What do you do for a living?

markle976 · 07-06-2009, 02:00 PM

Hello everyone,
I was just wondering what other people that develop iphone apps do for a living. Is iphone dev your main source of income? Mac dev? C++/UNIX?

Here's why I ask: I love Macs. I grew up using macs (80's & 90's), then strayed over to the world of Microsoft for about 5-6 yrs. I learned a good bit about windows (desktop and basic network admin), but I also learned to hate MS. A few years ago I bought a Mac Mini and I love it (no OS is perfect, but dang!).

I started teaching myself objective-c/iphone dev about six months ago and, again, I love it. So, the problem is that most of my experience over the last ten years is with windows admin (mostly desktop [Access, Excel, VBA, etc.]), and web dev (php, coldfusion, html, etc.)

I currently work as a data manager with some web dev sprinkled in. It pays the bills, but I would like to do better. Any thoughts? Are there many jobs for mac/iphone developers? Should I dive into the world of C++/UNIX? CCNA? MCSE? Underwater basket weaving???

flipconversion · 07-06-2009, 02:07 PM

I am a full-time mobile applications developer, meaning I write software not only for the iPhone but for the BlackBerry, Android and sometimes Symbian platforms. I work for a large web site conglomerate. However, it's extremely rare to find a full-time gig writing iPhone software. It's fun to write iPhone apps on the side, and it's a good way to get a little bit of extra cash but not a lot, unfortunately.

ansu93 · 07-06-2009, 02:15 PM

i'm a full time high school student, just learning how to program a bit on the side.

markle976 · 07-06-2009, 02:17 PM

Thanks for the reply. Just out of curiosity - what languages do you program with?

markle976 · 07-06-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ansu93

i'm a full time high school student, just learning how to program a bit on the side.

Thanks for the reply. Do you have any plans for a career path in computers/programming?

HorseDorf · 07-06-2009, 02:34 PM

I'm an embedded software engineer working with c/c++. mostly device driver stuff.

Currently doing iphone apps on the side for a little extra cash and to learn more about object oriented programming. Currently, the apps are all in objective C.

mnemonic_fx · 07-06-2009, 02:56 PM

If you want to do full time job doing iPhone software development, it might be good to go for successful game companies, as they're the ones making money, right now.

It might also be good to find full time employment in Mac OS X software development, which most likely will continue into iPhone software development.

Other than that, most people are doing it as side projects (either as a part of a company project, or separated from that), or as a freelance project.

markle976 · 07-06-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnemonic_fx

If you want to do full time job doing iPhone software development, it might be good to go for successful game companies, as they're the ones making money, right now.

It might also be good to find full time employment in Mac OS X software development, which most likely will continue into iPhone software development.

Other than that, most people are doing it as side projects (either as a part of a company project, or separated from that), or as a freelance project.

Thanks for the reply. How hard is it to get a position as a Mac OS X software developer?

flipconversion · 07-06-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markle976

Thanks for the reply. How hard is it to get a position as a Mac OS X software developer?

It completely depends on your level of experience. If you know a lot, and you've got good company names and experience behind you, it's stupidly easy - everybody's learning Win32 programming but that's not an emerging market at all, actually, it's more of a dwindling market, and is very competitive.

There are very few very skilled Obj-C programmers out there, so if you're one of them, it's fairly easy to get a job. So long as you live in the US, anyways. I'm lucky enough to be in Canada and working as a full-time iPhone dev but it's very rare.

mnemonic_fx · 07-06-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markle976

Thanks for the reply. How hard is it to get a position as a Mac OS X software developer?

Depends on the job market, and competitions around your area.

I can't find such employment where I'm living now

One place that I recommend is "OmniGroup", they're in Seattle.

markle976 · 07-06-2009, 03:46 PM

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your replies.

Upsidedowndog · 07-06-2009, 04:12 PM

I'm a freelance Flash game developer and I just started building iPhone apps a couple of months ago. I'm currently being contracted to build a fairly major app for a friend and hoping to get some other projects soon (the rent needs paying!)

I'm gradually moving over from Flash games to full-time iPhone development as that's where the "new money" and work is, and I'm also enjoying Objective-C more as it harks back to my "good old days" of C++ programming in the 80s and 90s.

ipodtouchmaster05 · 07-06-2009, 04:32 PM

Im a freelance developer right out of High School, saving up for college. Its pretty good money being a freelance developer because I get paid for the applications when I complete them so no waiting for apple to pay out and also no wandering how much money I will get from AppStore. I do sell a few applications on the AppStore but im not expecting much.

danbaumbach · 07-06-2009, 05:39 PM

I've been a Windows C/C++ programmer forever. I'm recently unemployed and the job market sucks. I think the iPhone is great and I've had more fun programming it than I've had programming Windows in a long time. I'm currently waiting for approval for my first app.

- Dan.

chr0nix · 07-06-2009, 09:10 PM

I work for a school district as a developer. I dabble with .NET/C# along with PHP and Cold Fusion for our legacy web apps. Took the leap into Objective C about 5 months ago and finally got my first app released last month. I'm also in the Air Force Reserves as an aircraft mechanic...

timle8n1 · 07-06-2009, 09:30 PM

Java programmer for a fairly large corporation. Learning Objective-C and iPhone development is fun and hopefully someday profitable. My company is also considering doing an iPhone app so I am positioning myself to be the logical choice.

ansu93 · 07-06-2009, 09:46 PM

i started iphone development about a month ago, and i've done some html, vb, and java.

MikesTooLz · 07-07-2009, 12:04 AM

I'm currently a computer tech for a school district, before that I worked in the media department at bestbuy (CD's, DVDs, Games, Software).

I have always done programming on the side since highschool. VB, VB.Net, vbscript, C#, C++, PHP...

I have started getting ticked off at MS and windows recently and been getting a feel for the other OS's like Ubuntu. A few months ago I got one of the new Mac mini's when it was released (my first mac ever) and have been pretty much using it as my main PC ever since. I now only use my windows PC for playing Left4Dead.

I got some books on objectiv-c and iphone programming and I'm now waiting on my second app to be approved. Hopefully all the apps I have planned will help bring in a few extra bucks since the school district just decided to cut 2 months pay from all the computer techs.

Fabulous · 07-07-2009, 12:58 AM

I just started iphone development 2 weeks ago but I've been working as a software engineer for a little over a year.

**Chris Stewart** · 07-07-2009, 09:40 AM

I work in those "traditional platforms" at my day job. Currently, it's more Java/JSF. In the recent past it was more C#/ASP.NET. I much prefer .NET but it's not my choice at the moment.

jfmartin67 · 07-07-2009, 10:22 AM

I'm a system administrator here in Montreal. Studied in computer science and got a human factor master degree 15 years ago...

Chilibird · 07-07-2009, 08:35 PM

Full time College Student in Aerospace Engineering. Doing some iPhone programming to help with the bills a bit.

AK47HELLOKITTY · 07-12-2009, 11:53 PM

I am doing two jobs at two absolutely different companies now !I am so tired ,but I need to do them for a living!

I really want to own an iphone ,but I need to have a lot of money before owning one .

ordinarygeek · 07-13-2009, 01:33 PM

I'm a .NET developer, have been since the beta days, committed Windows developer full time but wanted to add some spice to my boring development life by learning ObjC and iPhone development.

Making a little extra money doesn't hurt either

jharrah · 07-13-2009, 03:51 PM

I work in commercial film production. Learning Objective C and building applications is a great incorporation to our advertisers, plus it's fun developing. I have two apps in review now.