A guide to hiring a LAMP developer
LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. Together they run a very large share of the websites and web apps that small and mid-size companies use, from content sites and online shops to internal tools. A LAMP developer knows all four parts and how they fit together. Here is what the role includes, how it differs from nearby jobs and how to work well with a remote engineer. It is most useful for founders and managers who run a site on this stack and need someone who can look after it from the server to the code.
What each part of LAMP does
Linux is the operating system on the server. Apache is the web server: it receives a visitor’s request and decides what to send back. MySQL is the database that holds products, users, orders and posts. PHP is the language that ties them together, building each page from the data in the database. When all four are set up well, a site is quick and steady. When one is set up badly, the others take the blame, which is why one person who sees the whole picture is so helpful.
What a LAMP developer is responsible for
The job covers the server, the database and the code. A LAMP developer sets up and updates the Linux machine, keeps Apache configured correctly, designs and tunes MySQL, and writes or fixes the PHP code. They take backups, watch the logs and make changes in a careful order. They also write down how things are set up, so you are not tied to one person.
How a LAMP developer differs from other roles
A PHP developer works mainly on the application code. A back-end developer builds the server side of an app in many languages and often leaves the machine itself to others. A full stack developer adds the browser side, with screens and forms. A DevOps engineer focuses on deployment pipelines, containers and cloud systems. If your site is built on WordPress, our WordPress developers know that platform closely. Use the LAMP page when the problem sits across the server, the database and the code.
When a LAMP developer makes sense
- Your site runs on an older PHP and MySQL setup and nobody on your team knows it well.
- Pages are slow, and you do not know if the cause is the server, the database or the code.
- You want to move from shared hosting to your own server or a cloud machine.
- You need to upgrade old software versions without taking the site down.
- You are building a new site or app and want a simple, well known stack.
If your system is split into many small services running in containers, a DevOps engineer may fit better. If you only need new screens and features, a PHP or full stack developer will cost less.
Reading a LAMP developer’s background
Look for work on live servers, not only on a laptop. Ask what they installed, what broke and how they fixed it. Good answers name the problem, the cause and the change. Be careful with a background that lists only frameworks and tools. A person can follow a tutorial for a framework without ever having tuned a database or read a server log.
Interview questions to try
- A page on a LAMP site has become slow. How do you find out why?
- How would you move a site from shared hosting to a new Linux server with little downtime?
- Tell us about a MySQL query you improved. What did you change?
- What do you check first when a site shows a server error?
- How do you keep notes so that someone else can run the server later?
Listen for a clear order of steps and for examples from real projects. Doubt anyone who answers with a tool name and no reasoning.
Try a paid mini project
Hand each finalist a small task based on your own setup. Useful examples are a review of your server settings with a list of risks, a report on your five slowest pages with the likely causes, or a plan to move your site to a new server. Pay for the time. Look at how clear the thinking is, how careful the steps are and how the person explains the plan to someone who is not technical.
Match the person to your system
An older site with little documentation needs a patient engineer who is happy to read other people’s code and map what is there. A site that is growing fast needs someone who knows caching and database tuning. A new project needs a person who will keep the setup simple and well documented. Job titles vary, so ask which parts of the stack each candidate owned.
Agree access and routine
Set the weekly hours at the start and review them every quarter. Give your developer their own logins to the server, the database and the code, and keep ownership of the hosting account in your company name. Ask for changes to be made in steps, with a backup taken first, and for a short written note after each one. Remove access when the work ends.
Working with your team
Tell your team early what the LAMP developer will look after. Share any known problems, past outages and the names of plugins or scripts that people are afraid to touch. A short weekly call and a shared list of tasks keep everyone aligned. Ask for a simple diagram of how the server and the site fit together, and keep it somewhere the whole team can find it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Giving a contractor the only login to your server or domain.
- Updating PHP or MySQL on a live site with no backup and no test copy.
- Leaving server settings undocumented, so only one person understands them.
- Fixing slow pages by adding a bigger server before finding the real cause.
Want to look at one layer in more detail? See our PHP back-end developers for application work, or our PHP developers if the server is already handled.