How to Find and Hire the Best React.js Developers: A Definitive Guide

To hire React.js developers, you need to go through these steps:

It seems pretty difficult, doesn’t it? In fact, according to the Linux Foundation Survey, it can take up to 5.5 months to hire one front-end (e.g., React) developer. And in 2024, about 48% of IT recruiters reported problems finding qualified candidates.

Companies looking for React.js developers deal with a technical stack that is difficult to check without the proper expertise. Moreover, you need to know where to find experts, how to evaluate skills, and conduct technical interviews.

Despite all the challenges, there are a few proven practices to simplify the process. In this article, you’ll learn how to deal with React skills, experience level, hiring platforms, and competitive salaries.

But first, let’s take a closer look at what React is and what it’s used for.

React is a prominent JavaScript development service created by Facebook. It enables developers to construct web and native user interfaces from components, which update and render efficiently. As a result, high-performance applications boast dynamic content.

According to a Stack Overflow survey, 41.6% of professional developers used React, among other web frameworks and libraries, in 2024.

The primary use of React is as a front-end for web solutions. It supports using different browsers and web APIs and keeps the UI responsive even in the middle of rendering. Also, React Native and Expo provide the ability to develop native apps in React for Android, iOS, and more.

Here’s a list of things you can use React for:

In fact, with React experts in your team, you can build almost any web solution that requires an interactive interface and real-time changes. For example, you can create internal business tools or enhance an existing website with React widgets. These can be interactive polls, custom dashboards for visualizing trending data, etc.

Building a successful web application requires a skilled team, and a choice to hire a dedicated React.js developer is a valuable asset. Here’s why:

In short, if you decide to hire React.js developers, you’ll be sure to help your team deliver high-quality, versatile solutions.

The first step to hiring React.js developers is to specify the skill and experience level you expect from them.

In general, React experts focus on designing and implementing custom features. They are front-end developers. You can hire one of them to create reusable UI components and optimize web app performance. Thus, you need to look for a React.js programmer who can write clean, well-documented code that is easy to maintain.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the skills that React developers should have and the levels of expertise available on the market.

This list is not exhaustive, and React developers can increase their skills with experience. For example, knowledge of cloud services (AWS or Azure) is nice to have but not required for all projects.

Besides hard skills, you should pay attention to cultural fit, values, and work ethic before you hire a React developer. This also affects the success of the project in some way.

For example, a developer may have good hard skills but cannot communicate with your team due to a lack of language fluency or a different time zone. This is often the case with remote workers or freelancers.

Thus, you should screen candidates for soft skills as well:

A Middle React developer is the gold standard for any team. They can handle most development tasks independently while being open to learning and growing within their role.

Senior React Developer

Senior React developers have 4+ years of professional experience. Besides React skills, they also know the whole web development ecosystem. Their role goes beyond coding and includes the following:

Senior programmers can be Tech Leads, Architects, and even CTOs. You can hire React developers for these roles if you need someone to lead projects, make architectural decisions, or mentor junior and mid-level employees.

Now that you’ve identified the required skills, it’s time to decide on a hiring model. When looking to hire React developers, three main avenues are available:

In-house React developers

To hire permanent in-house React developers, you can start your search by posting on job boards. For example:

As one of the alternatives, you can also use the services of recruiting agencies. They set up candidate requirements and search for, screen, interview, and test them. The search with them is faster than in-house recruitment, but agencies often charge up to 25% of the hire’s annual salary.

And lastly, you can attend university job fairs and industry events. The official React website constantly updates the list of upcoming local conferences. You can check out the nearest summit and find React developers nearby.

Freelance React developers

To hire a freelance React developer, check out platforms like Upwork, Toptal, Freelancer, and Guru. Use social media and LinkedIn to post job opportunities and engage with potential hires.

When you hire freelance React developers, you’ll find great flexibility and budgetary savings. You pay only for the work done, not for a full-time employee. And a large selection of coders on freelance platforms makes it easy to find the right candidate across the globe.

But there are also risks. Quality control and deadlines are more difficult because freelancers can work on several projects at once. Moreover, integration into the team is impossible, and you can’t guarantee long-term cooperation.

And without a technical evaluation, you’ll likely get a non-professional. That’s why sometimes the search for a top React developer among freelancers can take even longer than a full-scale recruitment.

IT staff augmentation

Last but not least, consider IT staff augmentation. These partnerships can provide access to a global pool of expertly vetted top React developers. It’s a similar model to recruiting, as such agencies hire React web developers through detailed testing and can even provide coders from their internal team.

However, IT staffing companies don’t charge a fee for recruitment; you only pay hourly or monthly rates for experts. As a rule, they take care of payroll and retention and can provide full support after hiring, handling HR, legal tasks, working equipment, and so on.

One of the advantages of staff augmentation is that you can hire React developers on an as-needed basis. When your project ends, or you no longer need this specialist, you can stop cooperating without long-term commitments.

Now, let’s discuss the cost of hiring React developers.

When recruiting an employee in-house, you should focus on the annual salary and add expected bonuses, perks, equipment, etc.

When you hire a contractor, for example, through a staffing company or freelance platform, you should calculate the hourly rates. Let’s take a closer look.

Cost to hire React developers in-house

As of January 2025, the median annual salary of a React developer in the US is $102,786, based on Glassdoor. However, this figure varies significantly by experience level and region.

To give you a better idea, we’ve gathered data from top job boards and put together a table of the average React developer’s net yearly salaries (excluding bonuses and perks) by country.

Source: The median React developer salary per year by country/region based on Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale, and StackOverflow 2024 surveys as of January 2025.

In addition, total compensation often includes benefits that can add 25–50% on top of the base salary.

Many React developers receive annual or monthly bonuses based on performance. Other standard perks include tuition scholarships, health insurance, and sports and wellness programs. Some companies also offer home office reimbursement and additional paid time off.

For example, additional pay for React developers in the US ranges from $36,000 to $67,000 per year. Therefore, consider the full compensation package, not just the base salary, when creating a job offer.

Cost to hire React developer contractor

Now, let’s look at the rates you can use to calculate the estimated cost of hiring a contractor.

Here are the average hourly rates for contractor React developers by region, based on current freelance offerings:

Thus, the monthly cost of a full-time middle+ React developer on a contract basis would be:

Remember that these are only average values. Some developers may ask for more or less, depending on the scope of work, expertise in the sector you need, etc.

That wraps up our guide on how to find and hire the best React.js developers. Remember, defining the suitable skill set and your project requirements is the first step to success. If you identify these points, you can quickly start searching on relevant websites and selecting experts.

If you don’t want to waste time interviewing and screening candidates, you can also hire React developers with DOIT Software. Contact us and get the best talent available.