Mobile app development is an ever-growing industry.
Because thousands of businesses nowadays have realized the power of conducting business through mobile devices.
And this is the only way if a business wants to prosper and thrive in the future.
If we talk about mobile app development. The two growing operating systems are Android and iOS.
iOS is a rapidly mushrooming platform, but if we compare it with Android it’s nowhere to be seen.
Let’s compare iOS with Android in terms of popularity.
According to the data, the Android OS has a 71.77% mobile operating system market share as of January 2024.
That means if you hire an Android app developer to make Android app development you can target a wider audience.
On the other hand, iOS covers the rest of the market.
However, android app development is behind when it comes to making revenue.
This is because Android users are mostly from 2nd and 3rd world countries with less purchasing power.
But we’ve seen that in the last few years, the gap is narrowing down.
If we say that Android accepts every app may not be wrong.
There’re currently 2,673,292 available to download in 2024 which is way more than iOS which is the home of 1.6 million apps.
The result that we can drive from the above data is that if you want to make an Android app developer to build a high-performing Android mobile app, in no time.
But, before you hire an Android app developer for your project, here’s a complete guide on how to hire an Android app developer.
Essential Skills For Android Developers
Android app development isn’t child’s play.
To hire a dedicated Android developer you’ve to do lots of effort in order to find and hire an Android app developer that understands your project and also has the essential skills to complete your project.
Here are the following skills that you need to investigate before hiring an Android app developer.
1. Knowledge of Programming Languages (Kotlin and Java)
The first thing that you would need to check is how good are they at understanding, and writing codes in Java and Kotlin.
To hire an Android app developer, it is paramount that you spend time interviewing basics, frameworks, multithreading and concurrency, functional programming, and generics of these two programming languages.
You need to check that they are good at programming languages otherwise you may face consequences during product development and ultimately loss of time and money.
2. Android SDK or Software Development Kit (understanding of Android Studio)
Android is an amazing tool provided by Android to Android app developers so they can speed up the development process.
Before hiring a dedicated Android developer you just need to make sure that a particular developer must have complete knowledge of this tool – prior experience would be a plus.
This SDK provides all the tools to Android developers to complete Android app development with peace of mind.
3. Expertise in APIs
Not everything in your will be made up from the ground up.
You need to partner with third-party services and apps to integrate a specific feature on your app.
To integrate such third-party services safely you need to hire a developer that knows how to use such apps.
For instance, OpenWeatherMap API allows developers to access weather data, such as current weather conditions and forecasts, for any location in the world.
It’s commonly used in weather and travel apps.
4. Hands-on Experience With Databases
Before you hire an Android app developer and you start working with him you should investigate how much he knows about database management.
It’s a must-required skill in any Android mobile app developer.
The developer should know and have prior experience is using SQLite, SQL, and NoSQL databases.
They should also know how to create, read, update, and delete data from the database.
5. Proper Code Documentation
Effective code documentation is a vital aspect of the software development process, benefiting both the developer and the client alike.
Providing a clear and concise understanding of the code, facilitates troubleshooting, maintenance, and updates, which are essential for the longevity of any software product.
In the context of Android mobile development, proper code documentation becomes all the more crucial. With frequent updates and new releases, it is imperative that the code is well-documented to ensure smooth transitions and effective problem-solving.
Methodologies To Find Expert Android Mobile App Developers
Where to hire an Android mobile app developer depends on the scope of your project.
For example, if the project is large and complex and can’t be performed by a single developer then you must go with a full-time outsource mobile app development company.
But if the project is single you can go with a freelancer mobile app developer – as this’s the suitable option for people with a shoestring budget.
To help you hire an Android developer, we have jotted down the three most prominent and popular platforms.
- Freelancer Marketplaces – For small projects only – Cost-effective option
- Hire An in-house Mobile App Development Team – For large and complex projects only – expensive option
- Outsource Mobile App Development – For medium to large projects – medium
Below we discussed all the options in dept.
1. Freelancer Marketplaces
The first platform that you can consider for hiring an Android app developer is the freelance marketplaces like Fiver, Upwork and etc.
You can find tons of expert mobile app developers there that can perform the task with complete professionalism and transparency with a very low budget.
But with benefits, it also has some drawbacks which we’ll discuss later.
A freelance marketplace is a suitable option If you want to hire an Android app developer for a small project or software updates.
For a large and complex project, freelance platforms are never an ideal option.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Flexibility
- Wide selection
- Quick start
- Ideal for small projects
Cons
- Quality may vary
- Communication issues
- Security concerns
2. Outsource Mobile App Development Team
Another great place to hire Android app developers is to work with a outsourced mobile app development team.
The app development team contains individuals person from different niches of mobile app development and they work correspondingly to complete a project.
This is a suitable option for you if you’ve got a large-scale and complex app development project and you wish to complete it under a limited budget.
Outsourcing companies are the match of both freelancers and in-house teams. Because they are working from different parts of the world but as a team.
Pros
- Cost Savings
- Access to Expertise
- Time Savings
- Flexibility
- Quality of final product
Cons
- Communication problem
- Security Risks
- Lack of Control
3. Building In-house Development Team
The most basic but the most expensive way to hire an Android app developer is to hire a person for your company who will help you to build a mobile app.
But remember for mobile app development you’ll have to hire multiple developers who can hire your company’s expenditure.
This is an ideal option if you’re a large business that can bear the big expense.
It is convenient to maintain your software in the future or plan to create more Android applications. This programmer will always be at hand.
Pros
- Direct communication
- Quality control
- Intellectual property
Cons
- Expensive
- Time-consuming
- Limited expertise
5 Tips to Hire Android App Developer
If you want to hire a right android developer, here’re the 5 tips to consider.
1. Price Shouldn’t Be Your First Priority (lower cost means low-quality product)
Saving money is a good thing and every business should do that.
But if saving money doesn’t bring you the results you wanted it’s very a good idea.
The number one 1 tip if you wanted to hire a good Android app developer who can bring your idea to the reality you should keep cost aside.
Instead, of prioritizing prices, the ideal option is to analyze the skills and experience and then bargain for the price.
2. Check The Past Projects Of Developers ( Developer Portfolio)
The developer portfolio says everything about them.
If you aren’t sure whether a particular developer could be able to do the job or not, you can simply go through the portfolio.
If you feel the developer has done a similar project before you’re going to go with it.
Besides, by checking a similar project you can investigate many more things like the app’s functionality, design capabilities, and the time taken to complete the project.
3. Connect With The Previous Clients ( Previous clients will give you a clear picture)
To hire the right Android app developer, you can do multiple things to verify whether the developer is a perfect choice or not.
Among all things, the best you do is to getting touch with previous clients.
By asking some questions about the developer you can have enough information to hire him or not.
Here’s the list of questions that you can ask the developer’s previous client.
- How did you find working with the developer?
- Was communication easy and efficient?
- Did the developer meet the project deadlines?
- Were there any delays or issues that arose during the project?
- Was the developer able to deliver a high-quality product that met your expectations?
- Were there any technical or design issues that needed to be addressed?
4. Discuss The Post Development Tasks And Supports
Not asking the client about post-development tasks is a major problem.
We’ve seen the app owner or the client makes this mistake often.
In almost 90% of the cases, the app developer is also responsible for post-development things like app submission, app testing, bug fixing, support & maintenance, etc.
Tip #4 is that before you hire an Android app developer you must discuss post-development work.
5. NDA And Privacy Agreements Are Mandatory (For Safe product development)
Before you start working with an Android developer or company, the first thing you’ve to do is sign a contract or NDA.
Signing an agreement is very important to ensure the safety of confidential business information.
Additionally, we should also take care of the property rights of the Android app to avoid future discrepancies.
How To Find and Hire Android App Developers?
For some people hiring an Android app developer may sound like an uphill battle.
And for some who is never been into technologies and have no idea how thing works, hiring an Android app developer can be a nightmare.
To make this tough assignment an enjoyable moment, the best you can do is go with the original process of hiring an Android app developer.
If you don’t know what the process is, don’t worry.
Below we’ve mentioned some steps, make sure to follow them to hire an Android application developer.
Step #1: Define Your Requirements (Your business goals and Objectives)
Before you jump into the market and start looking for an Android app developer to hire, there’re some aspects that as an app owner you must have a clear idea of.
You must have a clear understanding of what needs to be developed.
Besides that, what level of experience, technical skills, and specific Android development experience the particular Android developer should hold?
To streamline this process, the ideal option is to gather all the requirements, and tasks into one file and share it with the Android apps developer.
Make sure to answer the following question if your project brief.
- What is the purpose/goal of the app you are developing?
- Who is your target audience?
- What are the key features of the app?
- What is the technology stack you are using?
- How will you handle user feedback and support?
Step #2: Choose the Appropriate Platform
Once you’ve got a project brief in your hand, now is the right time to start looking for the right Android app developer.
But here you’ve to be mindful as this step can help you save money and overlooking it can waste your money.
There’re three platforms you can use to find and hire Android app developers. The three platforms to hire Android app developers are 1). Build an in-house team 2). Freelance marketplaces 3). Hiring an outsourcing team.
You can read more about the pros and cons of using these platforms above.
More information about outsourcing mobile app development can be found here: Factors Affecting The Cost To Outsource Mobile App Development.
Step #3: Carry out Technical Interviews -Ask About The Tools Required For Android App Development
Check out the technical expertise of an Android development before hiring id indispensable.
You can ask some technical questions to evaluate how good he is at using tools and software for Android app development.
Here’s a basic overview of the technical questions that you can ask Android app developers.
- What are the latest trends and features in Android development that you have worked with?
- How do you approach debugging and testing Android applications?
- How do you handle memory management in Android applications?
- Have you ever integrated third-party libraries into an Android app?
Step #4: Analyze the Portfolio ( Past Projects and Experience)
If the potential Android app developer that you’re looking to hire have successfully completed the technical stage of the hiring procedure – then chances are he will also pass this stage too.
This stage is all about the assessment of the developer’s past experience and development.
Make sure to conduct this stage with full concertation as this will give you an initial idea about your final product.
Step #5: Finalize The Agreement And Sign The Contract
Once you ask all the questions and evaluate the Android developer from every aspect.
If you feel that the particular Android developer is the perfect choice for your project, you can certainly hire him.
But, dont rush to hire, remember to sign NDAs and talk about security concerns.
Common Hiring Mistakes While Hiring Android App Developers
Doing mistakes in hiring Android app developers can lead to a failed final product.
Make sure to steer clear of mistakes that we’ve mentioned down below to hire the right mobile app developer.
1. Focusing too Much on Academic Qualifications
Asking for a computer science degree or related certifications is paramount, but you shouldn’t rely on these qualifications only.
As these qualifications would be of complete waste without any real-life experience.
The ideal situation is that you concentrate only 25% on academic qualifications and 75% on experience.
2. Ignoring Soft Skills
Lack of communication skills in an Android app developer often results in bad development.
This is because a bad communicator is a bad listener, hence he won’t listen to the client brief and ultimately they build a product of no use.
3. Rushing The Hiring Process
If you Complete the hiring process in a rush you may hire android programmer not suitable for your project.
Make sure to invest some time and effort to carefully assess candidates.
4. Not Checking References
This step is also very important if you want to hire the right Android app developer.
Make sure to always inspect potential developers’ references to verify their work experience, skills, and achievements.
5. Not Testing Candidates’ Technical Skills
As a business owner if you want a high-performing and feature-rich Android application, make sure to test candidates’ technical abilities.
As this will tell you how good the developer is with all the tools and software.
FAQs
What is The Average Hourly Rate of an Android Developer?
The hourly rate of an Android app developer depends on various factors the developer’s region and experience and many more. Considering all the factors the average hourly rate of an Android developer is $30-$100.
What Languages Are Android Apps Written In?
Android apps are written in Java and Kotlin. Both these languages are Android programming languages and are used by Android app developers to write applications.
What is The Average Hourly Rate of an Android developer In The US?
An average hourly rate of an Android developer in the US is $56. The hourly rate may vary based on experience and other factors.
Is Android Developer in High Demand?
Yes! Android Developers are in very high demand. With more businesses shifting on the digital landscape and especially mobile devices the demand for Android developers will continue to rise.
Is Android Development Worth It?
Android development is absolutely worth it. Android covers almost 70% of the operating market share. That means if you develop an Android mobile app you can target a wider audience.
Why is Android Developer in High Demand?
The reason why Android developers are in high demand is that almost 70% of the customers use Android phones. That being said when a business builds an Android mobile app it can target a wider audience.
