Finding and Hiring Skilled WordPress Developers

If you are hiring for a WordPress site, searching only for “WordPress developer” can miss specialists who describe their work differently. They may list PHP, the programming language WordPress uses extensively; WooCommerce, WordPress’s online-store tool; custom plugins; or site-performance work. WordPress is a content management system, software that lets people create and manage website content. Building and maintaining a WordPress site involves several kinds of technical work, so the right hire depends on what you need done.

To answer “Where are all the WordPress developers hiding?”, search for the work as well as the platform. Define the project first, then look in WordPress-specific channels and broader web-development communities. That approach makes it easier to find relevant candidates and judge their skills.

Search by the work, not just by WordPress

WordPress supports many kinds of sites and tools, so the label “WordPress developer” alone does not show whether someone fits your project. In a snapshot dated October 25, 2026, W3Techs reported that WordPress was used by 39.6% of all websites it detected and 58.3% of sites with a known content management system. That measures website use, not the number of available developers or the ease of hiring them.

The work also varies within WordPress. In the same period, W3Techs reported that Elementor appeared on 31.5% of WordPress sites and WooCommerce on 19.7%. Those figures do not show that a particular developer knows either tool. They do show why a job post should name the site’s actual requirements.

Search terms should match the work. For a custom store, include WooCommerce and payment or inventory integrations. For custom editor features, include block development, which means building content elements in WordPress’s editor, such as reusable layouts or interactive components. For server-side changes, include PHP. For work connecting a WordPress site to another service, include REST API integration, which means using a standard interface that lets software exchange data.

Broader job-market data offers a reason to test more than one search phrase, with an important caveat. In U.S. postings linked to the general Web Developers occupation from January through December 2025, O*NET’s Lightcast-derived data lists JavaScript in 47% of postings, React in 35%, and WordPress in 6%. These are not figures for WordPress job ads. They show that relevant web developers may be listed under broader skills and titles, so searching only for “WordPress developer” narrows the pool unnecessarily.

Look in WordPress channels and adjacent communities

Start with the WordPress Jobs board. The categories include development and plugin development. They also include migration. Performance and support are listed as well. WordPress.org profiles also let people opt in to appearing as open to work. Search the categories that fit your project, then compare candidate profiles with the specific work you need.

You can also meet WordPress developers at community events. The WordPress Community lists Meetups and WordCamps. It also lists Contributor Days and virtual events. These gatherings help you meet people who actively work with WordPress, but attendance alone does not establish a candidate’s availability or qualifications. Bring a clear description of the role and ask whether the person has handled similar work.

For contract projects, a specialist marketplace can make it easier to find and screen freelancers. Codeable separates work such as troubleshooting, migrations, custom builds, integrations, and ongoing maintenance. It describes a developer selection process that includes a coding quiz, a test project, and an interview, which the platform says can take up to four weeks. Codeable’s screening process does not guarantee that every listed developer fits a particular project. When you recruit directly, you choose whom to assess, but you also do more of the screening yourself.

Describe the job in concrete terms

A useful job post names the deliverable, the existing site environment, and the expected working arrangement. State whether you need a custom theme, a plugin, a WooCommerce feature, an integration, a migration, or ongoing support. If you need custom blocks, say so rather than relying on a general request for WordPress experience.

Explain what is already in place and what success looks like. For example, state whether the person will work on an existing live site or a separate test copy, and whether another developer will review changes. Clarify whether the work is a one-time project or a continuing contract. Include relevant schedule and time-zone details, along with communication expectations. These details help candidates decide whether the work fits and give you a better basis for comparing proposals.

Separate required skills from useful extras. A store repair may require WooCommerce and payment integration experience, while a site-performance project may call for experience diagnosing slow pages. Requiring every tool associated with WordPress can screen out capable specialists whose experience matches the actual assignment.

Check evidence that matches the assignment

Ask candidates to show work similar to the project and explain what they personally built. A portfolio screenshot shows the finished page, but a conversation about implementation reveals more: ask what code or feature they owned, what tradeoffs they made, and how they handled changes after launch.

If portfolio evidence leaves an important question unanswered, give the candidate a small assessment. For example, ask a candidate to diagnose a supplied bug or review a short code change. Set a clear time limit and explain how you will assess the result. Pay candidates for substantial work that could benefit your business.

Tailor technical questions to each role. For plugin development, ask how the developer handles data entered by users and data displayed on the site. WordPress’s Plugin Developer Handbook explains hooks, which let plugins respond to WordPress events or interact with other code. The handbook’s common-issues guidance also addresses security practices such as validating input and escaping output. In plain terms, validation checks that incoming data meets expectations, while escaping formats data safely before a page displays it.

For any role, ask how the candidate tests changes, handles updates, documents work, and communicates risks. A developer who can explain what they tested and what remains uncertain gives you useful evidence about how they will work after hiring. For a company-specific example, Automattic describes a work-related developer challenge that assesses security, performance, problem-solving, and communication, followed by a paid trial for candidates who advance. That example offers one approach to evaluating relevant work, rather than a universal hiring standard.

Set expectations about the search

WordPress’s large presence online does not prove that a qualified developer is easy to find, and available job-board profiles do not show how many candidates fit a particular role. The evidence also does not establish which hiring channel produces the best results. Treat each channel as a way to reach candidates, then use the same role-specific criteria to assess them.

Define the work, search beyond one job title, and ask for relevant evidence to make a clearer hiring decision. If the first round brings few suitable candidates, adjust the role description and search terms before concluding that qualified WordPress developers are unavailable.

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