The Complete Guide to Hire iOS Developers: Salaries, Skills, and More

As you know, there is nothing better for business than native apps.

iPhone users are known to spend significantly more on paid apps, premium features, or non-digital products. iOS is also the dominant platform in several regional markets. But where and how to find an iOS developer who will implement all your ideas and create a mobile app that will be your visit card? We will talk about this in this article.

What to Check Before Hiring an iOS App Developer?

Before contacting a developer, you, as a customer, need a clear understanding of the goals and purpose of the app. For example, if you provide services, then your goal should be to provide services to the client in the most convenient way, without burdening the functionality of the offer.

You will also help the developer a lot if you select a list of referencing apps. Analyze them, and think about what you can offer the user to stand out from the competition. Then move on to the selection of the developer himself.

So, start with the experience and iOS developer portfolio. This rule applies to freelancers and companies you are considering. Asking the developer about the development process will help you understand the scalability of thinking.

Every business owner strives for savings, but in terms of development, this can play against you. Choose a developer by example of work and then go to the budget that is optimal for you. Don’t forget to immediately stipulate the terms of payment and how it is calculated. Considered and will you be offered support for the app in the future? After all, after the publication of the app in the stores, additional participation of the developer will be required.

Another important aspect of cooperation is communication. In addition to timely responses, the developer should also be interested in your project and initiative in the app development process.

iOS Developer Roles and Responsibilities

It is customary to separate the roles of iOS developers depending on work experience and skills. The classic gradation looks like this: junior, middle and senior.

Junior iOS Developer (experience less than 2 years)

Such specialists usually work on simple tasks, assisting senior specialists. Along the way, they improve their skills and learn new technologies.

Middle iOS Developer (experience from 2 to 5 years)

They can handle most of the technical tasks, but they still need the help of a senior developer as a mentor.

Senior iOS Developers (experience 5 years and more)

In addition to solving technical problems of any complexity, senior iOS developers can find and integrate solutions to optimize the app, based on a variety of technologies.

A developer’s skill level is dictated by the complexity of the project. The developer should be able to write quality code for your needs. He must also be involved in all stages of development such as planning and design. IOS App Engineers also fix bugs and publish apps to the App Store.

What Skills Does an iOS Developer Need

An iOS developers’ salary rate is influenced by his level, stack, and additional experience with certain projects. For example, e-commerce is always ranked lower than banking or healthcare.

In terms of managing the technical aspects of a project, the developer skill set should have the following items on the stack:

· Knowledge of Objective-C and / or Swift iOS

· Knowledge of Apple Human Interface Guidelines

· Experience with Xcode IDE

· Knowledge of UI / UX standards

· Hands-on experience with Core Data framework

· Knowledge of Metal and OpenGL

· API understanding and integration experience

When it comes to soft skills, critical thinking and responsibility are essential. Equally important is the skill of working in a team and the ability to build communication.

What Hiring Options Are There

Before starting work, it is important to understand that you, as a customer, have different hiring options who will develop the app. So whom should you choose: freelancer or outsourcer?

Option # 1. When to Hire a Freelance iOS Developer

There are a number of trusted resources out there like GitHub and Upwork where you can find iOS developers. You can also use the recommendations of partners. A freelance iOS developer becomes your employee in an outsourcing format, and a project manager builds communication with him.

Pros

· specialists of a narrow profile, suitable for your requests;

· a huge selection of specialists for different needs and budgets;

· the possibility of saving on job security and wages when a specialist is not needed;

· less burden on the accounting and HR department.

Cons

· risks of non-compliance with deadlines;

· communication disruptions leading to technical misunderstandings between remote ios developers and the team;

· language, time zone and cultural barriers affecting productivity;

· project security risks.

Option # 2. When to Create an In-House Development Team

When you hire iOS developers as a part of your team, it obliges you to pay salaries, provide jobs and support for all work issues. This approach will suit you if you have an ongoing need for iOS developers.

Pros

· constant availability and 100% involvement in the project;

· well-established communication without interruptions;

· more efficient work due to the constant interaction of specialists.

Cons

· the salary must be paid even when the specialist is out of work;

· solving recruitment and retention issues;

· additional expenses for taxes and office supplies, vacation pay and professional self-development.

Option #3. When to Hire an Outsourcing Development Company

The outsourcing company completely takes over the entire project: starting from design and technology stack, and ending with constant support of the final product.

For example, TopDevs, before starting work, require the client to complete documentation on the technical requirements for the project and a discussion of all the goals of the project. This allows you to correctly distribute the load on the team and optimize the execution time.

Pros

· simplified system of cooperation from a legal point of view;

· obtaining a full-fledged team of specialists with a proven reputation and the ability to replace the developer if necessary;

· savings on most operational issues;

· the ability to check reputation before starting work;

· obtaining a finished working product.

Cons

· if you do not fully check the reputation of the company, there is a risk of disruption to deadlines and damage to quality;

· such collaboration is less flexible and requires clear and complete project documentation and development schedule;

· sometimes there can be cultural and linguistic problems in communication.

Specify Your Requirements for iOS Developer

After you have decided on the goals of the app and the format of cooperation, you need to formalize the requirements for the iOS developer who will build iOS app for you.

IOS developer responsibilities typically include:

· development and implementation of apps for iOS;

· collaboration with cross-functional teams to work on new app features;

· writing code for unit testing for reliability.

Thus, the list of tasks for the developer will look something like this:

· designing and creating apps for the iOS platform;

· teamwork to jointly develop and implement new features;

· unit testing of the code;

· fix bugs and improve app performance;

· improving development efficiency.

Remember about iOS developer roles and tasks they can overcome, it also affects cost hire.

iOS Developer Salary Rates

We analyzed various sources of salary expectations for iOS developers. Here you can see iOS developer salary per month and iOS hourly rates.

As you can see, developers from India remain the cheapest. But there is a nuance here — usually the quality of the code of specialists in this region is of low quality. American and European developers can differ a lot in level, but before contacting them it is important to familiarize yourself with the rating. Speaking about specialists from Ukraine, one can note the ratio of price and quality of services. This applies to both individual freelancers and outsourcing companies. It’s up to you to hire iOS developer hourly or hire outsourcing company with stable prices.

Why Should You Hire iOS Developers from TopDevs

If you need to develop a native iOS app, TopDevs specialists will help you. For over 10 years we have been offering effective mobile solutions for various businesses.

You should contact us if you want to receive:

· A development team interested in your project.

· Effective performers who constantly learn new technologies.

· Full cycle of app development for all Apple platforms with subsequent support.

· Cooperation with a team of professionals with proven technical skills and reputation.

Conclusion

When choosing a freelancer or company, you must be confident in their reputation and clearly understand what you want to get. Hire outsourcing companies is a smarter choice as you get a full team of specialists. Do not be guided solely by financial aspects, as this can affect the quality of the final product. Carefully negotiate cooperation in detail, having discussed in advance what is included in the payment, and whether further support of the app will be carried out.

Remember that iOS app development costs are not just a monthly expense item, but an investment in creating a new face for your company / brand.