Software development · Mobile app developers

Hire Mobile App Developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US

Hire a mobile app developer who builds and maintains the iOS and Android apps your customers and field teams rely on. We find the right person, or build your entire development team, in Canada, Latin America, or the US, on a contract, permanent, or fractional basis.

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Mobile app developers, screened by mobile app developers

DevEngine is a Vancouver-based IT recruitment and staffing firm. We recruit mobile app developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US for contract, permanent, or fractional roles. They build native and cross-platform apps for iOS and Android, from customer-facing apps to tools for field and frontline teams. A senior mobile app developer screens every candidate before you see one. You manage the day-to-day work. We handle contracts, HR, and admin.

The role

A mobile app developer builds apps for phones and tablets

A mobile app developer designs, builds, and maintains applications for smartphones and tablets. They work in platform-specific languages, Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android, or in cross-platform frameworks such as React Native and Flutter, and they manage performance, battery use, security, and app store releases.

Typical outputs include native or cross-platform apps, offline and push-notification features, connections to back-end APIs, automated tests, crash and performance monitoring, and app store submissions and updates.

The role could be confused with two others, and organizations define all three differently. In general:

Mobile app developer

What they work on: Apps that run on iOS and Android devices
Core question: Does the app run smoothly, securely, and reliably on every device we support?
Typical outputs: iOS and Android apps, app store releases, mobile tests
Works most with: Designers, back-end developers, and product managers
Often brought in when: Customers or field teams need a native app experience

Front-end developer

What they work on: The web interfaces users see in a browser
Core question: Is the web interface fast, accessible, and easy to use?
Typical outputs: Responsive web interfaces, component libraries
Works most with: Designers, back-end developers, and product managers
Often brought in when: Users struggle with a slow or dated web interface

Back-end developer

What they work on: The servers, databases, and APIs apps depend on
Core question: Does the system process data correctly, securely, and at scale?
Typical outputs: APIs, services, database logic
Works most with: Front-end and mobile developers, architects, and DevOps teams
Often brought in when: Apps need reliable data, APIs, and security behind them

	Mobile app developer	Front-end developer	Back-end developer
What they work on	Apps that run on iOS and Android devices	The web interfaces users see in a browser	The servers, databases, and APIs apps depend on
Core question	Does the app run smoothly, securely, and reliably on every device we support?	Is the web interface fast, accessible, and easy to use?	Does the system process data correctly, securely, and at scale?
Typical outputs	iOS and Android apps, app store releases, mobile tests	Responsive web interfaces, component libraries	APIs, services, database logic
Works most with	Designers, back-end developers, and product managers	Designers, back-end developers, and product managers	Front-end and mobile developers, architects, and DevOps teams
Often brought in when	Customers or field teams need a native app experience	Users struggle with a slow or dated web interface	Apps need reliable data, APIs, and security behind them

If the work is a web interface that runs in a browser, see Hire Front-End Developers. If the app needs APIs, data, and services behind it, see Hire Back-End Developers.

When to hire

When you need a mobile app developer

The need usually shows up as one of these situations:

Customers expect the same experience on every channel.
Customers want to order, pay, and get support in an app that matches your web portal, built on your existing APIs and identity systems.
Field and frontline teams still work on paper.
Technicians and sales reps record work by hand and re-enter it later. They need offline-ready apps that sync with your ERP or service systems.
Mobile apps must pass security and compliance review.
Apps that handle customer, health, or financial data face security assessments and privacy requirements before launch, so security has to be built in from the start.
A portfolio of apps is costly to maintain.
Separate iOS and Android codebases, apps from past vendors, and constant operating system updates multiply the cost of every feature.

Need a different role?

If you need someone to build web interfaces that run in a browser, hire a front-end developer. If you need the APIs, data, and services behind your app, hire a back-end developer. We recruit for both roles.

Our screen

What our senior mobile app developers look for

Most candidates have built an app. Fewer have kept one stable through real users, operating system updates, and app store reviews, and can show what it did for the business. A senior mobile app developer screens every candidate and asks for specifics: what shipped, how it was rated, what broke, and what they changed.

Apps in real users' hands
We ask for an app they shipped to the App Store or Google Play, how many people used it, and what it did for the business.
Stable, fast, and efficient
We ask how they diagnosed crashes, slow screens, or battery drain, and what the crash rate or ratings looked like afterward.
Security and release discipline
We ask how they protected user data on the device and managed releases through app store review without breaking existing users.
Fluency with your constraints
A mobile app developer who has worked with your platforms, your app's scale, or regulated customer data reasons differently from one who hasn't. We weight that context, not only certifications.

Candidates who have never shipped to an app store, can't explain how they test on real devices, or ignore performance and battery use are screened out. Your interviews focus on fit, not filtering.

Where we source

Hire from Canada, Latin America, or the US

One search can cover all three talent pools. Brief the role once, and compare candidates from each market side by side before you decide.

Canada

Where candidates are based: Across Canada
Working hours: Canadian time zones, Pacific to Atlantic
Cost: Canadian market rates. See the Canada salary guide below.
Fits when: The role needs knowledge of the North American market, regular in-person time in Canada, or a Canadian base

Latin America

Where candidates are based: Across Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica
Working hours: Within 2 hours of US Eastern time, year-round. Up to 4 hours ahead of Pacific time.
Cost: Typically 35–40% below comparable North American cost. See the Latin America salary guide below.
Fits when: You want a wider candidate pool or more seniority for the budget, or the mobile app developer will work with a nearshore team

United States

Where candidates are based: Across the United States
Working hours: US time zones, Pacific to Eastern
Cost: US market rates.
Fits when: The role needs knowledge of the US market, regular in-person time at a US site, or a US base

	Canada	Latin America	United States
Where candidates are based	Across Canada	Across Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica	Across the United States
Working hours	Canadian time zones, Pacific to Atlantic	Within 2 hours of US Eastern time, year-round. Up to 4 hours ahead of Pacific time.	US time zones, Pacific to Eastern
Cost	Canadian market rates. See the Canada salary guide below.	Typically 35–40% below comparable North American cost. See the Latin America salary guide below.	US market rates.
Fits when	The role needs knowledge of the North American market, regular in-person time in Canada, or a Canadian base	You want a wider candidate pool or more seniority for the budget, or the mobile app developer will work with a nearshore team	The role needs knowledge of the US market, regular in-person time at a US site, or a US base

Not sure which market fits? Tell us about the role, and we'll scope it in each market and show you candidates and cost side by side.

Technology salaries in Canada and Latin America

Benchmark salaries by role and seniority before you set a budget.

Download the Canada Salary Guide Download the Latin America Salary Guide

Engagement models

Contract, permanent, or fractional

Contract

Who employs the mobile app developer: DevEngine
Time commitment: Full-time, for a defined period
Fits when: A new app, a rebuild, or a move to cross-platform with a defined end
Placement protection: Two-week guarantee

Permanent

Who employs the mobile app developer: You
Time commitment: Full-time, ongoing
Fits when: Your mobile app is a core channel that needs a standing owner
Placement protection: 180-day prorated guarantee from the start date: full refund in the first 30 days, then partial refunds on a sliding scale

Fractional

Who employs the mobile app developer: DevEngine
Time commitment: Part-time, hourly or monthly
Fits when: An app audit, a release backlog, or a few hours a week of maintenance, without a full-time seat
Placement protection: Tailored to the scope of work

	Contract	Permanent	Fractional
Who employs the mobile app developer	DevEngine	You	DevEngine
Time commitment	Full-time, for a defined period	Full-time, ongoing	Part-time, hourly or monthly
Fits when	A new app, a rebuild, or a move to cross-platform with a defined end	Your mobile app is a core channel that needs a standing owner	An app audit, a release backlog, or a few hours a week of maintenance, without a full-time seat
Placement protection	Two-week guarantee	180-day prorated guarantee from the start date: full refund in the first 30 days, then partial refunds on a sliding scale	Tailored to the scope of work

Each model works a little differently depending on whether you hire in Canada, Latin America, or the US. Compare the options by market to find the engagement that fits your team.

Explore services by market

How it works

How a mobile app developer search runs

You brief us on the scope and goals of the project, your current apps and mobile stack, and the users the app serves.
We source for your role in Canada, Latin America, or the US, not from a bench.
A senior mobile app developer screens each candidate. Someone who does the same work, not a recruiter matching keywords.
You choose who to interview and who to hire.
You direct the work. On contract and fractional engagements, DevEngine holds the contract and handles payroll and compliance. On a permanent hire, the mobile app developer joins your payroll.
If the placement isn't working, we replace the candidate: within two weeks on contract, or under the 180-day prorated guarantee on a permanent hire.

FAQ

Mobile app developer hiring questions

How much does it cost to hire a mobile app developer?

Cost depends on four things: seniority, platform and specialization (for example, native iOS or Android, cross-platform, or mobile security), the market you hire from, and the engagement model. Hiring in Latin America typically costs 35–40% less than comparable North American hires. For salary benchmarks across technology roles, download the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide. DevEngine quotes against your actual brief on the first call.

Which skills and certifications do mobile app developers bring?

Most work in Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android, in Xcode and Android Studio, and many build cross-platform apps with React Native or Flutter. They use design tools such as Figma, mobile testing frameworks, and the App Store and Google Play release processes. Certifications are less common in this role than a record of apps in production. Skills show familiarity, but not whether someone can keep an app stable for real users. That's what the senior mobile app developer screen tests.

Should we build native or cross-platform?

Cross-platform fits when one team needs to ship to iOS and Android from a shared codebase; native fits when the app pushes the device. React Native and Flutter cut duplicate code across platforms. Native Swift and Kotlin give the best performance and full access to device features. We recruit for either, and our screen tests the approach your roadmap needs.

Can I hire a fractional mobile app developer?

Yes. A fractional mobile app developer works part-time, on an hourly or monthly cadence, inside your team and tools. Companies often use one for an app audit, a release backlog, or support through a major operating system update. DevEngine places fractional mobile app developers from Canada, Latin America, and the US.

Can our web front-end developers build the mobile app?

Partly. A front-end developer who knows React can pick up React Native faster than native development, but app store releases, offline sync, on-device security, and mobile performance are separate skills. For an app customers or field teams depend on, that experience is what a mobile app developer brings.

Can a mobile app developer work with a DevEngine Engineering POD?

Yes. A mobile app developer can sit inside an Engineering POD or work alongside one. You choose the POD's composition and direct the work. The mobile app developer builds the app, and the rest of the POD builds the APIs and services behind it on your sprint cadence, in your tools.

What's your interest?

Choose the path that aligns with how you want to build and scale your team.

Tell us what your app has to do.

We'll tell you which market and model fit, and how long the search should take.

Not ready to talk yet? Compare technology salaries in the Canada Salary Guide or the Latin America Salary Guide.