Freelance developers see big boost from Android

Platform outpaces iOS in jobs growth

The rise of Google's Android platform has made the mobile operating system a top draw for freelance developer jobs.

Jobs firm Freelancer.co.uk said in its Freelancer Fast 50 report that the rapid growth of the platform made Android development among the fastest-growing online job sectors.

Researchers estimate that Android job opportunities grew by some 163 per cent over the course of 2011.

By contrast, freelance jobs for iOS projects grew by 83 per cent, while Nokia, Symbian and Microsoft reduced their freelance hiring by 44per cent, 34 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

While iOS remains the hottest space for freelance jobs, the company believes that Android will overtake top hiring spot by the end of 2012.

Researchers also noted that development jobs for the Adobe Flash platform were down 11 per cent on the year, while Javascript, CSS and AJAX projects all saw growth.

Though iOS is being outpaced by Android, researchers did note a sharp increase in iPad-specific developer projects. Freelance listings for iPad jobs have been growing at a rate of 22 per cent per quarter and 125 per cent over the course of 2011.

The freelance figures come on the heels of a report suggesting that Android developers have also been pulling in a tidy profit on their products.

A study from analyst firm Canalys estimated that the most popular Android applications command a price of $3.74 each, more than twice the average of popular iOS applications.