With the rapid advancements in the mobile app ecosystem, an increasing number of people have joined the millions of existing mobile app developers. Mobile development seen an increase of over 12 million participants, a number that is predicted to rise to 14 million by 2020. This article covers two big questions about mobile development: How much do iOS and Android developers make, and how do their jobs compare.
Mobile applications usually use in-app advertising and app sales through app stores to generate revenue. Studies show that in 2015, app developers in North and South America generated a total revenue of $27.4 billion. The average monthly revenue of an independent mobile, or freelance, app developer is about $1,500. A medium-sized company can generate a revenue of $7,500 a month, while the developer team for a large studio can generate a whopping $44,000 monthly.
The compensation a mobile app developer can expect is dependent on their location. In the US, developers who live in major tech hub cities make an average annual salary of $139,000 for iOS development and $144,000 for Android app development. Even though developers who live in other cities are paid less, there remains an overall trend that app developers for both leading platforms are paid almost the same salary.
There are many jobs in the app development industry that are complementary to coding the application. One of those jobs and another rapidly-growing area is User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) design. Users lose interest when applications and websites all look the same or lack basic functionality. A UI/UX designer’s main purpose is to create a friendly and intuitive experience for the users through a unique look and feel. They usually work with product engineers, marketing, and sales teams to get user feedback to improve the user experience. On average, a UI/UX designer can earn around $98K per year.
The average annual salary of a mobile app developer in the US in 2018 is $107,000. Mobile app developers’ counterparts in other countries are paid significantly less, ranging from $68,000 in Canada to $4,100 in India. The local economy has a huge impact on the financial compensation mobile app developers can expect in these countries.
Technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence have increased the value of mobile devices by introducing virtual assistants and chat bots that help people make the most out of their day and increase their productivity. This creates many new opportunities for mobile app developers, including the possibility of generating greater income thanks to high demand for these new technologies.
