When it comes to IT outsourcing, Ukraine is one of the top destinations. It holds the third spot across the lists of countries with the highest number of certified IT experts, many of whom have niche skills and expertise in projects with a wide array of advanced technologies. In the last decade or so, Ukraine has been quickly growing in popularity as a software development outsourcing destination among the world’s leading companies compared to other countries. As its software outsourcing market keeps expanding, more and more IT focused organizations, technology startups, and fully fledged Research & Development (R&D) centers of global companies emerge in Ukraine.
From benefits to salaries to IT hubs across the country, our guide details everything connected to finding and hiring talented Ukrainian software developers that will help you create a solid software product while integrating with your company culture and values.
Why Is Ukraine Good In Software Development?
Ukraine is a major IT outsourcing destination thanks to its highly skilled developers with outstanding ingenuity and problem-solving skills, cost-effectiveness, and a favorable geographical position. The main cities of Ukraine boast well-established tech centers, seasoned developers, and a constant influx of new talent, all thanks to its excellent level of technical education.
Why Ukrainian Developers Are Top Choice?
In this section, let’s explore the many reasons why Ukraine has become an attractive country for IT outsourcing and why world-famous companies recruit Ukrainian developers for their important projects:
Reasons to choose Ukraine for IT outsourcing
1 — Extensive talent pool
A vast talent pool is a major reason why software development outsourcing is booming in Ukraine. After the U.S., India, and Russia, Ukraine has the highest number of IT employees. In 2018, there were approximately 160,000 tech employees in the Ukrainian IT market. What’s more, the software developers pool in Ukraine is expected to cross the 200,000 mark in the coming years. According to SkillValue, Ukraine holds the eight spot on the list of the world’s top countries with highly skilled programmers, with an average score index of 91.26%.
Average score index of top countries with best IT developers (Source: DAXX)
2 — Attractive rates
Ukraine is one of the most cost-effective IT outsourcing countries in the world across different software development categories. Compared to the neighboring countries like Poland, Belarus, and the Czech Republic, Ukraine offers more affordable outsourcing rates and a more diverse tech talent pool. If you want to hire a highly skilled software developer while saving a significant amount in development costs, Ukraine is a great choice. Ukrainian developers charge between $25-$50 whereas developers with the same skill sets in North America or Western Europe with will cost a project at least $100 per hour.
The average hourly rate of Ukraine compared with other countries (Source: Clutch.co)
3 — Convenient time zone
Ukraine’s time zone is one to two hours ahead of most European countries. This makes Ukraine a convenient destination for nearshoring as well as offshoring. European clients can work and communicate comfortably with Ukrainian developers due to insignificant time differences. If the client company is located in the U.S., Canada, or Australia, they can still get in touch with the developers without any impact on their own working schedule. Simply put, Ukraine’s location allows for better monitoring and easy project communication and control as compared to other outsourcing destinations like India, the Philippines, or Vietnam.
4 — English proficiency
English is not widely used in Ukraine, but many people are fluent in it, and the number only keeps increasing. Approximately 80 percent of software developers in Ukraine have an Intermediate or higher level of English. Also, it is worth mentioning that the vast majority of software development companies in Ukraine offer free in-house English lessons that help their employees improve their English skills and vocabulary on a regular basis. So, the level of English of Ukrainian developers lifts the language barrier and enables them to work on any international project. 
Source: DAXX
5 — Education
Every year, over 36,000 students graduate from local universities in Ukraine with IT related degrees. They are obsessed with technical innovations and technologies including Ruby, Python, C++, C#, PHP, and JavaScript. Additionally, the World Economic Forum has listed Ukraine among the top 10 countries worldwide for producing around 130,000 graduates annually in engineering and tech related fields. In Ukraine, the students are offered various educational opportunities to join the tech community. In collaboration with local IT companies, regional IT markets frequently launch educational programs at universities and colleges.
Main Software Development Cities of Ukraine
Source: QubitLabs
Leading IT companies in Ukraine are located in big cities. The biggest IT hubs are Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odessa. They home not only big, medium and small outsourcing companies but also startups, R&D centers, and other IT related organizations.
Source: QubitLabs
Let’s take a closer look at every city that contributes to the progress of the IT industry in Ukraine:
- Kyiv. The capital and most populous city of Ukraine, Kyiv has the biggest number of IT experts (40 percent) in the country. Kyiv, together with Lviv, is home to almost half of Ukrainian developers. It is said that 43 out of 50 biggest Ukrainian IT companies have their development centers in Kyiv. Kyiv is one of Ukraine’s fastest growing cities and has the highest level of business activity among Ukrainian cities. Major global companies have their offices and R&D centers situated in Kyiv.
Source: N-iX
- Kharkiv. Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine and has a long-established engineering tradition, which includes building software system. The countries important business hub, it has a well-developed IT outsourcing industry with over 25,000 IT professionals and almost 450 active tech enterprises.
Source: N-iX
- Lviv. A big and beautiful city located near the borders of Europe’s developed countries, Lviv is one of the most popular cities among Ukrainian software developers and IT outsourcing companies. Of 800,000 people living in this city, over 20,000 work in the IT industry. There are around three hundred and seventeen IT companies in Lviv that offer software development services to clients located in Western Europe, the U.S., UK, and many other countries. Also, a lot of conferences focused on the IT field take place in this city.
Source: N-iX
- Dnipro. Another big IT hub in Ukraine is Dnipro. It is home to nearly 12,000 IT experts and over one hundred and seventy software development companies. The city boasts a highly educated and experienced IT talent pool.
Source: N-iX
- Odesa. Odesa is another big city of Ukraine offering great opportunities to tech-savvy people who also want to work in close proximity to the sea. What is surprising is that Odesa offers higher salaries to the software developers than other Ukrainian cities, making it a quite popular destination for IT talent. It is estimated that the number of IT professionals in Odesa has grown from 6,000 to 10,000 in recent years.
Source: N-iX
10 Steps to Hire Top Software Developers in Ukraine
Following are the 10 steps that should be performed to hire top Ukrainian software developers. If you have a big project or plan to scale, it is better to delegate the hiring duties entirely to a trustworthy outsourcing partner.
Step 1 – Select a company
Make a primary analysis, and then narrow down your list to 2-3 options. Select a company based on client reviews and what your partners/associates have to say. Top managers usually have many connections and can easily acquire an informative overview on a range of potential IT partners.
Step 2 – Inquire about the chosen vendor
Before the commencement of communication, it is important to find out as much as possible about your vendor. This includes inquiring about the vendor’s how many years the vendor has been operating in the industry, pricing, procedure for candidate selection, skills, etc. If several vendors fit your initial requirements, find out the information regarding their services and prices and compare them.
Step 3 – Provide enough project/job details
Try to provide as many details as possible regarding your project or position you need to fill. The more details, the better the outcome.
Step 4 – Set up a dedicated team structure
If you have an approximate team structure for your project, discuss it with your partner. In reality, you may need more or less developers for your project.
Step 5 – Familiarize with your recruiter
Once the negotiation stage ends and you sign a contract with the chosen company, you get a recruiter for your project. To know that you and your recruiter are on the same page and can develop a long-term work relationship, you need to communicate your requirements/preferences to them to get an effective result.
Step 6 – Check your email frequently
Knowing that the Ukrainian IT market is growing fast, most of the candidates have numerous job offers to choose from. So, once you have contacted the recruiter, you need to check your emails regularly. The candidates’ resumes or any questions asked by the recruiter may need to be reviewed/answered as quickly as possible so that the candidate is not hired by any other organization before you make a decision.
Step 7 – Interview candidates
Enlisting an IT recruiting company has its own benefits. If you work with an IT outsourcing provider, you will have a recruiter assigned to your project. In any case, a recruiter arranges a fitting schedule for you and your candidates to conduct an interview. You can then determine the duration of the interviewing process, completion criteria, etc.
Step 8 – Provide feedback
Needless to say, both the recruiter and candidate expect to receive feedback from you. If anything goes wrong, the recruiter should know what needs to be adjusted.
Step 9 – Recruit developers
Before you make a decision, double-check whether a candidate fits the position but don’t take too long as the candidate may accept the offer from another employer.
Step 10 – Get started
Once you hire the right candidate for your project, it is time to introduce him to the rest of the team. Like the in-house staff, do the briefing, share the responsibilities, and introduce the working toolkit.
Average Salaries for Software Developers in Ukraine
The average salaries of software developers in Ukraine range from two thousand dollars for junior positions to more than five thousand dollars for senior level positions. The salary depends on the level of expertise, technologies, demand, and location. Let’s take a look at average monthly/yearly salaries for 2019.
Salaries of Ukrainian Java developers
According to fresh reports, Java is the most widely used programming language in Ukraine (20% of Ukrainian IT industry’s experts use Java). Here are the salaries of Ukrainian Java developers:
- Entry-level experts make around $1000 per month
- Mid-level engineers earn around $2500 per month
- A senior level programmer makes between $4000 and $5000 monthly
Salaries of Ukrainian JavaScript developers
JavaScript skills are in high demand in Ukraine as well, so the salary of a JS developer can exceed the income of fellow experts in other coding languages. A junior JS developer can earn around $6000 annually whereas a seasoned programmer with JS skills can make up to $54000.
Salaries of Ukrainian C# / .NET developers
At this time, the demand for C# programmers is extremely high in Ukraine. It is estimated that around 400 vacancies for .Net developers are opened every month all over Ukraine. The salary of a .Net developer in Ukraine falls between $8000 and $50000 annually depending on place of residence, seniority, and other factors.
Salaries of Ukrainian PHP developers
Though PHP has seen a decrease in popularity in the past few years, it is still regarded as the fourth most commonly used programming language in Ukraine. A huge number of skilled programmers studied PHP as their primary programming language in Ukraine alongside other languages. If you plan to hire a mid-level Ukrainian developer, the annual cost ranges between $3000 and $6000 while senior level PHP programmers earn $24K000-$50000 per year.
Salaries of Ukrainian Python developers
Python has become more popular in the Ukrainian IT market in recent years and it undoubtedly dominates the Data Science field. This language is the most wanted skill to learn in the country, so senior Python programmers have very high salaries in Ukraine. Normally, a Python developer can make between $7000 and $50000 annually, depending on the candidate’s expertise, experience, and other factors, whereas the salary of a senior programmer can reach $60000.
Salaries of Ukrainian Ruby on Rails developers
Ruby on Rails (RoR) developers charge more than PHP programmers. The average salary of an entry-level RoR developer is around $800 per month while the mid-level and senior developers make $2500 and $4500 on average respectively.
Top 5 Ukraine IT Outsourcing Companies
There is an extensive range of IT service providers in Ukraine, from large international corporations having thousands of employees to smaller IT outsourcing vendors. Here is the list of Ukraine’s top 5 IT outsourcing companies for you:
Top Software Development Companies and Teams from Ukraine
Intellectsoft
Providing end-to-end software and technology solutions for over 12 years, Intellectsoft is one of the leading software development companies in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Intellectsoft employs many experts with niche skills and delivers comprehensive solutions for companies across all major industries. The company’s clients include SMBs, Fortune 500 companies, and well-funded technology startups. They include the likes of Harley Davidson, Eurostar, Ernst & Young, and many more. Intellectsoft has unique expertise in the latest technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Ciklum
One of the best outsourcing companies in Ukraine, Ciklum is a major IT consulting and outsourcing services provider that greatly emphasizes continuous training of new software developers. It is an international company with offices across the world. The range of its services spans fields like software development, R&D, Quality Assurance (QA), UI/UX consulting, and other.
Infopulse
Infopulse is another long-established IT service provider with great expertise in software, telecommunication, automotive, banking, and financial industries. Currently, it is serving clients from 22 different countries worldwide and employs over three thousand IT professionals. The company’s core competencies include SAP solutions, data security services, app virtualization, customer service, and much more.
Eleks
Eleks is a software development provider that focuses on software engineering services for large companies. Since its first days, Eleks has been striving hard to deliver products that improve the quality of life. That being said, the key areas of expertise include blockchain, data science, mobility, Augmented and Virtual Reality, IoT, and cloud management. Moreover, it has five Research & Development centers across Eastern Europe employing over a thousand IT professionals.
EPAM
EPAM is one of the oldest and largest IT services providers in Eastern Europe and worldwide. Its operates across four continents and in twenty-five countries and has twenty three thousand IT experts on board. The company’s core competencies involve SAP solutions, IT consulting, web development, and data science.
IT Svit
IT Svit is one of the top IT outsourcing companies and has been providing DevOps-as-a-Service for more than 13 years. The company has worked on over six hundred projects with top European firms in industries like telecommunication, finance, and marketing. The range of its services covers web development, QA, Data Science, AI, and other.
How to Hire Dedicated Developers From Ukraine?
If you are looking for a developer or dedicated developers to hire or create a software development outsourcing team in Ukraine, it is an easy task that still involves many important things.
This task becomes simple with the extensive talent pool, IT staffing companies, connections in the outsourcing sphere, and establishing a great corporate culture.
What Are The Possible Risks Of Ukraine It Outsourcing?
Needless to say, everything that has great advantages carries some risks as well. Ukraine is one of the biggest destinations for IT outsourcing, but there are still some overarching risks that should be considered when hiring Ukrainian developers:
- Some bodies of government are permeated by corruption
- Intellectual Property laws are rather weak
- There are no tax breaks for most software organizations
The Takeaways from Our IT Outsourcing Ukraine Guide
There is a very high chance that hiring Ukrainian from a reliable outsourcing partner may be the most effective and impactful move your business has made in years. The country has an extensive talent pool that includes engineers with unique niche skills, and regardless of project size and scope you can stay cost-efficient. On top of that, there are many long-established vendors to choose from, and Ukraine has long established itself as a go-to IT outsourcing country. We hope that this post helps you make an informed decision and choose the best Ukrainian programmers for your upcoming project.