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Cross-industry · Technology

iOS Developer: salary vs freelance rates

Build applications that fit the interaction patterns and capabilities of iPhone and iPad. The work connects platform conventions, accessible interfaces, persistent data, and careful testing across supported operating system versions.

U.S. employee wage reference

$135,980 / year

Software Developers · May 2025 national median

Illustrative freelance rate

$142.49 / hour

To replace this wage plus $15K benefits, with 1,200 billable hours/year, $20K business costs, and no percentage fees. Before personal taxes.

The wage is for the named occupation; the hourly rate is a planning calculation, not a surveyed freelance price for this specialty. Adjust the assumptions below.

Calculate my freelance rate →

Skills that make the work valuable

  • Swift programming
  • SwiftUI interface development
  • Local data persistence
  • VoiceOver accessibility testing

Build proof, not just a list

Create a pantry organizer with searchable items, local persistence, accessible labels, and a small widget. Explain data migration between app versions and demonstrate how the app behaves with larger text.

How to price this work as a freelancer

Specify supported devices, operating system versions, platform features, and acceptance criteria for distribution. Price backend services and store assets separately where needed. Hardware access, signing issues, operating system changes, and review feedback can absorb capacity after the initial implementation is complete.

Start with the income you need to replace

Required hourly rate = (target salary + benefits budget + annual business expenses) ÷ (annual billable hours × share of revenue retained after fees).

For illustration, $100/hour × 25 billable hours/week × 48 working weeks = $120,000 revenue. After $20,000 in business expenses, that leaves $100,000 profit before personal taxes. Replacing a $100,000 salary plus $15,000 in benefits under those assumptions takes $112.50/hour, with no percentage fees.

These are editable planning assumptions, not rates surveyed for ios developer work. Your personal taxes, location, contract terms, and workload still affect the comparison.

Employee or freelancer?

Working as an employee

An iOS role can provide device coverage and shared expertise in platform releases. You may work within a mature codebase where maintaining compatibility matters more than adopting every new capability.

Running a freelance business

Platform expertise can make targeted app improvements a useful service. Client account ownership, signing access, and release review can delay closure even after the agreed feature passes testing.

Where this career could take you

  1. 01Junior iOS Developer
  2. 02iOS Developer
  3. 03iOS Engineering Lead

An example path, with room for lateral moves or specialization. Progression depends on opportunities and demonstrated work; these steps do not imply a timetable or salary increase.

Try one small next step

Build one accessible pantry screen in a simulator with sample items. Test large text and a restart, then document what works before investing in more features.