Have you ever downloaded an application onto your mobile device and wonder, how does this application function the way it does? How does the application know what information to display when you touch a specific tab? I have even thought about a smart watch. iOS and Android have created a watch with many apps that contain so much information. How can something so small, hold all this information that is put into the app. Therefore, app developers are so important. They are the key to why apps on your mobile’s devices, laptops, watches, tablets, etc. function the way they do.

What is an App Developer?

An app developer is basically a computer software engineer. You have probably heard other names such as computer designer, computer architect or even a coder. App developers create and design apps to run on a mobile device. They use different coding to write programs for mobile and computer devices. Their operating systems usually includes Windows, Mac, or Unix.

App Developer Duties

Being an app developer comes with responsibilities. Responsibilities that involve creating, writing, testing, designing, and programming. The goal is for them to make your application vision come true. They must understand client’s applications requirements and design the app based on specifications. They must ask a number of questions to help design the app.  How old are your average users? Are they looking for entertainment? Does the app involve shopping / purchasing? What products are they looking for? Questions customers might have? There are tons of question developers ask before designing the app. These are a few examples that an app developer may ask to develop the perfect app for you.

Usually, when a customer approaches the app developer with their specifications, they discuss a deadline as well. Writing high-quality source code to program complete applications within deadlines, is a big responsibility. App developers often works in groups or teams with other IT professionals and think of ideas and concepts that meet deadlines and get the job done successfully. 

Once the app has been successfully designed and created, it is tested and updated over and over. Therefore, they must perform unit and integration testing before launching the app. It is constantly being worked on to fixed bugs that it may have. App developers must come up with timely solutions to make sure the app is running smoothly for customers. Have you ever thought about why an app is glitching or not working properly? Or why you are getting a notification informing you to update so that minor bugs and issues is resolved. Sometimes apps just completely stop working. This means troubleshooting applications is another duty for app developers. Troubleshooting is also their specialty.

Education

People who enjoy being an app developer may say it comes naturally but being an app developer requires a lot of skills and knowledge. Customers do their research before they choose an app engineer. They want someone who knows what they are doing and has the experience to back it up. They ask a lot of questions pertaining to your resume. They want to see the apps you have already design. They want to know what your services will include. Customers want to see reviews. Years of experience and quality is important to customers. Education is also a bonus when searching for an app developer.

To become an app developer, there are certain requirements that must be met. Learning programming language and environment is a must. Being a software engineer requires learning different codes and different skills. Skills that include mobile user interface design, cross-platform app development, backend computing, modern language programming skills, and business capability. Earning a college degree or degree would be the best option to go. Earning a 'Software Engineer' or some related degree / diploma is what it takes to become a successful developer. Computer science is a very common major when becoming an app developer. A couple of good colleges that are ranked the best in the U.S. that app developers can attend include MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon.  MIT is ranked to be the best school for software engineering. Stanford and Carnegie Mellon are popular schools as well and are ranked number 2 and 3. Having a diploma or an associates degree will give you the skills to grow in the field. Having a bachelor or masters degree will be a better plus and impress the client.

Salary

App developer salary is just like any other job salary. The more you invested in your education, the more successful you will be. The more experience you have the better the pay. Entry-level app developers roughly start off at $59K a year. While an experience app developer with 20+ years is making $92K a year. This is only a general estimate. Not every app developer makes this, there are still developers who are in between entry level and experience who make roughly anywhere between $65K-87K a year. App developer’s are in high demand and are compensated accordingly.

Statistics

Over the last decade, app developers have been growing rapidly. After its tremendous success with smart devices, they have gone to conquer other things like wearables, cars, and homes. According to business of apps, total number of software developers globally is 19M. It is expected to grow from 27.7 million by 2023 to 28.7 million in 2024 globally. The U.S. is taking the leading of software developers based on the U.S. Bureau. Not everyone does the same thing. Some are hackers, coders, programmers etc. depending on the developer specialty and what field they have concentrated in college. Statistics show that the app development job market is dominant.   

Successful Uber

I chose to use Uber as my example. Uber is a very successful transportation network company. This application was design like an online taxi. The app first launched in 2010 by Garrett Camp, the founder and co-founder Travis Kalanick. Since 2010, Uber has expanded quickly. The app allows customer to pay for a ride to go to and from wherever they please at an inexpensive decent fee. Uber has expanded to Uber eats. The customer purchases food off the website from different restaurants and it is delivered to the customer directly. They also have package delivery and provide freight transportation services. This app is convenient and reliable. To achieve these things from the Uber app, Garrett reached out and created a team of different software engineers and assigned them to different tasks. As I stated before, app developers usually work in teams to create an app successfully. 

Garret Camp, Uber founder, is a software developer billionaire. Garrett earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and then a master’s degree in software engineering. Before designing Uber, he was running a website call StumbleUpon. Which was eventually sold to eBay in 2007. The app was inspired from Garrett expensive private driver. He complained about spending so much on a private driver and decided to change that. After a couple of years doodling, around with prototypes for Uber and devising this app with many key features, Uber blew up and Garretts now generates $11 billion annually with his cofounder Travis Kalanick by his side. 

Conclusion 

Apps have shaped our lives in ways we do not realize. There is literally an app for everything. From online shopping, exercising, online banking and listening to music. Developing these apps are not easy. App develops have a special skill sets and knowledge to create, design and sell. Technology is always improving and controlling our day-to-day life. This means app developers are constantly working to keep creating and updating. With everything I have stated previously have given you an idea of how app developers are changing every aspect of lives. 

I was not aware of how important app developers are until now. A lot of traditional things are becoming non-traditional due to technology. Majority of everything I do on a day-to-day basis is run by an app. I can do banking on an app, order food, set appointments and most importantly communicate. From calling to texting to video chatting. It is amazing that someone has thought of these ideas and was able to create an app to do everything a person needs to do in person. I am still amazed at how Facebook started with posting pics and conversations to shopping / selling goods. Facebook, now, gives you the option to video or talk to someone if needed. Facebook's growth is a great example of why app developers are so important. iOS software updates is a great example why app developers are always working. iOS updates are constantly being updated every year. The goal is to fix minor issues and bugs. The app developer behind my phone is doing me and every iOS user a favor by making sure our phone is always working properly. I think they are not credited as much as they should, but their worth speaks volumes. Next time you use any app think about the process it goes through before being launched and think about the designer behind the app. 

Work Cited:

1. Daxx Software Development Teams. 2021. Software Developer Statistics 2020: How Many Software Engineers Are In The US And In The World?. [online] Available at: <https://www.daxx.com/blog/development-trends/number-software-developers-world> [Accessed 13 January 2021].
2. Developer, A., 2021. What Does an App Developer Do? - Careerexplorer. [online] Careerexplorer.com. Available at: <https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/app-developer/> [Accessed 13 January 2021]. 
3. Forbes. 2021. Garrett Camp. [online] Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/profile/garrett-camp/> [Accessed 13 January 2021].
4. Linkedin.com. 2021. Top 5 Skills Required For A Mobile Application Developer. [online] Available at: <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-5-skills-required-mobile-application-developer-kevin-toth/> [Accessed 13 January 2021].
5. SuccessfulStudent.org. 2021. 20 Best App Development Colleges | Successful Student. [online] Available at: <https://successfulstudent.org/20-best-app-development-colleges/> [Accessed 13 January 2021].