In terms of starting salary, mobile applications developer is one of the top paying jobs in Canada. In fact, arecent report in the Globe and Mail newspaper named it the seventh highest paying job in Canada in terms of starting salary. To put that in perspective, that was only two rankings behind a first-year associate at a large law firm, and three rankings ahead of a first-year associate at a medium sized law firm.
Perhaps the most important front in the battle to stay competitive in the globalized business environment, the IT sector in Canada is thriving. Over the last few years, the general trend of salaries in the IT industry has been to move steadily upward, in response to a dearth of IT professionals being felt by Canadian businesses. As companies are recovering from the most recent economic downturn, most recognize the need to invest in quality IT people to power their projects, rollouts and upgrades moving forward. As companies recognize in particular the need to deliver information, services and goods to their clients via their mobile devices, demand for the skills needed to develop applications to do so continues to pressure salaries for mobile app developers upward.
A recent Workopolis search revealed that the average salary being offered to mobile application developers in Ontario is in excess of $75 000, with many jobs paying over $100 000. Furthermore, these figures are universally expected to increase, both short and long term, as consumers continue to shift away from desktop and laptop computers in favour of mobile devices.
The higher end of the pay scale for mobile app developers is typically reserved for those with substantial experience, but a number of in-demand skills can help those breaking into the field command a top-end salary. Experience with mobile development languages such as Objective-C, Java for Android, or C# for Windows Phone will place mobile app developers in a favourable position on the salary scale, as will hands-on experience developing mobile applications for any of the major platforms (i.e. iOS, Android, Windows Phone).
The region in which one is employed also affects the salaryof mobile app developers. In Canada, those working in Winnipeg and Vancouver find themselves at the lower end of the salary spectrum, while those in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal find themselves near the positive extreme.
