Mid-level developers in Nigeria and Kenya contract at about $23 an hour. In the UK it is $37, and in the US it is $46.
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These are statistics from published contract data, not prices on DevDey. Every developer sets their own rate, so what you pay will vary.
Median contract rate, mid-level developer, per hour
Source: Lemon.io developer rate data, Q3 2026. Median rates on active contracts. Each country is “where these developers actually work”, in the source's words.
The middle contract. Half of contracts are above it and half are below.
The range the central half of contracts fall in.
Roughly two to five years of experience, as the source defines it.
The median in Nigeria and Kenya is about 38% below the UK median. The lower-priced quarter of contracts there is at least 40% below it.
The median in Nigeria and Kenya is 50% below the US median, so 40% understates the gap.
What you save depends on who you hire. Morocco has far fewer contracts in the data and sits higher, at $28: about 24% below the UK and 39% below the US.
Every figure here comes from published contract data. None is a price, a quote or a promise of what you will pay.
Each developer on DevDey sets their own rate and agrees it with you. DevDey does not set rates. Some charge more than these figures and some charge less.
What you save depends on who you hire, what they charge and who you are comparing them with. The 40% is a market comparison, not a promise.
We have not found published rates for virtual assistants or designers that compare like for like, so they are not included here.
The source reports developer rates on active contracts, not client prices. On DevDey you pay the developer directly, with no commission or markup.
IT Jobs Watch puts the median UK developer contract at £500 a day, from job adverts in the six months to October 2026. We use the lower figures, so the real gap may be wider.
The rate you agree with the developer, paid to them directly. DevDey takes no commission or markup. Browsing, posting a job and messaging are free.
A developer in Accra builds with the same frameworks as one in San Francisco. What differs is the cost of living, and that is what a lower rate reflects.
No. A developer on contract covers their own tax, equipment and time between jobs, so an hourly rate and a salary are not directly comparable.
They are the African countries in the source data. DevDey has developers in other countries too, including Ghana, which the source does not cover.
These are Q3 2026 figures. Rates change over time, so treat them as a dated snapshot rather than a live price.
Profiles, portfolios and rates are free to read. Message a developer yourself when you find the right one.