What Is an iOS App Developer? A 2025 Guide

If you’ve ever used an app on an Apple device, you have an iOS app developer to thank. These specialized software engineers design and develop mobile apps for devices that run on Apple’s iPhone operating system (iOS). Let’s take a closer look at the career path, opportunities, and responsibilities of an iOS App Developer, along with some of the skills you'll need to get started. 

If you're ready to start preparing for your first iOS developer job, you can build in-demand skills with an industry leader through Meta's iOS Developer Professional Certificate program. You'll learn to program applications for iOS systems and build a portfolio to demonstrate your skills to potential employers in as little as eight months. At the end, you'll prep for your interview with communication strategies and problem-solving techniques.

What is an iOS app developer?

Developers of iOS apps have in-depth knowledge of how iOS works on different Apple devices, like the iPad, Apple Watch, and iPhone. iOS developers build, test, and fine-tune applications to suit the needs of their clients. Typically, iOS app development is done in one of two programming languages: Swift or Objective-C. You can learn more about what type of software products iOS developers create in the next few sections.

Mobile games

Gaming applications are the most popular category in the Apple App Store [1]. A notable example is AFK Journey, the iPhone's game of the year in 2024 [2]. This fantasy role-playing game (RPG) was developed by Farlight Games, a video game publishing company for iPad and iPhone. iOS developers specializing in game development may be employed by companies like EA or Ubisoft, work independently, or partner with other creatives for a specific gaming project. You can explore public code repositories, tools, and tutorials for iOS game development on GitHub.

Productivity applications

A good productivity app helps you solve a problem or get things done more efficiently. For example, Evernote is a robust note-taking app that stores text, links, images, files, and more. The Grammarly app checks content for grammar mistakes and makes suggestions for improvements to your writing. Creating a to-do-list-style productivity app is an excellent exercise for a novice iOS developer. Although the concept is simple, the execution has plenty of room for expanded features.

Business applications

Business applications were the second most popular category in the Apple App Store in 2024 [1]. As mentioned above, most businesses rely on applications to handle things like inventory management, billing, or customer relationship management. iOS developers may be employed by companies like Amazon or Etsy to work on applications that support essential business functions.

Where do iOS developers work?

iOS developers may be employed by a company directly, freelance, or be self-employed. Many iOS developers work remotely, although work-from-home flexibility varies from company to company. iOS developers can work in a variety of fields since most industries rely on applications for customer relations or product support. However, finance, technology, and retail are among the top industries employing iOS developers [3].

iOS app developer skills

While proficiency in Swift and Objective-C is essential, many other skills are desirable for iOS app developers.

Insight from an engineer

"Knowing how to approach and tackle a problem you don't know how to solve is definitely a skill that I've had to constantly use at work," says Mari Batilando, a software engineer at Meta. "Meta's vast reach and scale means it has unique problems that you may not have encountered before. Knowing how to simplify and decompose these problems into smaller, solvable parts is important to contribute and make an impact in the company."

Non-technical skills

iOS developers must hone their personal development skills to be able to work on a team effectively. Team members may include other developers or employees in other departments, like marketing. At any level, it’s important for an iOS developer to be:

• Patient

• Flexible

• Organized

• Self-driven

• Able to communicate well

• Able to work well under pressure

Technical skills

Here are some technical skills to develop that will help ensure your success as an entry-level or mid-level iOS app developer:

• Be familiar with Xcode, Apple’s own integrated development environment (IDE). It aids developers in writing code and assembling apps for use on different devices and operating systems. Xcode is used to design, code, test, and debug an app before sending it to Apple’s App Store. 

• Know Apple’s human interface guidelines and design guidelines. These are specific attributes that Apple requires for all apps in its App Store. 

Once you’ve moved your way up to a senior iOS developer position, you'll need to be familiar with:

• Software architecture

• Concurrency

• Reactive programming

• Deploying animations

• User testing

Read more: Software Developer Career Path: How to Qualify, Develop, and Build Your Career

iOS programming languages

"As an iOS engineer, most of my experience required me to be knowledgeable in using Xcode, Swift, Objective-C, and a lot of Apple's proprietary iOS tooling and frameworks," says Batilando.

According to the creators of Swift, this programming language was created as a “general-purpose programming language built using a modern approach to safety, performance, and software design patterns [4].” Apple created it in 2014 to be the best available language for developers to use for a large range of projects.

A few other features of Swift include the following:

• It is one of the more efficient languages to use when creating iOS applications.

• Apps built with Swift can be used on devices dating back to iOS 7 or later. 

• Swift is compatible with Objective-C, the other most commonly used language for creating iOS applications. 

Like Swift, Objective-C is also a general-purpose language. It was created in the early 1980s and is based on the programming language C. Objective-C was the primary language used by Apple before the creation of Swift, but it still makes up a significant portion of Apple’s codebase.

What is the salary of an iOS developer?

On average, an iOS app developer in the US earns a median total pay of $130,000 per year [5]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Factors influencing an iOS developer's salary include company size, location, experience level, education, and current demand. For example, salaries will likely be higher in larger tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta. A start-up will pay less than a larger company like Uber or Facebook.

iOS app development job outlook

As more and more companies look to grow their online presence, the demand for iOS app developers is rising significantly. Apple makes up a significant portion of that demand. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for software developers is expected to rise 15 percent from 2024 to 2034 [6]. This statistic translates into about 129,200 job openings each year in the US alone [6].

How to become an iOS app developer

There are a few different pathways to becoming an iOS app developer. First, choose a language to learn or an iOS app developer certification course in Swift or Objective-C. If college is in your plans, a computer science degree is standard among software engineers.

These options should help you understand the programming language you’re using, the frameworks involved, and the concepts used for iOS development. Next, practice coding and build your portfolio. The more apps you build, the more proficient you'll become, and the sooner you’ll land your dream job.

Already have some experience with software development? Consider taking a crash course in iOS development that will guide you through the creation of your first iOS app in as little as 12 hours with LearnQuest's online course, Introduction to iOS Development with Swift 5.

Check out our free mobile app developer career resources

Stay competitive in the mobile app development field with Career Chat, Coursera’s weekly LinkedIn newsletter covering in-demand skills and career strategies. Discover the latest trends in software development and hear from industry professionals by accessing our free digital resources as well:

• Watch on YouTube: Why Software Developers Need to Understand AI

• Get pro insights: How One Software Developer’s Leadership Aspirations Led Her to Graduate School

• Read an insider story: Meet the Software Engineer Looking to Be a More Competitive Job Candidate

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