Find a school near you!

Animation? Design? Game Art?

Tips on Becoming a Mobile App Developer in Maine

Written by Judee ShipmanMay 29, 2012
How to become a mobile app developer in Maine
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.
view counter

The state of Maine features a commercial economy loaded with opportunities for high tech professionals in the field of mobile application design.  Apps are used for scanning interactive maps, operating compasses, finding local real estate listings, obtaining travel info and countless other purposes.  There's even an app that fills your screen with virtual wood you can knock on for good luck.  Many Maine residents are currently pursuing careers as app developers.

Maine Schools and Training Programs for App Developers

view counter

Aspiring app developers residing in Maine typically focus on computer programming and interactive media.  Maine colleges featuring degree options appropriate for app developers include University of New England in Biddeford, University of Southern Maine in Portland and University of Maine, with campuses in Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, Orono and Presque Isle. 

On a similar note, many high tech professionals in Maine acquire technical skills online.   Popular accredited online colleges with courses in communications and programming include American Intercontinental University, Herzing University, Kaplan University, Keller Graduate School of Management and Post University, to name a few.   Among other viable local educational options are self-teaching via instructional media and one-on-one training with other app development experts. 

Working as a Mobile App Developer in Maine

In Maine, many professional app developers find work at local computer programming businesses like Generation Fifth Applications in Kennebunk, Simply Computing in Hermon, Abacus Computers in Camden, Burgess Computer in Bath and Great Pond Technologies in Brunswick, for instance.  Some Maine app developers work for prepackaged software manufacturers like Datasul in Rockport, Xpressamerica in Biddeford, Pawprint Programming in Cushing, Computer Software Architects in Bath or Bottomline Technologies in Portland. 

Corporations and private businesses in the state of Maine employ approximately 1,330 full time professional mobile app developers, according to recent data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  On average, app developers in Maine claim an individual hourly rate of about $37.20, with a reported mean annual earning of around $77,370.  Freelancers who develop their own apps and sell them at app stores never know how much they will earn.  Income depends on the cost versus profit of the app, which depends very much on sophistication of design, server speed, marketing techniques, timing and other factors. 

Skills of a Professional App Developer

Technical skills required of professional app developers are mainly interactive programming, website construction and operating systems expertise.  Other technical skills that may sometimes come in handy are graphic design, illustration and animation.  Professional app development also requires high-level organization and advanced project management capability, as well as familiarity with server development and web based platforms.