Hiring Mobile App Developers: Job Description, Pay & More

With the overwhelming majority of America—and people worldwide—owning smartphones, hiring mobile app developers has become a core role in many companies’ tech aspirations.

To stay competitive, hiring a solid mobile app developer is essential to making sure users experience your company and brand smoothly and with an experience that brings them back.

Let’s talk about how to build a solid job description for a mobile app developer and some interview questions you can use to help you find the right candidate. But first, let’s get into why you might be hiring one.

Hiring Mobile App Developers

A mobile app developer is a specific type of software engineer, specializing in the skill of designing, creating, maintaining, and updating mobile device applications.

Here are some key reasons why businesses might hire mobile app developers:

Reach a wider audience beyond traditional, browser-based methods
Enhance user experience with more seamless accessibility and intuitiveness
Improve customer engagement with features like loyalty programs, personalized content, and push notifications
Boost competitive advantage, differentiating your company from your competitors
Streamline business operations with internal mobile apps to improve communication and increase productivity
Gain access to valuable data and insights about consumer behavior, preferences, purchases, and engagement
Extend the reach of your brand, reinforcing values and increasing visibility in the market

Most mobile app software engineers specialize in specific development environments or platforms. Here are the most common.

iOS for Apple Products

Developers in this area specialize in creating iOS apps for Apple devices, including iPads and iPhones. These mobile products and platforms require specific programming languages like Objective-C and Swift, both of which work in Apple’s development framework.

Android for Android Devices

Android developers build apps for devices running on the Android operating system using Java or Kotlin. A wide range of Android devices presents app developers with unique challenges in providing compatibility across different versions and device types.

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

Some mobile app developers focus on cross-platform development for either platform or both platforms. They rely on frameworks like to build apps that work on both iOS and Android from a single codebase.

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Core Responsibilities of a Mobile App Developer

Design and build mobile apps by conceptualizing app layouts, creating user interfaces, and writing effective code
Maintain the app and conduct updates post-deployment, focusing on enhancing features, improving performance, and ensuring the app is consistently compatible with updated operating systems
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as UI/UX designers, data scientists, and project managers

Craft a Comprehensive Mobile App Developer Job Description

One way to attract the best mobile app developer candidates is to craft a strong job description.

Here is a framework for a mobile app developer job description you can use. Make sure this is tailored to your job and company, as an inaccurate job description can affect retention down the road.

Job Description

Share more information about your mobile app developer position and the team they will be joining. Give details about the specific duties, such as their responsibility for the development and maintenance of applications made for one or a range of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Once you do this, detail key responsibilities and qualification the candidate will need. This can look like:

Key Responsibilities

Design, build, maintain, and update applications for iOS and Android platforms.
Monitor and maintain the performance, quality, and responsiveness of applications.
Collaborate with your team and cross-functional teams to define, design, and craft new features.
Identify and fix bugs.
Help maintain code quality, organization, and automatization.

Education, Skills, Certifications, and Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience
3+ years of experience in mobile app development
Proficient with the various programming languages your company uses, such as Swift, Objective-C, Java, Kotlin, Flutter, or React Native
Experience with iOS and/or Android software development kits (SDKs), as well as offline storage, threading, and performance tuning
Understanding of RESTful APIs to connect mobile applications to back-end services.
Knowledge of various web technologies and UI/UX standards
Familiarity with Apple’s and/or Google’s design principles and interface guidelines
Samples or a portfolio of iOS/Android apps
Knowledge of the latest mobile app development trends and technologies

Additional Skills Essential for Daily Productivity and Success

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent communication and teamwork skills
Ability to work independently and manage multiple project priorities for different mobile apps

Mobile App Developer Interview Questions

Once you bring a candidate in for an interview, here are several questions that can get the conversation going about the role.

Have you done much cross-platform development? If so, which framework or frameworks have you used?
How do you typically approach complex problems? Tell us about some of the larger challenges you’ve faced at any point during the app development process and how you worked through them.
Describe a challenging bug you encountered in a mobile app project. How did you identify and resolve it?
How do you communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical team members, clients, or other stakeholders? Can you provide an example of a successful communication experience?
Tell us about some mobile apps you’ve developed. What was the intended use for each, and what were the ultimate results?

Pay for Mobile App Developers

The average pay for a mobile app developer in the United States was just north of $100,000 as of 2023. However, an app developer’s salary can sway based on experience, location, and job duties.

Do You Need Help Finding a Talented Mobile App Developers?

We know how important hiring a mobile app developer is to hitting your goals and providing for your customers. We can help you find the right person for your role.

Visit our Developer Staffing page to learn more about the different developer roles we can fill for you!