Full-stack and Python developers are two of the most requested roles in software today, and two of the easiest to hire badly. Both titles cover a huge range of skill levels. A "full-stack developer" might be a seasoned engineer who can design a whole system, or someone who has followed a few tutorials. A "Python developer" might build web APIs, data pipelines or machine-learning models, which are very different jobs.
The market makes it harder. Australia's tech workforce shrank for the first time in 2025, and the country needs an extra 259,000 tech workers over the next decade. If you need a skilled Python or back-end developer this quarter, waiting for the local market isn't a plan. This guide covers what each role really does, the skills to check, what they cost in Australia and offshore, and how to hire one without an expensive mistake.
The short answer
- Hire a full-stack developer when you need one person (or a small team) to build features end to end, from the database and API to the user interface. Ideal for MVPs, internal tools and small product teams.
- Hire a Python developer when your work centres on back-end services, data processing, automation, integrations or AI and machine learning, where Python dominates.
- Whichever you hire, define the actual work first, test skills on a realistic task, and compare total cost, not just salary. Offshore developers can cost a fraction of Australian salaries for the same skills.
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What a full-stack developer does
A full-stack developer works across the whole application:
- Front end: the interface users see, typically built with JavaScript or TypeScript and a framework such as React, Vue or Angular.
- Back end: the server-side logic and APIs, commonly in Node.js, Python, Java, PHP or .NET.
- Database: designing and querying data stores such as PostgreSQL, MySQL or MongoDB.
- Deployment: getting code into production, often using cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), containers and CI/CD pipelines.
The value of a full-stack developer is breadth: one person can take a feature from idea to production without hand-offs. The trade-off is depth. For complex, high-scale systems you'll usually want specialists alongside them.
Skills checklist for a full-stack hire
- Strong command of one front-end framework and one back-end language, not a shallow list of ten.
- Database design, not just queries: can they explain a schema and its trade-offs?
- API design and security basics (authentication, input validation, handling secrets).
- Testing habits: unit and integration tests as a normal part of their work.
- Git workflow, code review and working from tickets.
- Clear written communication, essential if they work remotely.
What a Python developer does
Python is now one of the most widely used languages in the world. Among developers worldwide, Python adoption rose seven percentage points in a year to 58% of developers. But "Python developer" covers several distinct specialisms:
- Web and API development: building back-end services with frameworks such as Django, Flask or FastAPI.
- Data engineering: pipelines that move, clean and transform data between systems.
- Automation and integration: scripts and services that connect tools, such as syncing a CRM with an ERP.
- Machine learning and AI: training models, building AI features and integrating large language models.
Before hiring, decide which of these you actually need. A brilliant Django developer is not automatically a strong data engineer, and vice versa.
Skills checklist for a Python hire
- Depth in the relevant framework or toolset (e.g. Django/FastAPI for web, pandas and SQL for data, PyTorch or LLM tooling for AI).
- Clean, readable code following Python conventions, with type hints and tests.
- Understanding of performance and concurrency where it matters (async, queues, batch processing).
- Experience with databases and cloud services relevant to your stack.
- Ability to explain trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.
Skip months of screening. Black Vault's Python and back-end developers build APIs, integrations and automation for businesses like yours. Tell us your stack and the work you need done, and we'll match you with the right developer.
What full-stack and Python developers cost
Salaries vary widely by seniority and location. The table compares typical annual base salaries in Australia with three common offshore markets, converted to Australian dollars.
| Role | Australia (average) | Sri Lanka (mid-level range) | Vietnam (median) | Philippines (median / average) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-stack developer | $121,000 | $9,300–$16,500* | $24,800 | $17,600 |
| Python developer | $100,000 | $9,300–$16,500* | Not separately reported | $17,300 |
* Sri Lanka figures use the general software engineering band. Exchange rates: 1 AUD ≈ 233 LKR, 18,020 VND, 44.3 PHP (October 2026). Rounded.
Figures come from recent salary data for Australia (full-stack and Python; the Python average is based on a small sample, with a typical range of $70,000–$140,000), Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines (full-stack, Python).
Two things to keep in mind. First, these are salaries, not what you'll pay a provider. An offshore company's fee also covers employment costs, equipment, management, replacement cover and margin. Second, an Australian hire costs well above salary once you add 12% superannuation, leave, recruitment and equipment. Our full breakdown of offshore developer costs shows how to compare the two properly.
Seniority matters more than location. In Vietnam, full-stack developers with under a year's experience earn a median of about VND 10.1 million a month, against VND 44.8 million for those with more than eight years: more than four times as much. Pay for the experience your project actually needs.
Senior skills, offshore cost. Hire an experienced Python or back-end developer through Black Vault for a fraction of an Australian salary, with recruitment, equipment and replacement handled for you.
Where to hire: three routes
- Direct local hire. Highest cost and slowest to recruit, but maximum control. Best for long-term technical leadership roles.
- Freelancers. Fast and flexible for short, well-defined tasks, but continuity and quality control fall on you. Also note that in Australia a contractor owns the copyright in code they write unless a signed agreement assigns it.
- Through an offshore development partner. Dedicated developers at a fraction of local cost, with the provider handling recruitment, HR and replacement. You can add one developer through staff augmentation or a full team. Our guide to choosing an engagement model explains the options.
Our guide to hiring in-house, using freelancers or building an offshore team compares these routes in more detail.
Black Vault offers both routes through a partner: add one or two Python or back-end developers to your existing team for as long as you need them, or bring on a dedicated team with its own lead.
A five-step vetting process
Whichever route you choose, this process filters out most mis-hires:
- Define the work, not the title. Write down the actual tasks for the first three months and the stack they'll use. "Build and maintain our FastAPI services and PostgreSQL database" is far more useful than "Python developer".
- Review real work together. Ask candidates to walk you through something they built: the decisions they made, what went wrong and what they'd change. Depth of explanation reveals depth of experience.
- Set a small, realistic task. A few hours of paid work that mirrors your real codebase beats any whiteboard puzzle. Review it for correctness, readability, tests and how they handled unclear requirements.
- Get an independent code review. If you're not technical, have a trusted engineer assess the task. It costs little and prevents expensive mistakes.
- Check how they use AI tools. Most developers now use AI assistants, but more developers distrust the accuracy of AI tools (46%) than trust it (33%). Good developers use AI to move faster and still check every line.
The safest test: real work on your real project
The best predictor of how a developer will perform is how they perform on your work. Before committing to a long engagement, run a short trial on a genuine piece of your backlog, such as a feature, an API endpoint or a data pipeline, and judge the output, the communication and how much of your time it took.
Black Vault offers to deliver an initial portion of your project free of charge, so you can see our full-stack and Python developers working on your actual product before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Click a question to see the answer.
How much does it cost to hire a full-stack developer in Australia?
The average base salary for a full-stack developer in Australia is about $121,000 a year in 2026, with pay varying widely by seniority, city and employer. On top of salary, employers pay 12% superannuation, provide four weeks' paid annual leave, and may owe payroll tax and workers' compensation, plus recruitment and equipment costs. Offshore, typical full-stack salaries are much lower: a median of about $24,800 a year in Vietnam and $17,600 in the Philippines, and roughly $9,300–$16,500 for mid-level software engineers in Sri Lanka. Through a provider, you'll pay a monthly fee above those salaries that covers employment costs, equipment, management and replacement. Black Vault can give you an all-inclusive monthly cost for a full-stack developer on request.
How much does a Python developer cost?
In Australia, Python developers earn an average base salary of about $100,000 a year (typically $70,000–$140,000), depending on experience and specialism. Specialists in machine learning, AI or data engineering usually command more than general web developers. Offshore, Python developers in the Philippines average about ₱63,900 a month (around $17,300 a year), and mid-level software engineers in Sri Lanka earn roughly $9,300–$16,500 a year. When comparing options, look at total cost per productive month, including on-costs, management time and provider fees, rather than salary alone. If you need a Python or back-end developer, Black Vault can quote an all-inclusive monthly cost and match you with a developer for your stack.
What is the difference between a full-stack developer and a Python developer?
A full-stack developer is defined by breadth: they work across the front end, back end, database and deployment, so they can build a feature from the user interface to production. A Python developer is defined by language, and usually specialises in back-end services, data engineering, automation or machine learning. The two can overlap: a full-stack developer may use Python with Django or FastAPI for the back end. Hire full-stack when you need someone to deliver complete features with few hand-offs, such as for an MVP or a small product team. Hire a Python specialist when your work centres on APIs, data pipelines, integrations or AI.
What skills should I look for when hiring a full-stack developer?
Look for real depth in one front-end framework, such as React or Vue, and one back-end language, such as Node.js or Python, rather than a long list of technologies used briefly. Check that they can design a database schema and explain its trade-offs, build secure APIs with proper authentication and input validation, and write automated tests as a normal habit. They should be comfortable with Git, code review and deploying to the cloud. For remote or offshore developers, clear written communication is just as important. The best way to verify these skills is a short, paid task based on your real codebase, reviewed by an experienced engineer.
Should I hire Python developers offshore?
Offshore Python developers can be an excellent choice when you need sustained capacity at lower cost and have, or your provider supplies, clear processes for managing and reviewing the work. Python skills are widely available in markets such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines, where salaries are a fraction of Australian levels. The keys to success are defining the specialism you need (web, data, automation or AI), vetting with a realistic task, planning time-zone overlap, securing access to your systems and data, and making sure your contract assigns all IP to you. Testing a developer on a small real piece of work before committing is the most reliable way to judge fit.
How do I test a developer's skills if I'm not technical?
Focus on outcomes and get help with the technical review. Ask the developer to walk you through a project they built and explain their decisions in plain language; good engineers can explain trade-offs clearly. Set a small, paid task that reflects your real work, and have a trusted independent engineer review the code for quality, security and tests. Pay attention to how they handle unclear requirements, whether they ask good questions, and whether they deliver on time. A short trial on your actual project is the strongest test of all, which is why some providers, including Black Vault, will deliver an initial portion of a project free.
Need full-stack or Python developers? Black Vault will deliver an initial portion of your project free, so you can see our developers' work on your product before you commit.