Mobile applications opportunities
According to an industry report, by 2016 there will be 10 billion mobile devices around the world which is more than the number of people on earth. By that time, most networks will be carrying about 130 exabytes of data each year (1 exabyte = 1 billion gigabytes). This will create big problems for telecommunication companies to handle such high demand as mobile data traffic will continue to increase as people are using more tablets and smartphones for everything.
Accordingly, mobile app development projects will outnumber traditional PC application projects and every company must be prepared to deal with this trend. Therefore, there will be an increasing demand for mobile app developers, many are entry level positions suitable or college graduates with this skill. Most mobile application developers write code, test for their mobile applications. Experienced developers implement application programming interfaces (APIs) to support mobile functionality and adapting existing web applications to mobile platforms. A global industry study estimates that the job market for mobile app developers will grow more than 30 percent, creating additional 800,000 new positions in the next five years. That would make mobile app developer one of the fastest growing occupations of the decade. Areas that have the highest demand for mobile app developers are video game companies; advertising and marketing companies; music and video companies; government offices and agencies; banking and financial companies; insurances companies and online retailers.
Most job opportunities require at least a Bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science from universities that have training program focuses on mobile application development. Graduates in these programs should have strong object-oriented programming skills in C++, Java and Objective-C. They should have knowledge of IOS and Android platforms with additional soft-skills such as teamwork, communication, presentation, and time management etc… Currently, the demand for skilled mobile app developers far exceeds the supply so many western countries are “importing” skilled workers from foreign countries or outsource works to other countries. According to industry data, the median annual salary for an entry level position in mobile app developer is $94,000 dollars a year. Experienced programmers could make from $110,000 to $125,000 in the U.S.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
