To build an iOS app, you'll need to hire iOS app developer working with Objective-C or Swift in Xcode or any other IDE. In this guide, we also cover the vital points you need to learn before you hire iOS programmers.
Junior, middle, and senior iOS developers
Typically, the versatility of developers depends on their working experience. Respectively, the more projects a developer has worked on, the more complex and diverse tech problems he/she can solve.
In the IT industry, the skills of programmers are divided into three levels: junior, middle, and senior.
Junior iOS developer
This is the entry level iOS developer. In companies, junior developers most commonly work alongside their more experienced colleagues to improve their knowledge and enhance skills. It usually takes a few years for junior developers to level up.
Middle iOS developer
After working on a variety of complex projects, developers move from beginners to a more advanced level that's called middle or mid-level iOS developer. Here they have more independence in terms of working on projects.
Senior iOS developer
Senior iOS developer is an experienced developer that has seen tons of code and released dozens of apps. Typically, such developers not just code and design an app, but deal with testing, integration of APIs, and security matters.
Taking into account everything mentioned above, you're willing to choose whether your project requires less or more experienced iOS software engineer. The key factor here is your budget, as salaries for each level may vary dramatically. The project complexity also matters since the junior developer will barely cope well with a large project having a complicated business logic behind.
iOS developer salary rates
The iOS developer hourly rate is one of the decisive factors for most customers. Those rates vary depending on a hiring option you choose as well as the region you're intended to form an in-house team in or hire remote iOS developers from.
Average iOS developer salary
If you want to recruit experienced talents who will work as a part of your full-time team, you have to offer them a competitive salary. As for the US, the average iOS app developer salary is about $108K.

Average iOS software engineer salary (Source: Glassdoor)
However, iOS app developer salary in the USA largely depends on a state since each one has a different number of talents and supply for them not talking about the cost of living.
Freelance iOS developer salary
According to the data published by Codementor (it covers freelance iOS developers from all over the world), the average iOS developer hourly rate ranges between $80-100.

Average hourly rates of freelance iOS developers coding in Swift (Source: Codementor)
This way, the eight-hour workday will cost you $640 on average. It's $3,200 a week and $12,800 a month. But remember these figures are approximate. You can find specialists who will have rates above or below average.
The cost to hire an outsourced iOS developer
The cost to hire iOS developer working for the software outsourcing company depends on the country and even continent this company is situated in.
As the salaries of tech workers in North America are pretty high, you can expect bills with lots of zeros. The same thing with Australia and most countries of Western Europe. Asia is a pretty cheap option, but you may encounter a language barrier and a cultural gap when working with local companies.
If you're seeking for the perfect value for money, you should consider Eastern Europe in general and Ukraine in particular. The price of development is low, while the number of experienced specialists is high. That's the reason why tech giants like Oracle open offices in Ukraine and why the country hits the list of top outsourcing destinations.

iOS app development hourly rates by regions on a world map
iOS developer skill set
The iOS developer technical skills largely depend on your project. However, the general skills needed for iOS developer should look something like this:
Proficient with Swift or Objective-C programming language;
Knowledge of Xcode IDE;
Experience with APIs like Cocoa Touch and UIKit;
Understanding of RESTful APIs;
Understanding of UI and UX design standards;
Knowledge of Apple Human Interface Guidelines;
Experience with Metal or OpenGL;
Advanced knowledge of code versioning tools like Git;
Knowledge of Core Data framework.
