How to Become a iOS Developer

An iOS developer specializes in building applications for Apple's ecosystem - iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. They work exclusively with Swift, SwiftUI, and Apple's frameworks to create polished, performant apps that meet Apple's strict quality standards.

What makes this role unique: Unlike general mobile developers who may work on both platforms, iOS developers focus entirely on Apple's ecosystem. This specialization allows deeper expertise in Swift, Apple's Human Interface Guidelines, and platform-specific features like HealthKit, ARKit, and Apple Pay.

Best suited for: Developers who love Apple's ecosystem and want to master a premium platform. Best suited for those who appreciate design quality, want to build for engaged high-spending users, and enjoy working within Apple's guidelines. Requires a Mac and comfort with Apple's sometimes opaque processes.

With 1,656,880 professionals employed nationwide and 17% projected growth, this is a strong career choice. Explore Computer Science degree programs to get started.

App Store review can reject your build for minor guideline violations. Apple updates guidelines frequently. You need a Mac. Performance optimization takes tremendous time to get right. But iOS users are engaged and willing to pay for quality apps.

Morning: Start around 9:45 AM with daily standup describing what was accomplished yesterday, goals for today, and any blockers. Around 10:00 AM, standup followups where teammates help each other with blockers or clarify approaches.

Afternoon: Once standup concludes, uninterrupted coding time dedicated to implementing new features or fixing bugs. Work in Xcode writing Swift to create responsive applications. Product teams provide detailed specifications. End of day: commit code, update tickets.

Core daily tasks include:

• Writing Swift code in Xcode
• Building UI with SwiftUI or UIKit
• Integrating with backend APIs
• Implementing Apple frameworks (HealthKit, ARKit, etc.)
• Debugging with Xcode Instruments
• Writing unit and UI tests with XCTest
• Managing TestFlight and App Store submissions

Essential Tools: iOS Developers rely heavily on these core technologies:

• Swift: Apple's modern programming language. Safe, fast, and the primary language for all iOS development.
• SwiftUI: Declarative UI framework with live previews. Increasingly dominant for new projects.
• UIKit: Traditional UI framework. Still widely used alongside SwiftUI for complex UIs.
• Xcode: Apple's IDE. Essential for coding, debugging, Interface Builder, and App Store submission.
• Git: Version control is essential for all iOS projects.

Also commonly used:

• Combine: Apple's reactive programming framework for handling async events.
• Core Data / SwiftData: Apple's persistence frameworks for local data storage.
• XCTest: Apple's testing framework for unit and UI tests.
• Fastlane: Automation tool for screenshots, beta deployments, and App Store submissions.

Emerging technologies to watch:

• Swift Concurrency: async/await and actors for modern concurrency patterns.
• TCA (Composable Architecture): Popular architecture pattern from Point-Free for SwiftUI apps.
• VisionOS / ARKit: Spatial computing for Apple Vision Pro and AR experiences.
• AI/ML Integration: Core ML and Create ML for on-device machine learning.

Apple doesn't offer official certifications. Shipped apps in the App Store matter far more than any certificate. Focus on building and publishing real apps. Stanford's free course and Hacking with Swift's 100 Days are industry-recognized learning paths.

Beginner certifications:

• Apple Developer Program (Apple): $99/year, Ongoing - Required to publish to App Store. Not a certification but proves you're a serious developer.
• 100 Days of SwiftUI (Hacking with Swift): Free, 100 days - Comprehensive free course by Paul Hudson. Industry-recognized learning path.

Intermediate/Advanced certifications:

• Stanford CS193p (Stanford University): Free, Self-paced - Free Stanford course on iOS development. Highly respected in the industry.
• Ray Wenderlich Pro (Kodeco): $19.99/month, Ongoing - Comprehensive iOS tutorials and learning paths. Well-known in iOS community.

Must-have portfolio projects:

• App published on the App Store: Proves you can navigate the full development cycle including App Store review.
• SwiftUI app with modern architecture: Shows current skills. MVVM or TCA with Combine demonstrates senior-level thinking.
• App using Apple frameworks (HealthKit, ARKit, etc.): Framework expertise differentiates iOS developers. Shows depth beyond basic apps.

Projects to avoid: Objective-C only projects - shows outdated skills, Apps only on simulator - publish something, even a simple utility, Tutorial clones without modifications, Apps with obvious UI issues - iOS users expect polish - these are too common and won't differentiate you.

GitHub best practices: Link to App Store listings; Include screenshots and GIFs of app functionality; Document architecture decisions (MVVM, TCA, etc.)

iOS interviews typically include: phone screen (30 min), Swift/iOS technical questions (1 hr), live coding or take-home (2-4 hrs), system design for iOS architecture (1 hr), and behavioral rounds. Some companies use pair programming. Process spans 2-4 weeks.

Common technical questions:

• "Explain ARC and how it manages memory" - Do you understand automatic reference counting? Strong, weak, unowned references?
• "What's the difference between structs and classes in Swift?" - Value vs reference types. When to use each? Performance implications?
• "Explain the reuseIdentifier in UITableView" - Do you understand cell reuse for performance? Memory efficiency in scroll views?
• "How does Grand Central Dispatch work?" - Do you understand iOS concurrency? Main queue vs background queues?
• "Describe MVVM and how it works with SwiftUI" - Do you understand architecture patterns? How to structure maintainable apps?

Behavioral questions to prepare for:

• "Tell me about an app you've shipped to the App Store" - Have you completed the full development cycle including App Store submission?
• "How do you handle App Store rejections?" - Have you dealt with Apple's review process? How do you resolve issues?
• "Describe a performance issue you optimized" - Can you use Instruments? Do you understand memory and performance optimization?

Take-home assignments may include: Build a simple app that fetches and displays data from an API; Create a UI matching a provided design specification; Add features to an existing codebase

Common challenges ios developers face:

• App Store rejections - Apple rejects apps for guideline violations with unclear feedback
• Frequent guideline changes - Apple updates iOS app development guidelines constantly
• Memory management - no garbage collection, risk of termination if memory issues
• Battery optimization - 46% of battery drains when screen is off due to app wake-ups
• Mac requirement - must use macOS and Xcode, no Windows development

Common misconceptions about this role:

• 'iOS is easier because fewer devices' - Reality: still need to support multiple iOS versions and screen sizes
• 'Just use SwiftUI' - Reality: many apps still need UIKit for complex UIs
• 'Apple certification exists' - Reality: Apple doesn't offer official developer certifications
• 'iOS pays more so it's better' - Reality: higher salary but Mac requirement and ecosystem lock-in

iOS Developer vs Android Developer:

• Salary: iOS developers earn ~$23,000 more on average
• Focus: iOS: Apple ecosystem only. Android: larger global market share
• Tools: iOS: Xcode, Swift. Android: Android Studio, Kotlin

iOS Developer vs Mobile Developer:

• Salary: iOS specialists often earn 10-15% more than generalists
• Focus: iOS: Apple-only depth. Mobile: broader but shallower

iOS Developer vs Frontend Developer:

• Salary: iOS typically 15-20% higher
• Focus: iOS: native mobile apps. Frontend: web browsers

Your negotiation leverage:

• Average salary $117,644-$131,321 depending on source
• Top earners reach $207,539 (90th percentile)
• Senior iOS developers average $168,638
• iOS developers earn ~$23,000 more than Android developers on average

Proven negotiation strategies:

• Research on Levels.fyi and Glassdoor for iOS-specific compensation
• Highlight App Store apps with download numbers
• Emphasize framework expertise beyond basic Swift/UIKit
• If base is fixed, negotiate signing bonus or equity

Mistakes to avoid: Underselling shipped App Store apps - published apps prove delivery capability; Not highlighting Apple framework expertise (HealthKit, ARKit, etc.); Accepting first offer - iOS skills are in high demand

BLS predicts 17% growth for software developers including iOS through 2033. Recruiting firm reported 104% YoY increase in mobile developer demand. iOS developers are particularly scarce. Nearly 2 million iOS apps for 1.5 billion Apple devices signals continued demand.

Hot industries hiring ios developers: Telecommunications ($130,344 median - highest paying), Financial Services ($126,150), Fintech/Banking (Apple Pay integration), Healthcare (HealthKit, HIPAA compliance), Entertainment (streaming, gaming)

Emerging trends: SwiftUI becoming standard for new projects, VisionOS and spatial computing opportunities, AI/ML integration with Core ML, Swift Concurrency (async/await) adoption