I've been reading a few people talk about being an Expert in PHP What do you think classes you as an Expert? In my opinion you cannot be an Expert after just a few years. I believe you need 5-10 years experience in working within a variety of projects using the full range of PHP. What do you think classes someone as an Expert?
Person: Modest - Hard Working - Patient... Code: Well commented, easy to debug/read... Clients: Well-paying
The understanding of how and why the language functions is what makes you an expert, not just knowing the commands. Its the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
I do agree with Nabil... Much more than time, is the way the work is produced. Being an expert doesn't mean you produce things that nobody understands, on the contrary! Anyway it's not a question of time, and if you ask me if i would choose an expert or a generalist as an IT partner, i would prefer the generalist, that would certainly adapt himself to most professional situations.
On a related topic, how much would you pay (hourly) for such an "expert". Assume the following: > 5 yrs of PHP coding or just programming in general College/University Degree Professional approach to projects Writes solid code and stands by his/her work
That would depend a lot on your geographical location and on the terms of the contract you want to sign with him. You cannot put a number before a professional based on its skills or resume only. For example, i believe that, based on similar resume, hiring an american professional as freelance on local would cost you more than 50 the price of a chinese home based worker, long time contracter, with of course identical results.