Complete Back-end Developer Salary Data

Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash

Finding skilled developers and choosing the right tech stack is important for the success of any project, but especially back end.  Whilst invisible to users, back end development is the backbone of any app.  A back-end developer is responsible for developing all server-side structure, maintaining databases, and controlling data interchange between the users and the server.  As a result, back end developer salaries tend to be higher than that of front-end developers.  However, the risk and effort associated with learning the job are deemed to be higher as it is a constantly changing industry.  This makes hiring a talented back-end developer more challenging.  Recruiters are advised to become familiar with back-end developer salary data and which factors influence it.

To help you understand the subject, we’ve compiled an up-to-date, industry-specific article about back-end developer salaries.

We will look at the following topics:

  • Average back-end developer salary
  • Back-end web developer salary
  • Entry-level back-end developer salary
  • Back end developer salary EU

The average back end developer salary

As previously mentioned, back-end developers have a lot of important responsibilities.  They construct the server, application, and database and ensure they communicate with one another.  They need to understand and use programming languages such as PHP, Ruby, Python or Java to develop the program, and utilize tools like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server to find, save, or change data.

The tasks they will perform depends upon their level of experience, knowledge, and skills.  Other factors include their physical location and their employer’s requirements.  All of these factors will affect the average back-end developer salary.

According to PayScale, the average global back end developer salary is relatively low compared to some other industries: $69,766 per annum.

The average salaries seem to vary depending on the data source.  Let’s look into where these differences stem from.


It isn’t surprising that salaries change with the level of experience.

According to PayScale, for example, an average entry-level back- end developer salary worldwide is $65,000.  A developer with 1-4 years of working experience, has an average salary of $69,766, whilst 5-9 years of experience bring in $69,800 – not a massive difference.

Location is another crucial factor that affects back-end developer salaries across the EU.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary expectation in Germany is €53,151.  In France, it is slightly lower at €45,930.  In Spain, it is even lower at €33,643.

Other factors increasing pay

Whilst experience and location affect average back-end developer salaries, knowledge and individual skills also matter.

Mobile and web back-end development both require the use of a database and some kind of “action” to retrieve and insert data into it.

The main difference is that back-end web developers are able to work directly with the database via an Object Relationship Manager (ORM).

Mobile back end developers are required to work with a higher level of abstraction and use an Application Programming Interface (“API”).  This is reflected in the average salary.

The average back-end web developer salary amounts to $75,487 a year, while back-end mobile developers can expect to be paid as much as $117,284, according to Glassdoor.

Popular skills

According to PayScale, skills in JavaScript associated with above-average pay; skills such as Java, Python, Node.js, and PHP attract a lower rate. 

Useful additional skills

Other skills that can increase back-end developer salaries are:

  • Problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Soft skills: communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work independently, time management.
  • Attention to detail


A Back-end developer is responsible for making sure that everything is working behind the scenes and hiring good talent is vital for your business.  As mentioned, there are several factors that can influence the salary and deciding your budget is important.  Before recruiting, familiarize yourself with all the factors and the average developer salaries in the EU to enable you to offer competitive pay and attract the best talent.