Rates, 2026
What should a mobile developer charge in a major city?
About $1,100 a day for a mobile developer who is working and booked in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin. $800 in the first years, $1,400 when senior. An app, version one runs about $40,375. Also called: ios, android, react native, flutter.
Other markets: New York or LA · remote · a smaller market
First years
$800
a day · $100 an hour
Working, booked
$1,100
a day · $150 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,400
a day · $175 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,100 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$150 per hour
- An app, version one$40,375 per project
- Monthly retainer$32,300 per month
Sold a project fee, by the day, a monthly retainer. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- MVP$12,750 to $34,000 each
- New feature$1,700 to $8,500 each
- App store release and prep$425 to $1,700 each
- Maintenance month$1,275 to $4,250 per month
How the number is made
Mobile app developers at this level in this market day at about $1,100 ($800 to $1,800 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
An app, version one runs $15,000 to $80,000 and takes about 250 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $37,500. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: a set scope, paid up front on the 1st. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a mobile developer in a major city like Chicago, Atlanta, Miami or Austin?
- About $1,100 a day for someone working and booked, $800 in the first years, $1,400 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is an app, version one?
- $40,375 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a mobile developer?
- Around $32,300 a month. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
Pick your level and market, get a card you can send the next client who asks. Then RostrLab quotes, papers, invoices and chases every job with it: free for 14 days, $29 a month, never a cut.
More in development and it
web developerShopify developerbackend developerfull-stack developerno-code builderdata analystdata scientistQA tester