Finding WordPress Work with Your Developer Skills

Finding WordPress Work with Your Developer Skills

You have amazing talent. You’re specialized in WordPress. You want to share your skills with the world and make a few bucks in the process — whether that be full-time, part-time, or just as additional income.

But how do you market yourself and your services to businesses that have no idea how to make a WordPress site?

I’ll be showing you how to do this and much more. In this article, I’ll be going over:

  • Why it’s the perfect time to be a WordPress developer
  • Where to find how many WordPress developers are out there
  • How to start earning money and build your portfolio
  • What developers are currently earning
  • How to make more money and stand out in the crowd
  • 12 quality marketplaces

Get your WordPress work face on and get ready to attract clients, customers, and excel as a developer in this thriving WordPress economy.

Dev Man money with WordPress.
Dev Man is pretty happy with his WordPress career.

Developing Rapidly

As a developer, WordPress offers you the unique ability to perform at your highest level. You can be your own boss and set up a work environment that makes you happy. As you’ll see, the income you can generate isn’t too shabby either.

Plus, with the “new normal’ of working from home, this provides unique opportunities for you to promote your services anywhere in the world. More businesses are open to hiring you remotely now since they’ve gotten their feet wet experiencing what it’s like not to be face-to-face.

I think this illustration from WordPress’s founding developer, Matt Mullenweg, sums it up well. It’s from his article on Distributed Work’s Five Levels of Autonomy.

Distributed works five levels of autonomy.
You should be at nirvana. Source: https://ma.tt/2020/04/five-levels-of-autonomy/

The 2020 global Covid-19 pandemic has forced businesses all around the world to rethink their work environment. While many companies remain stuck in their old ways refusing to adapt and adjust, and others are just simply unwilling to change and try working differently, WordPress was way ahead of the curve by embracing remote working.

And this leaves vast doors of opportunity wide open for you.

You Are Not Alone

WordPress is not only a great industry to work in, it’s also very popular.

For example, if you do a quick search for ‘WordPress Developer’ on LinkedIn, it reveals 552,000 results.

LinkedIn WordPress results.
That’s a pretty big number.

If you just type in ‘WordPress’ on LinkedIn, there are over 2.4 million results. Whew!

These numbers are quite encouraging (and growing).

You’ll want to stand out as an individual with the ever-increasing amount of WordPress workers seeking income, or else you’ll end up a bottom feeder in the big WordPress fishbowl.

I’ll be sharing some ideas on that coming up (and also how to make more than the regular Joe).

Want to earn a living from WordPress? Then immerse yourself in it.

Before the “big” money comes rolling in from WordPress development, you can begin earning cash by starting off small. It’s not always easy to just hop into becoming a developer if you don’t have a foundation.

One of the best ways to showcase your knowledge and start earning income is by starting a blog that demonstrates your WordPress skills (built with WordPress, of course!).

You can monetize your blog while showcasing your knowledge and skills in several ways, including:

  • Affiliate links to WordPress products
  • eCourses
  • Offer WordPress consultation service
  • Selling eBooks

The best way to publish a valuable blog is by using your niche and running with it. Be unique and offer value by sharing your perspective with a specific audience in the WordPress community.

Also, gain an audience on social media by distributing video tutorials, tips, and WordPress related posts across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

There are many ways to monetize a WordPress blog. You can find out more here.

Once you gain a loyal audience and establish yourself as a trustworthy go-to source, you can start gaining clients directly from your blog and social media. From them, you start building your portfolio and that can launch you into other career opportunities or gigs.

The More You Grow

As you grow as a developer, WordPress grows too.

A reason for this growth is WordPress’s popularity. More and more companies, individuals, and websites are using WordPress now more than ever and its use is rising at a steady rate.

WordPress is used in over 178 countries and there are 57 different languages available for it.

Ever since WordPress was started back in 2003, it’s been on the uprise. Here is a look at the WordPress usage trends by Builtwith.com.

WordPress usage stats.

It’s clear that with more than 74 million websites powered by WordPress online today, there are plenty of customers out there.

So, let’s go get them!

Show Me the Money

To start with, let’s take a look at where a developer should be when it comes to getting paid.

According to Indeed, in the United States, WordPress developers earn an average of USD $63,177 per year. However, other job sites have higher or lower rates. When combined and averaged out, it seems to be at $63,348 for full-time WordPress developers.

Of course, this will vary by country and certain conditions (such as experience).

Also, many WordPress developers are freelancers instead of full-time employees. So, an annual salary will be different if you’re looking to develop sites on the side or set your own hourly rate.

For example, at Codeable , the hourly rate starts at $70 – $120 per hour, which, if you can maintain that consistently at 40-hours per week, can earn you upwards of $200,000.

However, realistically, it’s hard to earn that, but it still can be done.

A big reason is many WordPress developers undercharge. This disrupts the payscale when customers opt for a cheaper price rather than professional service. Or, it might BE professional service and the developer simply lowballed bigtime.

What Is the Best Way to Get Paid More?

Beyond having a lot of experience, acting professional, creating amazing work, and being extremely knowledgeable about WordPress development, here are several tips that can help:

Don’t lowball … increase your prices.

It may seem obvious, but it’s true. Raise your rates and you will be shocked that people are actually willing to pay if they know they’re getting professional service.

As a freelancer for most of my life, I can tell you that the more you charge, the better quality of clients and customers you’ll have.

To justify increasing your prices, start by raising them a little bit at a time. After you work with a client, raise your rates a little bit higher. You’ll develop a portfolio that demonstrates your work and proves you’re worth the costs. Focus on your value — not the price.

Eventually, you’ll want to find a happy medium where you’re comfortable charging at a specific rate. This will be your “sweet spot”.

Got a niche? Use it.

With demand for WordPress developers on the rise, you’ll want to stand out and differentiate yourself from competitors.

If you have a good niche that you specialize in (e.g. killer WordPress website design, plugin development, eCommerce, etc.), this can be very beneficial and highly lucrative.

It will also make it easier for you to market yourself and justify your rates.

Offer additional services.

You’ve landed a great client. You’ve just built their WordPress site and they’re extremely happy. Now, instead of just collecting a check and moving on, offer to maintain their website to keep it in good shape.

You can offer monthly check-ups, or support when needed by charging a monthly fee or service charge. Find out more about doing this here in our article about creating a maintenance service.

Be Professional (and worth every penny).

The biggest thing you can do is to BE worth the costs, not only with your talents and skills but with your attitude.

Communicate well with clients, be courteous, helpful, insightful, and do everything you can to make them want to come back again and again. Just be cool.

Professionalism goes a long way. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and the waiter was unpleasant, unattentive, and made the experience so bad you never went back? The same will happen to your WordPress customers if you act this way.

Be the WordPress developer that any client would be excited to recommend to anyone. With that, start collecting some referrals and testimonials for your portfolio site with links to your work.

All of this will not only earn you more money but also help you stand out from the crowd in this massive sea of WordPress developers.

Of course, you need to know where to look for customers or have customers find you. That leads us to…

Quality Marketplaces

Here’s a rundown of some quality marketplaces to showcase your skills, find work, and get paid. They’re all worth looking into for gigs, full-time or part-time work, contract jobs, and clients.

  • WordPress Jobs

    WordPress Jobs is a WordPress-operated job board that features a wide range of opportunities for developers.

    You can search for a specific job or scroll through the numerous openings. There are also specific categories listed on the sidebar to browse certain position types.

    Once you find a job of interest, you can click on it and view the company, job type (e.g. full-time), location (if applicable), and how to apply. There also should be a detailed description of the position so that you’ll have a good idea if it’s suitable for you or not.

    It’s definitely a recommended first stop on your WordPress job search.

    Interested in WordPress Jobs?

    Details

  • Automattic

    Automattic consists of folks behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, and more. They’re looking for “Automatticians” that are curious, driven, compassionate, tenacious, autonomous, friendly, independent, collaborative, communicative, supportive, self-motivated, and amazing with GIFs.

    They thrive on remote work, considering they’re all over the world in more than 70 countries. That being said, they also love getting together when possible and have yearly Grand Meetups.

    There are a lot of various opportunities for WordPress developers on their job board; everything from software engineering to Systems Wrangler.

    They’re worth checking into if you want to be a part of a unique team that cranks out some amazing websites.

    Interested in Automattic?

    Details

  • Codeable

    Codeable is a company dedicated to matching customers with the best WordPress experts.

    To be considered as a freelancer for them, there is a vetting process to ensure that you’re one of the best. They want to hear from you if you:

    — Are a WordPress expert

    — Have a portfolio

    — Have a friendly attitude

    — Meet deadlines

    — Know common WordPress plugins

    — Ask the right questions

    — Only settle for perfection

    — Love what you do

    — Want to keep learning

    If you make it on board with them, they handle all of the regulations (e.g. pricing) to keep their quality standards in check. They also vet their clients and turn them down if they do not meet their high standards.

    Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you’re guaranteed to earn a $70-$120 an hour minimum rate. Plus, a lot of revenue comes from returning clients once you prove you have what it takes.

    Being a part of Codeable helps solidify you as a professional WordPress developer and can pay off in a big way.

    Interested in Codeable?

    Details

  • WPHired

    WPHired is a job board created to help connect small to large businesses with WordPress talents.

    You can search for any type of work you’re looking for by keywords, regions, and categories. Then, you can specify if you want freelance, full-time, internship, part-time, or temporary.

    When you find a job of interest, you can learn more about it and apply by clicking on the specific job listing. Also, related jobs are displayed that may be of interest.

    Since it’s geared towards just WordPress, WPHired is a quick way to weed-out anything else and focus on development jobs in your niche.

    Interested in WPHired?

    Details

  • SimplyHired

    Simply Hired is a marketplace where you can browse many WordPress developer jobs. Plus, they help your job search with their free online resume builder, job tools, and even job advice guides.

    It’s easy to browse jobs based on keywords, locations, skills, job title, and company. Plus, you can upload your resume into their database to easily apply to jobs.

    They feature all types of employment or contract jobs for numerous WordPress developer opportunities.

    It’s a mixed bag of options and there’s bound to be a suitable one for you.

    Interested in SimplyHired?

    Details

  • AngelList

    AngelList is the number one startup hiring platform. They provide a lot of opportunities for WordPress developers who are excited to work with a startup company.

    You have to sign-up for an account for AngelList. Once you do, you’ll create a profile that showcases your experience, projects, and more.

    The transparency of the salary, company, and individuals gives job searching and hiring a nice personal touch. You can click on profiles of the CEOs for information, and likewise, they can do the same with you.

    You’re also able to follow individuals and companies, add references, and save jobs.

    It can be exciting working with a startup. You’ll get to be part of a growing team and it’s a great opportunity to become a major part of an up-and-coming company.

    Interested in AngelList?

    Details

  • Krop

    Krop is a platform for creative WordPress developers to showcase their work and be found by recruiters. Plus, you can apply for positions with their easy to use search tool.

    There is a free trial available with Krop to build a portfolio website. After the trial, the cost is $8.25 per month. However, that does come with a free domain the first year.

    Even without a portfolio, you can browse positions and apply for WordPress development jobs. You’re able to narrow down your options by keyword or location.

    There’s a vast variety of positions and jobs to choose from on Krop, which makes it a go-to source for WordPress developers.

    Interested in Krop?

    Details

  • Indeed

    Indeed is no stranger to job boards, considering it’s one of the most popular job-hunting websites out there.

    It’s simple to search for WordPress developer jobs. You can also include a salary range, type of employment, location, and more. Plus, you can upload your resume directly into their system once you have a free account created.

    You can also check out company reviews and salaries with a click of a button.

    Indeed allows you to get very specific with your job search and really narrow down your options.

    Interested in Indeed?

    Details

  • Authentic Jobs

    Authentic Jobs states that they’re the leading job board for designers, developers, and creative pros. They’re not WordPress specific, however, you can type keywords in to narrow your search.

    You don’t even need to sign up for an account with them to browse and apply for jobs. Jobs can be applied for by submitting a form or by providing a link to a company’s application. You can also indicate what type of position you’re looking for (e.g. freelance).

    Though it doesn’t offer as many job opportunities as some of the other resources available, it still may have that gem of a WordPress developer role that you’re looking for.

    Interested in Authentic Jobs?

    Details

  • Remote OK

    Remote Ok is, as the title indicates, a job board for strictly remote positions.

    No account is required. You simply browse the job board by indicating what keyword you’re interested in (e.g. WordPress developer). It will then pull up all the available jobs and date that it was posted.

    You can also subscribe to their email to get updates on specific job titles you’re looking for.

    I noticed some positions that were past the 30-day mark (one of them was 5 years old), however, they still remain on their job board. Just be aware that not all jobs are current.

    For remote opportunities in WordPress development, it’s worth exploring.

    Interested in Remote OK?

    Details

  • We Work Remotely

    We Work Remotely features a ton of remote WordPress developer positions. They label themselves the largest remote work community in the world.

    You don’t need an account to search and apply for positions.

    It’s easy to browse jobs and they offer resources to help with your job search (e.g. top companies to work for). Plus, the job descriptions and how to apply are very detailed and clear.

    There are a lot of opportunities available for you to search and find what’s right for you.

    Interested in We Work Remotely?

    Details

  • Upwork

    Upwork is a website that is made to find in-demand remote talent on demand. It’s set up more for gig and contract jobs more than full-time or part-time employment.

    To use Upwork, you’ll set up a profile that features your skills, work experience, portfolio, and more. Once that’s ready, you can browse WordPress developer jobs and bid on projects by submitting a proposal.

    Upwork won’t typically have as high of quality clients in terms of dollar amounts like some of the other resources. Plus, they take out a percentage of your earnings that can be up to 20% of your income (more information about costs can be found here).

    However, you can build your portfolio and reviews on Upwork over time, which can lead to consistent income and a good reputation on their site.

    Interested in Upwork?

    Details

(Dev)elop Your Earning Potential

As you can see, having skills as a WordPress developer can bring in some income from many various resources. Add in a good work ethic, online portfolio, referrals — and you’ll be making money in no time.

Plus, you can start immediately from the comfort of your home. There’s no longer the need to drive to the nearest brick and mortar company to apply. Simply go to your coffee pot, pour a fresh cup, and get started (even if you’re wearing just your pajamas).

Job markets fluctuate, but from the looks of it, WordPress developers aren’t going away any time soon.

Use your amazing WordPress talent to bring in some amazing earnings today. And when the work starts piling on, consider becoming a member and using our amazing services and tools to help you get ahead and stay ahead.