Personally, I always just list the salary range. I offer them in the range. By being upfront about the amount you're willing to pay, it doesn't really matter i

Personally, I always just list the salary range. I offer them in the range. By being upfront about the amount you're willing to pay, it doesn't really matter if it's "fair". "Fair" is what they are willing to accept and they go in knowing that. If I offer $120k to get a job done, who cares if it's in San Francisco or Nigeria? If they're the correct person for the job and I budgeted, I'll make money either way. Its a world market for remote workers, you price accordingly. The best developers in the world appear to congregate around a few locations (with high pay), so it's likely you'll have to make a competitive offer for those highly skilled developers. If you just need any old developer off the street, then offer them that price (regardless of location). I always find this debate interesting... I remember working at 14 years old, making $8.50 an hour doing software development. I'm sure the guy next to me was making $70k a year, but given the situation I was happy to have the job, happier than he was (we did comparable work). Not many people were willing to sign the paperwork to enable me work at 14, and I was making more than my friends at $5.50 an hour. Go with your gut, find the right person, and offer them what you feel is fair. If you really think they can deliver high value, offer them more money. If you feel they can deliver less, offer less.