Find a school near you!

Animation? Design? Game Art?

How to Become a Mobile App Developer in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Written by Judee ShipmanJune 12, 2012

Have you heard about Animation Mentor? The online school of animation and VFX offers online courses with top industry professionals. Animation courses include Animation Basics, Animation Body Mechanics, and Advanced Acting. Do you want access to a world-class education from anywhere with an internet connection? Get started at Animation Mentor today.

These days, more and more high tech professionals living in Virginia Beach, Virginia pursue cutting-edge careers in the field of mobile applications. As a result of the viral demand for new mobile app designs, Virginia Beach commercial businesses maintain a strong economic need for experienced app developers.

Virginia Beach Schools and Training Programs for App Developers

Find a school

Aspiring app developers in Virginia Beach sometimes attend local colleges with programs in computer science or communications. Renowned examples are Regent University and Centura College. By the same measure, other local techies acquire professional app development skills online. Popular accredited online colleges with courses related to app development include Herzing University, Ivy Bridge College, Keller Graduate School of Management, Post University and University of Liverpool, to name a few.

Working as a Mobile App Developer in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Some local tech experts develop apps for computer programming services like Coastal Computer Service, Creative Technical Application, Able Computer Service, Wilkinson Business Services and Bug Eyed Animations, for instance. Other Virginia Beach app developers work for local prepackaged software firms like Megamanworkshop, Trapeze Group, Lapine Computer Software or AMS Retail Solutions.

Corporate entities in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach statistical area employ approximately 2,330 full time professional mobile app developers, according to information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Professional developers of mobile applications who work full time in Norfolk or Virginia Beach claim a mean individual hourly wage of around $36.95 and an average annual income of about $76,830. Local independent freelancers often earn money through consulting work, writing gigs, website construction and various other app-related temporary positions. They also design and publish their own apps in online app stores, although this is not a get-rich-quick scheme by any stretch. Only about a third of Apple's App Store apps earn a profit.

Skills of a Professional App Developer

Professional developers of mobile applications are generally familiar with the MAC computer operating system and hand held electronic devices like iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. They are also proficient with every feature of the Apple App Store's online software development kit (SDK). The chief programming language from this platform is called Objective-C, and professional app developers are typically fluent in this and other coding languages like HTML and Java. Apple is the platform of choice among professional mobile app developers. Other skills relevant to mobile app development include writing, research, website construction and graphic design.