Need dedicated Azure developers and Azure DevOps engineers? Devvista is a software development and growth agency that provides them to clients in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the UAE. Engagement is hourly, as a team, or for a fixed-price build.
Microsoft Learn lists the Azure DevOps services as Boards, Repos, Pipelines, Test Plans and Artifacts. Below: what our Azure engineers build, how the cloud and DevOps roles differ, the cost, how to check a candidate and how hiring works from your country.
What our Azure developers build
Cloud-hosted applications
Web apps and APIs deployed to Azure with environments for testing and production, monitoring and a clear cost view.
Azure DevOps pipelines
Build and release pipelines in Azure Pipelines that test and deploy on every change, so a release stops being a manual evening task.
Repositories, boards and test plans
Setting up Azure Repos, Boards and Test Plans so work, code and testing are tracked in one place with agreed branch rules.
Migrations to Azure
Moving an existing application or database to Azure in planned steps, with a rollback plan and a check of what each step costs to run.
Packages and artefact feeds
Azure Artifacts feeds for the packages your team shares, with access rules. Our hire .NET developers page covers the applications that often run on this setup.
Azure developer, Azure DevOps engineer or cloud architect: which role do you need?
These titles overlap, and hiring the wrong one wastes a month. The table separates them by the job, with a note on what to ask each.
| Role | Main job | Typical output | Ask to see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure developer | Builds and deploys applications on Azure | A running app and its configuration | An app they deployed and how it is monitored |
| Azure DevOps engineer | Builds pipelines, repositories and release processes | Pipelines that test and deploy on each change | A pipeline and its failure handling |
| Cloud architect | Designs the overall setup, security and cost | A design document and a cost estimate | A design they made and what it cost to run |
| Migration engineer | Moves existing systems to Azure in steps | A staged plan with rollback | A migration they completed |
Our hire AWS developers page covers the other large cloud, and our guide to staff augmentation explains hiring one engineer by the hour.
Azure DevOps services and what each one replaces
Microsoft Learn lists five Azure DevOps services. The table shows what each does in plain terms and what teams usually use today, so you can tell a hire which parts you need.
| Service | What it does | What teams use instead | Ask a candidate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Boards | Tracks work items, backlogs and sprints | Spreadsheets or a separate task tool | How would you map our process into boards? |
| Azure Repos | Hosts Git repositories with branch rules | Repositories on another host | Which branch rules would you set, and why? |
| Azure Pipelines | Builds, tests and deploys on each change | Manual builds and uploads | What stops a failing build from reaching production? |
| Azure Test Plans | Organises manual and exploratory testing | Test notes in documents | How would you track a regression test cycle? |
| Azure Artifacts | Hosts shared packages with access rules | Copying libraries between projects | How do you version and retire a shared package? |
You do not need all five. A small team often starts with Repos and Pipelines and adds the rest when the process needs them.
What it costs and how you can hire
Devvista prices Azure developers work as a fixed price from $500 to $100,000 depending on complexity, or hourly from $10 to $100 an hour depending on the type and level of developer. We state the price before work starts, in US dollars.
| Model | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Azure developer by the hour | Running pipelines and environments for a live product month by month | By developer level |
| Small Azure team | A product needing cloud, application and testing skills together | Hourly, per person |
| Fixed-price build | A pipeline setup or a defined migration with a written scope | By complexity |
| Scoping first | You run on servers today and need a plan and a cost view before moving | A short engagement that ends in a written spec |
Illustration (an estimate, not a quote): setting up Azure Pipelines for a web app, with build, test, staging and production releases and monitoring, at an assumed $40 an hour:
| Work | Hours |
|---|---|
| Current process review and written plan | 16 |
| Repository and branch rules in Azure Repos | 12 |
| Build pipeline with automated tests | 30 |
| Staging and production release pipelines | 34 |
| Secrets and access setup | 16 |
| Monitoring and alerts | 20 |
| Documentation and handover | 12 |
| Total | 140 hours, about $5,600 at $40 an hour |
A larger system with several services rises above that. Bring a description of how you release today and we will price your own.
Which Azure developer profile you need
Azure hires split into building on the cloud and building the process that ships to it.
| Profile | What they do | Ask to see |
|---|---|---|
| Azure developer | Builds and deploys apps on Azure | A deployed app and its monitoring |
| Azure DevOps engineer | Builds pipelines and release processes | A pipeline with tests and approvals |
| Cloud architect | Designs the setup, security and cost model | A design and a monthly cost estimate |
| Migration engineer | Moves existing systems to Azure in steps | A migration plan with rollback |
Common situations and what to hire
Azure projects start from several positions.
| Your situation | What to hire | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A team that releases by hand and breaks things | An Azure DevOps engineer on a fixed-price pipeline setup | Tests and approvals gate each release |
| Servers you want to retire | A migration engineer, then monitoring hours | Move in steps with a rollback plan and a cost check |
| A new product that must run on Azure | An Azure developer plus a small team | Environments and pipelines are set up in the first sprint |
What the first month of a Azure hire looks like
- Week one: access to the Azure subscription and repositories, with a written view of how you release today.
- Week two: repository rules, boards and the first build pipeline with tests.
- Week three: staging and production release stages with approvals and secret handling.
- Week four: monitoring and alerts, a rollback test, documentation and a handover session.
How to check any Azure developer before you hire
Whoever you shortlist, these six checks separate people who have shipped from people who have only studied.
- How would you structure environments so testing cannot touch production data?
- How do you keep secrets and access keys out of the repository and the pipeline logs?
- What happens in your pipeline when a test fails, and who is told?
- How do you estimate the monthly running cost of this design?
- How would you roll back a release that went wrong?
- Which Azure accounts will we own at handover, and which access do you keep?
- Ask for a small paid trial task before you commit: a short written plan for one release pipeline, listing the stages, the checks and the rollback step.
A confident timeline with no written scope behind it is a reason to keep looking.
Mistakes to avoid when hiring Azure developers
Cloud and DevOps work fails on access and cost more than on code.
- Giving one account broad rights to every environment.
- Building a pipeline with no failing-test stop.
- Moving to the cloud without a running-cost estimate.
- Leaving the only copy of the release steps in one engineer's head.
Hiring from the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the UAE
Whether you are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or the UAE, hiring Azure developers from us is remote. Calls, written specs and a shared project board replace site visits.
Who this is for, and who it is not
| A good fit | Not a fit |
|---|---|
| A business that wants faster, safer releases or a move to Azure | A request for certifications as a goal in itself |
| A team adding a cloud or DevOps engineer by the hour | A project needing developers on site |
| Owners who approve a written plan and a cost estimate | A plan with no budget for monitoring |