iOS Developer Hourly Rate (2024)

iOS Developer Hourly Rate Distribution

Average iOS Developer Hourly Rate:

$81-100

Median iOS Developer Hourly Rate:

$61-80

iOS Development & Hiring

For professional iOS developers, Swift is more commonly used than Objective-C according to Stack Overflow's 2018 Developer Survey. Released in 2014, Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language, developed by Apple, for use in iOS, macOS, and Linux. Swift is designed to work with Apple’s Cocoa framework, as well as Objective-C code, and supports dynamic dispatch, widespread late binding, extensible programming, and protocol extensibility. In 2017, Swift ranked 11th on TIOBE’s index ranking of popular programming languages. The demand for iOS developers is higher than for Android developers, and so is their average hourly rate — iOS developers charge approximately $81-100/hr worldwide.

Keep in mind that the above rates may also fluctuate depending on your hiring needs, whether you're looking for a full-time, part-time, contract, or freelance iOS developer. The cost of hiring an on-site versus a remote developer may differ as well.

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How to negotiate iOS developer hourly rates?

Whether you already have a development team or want to build a new one, hiring a skilled freelance iOS developer can help accelerate your projects. The key factor when considering a freelance iOS developer is your budget – how much you have and how much you're willing to invest. The hourly rates of iOS developers can vary based on their location and your project's scope.

Let's begin with location. Hiring remote developers offers the advantage of choosing from various geographic locations and time zones that align with your project requirements. For instance, if most of your development team is based in North America, you might want to explore freelance iOS developers in the United States, Canada, or Mexico for better worktime overlap. On the other hand, if you're on a tighter budget, consider working with freelance iOS developers in South American countries like Argentina, Brazil, or Colombia, or in Asian countries like India, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Hiring freelance developers outside North America often allows for negotiation of lower iOS developer hourly rates.

Another significant factor influencing the iOS developer hourly rate is your project's scope. Typically, more complex projects mean higher overall costs. However, if you plan to engage with your freelance developer for an extended period, you can discuss a reduced iOS developer hourly rate. Providing freelance developers with a consistent flow of projects incentivizes them to lower their hourly rates.

To accurately determine the total cost, have a detailed discussion about your project with your freelance developer. Ensure you convey your ideas comprehensively, which will enable your freelance developer to provide a precise iOS developer hourly rate estimate. While estimating development timelines can be challenging for lengthy coding projects, offering the developer as much detail as possible will help align the estimate closely with the actual cost.