Mobile App Development

Considering a career as a Mobile App Developer? We’ve got all the information you need to decide if this career is right for you, including job description, requirements, bootcamp information, and salary/job outlook.
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Last updated August 22, 2024

What is Mobile App Development?

Mobile development is building software to run on mobile devices like tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches. Everything from Instagram to enterprise apps fit in this category. Mobile apps are built for the general public, private companies, and the government. Mobile apps might be native (written in a specific platform’s language) or non-native, written to work on multiple platforms. Android apps are typically written in Java while Apple/iOS apps are written in Swift or Objective-C. These languages are preapproved by the vendor who manufactures the device.

How to Learn Mobile App Development

If you wish to begin a career as a Mobile App Developer, learning to code with a bootcamp is probably the fastest option. Mobile App Development bootcamps can range from 5 weeks to 10 months and vary in price from $5,000-$15,000. The tuition depends on several factors, including location, whether it's immersive or part-time, or online vs in-person. If you’re a self-starter, you may be able to get the education you need by paying for an online, self-paced curriculum, or building your own curriculum to get the training to become a Mobile App Developer. Online resources like Treehouse and Codecademy offer free trials and paid monthly subscriptions. Many mobile app development bootcamps offer deferred tuition, Income Share Agreements (ISA), and financing options.

What Does a Mobile App Developer Do?

The job description for a Mobile App Developer often depends on the employer. The primary duty of a Mobile App Developer is to create, maintain, and implement source code that meets the requirements of the client. They should also understand the different platforms and tools available, and be able to design for any mobile device. The Mobile App Developer should understand the entire development process of an application and how to develop a minimum viable product (MVP). Their duties may include one or all of the steps in the design, development, testing, release, and maintenance life cycle. 

Some of the most common Mobile App Developer job titles for bootcampers are:

  • Mobile Application Developer
  • Mobile Application Programmer
  • iOS Mobile Application Developer
  • Android Developer
  • Mobile Engineer
  • Mobile Software Engineer
  • Hybrid Mobile Application Developer
  • Mobile Developer
  • Software Developer, Mobile

What Kind of Skills Do Mobile App Developers Need?

Most Mobile App Developer positions do not require a degree, but will require you to prove your skills with a coding challenge or whiteboarding. Additionally, you should have a portfolio of your apps ready to show potential employers. The skills you need will vary, based on whether you choose to develop for Android or iOS (or both). 

Hard Skills Required for a Mobile App Developer

To be an Android Developer you’ll need to know:  

  • Java 
  • C++ 
  • Android Studio 
  • Eclipse 
  • XML
  • Kotlin 
  • Unity 

To be an iOS Developer you’ll need:

  • Objective-C 
  • Swift 
  • Xcode 

You can develop on both operating systems using:

Other hard skills that would be helpful for a Mobile App Designer include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Frameworks such as jQuery, Bootstrap, and ReactJS.

Soft Skills Needed to Become a Mobile App Developer

Don’t discount the importance of soft skills to your career path. To be a successful Mobile App Developer, the following soft skills are vital:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Creativity
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem-solving

Strong communication skills also are a requirement for App Developers because they’ll need to collaborate with other designers, developers, and departments as well as interact with clients. 

Job Market and Salary Insights

Mobile app developers are in high demand. The growth rate for developers is projected to be 25 percent over the next decade, which is much faster than average. Globally, the mobile app market is expected to jump from $206.73 billion in 2022 to $407.31 billion by 2025, and the number of downloads is projected to increase by over 40 billion from 2020 to 2024. The job possibilities are nearly endless; after a mobile development bootcamp, you can design native apps for a vendor like Apple or Google, develop apps at a startup, or start your own business.

The average salary for a Mobile App Developer is $128,002. Location is a big factor when it comes to salary, with top markets such as Orlando ($211,747), New York ($155,412), and Atlanta ($147,173) offering the highest rates of pay. Educational requirements vary; while many employers prefer to hire those with college degrees in computer science, that isn’t always the case. However, there are a few certifications that can boost your salary, such as Certified iOS App Developer, Mobile Development Institute Certified Developer (MDICD), Oracle Certified Professional/Java ME Mobile Application Developer, or Xamarin Certified Mobile Developer.

FAQ Section

How do you become a Mobile App Developer?

Learning to code via a bootcamp is often the most efficient way to become a Mobile App Developer. Mobile app development bootcamps will teach you the hard skills you need to start your career, such as C++, Java, or Swift, and may offer career assistance after you complete the program.

How long does it take to become a mobile app developer?

It depends entirely on you and how much time you can commit to a bootcamp. Bootcamps take anywhere from 5 weeks to 19 months to complete, depending on whether you go full or part time, and may cost $5,000 to $15,000 (although most bootcamps offer financing options).

How do you become a mobile app developer without a degree?

Most app developer positions do not require a degree. To become a Mobile App Developer you will need to demonstrate your skills by creating a strong portfolio of apps you’ve designed, as well as performing a coding challenge or whiteboarding. The skills required for a position as a Mobile App Developer will vary based on the employer and whether you specialize in Android, iOS, or both. These skills can all be learned in a mobile development bootcamp.

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Mobile App Development Schools
Displaying schools 76-100 of 117 in total
  1. alpha-camp-logo
    5 Reviews
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    ALPHA Camp offers full-time, 12-week courses and part-time, 8-week courses in full stack, front end, iOS development, product design, and digital marketing in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, China. ALPHA Camp’s mission is to bring startup talent into the rapidly growing digital economy in Asia. With a focus on learning-by-doing, students will learn and build products with Ruby on Rails, Swift, Xcode, Cocoa, UX/UI design, and more. Mini team projects will teach students how to collaborate with other developers and marketers more effectively. In order to register for the course, interested students can fill out a short online form.

  2. maricopa-corporate-college-logo
    5 Reviews
    5 Courses
    4.0

    About This School

    Maricopa Corporate College is a continuing professional education institution located in Tempe, Arizona. Maricopa offers a Web Developer boot camp to build a fundamental understanding of modern web development tools, practice, and process used in the industry today. Individuals who complete this program will be prepared to begin their career as a junior web developer. Technologies covered in the program include: HTML, CSS, and Javascript


    Nick Gatti
    Graduate • Tempe

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “MCOR Graduate Review May 2017”

    Web Dev Season 5: HTML, SEO and Introduction by Jeff Chabot Javascript by Zachary Kadish PHP by Devon Bagley Course Administration by Sumy Joy Thank you ALL! As a student fo...

  3. code-nation-logo
    5 Reviews
    1 Course
    1.8

    About This School

    Code Nation is a digital training school with classrooms in the UK – Manchester, Trafford, Chester and Cambridge. Students in the Master: Coding bootcamp learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js and Express JS, along with mobile development and cybersecurity. Their goal is to help to fill the demand for digital skills and kick start future-proof careers for anyone ready and willing to learn.

  4. goharness-logo
    4 Reviews
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    goHarness Coding School is a 14-week, immersive full stack bootcamp taught in-person at its campus in Chandigarh, India. Students of this bootcamp learn HTML, CSS, Javascript, ReactJS, Node.JS, and MongoDB. The goHarness curriculum is team project-based, and students will finish the bootcamp with three full stack projects. goHarness coding school utilizes the Agile Learning Methodology in teaching. 


    Tejas
    Student • Course: ProfessionalFullstack Developer • Chandigarh

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “Review”

    I enrolled in Fullstack development course and I can say that it is best platform to learn programming and coding. Content, provided is world-class, simple and easy to learn. Overall, perfect eco-s...

  5. invasivecode-logo
    4 Reviews
    3 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    iNVASIVECODE is a premier mobile app development team, founded by ex-Apple engineers, that specializes in rapidly advancing enterprises through modern mobile technology. 

  6. mindteck-academy-logo
    4 Reviews
    6 Courses
    4.25

    About This School

    Mindteck Academy offers live, instructor-led online courses on a rotational basis in Machine Learning, Hadoop, Spark, Scala, Python, MongoDB, DevOps, and full stack Java. Students who are motivated and committed will learn marketable skills that will jumpstart or reinvigorate their career. All of the courses are curated and taught by industry experts, and most courses end with a Capstone Project which will help students who are motivated and committed apply the skills that they have learned jumpstart or reinvigorate their career.

  7. buildschool-logo
    3 Reviews
    1 Course
    4.33

    About This School

    Buildschool is a free, 16-week, full-time iOS Development bootcamp in San Francisco. Buildschool believes that the best way to learn is not through coding exercises but through building real products. Technologies taught at Buildschool’s mobile development bootcamp include Swift, UIKit, Autolayout, Core Data, Networking, Cocoapods, and VIPER design pattern. Buildschool also covers core algorithms for a solid software engineering foundation including Array vs. Set vs Hashmap, Stack/Queue, Linked Lists, Recursion, Trees, Binary Search Trees, Sorting, Binary Search, and more. The Buildschool program is split into two phases: instructional, and client projects. The first six weeks are dedicated to lectures, practice projects, and pair programming. The last six weeks goes into developing a real client project to be shipped to the App Store. 


    Jon
    Graduate • San Francisco

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “Landed me a Job”

    Buildschool is special. The curriculum is catered towards landing a job in the industry. Everything that is taught is used and applicable towards an iOS developer. The first half of the curricul...

  8. 01-founders-logo
    3 Reviews
    1 Course
    3.67

    About This School

    01 Founders is an in-person, 104 week Full Stack Developer bootcamp with optional specializations in London, England.  01 Founders bootcamp learning is gamified and team-based. There are no instructors and students work collaboratively to complete challenges. During the 78-week core bootcamp phase, students will learn Go, Javascript, and Rust as well as C, C++, Ruby on Rails, PHP, and Python. Students will complete more than 50 projects. During the 26-week specialization phase, students may choose to focus on artificial intelligence, video games, mobile and web development, cybersecurity and devops, or blockchain. 

  9. code-logo
    2 Reviews
    3 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    CODE offers full-time, year-long programs in software engineering, interaction design, and product management in Berlin, Germany. Students will have the ability to solve real-world problems by crafting code in multiple environments and languages, identify user needs and create corresponding design interfaces, and develop strategies for digital products. CODE feels there are far better ways to document skills and knowledge than giving out grades; therefore, their special Competence Framework represents 8 main competencies that students can obtain while studying. Students create Individual Competence Profiles and then will be able to choose a course of study that matches their skills and goals. CODE also provides guidance from an academic counselor and helps students develop their soft skills through their Science, Technology and Society program that fosters a broader understanding of the technical and social dimensions of science and technology. Find out full details for the application process here.


    Saidusmon
    Student • Course: Product Management • Berlin

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “CODE student”

    Probably I was in your shoes. Feel free to reach out to me https://www.linkedin.com/in/saidusmon 

  10. codevity-logo
    2 Reviews
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    Codevity is a 12-week, part-time, full-stack JavaScript coding bootcamp located in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Codevity aims to empower people of all ages to learn and develop their ideas, and teaches coding languages and frameworks such as React JS, JavaScript, React Native, CSS 3, Git, Github, Html 5, Mongodb, Nodejs, and Postgresql. Students will learn programming fundamentals, how to build websites and mobile apps in an interactive classroom setting. Courses are designed to give students an edge when facing challenging new opportunities in the digital age. Codevity courses are part time with classes scheduled in the late afternoon and evening hours. 


  11. About This School

    Cornerstone International Community College of Canada offers 24-month Web and Mobile App Development and Network & Systems Solutions bootcamps and a 12-month Digital Marketing Specialist bootcamp. The Web and Mobile App Development and Network & Systems Solutions bootcamps each include 9 courses over the course of 12 months followed by 12 months of paid co-op work experience. The Digital Marketing Specialist bootcamp includes 6 months of coursework followed by a 6 month paid co-op experience.


    Talatcan
    Student • Course: Web Development Courses Co-op Diploma • Vancouver

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “Super practical diploma programs”

    When I was a student, we were participating many projects right after finishing any web and mobile development topics. Especially, my teacher, Ali(he is still teaching with the same passion like hi...

  12. the-moose-academy-logo
    2 Reviews
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    The Moose Academy offers a full time 12-week Full Stack Web Development bootcamp as well as a 2-year Industry-Based Software Engineering program in Selangor, Malaysia. The Full Stack Web Development bootcamp is delivered in an apprentice mode and based on real-world project construction. Bootcamp students will learn mobile app development, back end development, data structure and algorithms, system programming, and Bash programming. Students will also learn single page applications, cloud computing, AWS, and DevOps. Students will build portfolios with over 10 projects and complete one mini-project per week. In culmination, bootcamp students will build and present a major project to share with prospective employers through a demo day program.


    Ahmad Faiz
    Ahmad Faiz

    Verified Via GitHub

    “Real World Job Skill Development ”

    If you get the chance to enter this bootcamp, consider yourself extremely lucky as they will groom you to have job ready skills. I have learnt a lot from this place especially in Web development on...

  13. awakelab-logo
    2 Reviews
    6 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    AwakeLab offers several remote online bootcamp options: Python Full Stack Development (16 weeks), Java Full Stack Development (16 weeks), UX/UI Design (14 weeks), and Front End Web Developer (14 weeks). For students who are new to web development, AwakeLab offers a 4-week Fundamentals of Web Development bootcamp. AwakeLab also offers an advanced 8-week UX Writing bootcamp. All AwakeLab bootcamps utilize a flipped classroom approach and consist of a combination of live online classes and asynchronous work on the AwakeLab web platform. 

  14. ahyoxsoft-technology-logo
    2 Reviews
    2 Courses
    3.0

    About This School

    Ahyoxsoft Technology offers part-time, 8-week Java and Android Bootcamps in Lagos, Nigeria. Students will learn to create Java technology applications with the latest JDK Technology, and build complex and interactive android apps with Android SDK. In addition students will create intuitive interfaces with XML and Google’s latest Material Design guidelines. Ahyoxsoft Technology training is practical, structured and organized to best meet student needs and prepare them for the tech workforce.

  15. pluralsight-logo
    2 Reviews
    4 Courses
    3.0

    About This School

    Pluralsight is an online learning platform to help technologists keep up with changing technology and build skills in cloud, mobile, security and data. Pluralsight Paths range in length from 9 hours to 50 hours, and combine multiple courses and tools to teach specific skills from start to finish in the right order. Pluralsight offers Paths in Web Development, IT Ops, Creative, Security.

  16. mente-argentina-logo
    1 Review
    3 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    Mente Argentina offers 21-week bootcamps in full-stack web development, Android and iOS mobile development, digital marketing, UX design, and digital product management in Buenos Aries, Argentina. Mente Argentina is working to create a new generation of digital professionals to imagine, innovate, and create. The program was created out of a passion for being talented in technology and digital disciplines. Students will have the ability to work in a dynamic and functional co-working space that is ideal for teamwork and team projects. The curriculum focuses on real-world projects and challenges similar to what one would find in the labor market. Accommodations and living perks are included in the tuition; intermediate Spanish speaking skills are required.

  17. acclaim-education-logo
    1 Review
    2 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    Acclaim Education offers full-time, 8-week bootcamps teaching Android and IOS development to train high-tech professionals in Silicon Valley. As a computer school that trains medical, legal, and high-tech professionals, Acclaim Education also offers introductory computer courses for medical professionals and intermediate-level programming language courses for programmers. The mobile app development courses are for true hackers. A full list of courses can be found here.

  18. queens-tech-academy-logo
    1 Review
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    Queens Tech Academy offers 12-week, part-time bootcamps in web and iOS mobile development in New York City. In order to provide students with a well-rounded opportunity, courses are designed to teach the foundation of evergreen web technologies along with the fundamentals, skills, and tools needed to create iOS mobile apps. Students who attend Queens Tech Academy don't have to quit their day job due to the part-time weekend structure. Instructors are all industry experts that have many years working in their respective fields. The programs all maintain a low student to instructor ratio to ensure a productive and hands-on learning environment. For the rolling admissions process, candidates are evaluated based on their abilities to solve problems, motivation to learn, and ability to collaborate. Candidates will participate in an online assessment regarding previous coding experience, skill level, and a code challenge; followed by an in-person interview. The Queens Technology Academy at The Austin Space is a unique and rewarding educational experience that focuses on education outside of the traditional classes and/or day jobs.

  19. game-art-institute-logo
    1 Review
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    Game Art Institute offers part-time, 12-week online courses in game art development and virtual reality development. The game art bootcamps encompass skills and the workflows needed to kickstart a career in game design and development, from modularity to texturing to lighting and rendering, students learn to create game art while mastering pipeline and best practices. The VR development bootcamp teaches students how to use Unity and C# programming to build movement, interaction, UIs, and avatars. During the bootcamps, students actively participate in bi-weekly sessions with cohorts and mentors as they progress through milestones of the 3D artist program.

  20. circuit-stream-logo
    1 Review
    2 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    Circuit Stream offers two live online bootcamps: XR Development with Unity (10 weeks) and XR Project Accelerator (8 weeks). All Circuit Stream bootcamp students will participate in weekly classes and will also receive weekly one-on-one sessions of focused time with an instructor to develop their own VR or AR project. 

  21. logic-room-logo
    1 Review
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    Logic Room is an online tech consultancy that offers an 8-week UI Architecture Academy. The course includes personalized coaching and mentoring, and teaches how to build, test and scale UI apps in UI frameworks (React, Angular, Vue). The UI Architecture Academy was created to help participants accelerate their careers to senior, lead or architect roles. Students get lifetime access to the training materials.


    Kevin Do
    Student • Course: UI Architecture Academy • Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “Worthwhile program for JavaScript engineers who are looking into building robust code and learning about architecture”

    Scalable TDD & Testing for UI Apps review:This is an expensive small course that is currently in beta. It is available from the newsletter. This course is a nice introduction to how LogicRoom d...

  22. codepath-logo
    1 Review
    5 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    CodePath is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tech training program with 10-14 week, free courses in mobile app development, full stack development, and cybersecurity. CodePath's mission is to increase diversity in tech by making software engineering training and careers accessible to all, and the program is aimed at Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and low-income Computer Science students. Student should expect to commit 2-10 hours per week on their course.

  23. treehouse-logo
    1 Review
    6 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    Treehouse Techdegrees are 6 to 12 month online courses where students can learn the skills they need to get an entry-level development job. Students can choose from Front End Web Development, Full Stack JavaScript, Java Web Development, Python Web Development, iOS Development, and Android Development programs Students will work through 12 projects, and can participate in office hours and project reviews from Treehouse mentors.


    christopheralan88
    christopheralan88
    Student • Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    “Great”

    Treehouse caters to a large audience.  They make many of their materials available to everyone without having to pay.  This is great for anyone on a tight budget or who just wants to get their feet...

  24. kodeco-logo
    1 Review
    3 Courses
    5.0

    About This School

    Kodeco is an online training provider offering 15-week, part-time accelerator bootcamps covering Android Development and iOS Development. The Android Development bootcamp covers topics like Kotlin, responsive design, networking, debugging, and animation. The iOS Development bootcamp covers topics like Swift, Xcode, SwiftUI, responsive design, networking, debugging, and animation. Students will complete their education by building a fully functional capstone app. Kodeco also offers articles for students looking to build foundational knowledge.

  25. tech-joy-academy-logo
    1 Review
    1 Course
    5.0

    About This School

    Tech Joy Academy is an online training provider offering a 12-week, part-time, online Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science. The Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science covers topics like Python, AWS, full stack development, mobile development, AI, DevOps, and QA testing. Students will master the basics and have a chance to try different disciplines in tech before choosing a specific focus for their internship.


    Danielle Arnett
    Graduate • Course: Interdisciplinary Internship for AI & Data Science • Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    “Such a valuable experience!”

    Tech Joy was the second bootcamp I enrolled in.  I was looking for a job and not having much luck, so I decided to try it because it included an internship.  It was worth every penny!  I was able t...

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