This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by ArshTechPro
Picture this: You’re a mobile developer in 2025. Your coffee is getting cold as you scroll through LinkedIn, seeing job posts for Flutter here, Swift there, React Native everywhere. The tech influencers are shouting contradictory advice. One says “Native is dead!” Another insists “Cross-platform is a compromise!”
Meanwhile, you just want to know: Where are the actual jobs? What pays better? What’s worth learning?
Let’s cut through the noise with real data.
The Job Market Reality Check
Here’s what the numbers tell us about job availability in 2025:
React Native: 6,413 postings for React Native developers on LinkedIn US
Flutter: 1,068 Flutter jobs on LinkedIn US
The good news? Mobile APP Developers in the United States are expected to grow 21% from 2018 to 2028. The entire mobile development field is expanding—not shrinking.
“At the time of writing, a LinkedIn job search for US postings found 1,068 Flutter jobs, versus 6,413 postings for React Native developers. A search on Indeed found 1,990 US React Native jobs, versus 388 for Flutter” – Mobile APP Developer Job Outlook And Growth In The US [2025]
The Salary Showdown
Let’s talk money, because your landlord doesn’t accept GitHub stars:
Cross-Platform Development:
- Using technologies like Flutter and React Native to develop applications which function on multiple platforms. Average yearly salary: between $80,000 and $120,000
Mobile Development Overall:
- Creating apps for tablets and smartphones is known as mobile app development. Average Salary: $90,000 to $130,000
The data shows cross-platform developers earn competitive salaries, though slightly lower than the general mobile development range.
Native Development: The Ferrari of Mobile Apps
Where Native Still Dominates
Platform-Specific Requirements: “Mobile Developer: Focuses on apps for iOS and Android. People with expertise in Swift or Kotlin are in demand” – IT Job Market in 2025: Trends, Roles, and Opportunities
Performance-Critical Applications: When every millisecond counts, native development provides direct access to platform APIs and hardware capabilities.
Security-Sensitive Apps: Banking, healthcare, and government applications often prefer native for maximum security control.
Cross-Platform: The Swiss Army Knife
Flutter’s Rising Popularity
Flutter has been gradually winning the React Native vs Flutter popularity race for a while now.
Developer Adoption:
- 9.12% responded with Flutter, versus 8.43% for React Native in Stack Overflow’s 2023 survey
- Flutter is more popular on Github, with 162k stars, versus 116k stars for React Native
- Flutter’s market share has grown to 42% in 2025, making it a critical skill
React Native’s Market Dominance
Despite Flutter’s popularity growth, React Native maintains a strong position:
- more job opportunities than Flutter
- “React Native’s strategic advantage lies in JavaScript ubiquity and its integration with the broader React ecosystem”.
Cost Benefits
“Hiring a team of hybrid developers to build React Native application or Flutter app is a good cost saving option”
The Third Way: Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM/KMP)
“Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) has matured into a powerful tool that allows developers to share code across Android and iOS while still delivering a native user experience” – What Is Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) and Why Developers Are Switching in 2025
What Makes KMM Different?
“Unlike other cross-platform solutions like Flutter or React Native that render UI across platforms, KMM focuses on sharing business logic, not UI” – What Is Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) and Why Developers Are Switching in 2025
Who’s Using It?
“Major companies like Netflix, McDonald’s, Cash App, and Philips have adopted Kotlin Multiplatform”
The AI Factor in Mobile Development
“Developers who can effectively leverage AI coding assistants, automated testing frameworks, and machine learning APIs are becoming increasingly valuable”
Platform Trends and Market Reality
The Automation Warning
“According to a 2023 report by McKinsey & Company, up to 30% of tasks in 60% of occupations could be automated by 2030. This includes routine coding tasks traditionally performed by entry-level developers” – Which Developers May Face Job Loss in 2025
What Employers Want
“Demand for Versatility: Employers are increasingly seeking developers proficient in multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop)” – Which Developers May Face Job Loss in 2025
Remote Work Revolution
“Over 70% of developers work remotely or in hybrid models, enabling access to global projects” – Becoming a Mobile Application Developer in 2025: A Roadmap to Success
Essential Skills Across All Approaches
Cloud Services
“Apps increasingly rely on cloud services. Familiarity with platforms like Firebase, AWS, and Azure is good”
Cross-Platform Frameworks Growth
“Market Trends: The rise of cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native highlights the industry’s move towards versatile development skills”
Continuous Learning
“Rapid Technological Changes: The half-life of technical skills is approximately 2.5 years, according to a Deloitte study”
Community and Support
Flutter’s Active Community
“Flutter’s community is closing a lot more issues on GitHub than React Native’s. This is important because bugs can significantly diminish the user experience of an app”
Development Predictions
“Gartner predicts that through 2027, 80% of engineering teams will need to upskill to keep up with generative AI (GenAI) adoption and changing workflows” – The State of the Software Engineering Job Market for 2025
Making Your Decision: A Data-Driven Framework
Choose Native When:
- You need platform-specific features immediately
- Performance is absolutely critical
- Your app requires deep hardware integration
- Security requirements are extreme
Choose Cross-Platform When:
- You have limited budget (one team vs two)
- Time-to-market is crucial
- UI consistency matters more than platform-specific feel
- Your team already knows JavaScript (React Native) or wants modern tooling (Flutter)
Consider KMM When:
- You want native UI with shared business logic
- You’re already invested in native development
- Your team knows or wants to learn Kotlin
- You need the best of both worlds
The Market Reality
“More developers seem to prefer Flutter, but there are more job opportunities for React Native, likely due to the larger number of projects built using React Native, as it has been around longer” – React Native vs Flutter for App Development in 2025
The data tells us:
- React Native has the most jobs (6,413 vs 1,068 for Flutter)
- Flutter is growing faster in popularity
- Native skills remain in demand for specialized roles
- KMM is emerging as a viable third option
Your Next Steps
-
Assess Your Situation:
- New to development? Flutter offers the cleanest learning path
- JavaScript background? React Native is your natural fit
- Native developer? Consider adding KMM to share code
-
Check Your Local Market:
- Search job boards for your area/remote preferences
- Note which frameworks dominate your target companies
-
Start Building:
- Pick one approach and build something real
- The best framework is the one that ships products
- You can always learn another approach later
The Bottom Line
The data shows there’s no single “winner” in 2025. Each approach has its place:
- React Native: Most jobs available, mature ecosystem
- Flutter: Fastest growing, modern development experience
- Native: Highest performance, platform-specific features
- KMM: Native UI with code sharing benefits
The mobile development field is growing. There’s room for all approaches. The key is to pick one, master it, and start shipping apps.
Remember: The market needs both craftspeople who perfect platform experiences and pragmatists who ship solutions quickly.
Note: All statistics and quotes in this article are from various industry sources and reports from 2024-2025. Always verify current market conditions in your specific region before making career decisions.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by ArshTechPro