Mobile App Developer Salary: Employers’ Guide

Mobile app developers are the backbone of the solutions we all love and use every day, so there is no surprise that the demand for them grows steadily and will increase from 17% to 24% by 2026. The mobile developers’ salary curve will respond to the growing demand accordingly. During the last 15 years, it grew by 30%, and in 2023, mobile app developers’ salary is expected to reach up to $100,000 annually. 

With the goal to help you plan your hiring budget, our talent sourcing experts have researched the mobile developers’ market trends, compared their salaries across different locations, and suggested a cost-effective hiring strategy. Read along to learn more.

Mobile app developer skills, roles, and responsibilities

Mobile app development is a thriving IT field, which includes specialists with different skill sets, experiences, and backgrounds. The mobile app developer’s salary, in turn, can also vary depending on the role and responsibilities a programmer has. So before we proceed with analyzing actual numbers, let’s take a brief look at the skills a mobile app developer should have, the roles they are hired for and the tasks they usually deal with. 

Mobile app developer hard and soft skills

Below are the key hard skills mobile developers should have: 

• Coding and development in one or several mobile programming languages. According to Zippia’s research, the most sought-after ones are Java, JavaScript, Python, and C+. 
• Frontend development skills with a strong understanding of UI/UX design best practices and tools; understanding of the business processes and target users specifics. 
• Strong understanding of back-end programming principles and backend systems (REST, JSON, XML, WebServices).  

As for their soft skills, mobile app developers are no different here from the majority of ICT professionals. Communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills are the core ones you shall look for. 

Roles

Depending on your needs, there are two types of app development: native (OS-specific) and cross-platform. Below are the mobile developers’ roles companies hire most frequently.  

Native mobile app developers: 

• Android (Kotlin, Java) developer.
• iOS (Swift, Objective-C) developer.

Cross-platform mobile app developers: 

• Flutter developer.
• React Native developer.
• Ionic developer.
• Xamarin developer.

Basic responsibilities 

Here are some essential duties and responsibilities of mobile app developers: 

• Application prototyping. Mobile app developers have to know how to create a prototype of the future application, which will be used to test its usability and functionality before a full-scale development.
• Building an app from scratch. It involves writing code in chosen a programming language, such as Swift or Java while making sure the app works as intended.
• Application testing. A mobile developer fixes bugs (errors) in an application if they are found during testing or after launch.
• Adding new features. After an app has been launched, a developer may be asked to add new features in response to the project’s growth and target audience expectations.

What factors affect mobile developers’ salaries worldwide?

It should be noted that there’s no such thing as “an average mobile app developer’s salary” in its pure sense. The final sum you will pay depends on a number of factors, which you can find below. 

• Years of experience. More experienced mobile developers tend to ask for higher wages than those who are new to the field.
• Tools and technologies mobile app developers use. For example, the cost to hire iOS developers is usually a little higher compared to Android devs, since meeting Apple’s technical requirements is more challenging than Android ones. 
• Company’s location. Companies located in the US, especially in California, tend to pay the highest salaries globally to their mobile app developers. For example, an average mobile app developer’s salary in Los Angeles, CA is  around $7900 per month. To compare, the average wage for a mobile programmer living in Lisbon, Portugal is around $2700 per month. 
• Engagement model. As a rule, you have to pay more for in-house developers compared to those working remotely or on freelance terms.
• Project specifics. For example, creating a simple chatting app for internal use is much easier than building a healthcare mobile application. That’s why the developers’ wages also depend on the project complexity. 

Mobile app developer salary in the US by seniority level

From entry-level positions to senior management positions, a mobile app developer’s salary can vary considerably based on their level of experience, as well as their specific job duties and responsibilities. Below is a mobile app developers’ salary breakdown depending on their seniority level. 

Mobile app developer salary in the US by technology

Mobile app developer salary also changes depending on the technology they use. Let’s compare their wages in the US based on the programming languages and tools mobile developers are skilled with. 

Average mobile app developer salary in different locations

Mobile app developer salaries tend to vary depending on the location. For example, mobile app developers in America ask for the highest paycheck around the globe. The cost of living in different cities and countries is also decisive for the average salary for a mobile app developer. Take a look at the chart below to get a clear idea of the salary gap. 

Mobile app developer salary trends and projections

In addition to the factors we have mentioned above, there are also several trends that create additional demand to hire mobile developers, making companies compete for them by offering higher salaries. 

• • Super apps development. Already in 2021, 67% of US customers were interested in the opportunity to have two or more mobile experiences within one solution, giving rise to the super apps trend. To put it simply, super apps are the ones that allow users to solve several different tasks within a single application – for example, order food and share a ride. Such a trend is likely to lead to a growing demand for mobile app developers with cross-functional skills, and experience in creating solutions for various domains. 

• Growing demand for mobile app developers with edTech and fintech backgrounds. The global fintech market is expected to reach $324 billion by 2026.  According to Statista, by 2026, the total market for eLearning worldwide is also projected to grow by over $370 billion, while mLearning solutions are going to capture the lion’s share of the market. The cost to hire Android developers with fintech and edtech expertise, as well as those skilled with iOS and cross-platform technologies, is also likely to grow in response to this trend. 

• Tech talent shortage. Despite there being more than 27,7 million software developers in the world, the demand for them is still higher than the supply. What’s more, the tech talent shortage is expected to grow, so it is logical that the labor market will respond with a salary increase. It is projected that for some IT professionals, the salary level will rise up to 8% in 2023, and mobile app developers are no exception. 

IT Workers Are the Real Unicorns or Tech Talent Shortage 2022

So, given the cost to hire mobile developers, market trends triggering their salary annual growth and global tech talent shortage, is there a way to hire mobile programmers cost-effectively? At, Bridge, we know the answer. 

Hire mobile developers at a competitive cost with Bridge

The cost to hire mobile app developers varies significantly depending on their skills and where they live. To help your business hire them at a better cost, at Bridge, we have created a custom-tailored solution allowing us to source the best app developers across three continents, matching the skills your project needs with your hiring budget. With our help, you will be able to hire mobile developers in the US, Mexico, Portugal, Ukraine, and other countries, tapping into a local talent pool and choosing from the best candidates available. 

Our sourcing-as-a-service makes finding international mobile developers easy. And thanks to our proprietary data engine for talent sourcing, we make hiring mobile developers five times faster and 60% cheaper compared to doing it manually or applying to recruitment agencies with no data-driven technology in place. 

Scale your team with top-notch mobile developers. Contact us now to get the first candidates in a few days!