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What is the average salary for a PHP developer in Bulgaria?

A quick Google search will give you an answer of all types of early salaries. But what if I told you that this number was way too low and that even if it’s higher, it’s still only 1/3 of the costs in any other European country?

In this post, we will discuss what a PHP developer is, what jobs they can perform, and PHP developer salary levels in Bulgaria.

Let’s start with the most important part, current Php developer salary levels.

 

Accurate PHP developer salary in Bulgaria

Php developer salaries rely upon job role, skills, and experience as critical factors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the standard average wage for PHP application developers in Bulgaria to earn as much as $2,000-3,500.

Salaries used to vary a lot from city to city, but nowadays, it’s on average across Bulgaria.

City Salary in $ USD
Sofia $2000-$3500
Plovdiv $1500-$3000
Varna $1500-$3000

Related: Current Bulgarian IT salaries by role and city

 

PHP Web developers can be classified into many separate categories:

  • Security Analysts
  • Internet Developers
  • Network Architects

PHP has been a very hot language for web developers since 2009.

Developers do not usually get ahead because they apprehend a selected language, tho’ — they capture multiple languages and have a broad set of skills.

Employers might want experience with alternative dynamic languages like Perl. they’ll wish familiarity with specific operative systems (Linux) or servers (Windows 2008 or Apache)

Want to hire a Php developer?

If you’re looking for a PHP developer, you can contact us here.

What is PHP?

PHP is a powerful open-source programming language that’s used to create dynamic, interactive websites. It can also be used for other web-related tasks like creating user interfaces and generating images from scripts. PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 and has grown exponentially since then with more than 12 million websites using it as their primary scripting language.

PHP is a programming language to help develop websites or applications, and it an acronym that stands for Hypertext Preprocessor.

Commonly used terms a developer may use are:

  • explode
  • fopen
  • foreach
  • smarty
  • isset

What is PHP used for?

  • PHP is for Internet development and business applications.
  • PHP developers develop programs, applications, and websites with dynamic scripting language PHP.
  • PHP developers, computer code developers, or Internet developers.
  • PHP is a popular choice for freelance or contract developers.

What is a PHP developer?

A PHP internet developer might produce user interfaces or work behind the scenes. The PHP language is usually employed in combination with SQL for databases. It’s additionally used for basic web site functions. Such as accepting usernames, passwords, and managing guest books. It can be used to code display photo or thumbnail galleries and various other types of dynamic content.

What are PHP developer’s duties?

  • Plan the project before writing code
  • Write “clean” and well-designed code
  • Test the product iterations and maintain the core software and database to make sure it has strong optimization and functionality
  • Contribute in all development phases of the production lifecycle
  • Follow and apply industry best practices
  • Develop and publish new features to facilitate related procedures and tools

Becoming a PHP Developer in Bulgaria

Becoming a PHP Developer

Developers enter the sphere with a higher level of education. The degree is usually in science, computer code engineering, applied science. Or another related field.

The requirements for an online developer:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that an associate’s degree or even a high school diploma will be enough for some positions. Having different skills, though, will facilitate a developer to get ahead.

Those curious about internet development might want some courses in style and design too.

TIOBE Programming Community language quality index ranks PHP Programming #8. in September 2020

Additional certificates

Some developers pursue certifications to validate their data on specific technologies. Zend offers certification in PHP. Communicating includes the fundamentals of PHP and object familiarised programming, string patterns, and arrays. Candidates can be compelled to be conversant in knowledge varieties and databases. The communicating additionally includes security – a very critical issue for those that code in PHP.

Ultimately, certifications square measure less significant than globe expertise. A developer will begin obtaining expertise as a student through senior style comes, internships, and participation in open supply comes. [Check out PHP tutorials and more]

PHP developer jobs

Job postings might cite a large variety of skills. Some internet development positions favor those with graphics or SEO expertise.

Employers can also search for industry-specific expertise. Looking at the task, this might be something from operating with startups to expertise taking part in games on social network sites.

It’s sensible to be adept at completely different stages of the life cycle, from extracting and documenting the necessities to providing post-deployment support; this will increase the chance of moving up to a lead position. Project management expertise may also be useful.

Interview queries will get technical. Developers will visit any of a variety of web sites to ascertain samples. Learn that includes a sampling of PHP queries and questions on alternative languages that square measure typically employed in conjunction with PHP.

PHP programmers will remain at the top of their game by joining and integrating with communities like PHP Developers.org.

 

Related: Backend developer salaries across frameworks

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the real average salary for a PHP developer in Bulgaria right now, and how does it compare to other European countries?

The area experiences employment competition yet workers earn less than Western European standards because the average yearly compensation amounts to 34,360 BGN which equals $19,000 USD. The beginning salary for entry-level positions at the company starts at 21,100 BGN which equals $11,600 USD while the highest salary for senior positions reaches 50,660 BGN or $27,900 USD. The cost of living in Sofia drives up salaries to $2,000-3,500 USD per month for mid-level positions but Plovdiv and Varna maintain lower rates between $1,500-3,000 USD. The entire Eastern European region maintains affordable pricing for its services because Ukraine and Romania pay their developers between $32K and $44K USD annually while Germany and France pay between $49K and $75K. Bulgarian PHP developers provide top-notch talent at reduced prices between 50-70% lower than Western European rates. Organizations will increase salary ranges by 20-30% when they consider employee experience and Laravel framework abilities and their choice between outsourcing and local hiring.

What skills do I really need to land a good PHP developer job in Bulgaria, beyond just knowing the language?

Employers require developers to have basic PHP knowledge of syntax and functions (explode, fopen, foreach) and Smarty templates but they also need full-stack abilities which include OOP principles and MySQL/PostgreSQL database management and HTML/CSS/JS for front-end integration and Git for version control and Laravel or Symfony frameworks for building scalable applications. Security knowledge (preventing SQL injection/XSS) and API integration have become fundamental needs because 90% of available job positions demand Laravel expertise instead of fundamental PHP abilities. The Bulgarian education system provides excellent tech training (STEM education ranks high) so a CS degree combined with Zend PHP certification demonstrates readiness for clean code development and testing and lifecycle management responsibilities. Soft skills also matter because problem-solving and teamwork abilities are essential for most roles which include cross-functional projects—create a portfolio with actual applications to differentiate yourself in a market with 900K+ global IT job openings.

If I need to hire a PHP developer in Bulgaria, what should I look for and how can I get started?

The job requires at least two years of experience with current technology stacks that include PHP 8+ and Laravel and RESTful APIs and additional skills in Linux server administration and basic SEO principles because the position demands expertise in web development and security analysis and network architecture. The position requires candidates who possess multiple skills beyond basic scripting because they need to handle web development work alongside security analysis and network architecture responsibilities. Bulgaria graduates 5,500 IT students each year but companies must search for candidates who share their organizational culture and possess English language skills to succeed in international teams. Start by establishing your needs for junior developers who maintain basic websites at $1,500-2,000 USD/month and senior developers who oversee complex applications at $3,000+ USD/month. The job search platform Jobs.bg and NextJob partnership enable you to discover qualified candidates who have already passed initial screening. Our team will conduct candidate searches and evaluations during 2-4 weeks to prevent you from manually reviewing resumes. Freelancers find success through Upwork but direct hiring methods provide better long-term cost savings which amount to 30-50% below Western European rates while maintaining EU business hours.

About the Author: admin

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Radka Papazova Radka Papazova is the Recruitment Manager at NextJob, where she's been matching top IT talent with game-changing roles since 2007. With 18 years of hands-on experience in Bulgarian IT recruitment, Radka has placed over 1,000 developers—from junior React engineers to seasoned CTOs—personally screening every candidate to ensure perfect skill, background, and cultural fits. An out-of-the-box thinker and digital nomad at heart, she's an HR pro excelling in consulting, management, and headhunting that drives real results. Need a CV review, career advice, or insights into the job market? DMs are open. You can contact me directly or find me at my LinkedIn profile.