Where to Hire Remote WordPress Developers

Key Takeaways

Remote WordPress development allows you to tap into a global talent pool, reduce costs compared to hiring in-house, and scale your team with flexible engagement options.
You can find remote WordPress developers through freelance platforms, job boards, recruitment and staffing firms, or staff augmentation services.
The ideal remote WordPress developer should possess both technical expertise (WordPress core knowledge, PHP/JavaScript skills, security practices) and essential soft skills (communication, time management, problem-solving ability) to successfully deliver your project regardless of location.

WordPress is one of the most popular website-building platforms for a reason. It’s flexible and scalable and comes with an extensive library of themes and plugins.

But depending on your project, you might need something specific, like custom plugin development or complex API integrations. The challenge? Finding the right talent.

Hiring in-house limits your search to your local area, making it hard to find the specific expertise you need. That’s why many businesses choose to hire a remote WordPress developer instead.

In this article, we’ll cover why hiring remotely can be a smart move, where to find skilled developers, the key skills to look for, and common hiring mistakes to avoid and overcome.

Why Hire a Remote WordPress Developer?

Once considered a luxury, remote work has now become a major factor in employment decisions. The shift toward remote-first workplaces has been especially pronounced in tech, where 67.8% of tech employees worldwide work fully or mostly remotely.

But let’s be clear about what we mean by “remote WordPress developer.” It’s not as straightforward as it sounds. This could be a full-time employee working from home in your city, a contractor in another state, or a developer based in another country. The “remote” part just means they’re not physically in your office.

WordPress development is perfectly suited for remote work because the technical nature of the job doesn’t require someone to be physically present. The code works the same whether it’s written at a desk in your office or from a home office across the world.

This flexibility is why more businesses are ditching the geographical limitations of local hiring. You can work with developers based anywhere - whether that’s bringing on a full-time team member from Latin America (where we’ve seen businesses save 30–70% on comparable US salaries) or collaborating with a freelancer for a one-time project.

The key point is that by opening up your search beyond your local area, you’re not just saving money. You’re also gaining access to a much wider talent pool. This means you can find exactly the right skills for your specific WordPress needs, rather than settling for whoever happens to be available locally.

These are some of the benefits of hiring a remote WordPress developer:

Larger talent pool: Instead of limiting yourself to developers within driving distance of your office, you can work with experts from anywhere.
Cost savings: Remote developers, especially from countries and regions with lower costs of living, can deliver high-quality work at competitive rates while also saving you on office space costs.
Flexibility: Need a developer for an ongoing project? Or just for a one-time build? Your remote hires can work full-time, part-time, on a contract basis, or on a project basis.
Faster project timelines: With remote developers, you can build a team across different time zones for around-the-clock progress or hire additional specialists for specific features without the lengthy onboarding an in-house hire would require.

So, whether you’re looking for a full-time offshore WordPress developer for round-the-clock operations, a nearshore developer in Latin America for real-time collaboration, or a freelancer for a short-term project, hiring remotely offers significant savings without compromising quality.

Where to Find Remote WordPress Developers

With over 43% of all websites running on WordPress, to say it’s trusted for website development is an understatement. The key is finding the right developer to bring your vision to life.

Here are the different hiring channels for finding remote WordPress developers.

Freelance marketplaces

Freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal connect businesses with freelance WordPress developers. These sites allow you to browse profiles, check reviews, and hire developers for short-term or long-term projects.

Benefits:

Quick access to professionals for short-term or urgent projects
Freelancers offer competitive rates compared to full-time hires

Limitations:

Quality varies—vetting is required
Limited commitment, as freelancers tend to juggle multiple projects

Online job boards

Job boards such as Indeed and We Work Remotely let businesses post job openings for remote WordPress developers. These platforms attract both full-time and freelance candidates, giving you access to a wide range of professionals.

Benefits:

Direct control over hiring decisions
ATS integration, email submissions, and job distribution streamline applicant management
Better suited for long-term hires compared to freelance candidates

Limitations:

Time-consuming hiring process with multiple screening steps
High volume of unqualified applicants requiring extra vetting

Recruitment and staffing firms

Specialized recruitment and staffing firms act as intermediaries between you and global talent. Here’s the difference:

Recruitment agencies find candidates for permanent positions. For remote WordPress developers outside the US, they’ll handle the sourcing, screening, and initial interviews, then present you with qualified candidates who match your requirements.

Staffing firms provide temporary or contract developers who remain on their payroll while working for you. For international developers, they handle all the complex legal and payment issues so you don’t have to worry about setting up foreign entities or navigating international labor laws.

Benefits:

Significantly faster hiring—many firms have pre-vetted developers ready to go
They navigate the complications of international hiring (taxes, compliance, payments)
Reduced hiring risks and mismatches with expert-vetted candidates

Limitations:

Recruitment fees, though often justified by time savings and quality of hire
Less direct control over initial candidate screening
Quality varies between firms—the best ones specialize in specific regions like Latin America rather than trying to cover the entire world

Staff augmentation companies

The top companies for remote WordPress development often offer staff augmentation services to provide pre-vetted WordPress developers who integrate with your team.

These companies typically also handle payroll, HR, and administrative tasks while you manage the developer’s workload.

Benefits:

Faster onboarding with a pool of ready-to-go developers
No administrative burden—contracts, payroll, and benefits are handled by the company

Limitations:

Higher long-term costs due to contract-based pricing with recurring service fees
Developers remain employed by the provider, which may impact company alignment

The best approach ultimately depends on your budget, hiring timeline, and how involved you want to be in the recruitment process.

Looking for reliable options? Check out our list of companies that can help you connect with and hire remote developers.

Essential Skills to Look for in a Remote WordPress Developer

To successfully offshore or work with any remote WordPress developer, you need to find someone with the right mix of technical expertise and soft skills. Here’s what to look for.

Technical skills

A technically proficient WordPress developer can handle site customization, performance optimization, and any possible website troubles. Necessary technical skills include:

WordPress core knowledge: Understanding themes, plugins, and architecture for building scalable sites.
PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS: Essential for customization, adding features, and optimizing performance.
Experience with page builders: Proficiency in builders like Elementor, WPBakery, or Gutenberg for quick, user-friendly design.
API integrations: Experience with REST API and third-party tools like payment gateways and various CRMs.

Soft skills

Simply having technical expertise isn’t enough, as soft skills matter just as much. A remote developer must be able to work independently, collaborate with teams, and solve problems efficiently.

Soft skills to look for include:

Good communication skills: This is non-negotiable. Your developer should explain technical concepts in plain language and ask good questions when requirements aren’t clear.
Strong time management: Remote developers need to deliver on schedule without someone looking over their shoulder. Ask about their process for handling deadlines and unexpected challenges.
Problem-solving mindset: As the most in-demand IT soft skill, this ability helps identify and fix issues proactively, ensuring smooth website performance.

A well-rounded remote WordPress developer should have both the technical knowledge to build great websites and the soft skills to work efficiently in a remote environment. Don’t compromise on either side of this equation.

Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Prevent Them)

When hiring remote WordPress developers, certain mistakes appear consistently across businesses of all sizes. These common pitfalls can lead to project delays, budget overruns, and final products that don’t meet expectations.

Understanding these challenges upfront helps you avoid the typical hiring traps and set your WordPress projects up for success from the start.

Here are the key mistakes to watch for—and practical ways to prevent them.

Hiring the cheapest developer without vetting

The lowest-cost developers might seem budget-friendly at first, but if you don’t assess them right based on your needs, they might not deliver the results you expect. Fixing their mistakes after the fact can be more expensive than hiring a skilled developer upfront.

Solution: Prioritize value by finding a balance between experience, portfolio quality, and your budget. Review past projects, check client testimonials, and conduct technical assessments before making a hiring decision.

If you’re uncertain about finding and managing a remote team on your own, you can outsource web development to let an external team handle the project while you focus on your business.

Not defining clear project requirements

When requirements are vague, developers make assumptions—and those assumptions are often wrong.

Without clear direction, you’ll end up with a website that looks nice but doesn’t achieve your business goals. Then you’ll spend additional time and money on revisions.

Solution: Create a detailed project brief outlining your objectives, required features, timelines, and design preferences. Use wireframes or reference sites to clarify expectations.

The more specific you are upfront, the fewer surprises you’ll have later.

Ignoring soft skills

A technically skilled developer won’t be effective if they struggle to communicate with the team and manage their time. Remote work requires strong self-discipline and collaboration skills to meet deadlines and maintain smooth workflows.

Solution: Assessing soft skills is often harder than evaluating technical abilities, but you can gauge them during interviews by asking about past challenges, how they handle feedback, and how they meet deadlines. Consider using test projects or trial periods for further evaluation.

Overlooking WordPress security expertise

WordPress sites are common targets for various security threats. While many developers understand general WordPress functions, not all have the expertise to properly secure a site. A lack of security awareness can lead to data breaches, downtime, and long-term performance issues.

Solution: Look for developers with hands-on experience in WordPress security best practices, including secure coding, plugins, and theme management, as well as regular updates. Ask about what security challenges they’ve solved in the past so you know they can protect your site.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right WordPress developer can transform your website from a basic online presence to a powerful business tool. A remote hiring approach gives you access to a global talent pool at rates that often make high-quality development more accessible.

For US businesses looking for the sweet spot between cost savings and seamless collaboration, working with Latin American developers offers particular advantages. The combination of overlapping working hours with the US and rates 30–70% below US averages provides an excellent balance of quality and value that’s hard to match in other regions.

At Near, we specialize in connecting businesses with top Latin American talent, offering a fast, personalized hiring process. Our thorough vetting and deep understanding of the region’s tech ecosystem ensure you get developers who deliver exceptional results while fitting seamlessly into your team.

Fill out this form to receive a list of pre-vetted candidates you can interview for free. Start building your ideal WordPress team today.