Software development · Full-stack developers
Hire Full-Stack Developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US
Hire a full-stack developer who builds complete features, from the interface to the database, without hand-offs between teams. We find the right person, or build your entire development team, in Canada, Latin America, or the US, on a contract, permanent, or fractional basis.
Full-stack developers, screened by full-stack developers
DevEngine is a Vancouver-based IT recruitment and staffing firm. We recruit full-stack developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US for contract, permanent, or fractional roles. They work across the front end and back end, from user interfaces and APIs to databases and deployment, on products and internal applications. A senior full-stack developer screens every candidate before you see one. You manage the day-to-day work. We handle contracts, HR, and admin.
The role
A full-stack developer builds features end to end
A full-stack developer works across the whole application, from the user interface to the server and database. They build interfaces, design and build APIs, manage databases, integrate third-party services, and deploy to the cloud, so one person can take a feature from idea to production.
Typical outputs include complete features and applications, prototypes and minimum viable products, APIs and database schemas, third-party integrations, automated tests, and deployment pipelines.
The role could be confused with two others, and organizations define all three differently. In general:
Full-stack developer
- What they work on
- Both sides of the application, end to end
- Core question
- Can one person deliver a complete feature from interface to database?
- Typical outputs
- Complete features, prototypes, smaller applications
- Works most with
- Product managers and small, cross-functional teams
- Often brought in when
- A small team needs to ship features without hand-offs
Front-end developer
- What they work on
- The interfaces users see and interact with
- Core question
- Is the interface fast, accessible, and easy to use on every device?
- Typical outputs
- Responsive interfaces, component libraries, front-end tests
- Works most with
- Designers, back-end developers, and product managers
- Often brought in when
- Users struggle with a slow, dated, or inconsistent interface
Back-end developer
- What they work on
- The server-side logic, databases, and APIs behind the application
- Core question
- Does the system process data correctly, securely, and at scale?
- Typical outputs
- APIs, services, database logic, integrations
- Works most with
- Front-end developers, architects, and DevOps teams
- Often brought in when
- The application can't keep up with users, data, or security needs
If the work needs deep expertise in the interface, see Hire Front-End Developers. If it needs deep expertise in services, data, and scale, see Hire Back-End Developers.
When to hire
When you need a full-stack developer
The need usually shows up as one of these situations:
Hand-offs are slowing delivery across teams.
Features wait between front-end, back-end, and platform teams, and small changes take several people and multiple sprints.
New digital initiatives need to prove value fast.
Leadership wants a working first version in front of users before committing a full team and budget.
Business-critical processes run on spreadsheets.
Operations, finance, and compliance teams rely on spreadsheets and workarounds because engineering is focused on customer-facing products.
Internal applications have no clear owner.
Applications built by past teams or vendors still support real processes, but no one understands the whole stack.
Need a different role?
If you need deep expertise in the interface users see, hire a front-end developer. If you need deep expertise in services, data, and scale, hire a back-end developer. We recruit for both roles.
Our screen
What our senior full-stack developers look for
Most candidates list both front-end and back-end skills. Fewer can show a feature they built end to end, explain the trade-offs at each layer, and keep it running in production. A senior full-stack developer screens every candidate and asks for specifics: what they built, which layers they owned, what broke, and what they changed.
Features shipped end to end
We ask for a feature they built from interface to database, how long it took, and what it did for users and the business.
Real depth on both sides
We test whether their skills hold up on each layer, not only the one they prefer, with questions on both front end and back end.
Production ownership
We ask how they deployed, monitored, and fixed what they built once real users depended on it.
Fluency with your constraints
A full-stack developer who has worked with your stack, your product's scale, or regulated data reasons differently from one who hasn't. We weight that context, not only certifications.
Candidates who are strong on one layer and only familiar with the other, can't explain their design choices, or have never owned code in production are screened out. Your interviews focus on fit, not filtering.
Where we source
Hire from Canada, Latin America, or the US
One search can cover all three talent pools. Brief the role once, and compare candidates from each market side by side before you decide.
Canada
- Where candidates are based
- Across Canada
- Working hours
- Canadian time zones, Pacific to Atlantic
- Cost
- Canadian market rates. See the Canada salary guide below.
- Fits when
- The role needs knowledge of the North American market, regular in-person time in Canada, or a Canadian base
Latin America
- Where candidates are based
- Across Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica
- Working hours
- Within 2 hours of US Eastern time, year-round. Up to 4 hours ahead of Pacific time.
- Cost
- Typically 35–40% below comparable North American cost. See the Latin America salary guide below.
- Fits when
- You want a wider candidate pool or more seniority for the budget, or the full-stack developer will work with a nearshore team
United States
- Where candidates are based
- Across the United States
- Working hours
- US time zones, Pacific to Eastern
- Cost
- US market rates.
- Fits when
- The role needs knowledge of the US market, regular in-person time at a US site, or a US base
Not sure which market fits? Tell us about the role, and we'll scope it in each market and show you candidates and cost side by side.
Technology salaries in Canada and Latin America
Benchmark salaries by role and seniority before you set a budget.
Engagement models
Contract, permanent, or fractional
Contract
- Who employs the full-stack developer
- DevEngine
- Time commitment
- Full-time, for a defined period
- Fits when
- A prototype, a new product, or an internal application with a defined end
- Placement protection
- Two-week guarantee
Permanent
- Who employs the full-stack developer
- You
- Time commitment
- Full-time, ongoing
- Fits when
- Your product needs developers who can own features across the stack
- Placement protection
- 180-day prorated guarantee from the start date: full refund in the first 30 days, then partial refunds on a sliding scale
Fractional
- Who employs the full-stack developer
- DevEngine
- Time commitment
- Part-time, hourly or monthly
- Fits when
- A technical review, a prototype, or a few hours a week of development, without a full-time seat
- Placement protection
- Tailored to the scope of work
Each model works a little differently depending on whether you hire in Canada, Latin America, or the US. Compare the options by market to find the engagement that fits your team.
Explore services by marketHow it works
How a full-stack developer search runs
You brief us on the scope and goals of the project, your current technology stack, and how your team is organized.
We source for your role in Canada, Latin America, or the US, not from a bench.
A senior full-stack developer screens each candidate. Someone who does the same work, not a recruiter matching keywords.
You choose who to interview and who to hire.
You direct the work. On contract and fractional engagements, DevEngine holds the contract and handles payroll and compliance. On a permanent hire, the full-stack developer joins your payroll.
If the placement isn't working, we replace the candidate: within two weeks on contract, or under the 180-day prorated guarantee on a permanent hire.
Case studies
How this works in practice
All case studiesFAQ
Full-stack developer hiring questions
How much does it cost to hire a full-stack developer?
Cost depends on four things: seniority, technology stack and specialization (for example, JavaScript stacks, Python, or cloud deployment), the market you hire from, and the engagement model. Hiring in Latin America typically costs 35–40% less than comparable North American hires. For salary benchmarks across technology roles, download the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide. DevEngine quotes against your actual brief on the first call.
Which skills and certifications do full-stack developers bring?
Most work across front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript or TypeScript, React, Angular, or Vue, and back-end languages such as Node.js, Python, Java, or PHP. Common stacks include MERN, MEAN, LAMP, and Django. They use SQL and NoSQL databases, Git, cloud services, and DevOps practices for deployment. Common certifications include the AWS Certified Developer -Associate. Skills and certifications show familiarity, but not whether someone can own a feature from interface to production. That's what the senior full-stack developer screen tests.
Should we hire full-stack developers or separate front-end and back-end developers?
Full-stack developers fit new products, prototypes, and small teams that need to ship without hand-offs. As an application grows, dedicated front-end and back-end developers usually go deeper on interface quality, performance, and security. Many teams combine both, and DevEngine can scope the mix with you.
Can I hire a fractional full-stack developer?
Yes. A fractional full-stack developer works part-time, on an hourly or monthly cadence, inside your team and tools. Companies often use one for a technical review, a prototype, or support for a lean team. DevEngine places fractional full-stack developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US.
Can one full-stack developer build our first version?
Often, for a focused first version. A senior full-stack developer can take a minimum viable product from interface to deployment, which is why companies use one to test an idea before committing a full team. Once the product has real users and growing traffic, most teams add dedicated developers and QA.
Can a full-stack developer work with a DevEngine Engineering POD?
Yes. A full-stack developer can sit inside an Engineering POD or work alongside one. You choose the POD's composition and direct the work. The full-stack developer builds features across the stack, alongside the rest of the POD, on your sprint cadence, in your tools.
What's your interest?
Choose the path that aligns with how you want to build and scale your team.
Tell us what you need to build.
We'll tell you which market and model fit, and how long the search should take.
Not ready to talk yet? Compare technology salaries in the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide.
