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Swift Developers

In so many different areas of our daily lives today, we are using apps. Whether it is to order a product online, share business projects, connect with friends, or learn a new skill, applications can make our lives easier and help us to complete tasks more efficiently and conveniently. Not only do apps impact our daily lives, but utilizing digital technologies have also become key parts of running an effective business, connecting with new customers, and improving the experience of clients that are working with your business. Because of this, the demand for mobile app development has been steadily growing and there are hundreds of app developers online offering their skills and experience with designing high-quality apps.

However, it can be difficult to know where to begin. How do you know which kind of developer would be the right one for your projects? Do you want a developer who works with Android or iOS? Which app developer would be the best for the business needs and objectives of your team? How much will it cost to hire a developer for an iOS application?

These questions can all be difficult to answer, but this article on how to hire Swift developers will help you to answer some of these questions so you can feel ready to hire the best developer for your team! 

iOS vs Android Apps 

Before you start looking to hire an app developer, one of the first questions you should ask is whether you want the app to be on Android or iOS. This is essential because they use different programming languages and frameworks, which influences the type of software developer that you will want to hire for your project team. For instance, if you decide that you want to hire a developer to develop an app for the Android operating system, then you will want to hire an Android developer who works with Kotlin. However, if you decide that you want your apps to be available on iOS, then starting your search to hire a Swift programmer is your best option. If you want to learn more about how to hire developers for apps, check out our guide for hiring app developers.

What is Swift?

If you have reached this article, it may be that you have heard about the programming language “Swift,” but maybe aren’t sure exactly what it is or want to learn more before you feel ready to start the hiring process. If this is the case, then you have come to the right place! We are going to outline some of the basic elements of Swift as a programming language, discuss essential skills, qualifications, and considerations when hiring Swift developers, and then offer our expert advice for where you can go to hire the best Swift developer for you or your project. 

First, let’s hit the ground running and look at the main components of Swift and then outline why it is considered by many developers to be one of the best programming languages to know in 2026. 

Swift & Objective C

Swift is a relatively new software development language. Swift was developed by Apple as a new iOS development tool and was first released in 2014 as a replacement for their previous language, “Objective-C.” Since then, many developers who work with iOS have transitioned from Objective C to using Swift for all of their iOS development needs. 

Today Swift is the main language for building apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro. Apps like Firefox, LinkedIn and Airbnb use it, and it is an industry standard for iOS development. For any business interested in working with iOS development, iOS apps, and mobile iOS app development, Swift is one of the best languages to look for in your search to hire a developer and here we are going to outline some of the key reasons why.

Swift, Objective-C or a cross-platform tool?

If your app only has to run on Apple devices, go with Swift. Apple builds its own tools around it, and new iPhone features work with Swift first.

The cross-platform route makes sense when money is tight and you need Android too. You’ll find those developers on our mobile app developers page. But if the app lives or dies on how it feels on an iPhone, or you need widgets, Apple Pay or Apple Watch, pay for a Swift developer.

Pros of Swift

As a coding language, Swift has many features that make it a leader in the category of mobile app development. Here are some common reasons why Swift is a good program for building your iOS apps:

• Can develop iOS apps that are fast, reliable, and easy to use
• Safe memory handling and strict type checks catch many bugs before the app runs
• Apps can be built for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS
• Works together with Objective-C, so older apps can move to Swift step by step
• Ability to make mixed-language apps 
• Apple provides developers with detailed guidelines and learning resource tools
• Automatic memory management (ARC) saves development time

Swift is a very convenient and straight-forward program for iOS application development. Swift’s strict rules catch many mistakes while the code is written, so there are fewer bugs to fix later on in the development process. Because of this, Swift developers can make apps quicker which can reduce the expenses of development without sacrificing the quality of the apps. All of these components combined make iOS apps built with Swift some of the best apps on the market. 

Role of a Swift Developer

Now that we have outlined some of the main components that make Swift a valuable software tool, we are going to take a look at some of the common roles, tasks, and jobs that are performed by a Swift developer within an iOS development team. Because of the complexity involved in developing a fully functioning app, there are multiple roles that a Swift developer should be prepared to do. For instance, Swift developers are often expected to:

• Be responsible for the development and maintenance of iOS applications 
• Organize development of applications and communicate with the backend engineer
• Design, plan, and implement iOS applications
• Test for quality, performance, and user experience of the apps
• Communicate with the development team to add features 
• Fix and identify bugs or errors in the apps
• Identify areas of improvement and find app solutions

These roles could change depending on the needs of the project, the plan of the project managers, or the goals of the director of engineering, but these are commonly expected abilities for iOS developers and programmers when joining a team. An expert Swift developer should be capable of offering all of these development services and be able to complete different tasks along the development project. This is why we suggest that if you want to hire, hire a developer that has experience with as many of these areas as you can.

What to check before you hire a Swift developer

Almost every Swift CV says the same things, so the CV won’t help you much. Here’s what we’d look at instead.

First, ask for apps in the App Store, and ask which parts they built themselves. You’d be surprised how often the answer is "the login screen".

Then check that they’re up to date. Good Swift developers use Swift 6 and async/await, and they’re comfortable with both SwiftUI and UIKit, because most real apps still mix the two. If your project uses tools like SwiftLint, Swinject or Swift Package Manager, ask about those too.

Most apps talk to a server, so ask what happens when the internet is slow or the server sends an error. And ask how they test their code. A developer who never writes tests will cost you later.

The last step is a small real task. An hour of work shows you more than a long interview, and our AI skills assessment can do it for you for $14.90 per candidate.

Test Swift developers with AI →

Costs of iOS Developers

Next comes an important question for any business looking to hire iOS developers for their team, which is the question of the cost for developing iOS apps. Firstly, there are many factors that can impact the costs that are involved in developing an app and it is very difficult to predict the total budget for an iOS project. However, we will highlight some areas to consider as you start looking to hire a developer.

Firstly, it is not always the case, but often the cost of iOS applications can be more expensive than Android apps for a few different reasons. One important reason is that Swift can be difficult to learn to the point of being an expert developer, and that the process of developing an app is usually something that should be done by a team, not just a single software engineer. Apps that connect to the internet and need things like log-in authentication, account managements, custom layouts, can start to cost more than some businesses may expect. This is why a team of consultants, freelance iOS developers, iOS Swift mentor, a programming trainer, and project managers come in handy to speed up the process of development, however when you hire a team to build an iOS app, you can expect the cost to go up. It can go a long way to make special, complex, and unique iOS apps, but they aren't going to be cheap!

Furthermore, another reason that iOS apps may be more expensive is due to the fact that the quality that is expected with an iOS application today is very high and the more complex that you want to make the app, the higher the cost of the development process. However, with the right team of Swift developers and a well organized development strategy, you can create apps that can be great for your business or startup. If you want to learn more about the cost of mobile app development, check out our guide for mobile app development!

Average Salary of a Swift Developer

When it comes to the cost to hire Swift programmers, the overall salaries can be quite high. This is because of the rising demand for iOS apps and the growing popularity of Apple products that only support iOS apps. In 2026, ZipRecruiter puts the average US iOS developer salary at about $124,000 a year, or $60 an hour (see the rates by country below). Of course, this number varies depending on the country where the Swift developer is working from, the skill level of the Swift developer, and the type of developer they are. However, Swift developers do tend to have a higher average salary than some other software languages. However, with the right business strategy and expert help, you can hire an iOS developer that can meet the needs of your budget and produce a high-quality iOS app if you know the right places to look for candidates!

Swift developer hourly rates by country (2026)

Where the developer lives makes the biggest difference to the price. Seniority is second. These are typical freelance rates in 2026:

Expect the top of the range for developers who know SwiftUI well or have shipped several apps. And watch out for marketplaces: many add 15–50% on top of what the developer gets. On EliteBrains you pay the developer’s own rate.

Methodology: compiled from 2026 rate benchmarks (Lemon.io, Second Talent and others), rounded to the nearest $5. Last updated October 2026.

This brings us to the next factor to consider when discussing salary, which is whether you are looking to hire a freelance iOS developer or an in-house iOS developer. The difference in cost between these two options can be very great, so we are going to break them down to explain them better.

Hiring an In-House Swift Developer

When you hire an in-house iOS developer you will have to be prepared to pay a higher price for their work because of the expenses for the on-boarding process, insurance, work spaces, equipment, taxes, etc. However, the higher cost to hire an in-house iOS developer does allow for the developer to become a more integrated part of your team and be more dedicated to the long term goals of your company. When it comes to the long term production apps, in-house developers may cost more, but they will likely be experts who can maintain the support and development of the project. This can be helpful for complex apps that will take a team of developers months to develop. 

Hiring a Freelance Swift Developer

This brings us to the cost of hiring a freelancer. With a freelancer you can expect to save on the overall cost of developing apps because they usually work on a fixed price or hourly rates for their work instead of a monthly salary. Freelancers are also a good choice because they are more flexible about when they can work on your project and can work from remote locations, which means you can outsource some of the more costly areas of your project. 

However, there are some risks related to freelancers. It can be difficult to know if the candidates actually have skills and experience that they advertise, which can end up costing more in the long run. For instance, if you hire an inexperienced iOS engineer to develop an app and then after they complete the project, you realize that it has issues in the data structure or errors, you will waste time and money to hire iOS developers to fix their mistakes. 

This is why we always suggest that when hiring freelancers, that you test them in their abilities before you hire them. Our AI skills assessment does this for you for $14.90 per candidate.

Hire a dedicated Swift developer

A dedicated Swift developer works on your app and nothing else, full-time, for months or years. Think of it as having an iOS person on your team without hiring them as an employee.

It’s worth it when the app never really stops changing. Apple ships a new iOS every year, users find bugs, and there’s always a new feature on the list. If your app only needs a few weeks of work, a freelancer is cheaper and simpler.

Most dedicated Swift developers are contractors, and many live in another country. That’s fine. You don’t need a company there: with EliteBrains as your Contractor of Record, we sign the contract, handle the legal side and pay them every month.

5 benefits of hiring a dedicated Swift developer

1. They get to know your code, so you stop paying for someone new to learn it.
2. Your app is ready for each new iOS version instead of breaking in September.
3. The code stays clean, because one person owns it.
4. You know every month who works on what and what it costs.
5. You pay the developer, not an agency’s overhead on top.

How to choose the right dedicated Swift developer

Look for someone who has stayed with an app, not just launched one. Ask what they changed in the year after release. That tells you a lot about how they think long-term.

They should know SwiftUI and UIKit, since an app that lives for years will use both. Your working hours need to overlap for at least a few hours a day, or small questions will take a day to answer.

Before you commit, give them a real task. Then start with a trial month and decide after that. And get the contract right: long full-time work for one company can look like employment in some countries, which is exactly what a Contractor of Record takes care of.

See how Contractor of Record works →

Swift interview questions

You don’t need to be technical to use these. Just compare what you hear with the right column.

For a test task, keep it small. A screen that loads a list from an API, with loading and error states, works well. So does a small app with a memory leak hidden in it. Two hours is plenty.

How to Hire Swift Developers on EliteBrains

On EliteBrains you do the hiring yourself, with our AI tools doing the heavy lifting. You never pay a commission on the developer’s rate. If you want to hire iOS developers on EliteBrains, it works the same way.

Tell us what you need: SwiftUI or UIKit, how senior, where, and your budget. Our AI sourcing then finds up to 50 Swift developers who fit, for $99. Send the ones you like an AI skills assessment ($14.90 each) and only talk to those who pass. When you’ve picked someone, EliteBrains can be the Contractor of Record for $199 a month and handle the contract, timesheets, invoices and payments.

Already have a Swift developer in mind? Skip the search and use only the steps you need.

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