A mobile developer builds and maintains the apps on people's phones — banking, retail, transport, health. The day-to-day work means writing features against a design spec, wiring screens up to back-end APIs, fixing crashes flagged in the bug tracker, and shipping through TestFlight or the Play Console. Most of it happens in a squad with a product owner and a designer, on two-week sprints, with code reviews and CI pipelines (Bitrise, GitHub Actions, Fastlane) running on every push. Native developers split into iOS and Android; cross-platform shops run one team for both.

The stack splits along platform lines. iOS work is Swift and, increasingly, SwiftUI, in Xcode, with older Objective-C still around to maintain. Android is Kotlin and Jetpack Compose in Android Studio, with some legacy Java in older codebases. Cross-platform roles call for React Native or Flutter, and Kotlin Multiplatform is growing fast — developer-survey adoption roughly doubled over the past year. Across all of them, employers expect Git, REST and GraphQL, an MVVM-style architecture, local storage (Core Data, Room, SQLite, Realm) and automated testing.

UK salaries vary by experience. Junior roles run roughly £28,000–£38,000, mid-level £40,000–£60,000, and seniors £65,000–£85,000, with London paying a premium and lead or mobile-architect titles reaching £90,000–£110,000. Contract day rates sit around £300–£500 for mid-level and £400–£800 for senior. Fully remote posts exist, but hybrid — two or three days on-site in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham or Bristol — is the common pattern. Progression runs developer to senior to lead or mobile architect, then splits into engineering management or staying hands-on as a principal.

Mobile Developer Jobs

Senior Quantity Surveyor/Quantity Surveyor

Cheltenham
£350 per day
Job Type: Contract
Posted: 15-09-2026
O'Neill & Brennan are currently recruiting for an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor or Managing Quantity Surveyor to support a leading residential developer across their Cotswolds region. This is an immediate freelance requirement, initially for 3 mont... Read more

2/3 Line Support Engineer

EN6, Potters Bar
£35,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 15-09-2026
The role works closely with the Developers, Azure Architects, and Network Architects to support and evolve the organisation's infrastructure, and provides exposure to a wide range of infrastructure, networking, and cloud projects. This role reports direct... Read more

Software Engineer

B40, Bickenhill
£40,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 15-09-2026
Are you a Java Developer looking for an opportunity to work on technically interesting, business-critical software where you'll have genuine ownership across the development lifecycle. We're recruiting for a growing software business developing bespoke ap... Read more

Senior Backend Engineer

Nationwide
Not Specified
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
Design and develop RESTful APIs and services consumed by web and mobile clients. Build event-driven and asynchronous components using technologies such as Azure Service Bus. Work with relational databases and develop efficient SQL. Build and deploy cloud-... Read more

Principal IT Infrastructure & Security Specialist

OX2, Oxford
£75,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
Ability to balance usability, developer productivity and information security when designing and implementing technical solutions. Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, including switching, routing, wireless networking, firewalls, VPNs and network se... Read more

Web Developer

West Yorkshire
£30,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
Web Developer – West Yorkshire. £30,000 - £35,000 + Potential bonuses and benefits. An established, multi-million-pound revenue client of mine is on the market for an experienced Web Developer to manage and develop their internal web applications. This ro... Read more

Software Tester - 6 month Fixed Term contract

PO19, Chichester
£40,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
As a Software Tester you will be collaborating with the Software Developers, helping to ensure efficiency throughout the process. Performing end-to-end test cases and providing feedback to the software development team as required. If you have an eye for ... Read more

Visual Designer

London
£550 per day
Job Type: Contract
Posted: 14-09-2026
User Interface Design: Create captivating interfaces for web and mobile applications, making the mundane exciting. Digital Design System: Collaborate to scale and refine our digital design system, ensuring consistency and quality. Storytelling Mastery: Le... Read more

UI Designer

Cheltenham
£35,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
Create responsive designs that work effectively across desktop and mobile. Develop and maintain design systems, components and UI libraries. Collaborate with UX, development, marketing and client-facing teams. Present design concepts and clearly communica... Read more

Systems Test Engineer

Poole, Dorset
£50 per hour
Job Type: Temporary
Posted: 14-09-2026
Our client specialises in on-board mobile communications for the rail sector, supplying GSM-R cab and data radios with GPS and LTE connectivity to operators worldwide. They are currently leading the way in developing the next generation of 4G and 5G rail ... Read more

QA Tester

Fareham, Hampshire
£40,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 14-09-2026
Perform manual QA testing across mobile (Flutter), web, and internal systems. Collaborate with developers and designers to understand features and edge cases. Create, maintain, and execute clear and detailed test cases. Log and track bugs with clarity and... Read more

Specification Sales Manager - HVAC

B2, Birmingham
Not Specified
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 12-09-2026
The Specification Sales Manager will develop influential relationships with consulting engineers, M&E consultants, building owners, developers and other key project stakeholders, positioning their solutions at the earliest stages of the project lifecycle.... Read more

Multiple IT Opportunities – Mobile, Engineering & Data | Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill, West Sussex
Not Specified
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 11-09-2026
Multiple IT Opportunities – Mobile, Engineering & Data | Burgess Hill. We are hiring for a major technology programme in Burgess Hill, UK, with multiple opportunities across Mobile Engineering, QA, Backend Engineering, Data and Technical Leadership. 📍 Bur... Read more

Android Developer

London
£80,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
Hexwired have partnered with a rapidly expanding AI startup based in London, now seeking an Android Developer to own the Android client experience for mobile devices. The company are expanding due to the demand of the market and are seeking an Android Dev... Read more

Lead QA Engineer

City of London, Greater London
£60,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
Work collaboratively with developers, architects, product teams and business stakeholders to identify and manage quality risks. Produce clear reporting on test coverage, execution, defects, risks and release readiness. Drive continuous improvement across ... Read more

AWS Platform Engineer

NG16, Langley Mill
£55,000 per annum
Job Type: Temporary
Posted: 10-09-2026
If you're passionate about platform engineering, Infrastructure as Code, cloud automation and creating exceptional developer experiences, we'd love to hear from you. What will you be doing. Build the foundations for our AWS future. Microlise is making a s... Read more

Lead Software Test Engineer

Warwick, Warwickshire
£55,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
You will be responsible for testing mobile apps and embedded software, for our client's unique range of products. You will take a lead in our software test team, guiding staff, setting standards in process & defining the scope of testing. You will work cl... Read more

UX Design Researcher

London
£45,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
You'll work across both web and mobile, collaborating closely with Product, Development and other UX professionals. We'd ideally love to speak with someone who already has experience within iGaming, sportsbook, casino or a similar fast-paced digital produ... Read more

Senior Software Developer

WC2H, Covent Garden
£65,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
Senior Software Developer. Location: London - hybrid, 3 days per week in the office. Salary: c£65,000 - £75,000 + bonus. The Opportunity - Senior Developer - Cloud Platform & AI. We're recruiting for a Senior Software Developer to join a small, highly cap... Read more

Greenspace Project Manager

Bristol, City of Bristol
£35,000 per annum
Job Type: Permanent
Posted: 10-09-2026
English Estates forms part of the Group and delivers long-term estate, environmental and greenspace solutions, creating high-quality spaces that provide lasting value for communities, developers and the environment. We've built a culture that combines amb... Read more

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a computer science degree to get a mobile developer job in the UK?

No, a degree is not mandatory, and many working developers came through bootcamps or self-taught routes. Many job ads still list a degree in computer science or a related subject as desirable, and graduate schemes usually require one. At junior level, a portfolio carries more weight: one or two real apps on the App Store or Play Store, or a public GitHub with working code.

Should I learn native Swift/Kotlin or a cross-platform framework like Flutter or React Native?

It depends on the employers being targeted. Banks, large retailers and agencies that prioritise performance and platform features tend to hire native iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin) separately. Startups and smaller product teams more often go cross-platform to ship once for both stores, where Flutter or React Native applies. Learning one native stack thoroughly first is a reasonable starting point, as the underlying platform knowledge transfers.

Are UK mobile developer jobs mostly remote or hybrid in 2026?

Hybrid is the common arrangement, typically two or three days a week in the office, with London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol the main hubs. Fully remote roles exist and appear regularly on sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor, but they are competitive and often expect senior-level autonomy. Junior developers can expect to be in an office at least part of the week, as early-career mentoring tends to happen in person.