Real cost of asenior developerin 2026
Full-time employee, freelance or offshore: estimate the total cost by stack and mission duration. All employer costs included.
Number of developers
Tech stack
Mission duration
Full-time Employee · Europe
€46,900
over 6 months · €7,817/mo per dev
Gross salary + employer taxes (×1.42)€7,100/mo
Recruitment cost (amortised 24 mo)€300/mo
Equipment & licences€417/mo
2-3 month lead timeFixed commitmentFixed overhead
Freelance · Europe
€85,680
over 6 months · €14,280/mo per dev
Avg. senior day rate (2026)€680/day
Billable days21 days/mo
Employer taxes€0
Available in 1-2 weeksNo commitmentAvailability risk
Summary
For 1 React / Next.js dev over 6 months: Employee Europe €46,900 · Freelance Europe €85,680 · GoLive between €12,000 and €24,000.
Estimates based on 2026 European market data (sources: Bureau des Talents, Malt barometer). Average senior gross salaries: €55,000–€65,000/year. Employer taxes: 42%. Recruitment fee: 12% of gross salary, amortised over 24 months. Equipment & licences: €5,000/year. Freelance day rates: Malt 2026 barometer. GoLive rates vary by profile, stack and duration.
Methodology
What these costs include
Full-time Employee
Gross salary × 1.42 (employer taxes)
Recruitment: 12% of gross salary, amortised over 24 months
Equipment + software licences: ~€5,000/year
Actual hiring lead time: 2 to 3 months
Freelance
Average senior day rate 2026 by stack (source: Malt)
21 billable days per month
Zero employer taxes
Available quickly, but long-term availability risk
GoLive Offshore
Handpicked senior profiles, 5+ years experience
Available in under 7 days
8h/day, fully dedicated to your project
Day rate on custom quote, based on profile and duration