can test the communication skills of candidates during interviews, group discussions, and simulated client meetings.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Node.js Developers?
Depending on your location, the experience of the developer, and the duration of the project, hiring a Node.js developer can cost you anywhere from $70,000 to $150,000.
Before you start shopping for a Node.js developer, make sure to define your project objectives and determine how many developers you need. You’ll probably arrive at a mix of several junior developers, a few senior developers, and a software architect.
United States
According to Ziprecruiter.com, the average salary for a senior Node.js developer is $119,500 a year in the United States. The most experienced Node developers or software architects will likely cost you upwards of $150,000 a year.
For short-term projects of, say, 6 months, you should calculate your costs on an hourly basis. In the U.S., a senior Node developer will cost you around $67,500 for 6 months.
South America
Node.js developers cost considerably less in South America than they do in the U.S. This is due to regional and economical factors. Senior developers in South America will cost you $100,000 a year and mid-level developers, around $76,000 a year.
A short-term project of 6 months will see you shell out around $48,500 per senior developer.
Eastern Europe
Compensation figures in Eastern Europe do not differ much from those in South America. A senior Node.js developer in Eastern Europe is likely to cost you around $100,000.
For a short project of around 6 months, you’re likely seeing a cost of $55,000 per senior developer.
Asia
Node.js developers in Asia are some of the most affordable in the world. For a 6-month Node.js development project in Asia, you can expect the costs to be around $35,000 per senior developer.
Node.js Developer Job Description Template
Once you’ve scoped your Node.js development project, determined the development budget, and arrived at the hiring stage, what’s the next step?
You can’t just wander aimlessly in the market and hope to hire the best Node developers available. You need a formal and comprehensive job description that communicates the skills and responsibilities the candidates should possess.
You can look at the following job description as a template and modify it for your specific project:
Company Introduction
< Write a short and catchy introduction about your company. Make sure to provide information about your culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and anything else that you think makes your company interesting. >
Job Description
We are looking for a Node.js developer for a client-server project. You will be responsible for developing the server side of the application, designing the application logic, and maintaining the databases. You will manage the interchange of data between the server and the users and ensure high performance and responsiveness to requests from the front end. You will also be responsible for integrating the front-end elements built by your co-workers into the application. Therefore, a basic understanding of front-end technologies is necessary.
Responsibilities
- Integrating user-facing elements developed by front-end developers with server-side logic
- Writing reusable, testable, and efficient code
- Designing and implementing low-latency, high-availability, and performant applications
- Implementing automated testing platforms and unit tests
- Implementing security and data protection
- Integrating applications with data storage solutions (may include databases, key-value stores, blob stores, etc.)
- Following the Scrum workflow and completing tasks from the team backlog
- Assisting with the creation and development of feature requirements
- Reporting issues with the code and improving upon them
- < Add other responsibilities here that are relevant >
Skills And Qualifications
- 5+ years of programming experience;
- 3+ years of JavaScript and Node.js experience
- Experience with REST, WebSocket, MySQL/PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
- Experience with Docker and AWS Infrastructure
- Knowledge of Node.js frameworks (such as Express, StrongLoop, etc depending on your technology stack)
- Understanding of asynchronous programming and its quirks and workarounds
- Experience with server-side templating languages (such as Jade, EJS, etc depending on your technology stack)
- Familiarity with server-side CSS preprocessors (such as Stylus, Less, etc depending on your technology stack)
- Basic understanding of front-end technologies, such as HTML5 and CSS3
- Knowledge of accessibility and security compliance (depending on the specific project )
- User authentication and authorization between multiple systems, servers, and environments
- Integration of multiple data sources and databases into one system
- Awareness of differences between multiple delivery platforms, such as mobile vs. desktop, and optimizing output to match the specific platform
- Proficient understanding of code versioning tools, such as Git
- Ability to write readable, well-documented code
- Intermediate (or higher) English skills
- < Make sure to mention other frameworks, libraries, or any other technology related to your development stack >
- < List education level or certification you require >
Node.js Interview Questions Examples
Once you’ve arrived at the shortlist of candidates for your Node.js development project, the next and final step is to interview them to determine their technical and non-technical skills.
You’ll need a set of interview questions for this stage of the process. These questions need to effectively judge the final set of candidates on their proficiency level.
- How does Node.js handle child threads?
- How does Node.js support multi-processor platforms, and does it fully utilize all processor resources?
- Consider the following code snippet:
{
console.time(“loop”);
for (var i = 0; i < 1000000; i += 1){
// Do nothing
}console.timeEnd(“loop”)
}
The time required to run this code in Google Chrome is considerably more than the time required to run it in Node.js. Explain why this is so, even though both use the V8 JavaScript Engine.
- What is ‘callback hell’ and how can it be avoided?
- Differentiate between process.nextTick() and setImmediate().
- How do you create a simple Express.js application?
- What is REPL in Node.js?
- What is the difference between fork() and spawn() methods in Node.js?
- What is WASI, and why is it being introduced?
- How would you connect a MongoDB database to Node.js?
Where To Find Node.js Developers?
It’s important to know where to look when hiring Node.js developers. There are multiple platforms available for you to search for the best Node developers in the market. Knowing which platforms are worth your time is essential to making the process as effective as possible.
Below are some platforms that you can consider to hire the best Node.js developers in the market:
Posting your job on LinkedIn allows you to access a huge pool of candidates from around the world. The professional social network has no dearth of skilled candidates who know how to market themselves.
But there’s a flip side to it. Hiring from LinkedIn can be a time-consuming process as you need to filter from a huge set of candidates and spend considerable resources both before and during the hiring process.
Job Boards
Job boards like Indeed and Monster also enjoy hundreds of thousands of users who’re hunting for exciting job opportunities. You can multiply visibility for your project by posting it across multiple job sites.
But, again, the subsequent stages of filtering out candidates and interviewing them can quickly become time-consuming and costly.
Freelancing Platforms
Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are popular among freelancers and those looking for short-term projects. Posting your job listing on these sites will allow you access to well-reviewed and experienced candidates for your project.
But, again, you need to vet the shortlisted candidates yourself, spending countless hours and dollars.
Outsourcing Agencies
You can also outsource your hiring process to a software development recruitment agency like Trio to help you streamline the entire exercise from start to finish. Trio connects you to extremely skilled and thoroughly-vetted developers without the need to engage in a lengthy recruitment process.
Another great benefit when hiring Node.js developers from Trio is that you won’t have to incur hiring costs, which can amount to a significant percentage of a developer’s annual salary. Trio developers also receive excellent professional and personal support which leads to increased job satisfaction and low turnover.
You don’t even need to handle HR responsibilities like payroll, benefits, and compliance. You can instantly hire committed, verified, and top-notch near-shore developers.
Conclusion
Hiring Node.js developers can become a lengthy and costly process, from designing job descriptions to interviewing and hiring candidates. Trio simplifies this process for you and helps you connect seamlessly with the best Node developers in the world.
Contact us today to know more about hiring Node.js developers at Trio and get started on your Node development project.
