In technology and its related field, one has hundreds of career options. Out of many career paths, the one field that gained exponential popularity is mobile app development.
Nowadays, mobile applications play an important role in our lives and help us in doing several tasks easily, at a time. If you understand technology and coding, then you have the chance to become a mobile application developer and do something good in this field.
An application developer is an IT expert whose job is to ideate, design, develop, customize, test, launch, and update mobile applications for the devices operable on different operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows.
An app developer can be a Native developer, Hybrid developer, or Cross-platform developer. These are different types of apps practiced by an app developer company.
Such developers belong to the core technical team, responsible for understanding user/client requirements in order to make applications. Since apps are now in high demand among all the industries, the mobile application developers must have industry-working knowledge too.
What Are the Mobile Application Developer Roles and Responsibilities?
Below are the roles and responsibilities of mobile app developers that they regularly perform in their daily jobs:
- Before developing an app, the app developer has to understand the customers/client’s requirements and specifications
- Based on the understanding of requirements, the app developer must create prototypes of apps
- Developers must write quality code and error-free programs within the time limit
- Also, they must test the app before launching to the Android and iOS app store
- Troubleshooting and debugging the apps is the responsibility of the developer
- Evaluating related, trending apps, adding their best features, reprogramming apps to improve performance, and releasing updates
- Developing documents and handbook of the app is also the developer’s duty
- Analyzing the ideas, making app design and development strategies is also their job
- Deploying and installing the applications is the developers’ responsibility
- Fixing errors, bugs, problems, issues during the test cycles of the apps to improve deliverables belong to developers’ work
- Communicate with managers, clients, investors, and team members
What Are the Required Mobile Application Developer Skills?
Performing all the above roles of an application developer requires an expert level of skill set, technical knowledge, analytical ability, and problem-solving strategies. If you have all these required levels of skills, then you can become an app developer.
Additionally, a developer should be a creative person and an innovative tech user. The professional quality of app developers can be judged from different aspects.
In short, to hire mobile application solution provider, an app developer must have the following skills; for example, Planning, Estimation, Design, Development, Testing, Support, and Maintenance in an app development cycle.
Some app developer skills every employer look for in a candidate are:
- Programming related technical skills
- Strong communication skills, Problem-solving skills & Analytical skills
- Creativity and Patience
- Good understanding and knowledge of development methodologies, platforms, frameworks, app builders, etc.
- Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC) skills, UX/UI expertise, Algorithm Framing, Data Structure, Networking, Testing, and Cross-platform development skills.
“A mobile application developer requirements include expertise in Command-line utilities, Agile methodologies, App store functionality, iOS/Android app development platforms, C/C++, UI/UX Graphical user interface design, Core data, Cascading style sheets (CSS), HTML5, Java, Website design and development, PHP, JavaScript, Node.js development, Python, SQL, and Responsive web designing.”
What Are the Different Types of Application Developers?
Finding out the solutions of diversified application development requirements expertise on various frameworks, platforms, app builders, and methodologies. And app development companies are always in search of various types of app developers such as;
Front-end Mobile App Developer
A mobile app developer who designs the application user interface, UI/UX layout, and focuses on enhancing the aesthetics of the app, keeping performance in mind is known as a front-end mobile app developer.
Skills Required:
- Having a good knowledge of computer science and designing is the first need of a front-end developer. They must be able to use design principles and tips.
- They should have well-informed knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, HTML, UI/UX frameworks, and app designing studios. Also, they should be experts on Bootstrap, Ajax, AngularJS, Vue.js, ReactJS, jQuery, etc.
Backend Mobile App Developer
A Backend Developer is also called a Server-Side Developer, whose job is to decide the mobile app’s scalability. Their important work is to integrate functionalities, servers, admin panels, databases, email systems, and more.
Sometimes making a backend system is complex; thus, making it difficult for the users to develop applications. On your mobile screens, the Google Search Engine application is a good example of comparing front-end and UI systems.
Skills Required: A good command over programming languages like Python, Ruby, Node.js, Scala, C++. Go etc.
Full-stack Mobile App Developer
A mobile app developer who has knowledge of both front-end and back-end app development is called a full-stack mobile app developer. Also, an app developer should be knowledgeable and must know device fragmentation to achieve the best results in UI/UX design and development of the mobile app.
A mobile app developer should have a good understanding of designing, coding, and app programming with respect to the app types like Native, Hybrid, and Cross-Platform.
Skills Required:
- They should be familiar with the API of Android, iOS, Windows, etc.
- They have exceptional knowledge in mobile app development tools and languages such as Java, Objective-C, C++
- Must possess knowledge of mobile user interface design and user experience coding
- Should know about cross-platform app builders
- Finally, one must understand backend computing such as security, hardware interaction, database management, etc.
What is the average salary of a mobile app developer? The average mobile application developer salary in the USA is $97,500 per year or $50 per hour. Freshers start at $77,947 per year while experienced developers’ salary is $132,525 per year based on their skills.
How Did Mobile App Development Stages & Team Roles Work?
Making apps isn’t limited to coding and design. Turning your business idea into an app requires skills, time & money. Also, app development needs 24×7 tech support during app lifecycles.
An app development process includes five main stages; i.e., Discovery, Idea Validation, UI/UX Strategy, Design, Development, and Testing & Improving.
At the discovery stage, you need to involve a project manager or product manager as the key figure in managing the whole app development process.
You need to add a UI/UX designer into the brainstorming process, compile a business concept, and transform the results for the initial app prototype.
The rest of the team members: a QA engineer for testing, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a backend developer to create apps. Finally, when you move to the testing and improvement stage, the full app development team gets involved again!
