Mobile apps are more popular than ever and there’s no denying it. According to Statista, mobile apps are expected to generate around $189 billion in revenues via app stores and in-app advertising.
Naturally, a mobile app developer’s average base salary of $97K per annum should not cause raised eyebrows. When you’re helping companies earn millions of dollars, you deserve a sum of it. In the case of app developers, the sum is large.
However, the journey to a six-figure salary as a mobile developer is long. But attainable. To earn such a salary, you must be well versed in mobile app design and development.
In this article, we will show you the path to a six-figure-salary-earning mobile developer.
1. Choose One Major Platform
The major platforms in the mobile app development world are Android, iOS, and Windows. There are others too like Symbian and Blackberry RIM, but you already know not to go for it.
So, either you can go for all the three major platforms, or you can choose one.
Even though Windows 10 apps are springing up, it’s still not the most lucrative to areas, to begin with.
Thus, the first stepping stone for your journey to choosing will be either to opt for iOS apps or Android apps.
Once you have control over one, you can expand your horizons to include other app development technologies too.
2. Get the Required Training and Education
Getting formal training and education in software development processes is indeed required.
A degree in computer science and software engineering is a good foundation because it helps you get a grasp on key concepts of data structuring, designing, and programming.
But even if you have passed the graduation age and still struggling where to begin with, you can opt for online courses. There are several web platforms that offer online courses specifically in app development.
You can even opt for free app development courses and tutorials on our own website. For example, Coursera, one of the leading providers of open online courses where you can learn how to develop a mobile app by professionals.
3. Master These Three Areas
Like any other discipline, app development requires you to take a stronghold on fundamentals. Here, the three core concepts are mobile user interface design, programming, and business expertise.
Mobile user interface design:
It all starts with the design. There are beginners who complain when asked to learn the intricacies of the interface. But that’s the core of an app. Being able to code an interface sets a launchpad for your career growth trajectory.
Programming:
It’s not the programming language that matters the most. It’s your ability to make logic and translate those algorithms into efficient codes. The person who knows how programming works can pick up any language he wants.
You should have knowledge of programming if you want to develop a mobile app.
However, you still need to learn a few languages to make it work.
1. Classic object-oriented programming language: Java, C++, Objective C. For iOS, Apple’s own programming language Swift is also being widely accepted by app development companies.
2. Front end: HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript
Business expertise:
Business expertise? Yes, business expertise!
Missing a few fundamentals can work. They can be strengthened. But you should always try to understand the business cases of an app.
To be frank, that’s where the money revolves. You must know how to monetize an app. Or how to put fences within an app after which a user has to pay to use the app. Or how to make users spend more time on the app.
4. Practice Your Skills
Practicing is very important to keep your skills sharp. If you learn something but don’t end up practicing regularly, you might forget. This is why one should constantly practice coding, programming, and even development.
Here’s are some steps you can use to organize your practice sessions
Step 1: – Come up with an app idea
If you already have an app idea, start developing now. Look for apps already in the market and see if you can build a prototype.
The first step in developing an app idea is to look for a problem that people are facing in daily life and list out them on a sheet. Find out how your app could resolve that problem and shortlist the one which makes more sense.
Step 2: – Detail down your app idea onto paper
This step will clearly help you understand how users will navigate your app, as well as it will help you figure out the features of your app that will help you in building a good user interface design.
Step 3: – Hire or collaborate with the people that can help you!
You cannot develop an app on your own from start to finish. You will need someone by your side that can guide or even help you in your app development process.
So, if you need any help, consider hiring people according to your need or collaborate with the people that can help you.
Step 4: – Test your app
Once your app development part is over, go for the testing part because new apps always have a bug. Have your friend test it for you, see where the bugs are, and fix them.
Step 5: – Convert it to other platforms
Once you have learned how to develop an app in one platform, try to convert that app on other platforms. Because different platforms have different requirements.
So, with each platform, you come to know about the different requirements and the problems of the platforms that will help you in the future app development process.
5. Apply for Internship
How amazing it will be if you could make your apps with an established app company. It’s not just that, you will be earning.
The best part of an app development internship is you learn the processes by which a project is organized and implemented. You also get to work on projects throughout the app development cycle.
An internship also serves as the recommendation for your first job as an app developer. So once you’re ready, log in to LinkedIn and start applying for intern positions.
So, if you need any help, consider hiring people according to your need or collaborate with the people that can help you. Be sure to follow all 5 steps of the developer hiring process to get the right folks on board, though.
Conclusion
Becoming a mobile app developer from scratch is a long journey. You need to feel motivated every day to sit on your laptop and fall in love with the world of apps.
If you are truly inspired to become a mobile app developer and want to see your app on over 1 billion devices then this long journey will not bother you.
Furthermore, if you want to learn mobile development more easily and are a beginner, you can try out the “Learn Android Development From Scratch” online course. The tutorial comes with over 2.5 hours of video covering 27 lectures.
If you have any questions or queries or need more guidance on the subject, please to us in the comments below or feel free to contact us.
Read More: Top 11 Mobile App Development Courses To Sharpen Your Skills
About the Author
Very helpful article, thank you. Do app developers work from home? Is it normal to see them working part-time as well?
Sir I am a 10th pass out student and I want to become a app developer .
I am opting for computer science diploma and side by side learning coding language like java . What should I have to do to make it my passion.
Means what should I study .
Pls guide sir
sir thanks for your guidance. I’m motivated to be an application developer and I wish to study online pls sir can you just give me some neccesary advice or e portal that I need to register with. thank you sir
Thanks for your guidance.
Very helpful infors. Thanks for your blog.
This article has been very informative.I have been studying in network admin.desperatly want to design apps.
Thank you for your time
Mr. Wilson
A great deal of work! Quite informative. I appreciate your efforts.
I graduated from ITT Tech a few months before they went bankrupt 2016. I have an associates degree in network systems administration and want to move in a direction towards mobile app creation. Is my degree a good start and while I’m not formally educated in other areas, that should not deter me from taking the first step in this field? I am currently unemployed and have plenty of time to sit in front of my laptop and learn. Suggestions?
I wanna be an app developer but I don’t know from where to start? note that I know nothing in this I just happen to have an idea
very informative article.
Very informative and enticing at the same time, how fast can one learn also which background do i need if i never did Mathematics at grade 12 .
I wanna be app developer
I want to develop an app