11 Skills You Need to Start Your Journey as an iOS Developer

Did you know that there are around 1.46 billion active iPhone users worldwide? You might even be one of them. However, have you ever thought of becoming a developer and publishing your own mobile apps on the App Store? If the answer is yes, this article is just what you need. We will discuss what iOS developers do, the most basic technical and soft skills aspiring iOS developers need to have, and what salary you can expect from this career path.

What Do iOS Developers Do?

An iOS developer is someone who has comprehensive knowledge regarding how iOS operates on different Apple devices. Typically using Swift or Objective-C programming languages, an iOS developer builds, tests, and refines the apps to meet clients’ requirements. As with any other application, the steps involved in creating an iOS app vary. Depending on the level of seniority, company size, or project scope, iOS developers might participate in one or two development phases or even oversee every single stage.

Hard Skills Needed to Become an iOS Developer

Swift Programming Language

Swift is an open-source, compiled language for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and Linux apps. Developed by Apple and first introduced in 2014, the language boasts an excellent community, readable syntax, and strong security features. To grasp the language’s basic syntax, error handling, control flow, key data structures, options, etc., it’s a good idea to start with Swift’s official document. Visit Swift’s public forums or blogs to gain further insights. There are also courses available to learn Swift programming, such as iOS & Swift - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp.

All in all, Swift is a required skill for iOS developers.

Apple Xcode IDE

App development, publishing, and creation tools are available for all platforms in Apple’s free Xcode integrated development environment (IDE). It is compatible with widely used coding languages, including Python, Java, C++, Objective-C, and Swift.

iOS developers with Xcode IDE experience can build excellent iOS apps and integrate Apple services, such as Passbook (now Wallet) or Game Center, into their apps.

Libraries and APIs

In addition to having a strong community, iOS has comprehensive resources for app development. Some core iOS frameworks are AVFoundation, Core Data, Cocoa Touch, UIKit, and AutoLayouts. Useful libraries to start your iOS app development journey include SwfitLint, Hero, SnapKit, Alamofire, and more.

With these tools in hand, you can integrate an app into Apple’s existing infrastructure with ease. They are easy to use, have rich features and allow developers to leverage built-in functions like calendar apps and camera apps.

Apple OS Framework: Core Data

We would like to dive a little deeper into a persistent Apple framework: Core Data. You can think of it as an extremely data organization system that allows you to store and retrieve data quickly. This framework also allows you to manage data relationships efficiently while sorting and finding the data quickly with the help of built-in tools. iOS mobile apps use other kinds of databases as well. Find out more about the topic in our detailed article.

Memory Management

Many iOS developer interview questions involve memory management. To master this technical skill, you should be well-versed in Swift programming and understand the differences between a value type and a reference type.

Memory management skills require you to learn ARC (Automatic Reference Counting) and how iOS manages the memory for reference types. Skilled developers will understand that exceeding the per-process memory limit can cause an app to crash. Most iOS devices have limited memory, so it is crucial to manage memory effectively to prevent this from happening.

Source Control

Rarely does a developer work solo on development projects. Hence, having a system in place to track any changes made to the source code is paramount – this prevents any unwanted conflicts that may arise between developers. Efficient source controls prevent delays and allow developers to make improvements in the code where needed.

Spatial Reasoning Ability

To become a senior iOS developer, you need to have spatial reasoning abilities. More than simply being visually appealing, your app should be intuitive – the placement of the buttons and images should create a cohesive user experience, whether users are using the app on mobile devices, MacBooks, AppleTVs, or watches. Simply put, developers need to have the ability to comprehend and work with the spatial relationships that exist between various parts of a user interface.

UI and UX Design Experience

A software developer working on iOS applications needs to have UI and UX design experience.

They need to know basic design patterns like MVC (model-view-controller) and KVO (key-value observing) while understanding Apple’s guidelines and design principles for iOS apps.

Soft Skills and Qualifications to Succeed in iOS App Development

Being responsible for developing mobile devices powered by Apple’s iOS operating system requires more than hard skills; a strong iOS software engineer needs to work on their soft skills as well.

iOS Developers’ Expected Salary

Numerous factors affect a developer’s salary, including location, education, certifications, skills, the industry you choose to work in, and the list goes on. You can learn more about developers’ salaries by country in our informational article here. However, when it comes to iOS developers specifically, here is a quick look at their salary by country.

• US: $79,795 to $148,000 a year
• Germany: 42.500 EUR to 80.000 EUR a year
• India: $13,500 to $31,000 a year

All in all, working as an iOS software engineer offers nice compensation, especially considering the massive knowledge newbies need to acquire in order to succeed in the field.

Final Note

Every job comes with hard work and a lot of training, and iOS developer is no exception. The journey, though difficult, will be rewarding in the end.

You can always search for internships or opens for junior positions in credible tech companies to kickstart your developer career. Consider Orient Software as the next step in your career path – we guarantee you, that your skills will grow exponentially. After all, dozens of clients have trusted us over the past decade to deliver high-quality applications. Whether you’re an aspiring iOS developer or need a talented team, join the many who trust us. Ready to take the leap? Contact Orient Software today!