what is a mobile engineer?
As a mobile engineer, you create mobile applications for various platforms, from design and development to implementation. The applications you engineer help users perform simple tasks, like sending and receiving emails, managing health, or banking online.
You build apps on integrated development environments (IDEs) and major platforms like iOS, Android or Windows. Most times, you optimise the applications to work on all devices. Hence, it is crucial to be conversant with all the platforms used in tablets and smartphones to ensure you build software that provides a seamless user experience (UX), regardless of the device or platform.
As a mobile engineer, you work with various designers to incorporate appealing features and themes that improve the UX during development. You also ensure the design and features align with the users' needs.
Mobile engineers work for software development companies or game developers that design mobile applications. Major platforms like Android and iOS have in-house mobile engineers who build new applications and maintain the current apps in the marketplace.
Would working as a mobile engineer suit your innovativeness and tech skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a mobile engineer role.
mobile engineer jobsaverage mobile engineer salary
According to the Economic Research Institute, the average salary of a mobile engineer in Greece is approximately €48,000 per year. Some companies provide additional perks and benefits. Your earnings fluctuate based on experience and skills. When you are new to the role, you start with a lower salary of €33,000 per year. With additional qualifications and experience, your earnings can increase to over €58,000 annually.
how to increase your salary as a mobile engineer
Your earnings as a mobile engineer depend on various factors. When you are a junior mobile engineer, you start with a lower salary due to your minimal expertise in the role. As a senior mobile engineer, you have additional responsibilities and can handle complex tasks. Having additional credentials and certifications to showcase your abilities improves your earning prospects.
The projects you work on also influence your earnings. When you work on a large project, the role requires more expertise, and you can demand a higher salary. Large projects also have huge budgets, allowing them to pay better salaries. Smaller projects have limited funds, which means the salaries will be low.
types of mobile engineers
Some areas of focus for mobile engineers include:
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iOS mobile engineer
Your job is to build applications for iOS devices. You use the iOS programming language, Swift, and the Xcode development environment to create the applications. Xcode allows you to design a native iOS mobile application using a visual interface builder.
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android developer
As an Android mobile engineer, you create apps for Android-powered devices using Java or Kotlin programming languages. The operating system has a development environment (Android Studio) with all the tools needed to create a functional application.
working as a mobile engineer
Working as a mobile engineer requires creativity and problem-solving skills to build applications or maintain them. Let's explore the primary duties of a mobile engineer and the work environment.
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what does a mobile engineer do?
Duties and responsibilities of a mobile engineer include:
- Planning and designing: as a mobile engineer, you build a mobile application from a concept or idea, leading to a functional app that benefits the user. Before designing the app, you create a plan with the creative team on the application's features based on market research. The design should be based on the issues and gaps that the app fills in the market.
- Development and testing: after gathering the design requirements, you start coding to create the application. You develop the initial application and improve its features until you achieve the desired app. Before releasing the application to the market, you test it to ensure it works as expected. Mobile engineers use third-party panels to ensure the product is high-quality. Testing usually takes time since it involves various modifications to improve the quality.
- Troubleshooting and debugging: as a mobile engineer, you identify, parse out and categorise problems that occur in applications. You perform troubleshooting during the testing phase and collaborate with end-users to determine areas of improvement. After identifying the problems, it is time to debug the mobile application and solve all the issues before releasing it to the market.
- Monitoring and updating app features and security: your job doesn't end when you launch an application. After deploying an app, you monitor it and find ways to improve features to be released in future updates. You also monitor the app for security risks and introduce security protocols to protect users from external threats.
- End-user support: sometimes, you are required to manage various aspects of end-user support and training. That means you create video tutorials and infographics to help users fix problems with the application. You are also involved in debugging issues that arise in all security updates.
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work environment of a mobile engineer
As a mobile engineer, you work in an office environment with a team of developers during the planning and development stages of an application's life cycle. Some companies have collaborative spaces for brainstorming ideas and enclosed offices for developers who need a quiet space to write code. You can also work from home and attend meetings from time to time. The job involves minimal travelling to conferences and workshops.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer, your colleagues include software developers, software engineers and web developers. You also collaborate with front-end engineers, full-stack developers and .NET developers. Other professionals you are likely to interact with include systems administrators, project managers and DevOps engineers.
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mobile engineer work schedule
As a mobile engineer, you work 40 hours a week in a full-time role. Mobile engineers put in extra effort during app development and testing to meet the scheduled release date. You can also find part-time mobile engineer opportunities, especially if you focus your expertise on maintenance instead of developing apps. Some mobile engineers work on a project basis or short-term contracts.
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career opportunities as a mobile engineer
When you work as a mobile engineer, you have a clear path in tech and information technology (IT) for career progression and various specialisms to explore. When you start as a junior mobile engineer, you can build your skills to reach a senior or team leader position. Some team leaders become applications project managers or product managers. Alternatively, mobile engineers explore various specialisms, like developing apps for specific platforms.
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advantages of finding a job as a mobile engineer through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- a range of jobs in your area
mobile engineer skills and education
To become a mobile engineer in Greece, you require the following educational qualifications:
- Education: get a bachelor's degree in computer science or a relevant course like software engineering or information technology. After learning the basics of software development, choose a platform to focus on, such as Android or iOS. Since every platform has unique coding languages, specialising in one platform improves your knowledge and employment prospects.
- Work experience: to become a mobile engineer, you should learn how to design mobile applications and build an impressive portfolio. Consider apprenticeships and internships to gain exposure and improve your skills. Attend boot camps to improve your knowledge of the programming languages used for application development, such as JavaScript or C++.
competencies and characteristics of mobile engineers
Some of the competencies and soft skills necessary for mobile engineers include:
- Computer proficiency: as a mobile engineer, you spend hours developing applications on your computer. Hence, you require computer proficiency and skills in using software development tools. Computer proficiency also comes in handy when you are developing computer software.
- Coding skills: programming language proficiency is crucial for mobile engineers, especially in app development languages, such as JavaScript or C++. If you are developing applications for a specific platform, you code in its preferred language. It is important to constantly polish your coding skills and learn new programming languages.
- Cross-platform development skills: as a mobile engineer, it is crucial to develop applications for different platforms and operating systems. Cross-platform development is an important skill since numerous platforms are emerging daily, and being conversant with important concepts — like reusing code and cross-platform service support — is crucial.
- Cybersecurity skills: your job is to create safe applications for users. Cybersecurity skills help you determine the security level of your apps and identify solutions to security issues.
- Business skills: as a mobile engineer, you need business acumen, including marketing and customer service skills, to develop an app that solves users' needs.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a mobile engineer.
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what does a mobile engineer do?
As a mobile engineer, you design and develop software programs for mobile devices. You use your programming skills to translate code into user-friendly apps. Your job is to analyse a client's requirements and develop the application programming interfaces (APIs) that support mobile functionality. You also test existing apps and fix bugs in mobile applications.
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how do I become a mobile engineer in Greece?
To become a mobile engineer, pursue a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science or IT. You need basic knowledge in application development, and you can choose a platform to design and build applications for mobile devices. You should consider taking online courses and attending boot camps to improve your programming skills.
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what makes a good mobile engineer?
A good mobile engineer is creative and innovative to create user-friendly and functional mobile applications. Your understanding of programming languages helps you create mobile applications on various platforms. You also require attention to detail to avoid mistakes when examining the code for mobile applications. Detail-oriented skills help you notice mistakes in the code and debug the applications.
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how much does a mobile development engineer earn?
As a mobile engineer, you earn an average salary of €48,000 per year. Your earnings fluctuate based on experience and educational qualifications. In an entry-level role, you have minimal experience and start with a lower salary of €33,500 per year. Your earnings increase gradually to over €58,000 annually with experience.
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is a mobile engineer the same as a software engineer?
As a mobile engineer, you are a software engineer who specialises in app development. A software engineer has knowledge in conceptualisation, design and development of software programs. Mobile engineers focus their software engineering knowledge on developing applications specifically for phones, smartwatches and tablets.
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how do I find a job as a mobile engineer?
Finding a job near you as a mobile engineer is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Then log in or register an account to send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
