Have you considered expanding your tech team in Guadalajara? Learn more about why Gudalajara is shaping up to be one of Mexico’s tech capitals and what process you need to know when hiring developers and software engineers.
If you plan to hire developers in Guadalajara, Mexico, you’re not alone. The city has gained prominence in recent years as the tech scene has moved south out of the United States and into Mexico.
Here's an overview of what you need to know when hiring a tech team in Guadalajara, located in the state of Jalisco and often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of Mexico”.
Mexico as a whole graduates 130,000 software engineers every year throughout the country's university system. Guadalajara alone is home to 40% of the IT industry, with over 100,000 jobs available in that sector and over 650 specialized businesses located in Jalisco.
Plus, Jalisco also has an extremely young population, with an average resident age of 25 or younger. Digital natives make up a big percentage of Guadalajara's population, and thus, give rise to a competitive developer landscape.
Software developers in Guadalajara, Mexico, perform various tasks and play a crucial role in the local tech industry.
Software Development: Software developers in Guadalajara primarily focus on designing, coding, testing, and maintaining software applications. They work with programming languages such as Java, C++, Python, JavaScript, or others based on project requirements.
Web Development: Web development is a prominent area of expertise for software developers. They build web-based applications, websites, and APIs using technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and popular frameworks such as React, Angular, or Laravel.
Mobile App Development: Mobile app and social media development is another key domain where software developers in Guadalajara excel. They create native or cross-platform mobile applications for iOS and Android using languages like Swift, Kotlin, Java, or frameworks like React Native or Flutter.
Database Design and Management: Software developers handle database-related tasks, including designing and implementing database structures, writing SQL queries, optimizing the quality of database performance, and ensuring data integrity and security.
Collaborative Development: Software developers in Guadalajara often work in teams, collaborating with other developers, designers, project managers, and stakeholders. They participate in code reviews, share knowledge, and contribute to the overall development process.
Continuous Learning and Professional Development: Keeping up with technological advancements and industry trends is crucial across all industries for software developers. They engage in continuous learning, explore new frameworks and tools, attend conferences, participate in workshops, and contribute to open-source projects.
Agile Methodologies: Agile development methodologies like Scrum or Kanban are widely used by software developers in Guadalajara. They participate in agile processes, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives, to ensure timely delivery and effective collaboration.
In the 1960s, companies like Kodak, Motorola, and HP opened manufacturing operations in Guadalajara and paved the way for the tech revolution in the city.
Along with Mexico City and the rest of Latin America as a whole, the startup scene in Guadalajara has expanded in part due to the country’s easily accessible time zones to the rest of North America and Europe.This focus on tech has continued to grow and now the city continuously welcomes innovation and creation throughout these industries.
Right now, there are huge companies in Guadalajara that house operations for their clients including:
IBM
HP
Amazon
Dell
Oracle
HCL
Flextronics
Toshiba
Microsoft
Apple
Netflix
Guadalajara's tech sector is not limited to a specific industry. It spans various sectors and services, including software development, hardware manufacturing, semiconductors, telecommunications, social media, aerospace, automotive, and electronics. This diversity contributes to the overall strength and resilience of the tech scene.
Guadalajara has attracted attention from international tech companies and multinational businesses. Several global technology giants have established operations or research and development centers in the city, further boosting the tech ecosystem and creating job opportunities.
The tech scene in Guadalajara is vibrant, dynamic, and rapidly expanding. It offers a favorable environment for startups, a diverse range of industries, access to talent, and a supportive free ecosystem that encourages innovation and collaboration.
Many employers find that recruiting and hiring developers and engineers, as well as creating a tech hub in Guadalajara, opens the door to opportunities throughout the rest of the Latin American marketplace.
The local and federal government in Mexico has recognized the importance of the tech sector and has implemented initiatives and policies to foster its growth. These include tax incentives, grants, funding programs, and support for entrepreneurship and innovation. The cost to hire employees in Guadalajara is significantly lower than the US due to these incentives and policies.
The city boasts a talented pool of tech professionals, including software developers, engineers, data scientists, and designers. Guadalajara is home to several prestigious universities and technical institutes that produce a steady stream of skilled graduates in fields like computer science, engineering, and technology-related disciplines.
Guadalajara fosters a collaborative environment, with many organizations, institutions, and events focused on bringing the tech community together. There are coworking spaces, tech meetups, hackathons, conferences, and other networking opportunities where professionals can share knowledge, learn from each other, and establish valuable connections.
The city has dedicated tech parks and clusters, such as the Jalisco Technology Park (Parque Tecnológico de Jalisco) and the Guadalajara Technology Park (Parque Tecnológico de Guadalajara). These areas provide infrastructure, resources, and support for tech companies, startups, and research and development activities.
As a leading hub in Latin American and North America for developers and engineers, there is a wide range of tech professionals working in Guadalajara including, to name a few:
Software engineers
UX/UI designers
Project managers
Graphic designer
Data analysis
Developers
Cloud engineers
If you're looking to hire developers and software engineers in Guadalajara, Mexico, there are several approaches you can take.
Here are some suggestions to help you find and attract talented professionals:
Online job portals: Utilize popular job portals and websites specific to the Mexican market, such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, and OCC Mundial. These platforms allow you to post job listings and reach a wide range of candidates actively looking for opportunities.
University and college partnerships: Collaborate with universities and colleges in Guadalajara that have strong computer science or software engineering programs. Establish relationships with career centers, participate in job fairs, or offer internships to identify and recruit top graduates.
Professional networks: Leverage your professional network, both online and offline, to spread the word about your hiring needs. Reach out to colleagues, friends, and industry connections who may know qualified individuals or can refer you to suitable candidates.
Local software development: Explore partnerships with local software development companies or consulting firms. These organizations often have experienced developers and engineers who may be open to new opportunities.
Partner with an EOR or a recruitment agency: Finally, businesses can work with a recruitment agency or an EOR partner that specializes in tech talent to help them identify and recruit top software developers in Guadalajara. These agencies often have a deep understanding of the local talent landscape, and can help employers navigate the recruitment process and find the right candidates.
Salary ranges for software developers and engineers in Guadalajara vary depending on several factors, including years of experience, type of company, and specific skills and expertise:
Junior Software Developer/Engineer: $13,000-$53,000 USD per year or around $36,000 per year as a contractor
Intermediate Software Developer/Engineer: $13,000-$68,000 USD per year or around $45,000 per year as a contractor
Senior Software Developer/Engineer: $21,000-$50,000 USD per year or around $63,000 per years a contractor
Team Lead/Manager: $34,000- $80,000 USD per year or around $70,000 per years as a contractor
Here’s a look at average developer salaries by programming language:
$26,000-$37,000 USD per year for NodeJS developer
$12,000-$40,000 USD per year for JavaScript developers
$13,000-$40,000 USD per year for AngularJS developers
$15,000-$45,000 USD per year for PHP developers
$14,000-$45,000 USD per for WordPress developers
If hiring full-time developers and software engineers in Guadalajara has crossed your mind, but setting up a legal entity in Mexico feels like a time-consuming hurdle, you might want to consider the advantages of teaming up with an EOR service provider like Justworks.
Businesses that work with an EOR enjoy the freedom to recruit and build their teams without the headaches of extra administrative work.
Justworks’ global EOR is the solution for small businesses looking to easily hire talent in countries where they don’t already have a legal presence.
Justworks has direct entities in 11 countries, with the ability to hire in 100+ additional countries upon request through our trusted local partners. You can fearlessly handle HR essentials like payroll, benefits, local compliance, and more.
Learn more about our EOR services, and get started today!
The country that hires the most software developers in the world is Canada.
To employ a software engineer, you’ll need to first figure out exactly what type of engineer you’re looking for. Then, you’ll need to work on recruiting — if you're hiring abroad, you can either partner with an EOR like Justworks who handles the recruiting process or set up an entity in the country you want to hire in. After hiring, you’ll need to make sure that you craft a benefit and compensation package that matches that person’s skills and experience.
Some of the top countries for software developers are: the United States, Mexico, Canada, India, and Germany.
Right now, Norway has a shortage of software developers with nearly 60,000 available roles.
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