According to the US Board of Labor and Statistics, web development jobs will grow by 8% by the year 2029, which is much faster than average. This trend is not unique to the US market, it is a global phenomenon. All thanks to the growing expansion of technology and the internet all over the world. That’s why a full-stack PHP developer is a highly demanded position right now. If you wondered what PHP development is about and whether you need to hire a PHP developer, this article is for you.

PHP Development in Business

First of all, let’s define the role of PHP development for all types of companies.

PHP is a server-side scripting language that is mostly used for static/dynamic web pages or apps. A full-stack PHP developer works with this open-source language for web development. It was released in 1995 but it is still developing and constantly updating.

How popular is PHP? Well, 79% of all websites are written with PHP. Here are the well-known platforms created by PHP developers:

• Facebook
• WordPress
• Slack
• Spotify
• Digg
• Wikipedia
• Yahoo
• BlaBlaCar

The reason behind the popularity of this language is simple – it has many benefits to offer to businesses and individuals. The most prominent ones are:

1. Flexibility. It is supported by the majority of platforms and can be used on various OS, including UNIX, macOS, Windows, and Linux. It is supported by almost every server and can be used with 20 different databases, like MySQL. That’s why it is perfect for cross-platform applications.
2. Cost. As an open-source and free language, it is extremely budget-friendly. There is no license required and it is distributed freely. It is especially great for small companies and startups.
3. It has a diverse range of frameworks. A full stack PHP web developer can choose one of many helping frameworks to work with, which makes scripting easier and faster.
4. Code reusability allows rapid development and short release time. It is an object-oriented language, which saves a lot of time.  
5. It is a perfect hosting option because of the simple development and wide range of compatible solutions.

A business can simply expand website features with hundreds of free add-ins and tools ready to use. There are plenty of in-build security tools and the fact that the code is hidden from users makes it more protected.

Overall, PHP allows fast and simple development of the customized website and web applications at a low budget.

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What PHP Developers Can Do

If you are still not sure whether to hire full-stack PHP developer or not, have a look at what problems such professionals can solve for a business.

A range of responsibilities of such specialists includes writing, testing, and maintaining the code for web applications and websites. Professionals handle the design of such solutions as well as troubleshooting and release. They also make sure that the source code is flawlessly compatible with other tools used, for example, a client-side language.

A PHP programmer can help with:

• Building and releasing a custom website or business web application designed to one’s specific needs;
• Code analysis of an existing website or solution. Such a professional can not only create new software but also comprehensively analyze and update the existing one, add more features, and increase its performance;
• Deciding on the final functionality, design, and layout of a website/app;
• Optimization of existing database or development of a new one;
• Testing and implementation of the developed solution eliminating any errors or mistakes;
• Maintaining and upgrading developed software to increase its efficiency or customer retention.

Usually, PHP professionals work in the server-side logic of an application. Because of the small learning curve and simplicity of the language, they can bring the project to life in a relatively short time.

Pros and Cons of Hiring PHP Engineers

To make an informed decision, let’s define the pros and cons of hiring such a professional for your project.

Pros:

• The website is a major component of any business’s success. It is a digital representation of a brand, its values, attention to detail, etc. PHP programmers are able to create custom and highly functional solutions that work with almost any OS, platform, or device. It is a top choice for multi-platform software;
• PHP developers can create frameworks, content management systems, databases, web designs, and web template systems according to the company’s specific needs;
• There is a huge number of available sources, third-party solutions, educational materials, and references available.  It makes development fast and efficient;
• PHP is supported worldwide and offers higher load speed for websites;
• It is a free and flexible solution that works with MySQL, HTML, and cloud platforms as well;
• Basically, a PHP engineer can do everything a company might need, from HTML page to access server to complex large-scale apps.

Cons:

• It is a mature language, which means it might have some tricky ways to do some things, there might be some baggage. But with expertise and experience, a programmer can work around that just fine;
• Because it is an open-source language, it implies that security measures should be top-notch. It doesn’t mean that PHP in itself isn’t secure, but rather that developers need to be cautious about it. An expert engineer will keep this in mind while planning the architecture of software with protection in mind.
• Lack of libraries for specific needs, for example, machine learning. There is not much to choose from if one is looking for a machine learning-powered app.

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PHP Developer Salaries Worldwide

The cost of hiring such a specialist depends not only on their expertise but on geographical location as well. Here are the annual rates in 5 different countries to compare.

US – $90,294

UK – $78,348

Germany – $62,494

Switzerland – $92,790

Ukraine – $51,656

In Summary

PHP is an excellent option for businesses looking into fast and flexible web development. Professionals working with this language can bring affordable yet incredible functional solutions according to the most sophisticated requirements.