An Android developer is a software developer who specializes in planning and creating mobile apps for Android devices. Discover the average Android developer’s salary, plus factors that affect pay, such as location, credentials, and experience.
Android developers plan and create software for Android mobile devices and operating systems. Similar job titles include Android engineers, mobile developers, and software developers. Software development is a rapidly growing field, and mobile developers will continue to be relevant with advances in 5G technology, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and a new generation of wearable devices. Explore details about the average salary of Android developers in the United States and specific factors that can impact your pay.
As an Android developer, you will plan, design, and create apps for Android mobile phones, tablets, and other devices on the operating system. In this career, you’ll have the choice to work in a large or small setting, hopefully working on projects that interest you. For example, you could create indie video games in a small studio or work for clients creating applications on spec. You could even choose to work on your own passion projects independently.
Generally, the larger your team, the more specialized your role as an Android developer will be. In a smaller setting, you may have a variety of responsibilities and do different kinds of work. You may oversee the entire software development process, or you may work in a specific area, such as planning the project, designing the app, writing code, looking for errors in code, testing the program, or writing documentation.
According to five salary-reporting websites, an Android developer makes an average base salary of $89,610 to $11,852 yearly in the United States. Below, you can see how these numbers break down [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:
Glassdoor | Indeed | ZipRecruiter | Payscale | Zippia |
---|---|---|---|---|
$89,963 | $124,362 | $127,151 | $99,675 | $98,495 |
The average salary for Android developers will likely vary depending on many factors. For example, an entry-level developer’s salary is less than a developer with more experience or education.
Your salary as an Android developer may depend on your highest level of education, your experience with mobile development, the skills you've developed, the company you work for, and the geographic location where you work.
To become an Android developer, you'll likely need a bachelor’s degree in a field similar to computer science, information technology, math, or engineering. You can also learn the skills you need to become an Android developer in ways other than a formal degree program, such as through bootcamps or certification programs.
Zippia determined that 74 percent of Android developers earn their bachelor's degree. An additional 19 percent earn a master’s degree, and 3 percent earn an associate degree, leaving only a slim margin of professionals without a formal degree [6].
According to Zippia, your education level has an impact on your salary. The following list outlines the median annual income based on degree [5]:
Bachelor’s degree: $96,809
Master’s degree: $104,280
Doctorate: $111,764
Associate degree: $85,843
The degree of experience working with Android development also influences how much you earn. The table below lists the average salaries for different levels of expertise according to Glassdoor and Payscale:
Glassdoor [1] | Payscale [4] | |
---|---|---|
Entry-level | $76,156 | $72,447 |
Mid-career | $87,690 | $104,733 |
Senior-level | $143,003 | $129,128 |
The skills you've developed can also influence how much you earn. Having more developer skills enables you to work in more areas of development, which can help you command a higher salary. Listed below are common skills for Android developers, along with their potential impact on salary, based on data from Payscale [4]:
Skill | Salary Percentage Increase | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Software architecture | 9% | |||
Swift programming language | 24% | |||
Android OS development | 2% | |||
Kotlin programming language | 1% | |||
Mobile app development | 1% |
Pay between companies can also vary widely. According to Glassdoor, the top companies for Android developers and their median total pay salaries are [1]:
ServiceNow: &154,000
Motorola Mobility: $145,000
Google: $255,000
Apolis: $103,000
Geographic location is another factor that impacts your salary. According to Zippia, the top 10 highest-paying states for Android developers are as follows [5]:
California: $119,358
Washington: $116,012
Utah: $105,997
Oregon: $104,314
New York: $101,856
Massachusetts: $99,696
Arizona: $98,498
Rhode Island: $98,031
Delaware: $94,571
New Jersey: $94,264
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers' jobs are projected to grow 17 percent from 2023 to 2033 [7]. This estimate equates to 140,100 job openings each year, on average, over the forecast period [7].
Your job title can also affect your salary. Examples of job titles with similar responsibilities to Android developers, along with their average base salary, include:
Android engineer: $104,445 [8]
Mobile developer: $95,556 [9]
Mobile engineer: $107,801 [10]
Software engineer: $117,261 [11]
Several factors can impact the average Android developer's salary, including experience, education, location, and the company you work for.
If you’re ready to take the next steps to become an Android developer or add to your current credentials, consider earning your Meta Android Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera. This 12-course certificate program can help you learn skills in application development, mobile development, version control, web development, user experience, web design, and more. In as little as eight months, you could earn your certificate and demonstrate to employers that you have the skills needed for an entry-level developer position.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Android Developer, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/android-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Indeed. “Android Developer Salary, https://www.indeed.com/career/android-developer/salaries.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
ZipRecruiter. “Salary: Android Developer, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Android-Developer-Salary.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Payscale. “Android Software Developer Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Android_Software_Developer/Salary.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Zippia. “Android Developer Salary, https://www.zippia.com/android-developer-jobs/salary/.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Zippia. “What Is An Android Developer? https://www.zippia.com/android-developer-jobs/.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm#tab-6.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Android Engineer, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/android-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Mobile Developer, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/mobile-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Mobile Engineer, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/mobile-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Software Engineer, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/software-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm.” Accessed November 27, 2024.
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