Salary: How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Mobile App Developer?
The battle between iOS development and Android development has been lasting for many years and doesn’t seem to be over any time soon. They both have completely transformed the understanding of mobile application development and have billions of supporters who can discuss the platforms’ diversity for many hours. Speaking of business projects, the companies need to access the strengths and weaknesses of both of them to have a grasp of platforms’ capabilities.
It is impossible to say for sure that iOS or Android is perfect for any case because there are no two alike projects. Still, when it comes to the development itself, there are many factors that can be compared. Namely, mobile developers’ salaries because businesses often prefer to outsource this process to save money and receive the ability to focus on core tasks.
To get this straight, Qubit Labs has decided to evaluate and compare iOS developer vs Android developer salary in different countries and cities, based on employment types and experience. Before getting to the numbers, it would be essential to mention that in 2020, the Android market share was 72,48%, while the iOS one was 26,91%, which has made these operating systems to be the most sought-after worldwide.
Although the numbers differ to a great extent, both technologies are equally forward-looking. The thing is that iOS is mostly being used in more developed countries, meaning that the companies are more likely to receive higher revenue. It is oriented at premium-users and similar markets, including North America and Western Europe. In its turn, Android offers a broader choice of devices, attracting larger numbers of users and focusing on Asia, Africa, and South America.
To put it in a nutshell, if you want to attract larger numbers of users, plan to make money with ads, and are ready to spend more on development, consider Android. In case you are “betting” on users with higher incomes and focus on embedded purchases and want to save some money on the development, iOS is exactly what you need.
When it comes to hiring dedicated team of app developers, there is a multitude of details that have to be taken into account. The most critical matters usually are price, or, in other words, mobile developer salary, and quality. Nobody wants to overpay for the services of equally high standards, which one can receive for less money, right? That is the moment when outsourcing comes into play.
You can save significant sums of money when deciding to transfer your mobile project’s development to another country, say, Spain or Ukraine. The cost of living in the mentioned countries is much lower than in the US. Even senior developers’ salaries there are lower than those of junior specialists in the US, Canada, or Denmark.
Thus, you have the opportunity to cooperate with top-notch professionals who will deliver the results that would surpass your expectations and invest saved money into other business purposes. Now, as we have briefly explored the area of mobile development outsourcing, let’s speak in terms of numbers to have a clearer picture and take a look at mobile developer salaries of in-house developers, freelancers and outsourcing hourly based.
Related Sources:
Guide to Mobile App Development. How to Create an App?
Hire App Developer: Salaries, Resumes, Market Overview
App Development Rates in Western vs. Eastern Europe
Average Hourly Rate for iOS Freelancers by Big Cities
| San Francisco | $101 |
| Toronto | $40 |
| Berlin | $54 |
| London | $54 |
| Warsaw | $33 |
| Kyiv | $39 |
| Singapore | $26 |
| Sydney | $41 |
As you can see, a freelancer from San Francisco demands the highest hourly rates, $101. At the same time, you can work with an iOS developer from Singapore and pay him/her multiple times less money, approximately $26.
Although this article is more about outsourcing, it is still essential to cover the topic of using freelancers’ services. Many businesses prefer to find specialists who have the required competencies and will get their work done within the set deadline by using different platforms. Surely, this might be the most effective way for specific companies because they don’t have to contact any vendors, think about recruitment-related processes, or hold interviews.
Nevertheless, if you are oriented towards long-term development, it would be more practical to work with an established team that knows all the projects’ details. Moreover, it is often when the freelance services’ financial side is equal to the mobile developer salary working in an outsourced team. Speaking of freelance iOS developer salary, it is not surprising that it is in San Francisco, where developers demand the highest wages compared to other big cities.
However, freelance’s primary benefit is that you can choose any country and city for your mobile development. Thus, it is more cost-effective to opt for Kyiv or Singapore in this case because mobile developer starting salaries in these cities will be among the lowest compared to other regions. Still, the projects’ outcomes highly depend on the chosen freelancers’ experience, so don’t forget to check their backgrounds and reviews by other clients.
Average Hourly Rate for Android Freelancers by Big Cities
| San Francisco | $121 |
| Toronto | $48 |
| Berlin | $47 |
| London | $46 |
| Warsaw | $29 |
| Kyiv | $45 |
| Singapore | $24 |
| Sydney | $40 |
Again, developers from San Francisco will expect to receive $121 per hour. If you want to save money on the development yet not receive services of lower quality, opt for Kyiv ($45), Warsaw ($29), or Sydney ($40) programmers.
Compared to iOS development, Android mobile development demands slightly bigger financial resources, as we have already mentioned at the beginning of the article. The same situation related to location goes there, too; San Francisco is known for Silicon Valley, a place that attracts the world’s skilled developers and offers a competitive Android app developer salary.
On the other side, of course, the cost of living there is relatively high, increasing Android programming salary expectations. Thus, if you want to cooperate with developers, particularly from this area, be ready to pay additional money not only for the technology itself but also for the region’s subsistence level, implying above the average Android developer salary.
However, if you prefer Android but want to save costs on development, aim at the freelancers from Warsaw, Kyiv, or Singapore. The average Android developer salary in the noted cities is multiple times lower than in the US, yet the services follow high standards.
iOS Developer Salary Comparison by Experience Level and Country (Annual)
| Junior | Middle | Senior | |
| USA | $80,773 | $123,316 | $140,000 |
| Canada | $50,718 | $54,627 | $78,814 |
| Netherlands | $49,562 | $64,577 | $82,578 |
| Germany | $54,652 | $63,148 | $82,578 |
| UK | $40,419 | $48,464 | $99,730 |
| Australia | $42,251 | $61,655 | $92,952 |
| Norway | $46,692 | $58,365 | $70,038 |
| Denmark | $74,331 | $84,606 | $113,376 |
| Spain | $24,301 | $45,369 | $76,548 |
| Singapore | $40,558 | $45,393 | $54,078 |
| Ukraine | $8,606 | $15,338 | $21,302 |
| Poland | $12,888 | $28,809 | $41,888 |
| Brazil | $6,537 | $13,637 | $21,792 |
| India | $3,782 | $7,279 | $15,973 |
Speaking of, for example, Germany, the average iOS developer salary there is $64,577, which is almost twice lower than in the US ($123,316). This country is thought of as one of the major IT hubs with many first-class specialists. Due to this, you can expect that your project’s outcomes will be superior because a large number of professionals implies great competitiveness, so each developer strives to go all out. The same goes for Ukraine and Poland where the iOS app developer salary of a middle level is $15,338 and $28,809 correspondingly. It is one of the most fast-growing places for IT outsourcing with top-level developers who are skilled enough to meet any requirements you set for the project.
As you can see, the average iOS developer salaries in Western Europe, the US, and Canada are much higher than in Eastern Europe and Asia. American mobile developers are known for their high performance and productivity, yet, if you want to work with them, be ready to pay the salaries that will be higher than in other countries. Nevertheless, many companies opt for Europe when outsourcing their iOS projects because local developers understand technical requirements, have high English levels, and reasonable mobile programmer salary demands.
Android Developer Salary Comparison by Experience Level and Country (Annual)
| Junior | Middle | Senior | |
| USA | $64,000 | $96,016 | $140,000 |
| Canada | $37,530 | $55,141 | $82,879 |
| Netherlands | $36,462 | $59,803 | $82,648 |
| Germany | $42539 | $61,255 | $81,433 |
| UK | $47,169 | $67,385 | $95,687 |
| Australia | $41,512 | $67,449 | $89,943 |
| Norway | $65,272 | $70,316 | $80,830 |
| Denmark | $72,064 | $87,154 | $108,504 |
| Spain | $21,889 | $36,085 | $49,858 |
| Singapore | $27,059 | $36,079 | $63,138 |
| Ukraine | $8,947 | $15,690 | $29,823 |
| Poland | $15,132 | $24,363 | $40,330 |
| Brazil | $6,557 | $13,771 | $21,859 |
| India | $2,721 | $5,469 | $10,858 |
In this case, a middle Android developer’s salary from the US is the highest in the list, being $96,016, while the average mobile developer salary for an Indian Android engineer is $5,469 per annum. Although India has become one of the most popular outsourcing destinations due to the cost-effectiveness it provides to the companies, there still are risks regarding it. Namely, the quality of services might not be as high as you expect, and cultural differences involve challenges on the way to mutual understanding and effective communication.
Some businesses prefer to opt for countries with rather higher salaries than in India, yet lower than in Denmark or the UK. These often include the Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, and Poland. For example, the entry-level Android developer salary in Ukraine is $8,947, while in Denmark, a junior Android programmer’s salary will be around $72,064. Thus, when outsourcing to the mentioned countries, you can be confident that the price-to-quality ratio is reasonable and that you will get the services that will be based on the highest standards of mobile development.
Summing Up
The capacities of remote work make significant strides each year, giving businesses opportunities to develop projects that apply trendy technologies and promising operational systems. When it comes to mobile app development, there is no need to focus only on local software engineers because you can hire developers that are located in another part of the world.
Whether you are oriented at iOS or Android applications, Qubit Labs will be happy to assist in finding top-notch developers for your mobile development project. Ukraine has a large pool of skilled iOS developers and a large number of professional Android operating system engineers.
We can help you hire top developers and take care of all the recruitment-related processes while you can concentrate on your company’s core tasks. If you need a consultation or have some questions left regarding outsourcing in Ukraine, just contact us, and we will be glad to help you out.
Related Articles:
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Developers in Ukraine?
Average Unity Developer Salary in the US and World in 2020 | Unity for Game Development
Average Software Developer Salaries: Rates Comparison by Country
Average Hourly Rates for Offshore Development Services: Software Development Costs Guide
