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Developers can make more on iOS[/caption] With Microsoft taking its official leave from the mobile landscape (goodbye, Windows Phone), only Android and iOS remain. Which platform is more lucrative for mobile developers? We already know a few truths about iOS versus Android development (as well as mobile development in general). One is that
iOS users spend more on apps and services than their Android counterparts, so indie developers will likely make more on Apple’s platform. Another is that
steering clear of Silicon Valley might be your best bet for a sustainable career in tech, thanks to the lower cost of living in other cities; and there are
benefits beyond salary that might bring a better work-life balance. For the purposes of this article, we compared the salaries of iOS and Android developers in five major metropolitan areas, using the Dice
Salary Calculator. The calculator's data is compiled from the Dice database; it knows which skills are in demand, and adjusts the salary range as you add skills to your profile. We took a broad overview of iOS versus Android development jobs, adding no distinct skills. Here are our findings:
New York, NY iOS: $91,494 – $118,942 / average $105,218 Android: $84,203 - $109,464 / average $96,834 Dallas, TX iOS: $79,721 - $103,637 / average $91,709 Android: $75,651 - $98,346 / average $86,999
Seattle, WA iOS: $84,176 - $109,429 / average $96,803 Android: $77,964 - $101,353 / average $89,659
Silicon Valley, CA iOS: $87,901 - $114,271 / average $101,086 Android: $81,015 - $105,320 / average $93,168
Los Angeles, CA iOS: $85,759 - $111,487 / average $98,623 Android: $79,041 - $102,753 / average $90,897 In order to control the variables, we told the Salary Calculator we had three years' experience. (Swift, Apple's latest programming language for iOS and its other platforms, was introduced in 2014, making three years as good a milestone as any.) As you can see from the ranges and average salaries, iOS development is more lucrative. Here are the average salary bumps for those who write iOS apps versus Android:
- New York, NY: $8,384
- Dallas, TX: $4,710
- Seattle, WA: $7,144
- Silicon Valley, CA: $7,918
- Los Angeles, CA: $7,726
The absolute average across the board is $7,176; that’s a pretty distinct discrepancy between iOS and Android. If you're debating which platform to pursue, $7,000 is nothing to sneeze at. And if you're curious what you're worth – especially if you're considering switching gears in your career – give the calculator a shot.
Find out how much are your skills worth. Try our tech salary calculator now.
