How to Hire an IoT Developer: IoT Developer Salary, Job Description

The number of connected IoT devices reached 21.1 billion in 2025 and is set to hit 21.9 billion in 2026 (IoT Analytics), and the global IoT market is now worth over 1,055 billion USD in 2026 (Fortune Business Insights). IoT stopped being a trend years ago. It is core infrastructure.

If you plan to ship a connected product, one question decides how fast you move: how do you hire an IoT developer who can handle hardware, cloud, security, and now edge AI? At Relevant Software, we build IoT software solutions and have hired IoT engineers for projects such as Sensor Innovation and Airthings. This guide covers the skills to screen for, a sample job description, interview questions, and 2026 salary ranges by country, so you can budget and hire with confidence.

Skills that you need to look for in IoT developers

IoT is a broad area that spans many technologies, including machine learning, automation, analytics, edge computing, and wireless systems. An IoT developer’s skill set has to reflect more than one of them.

Here are nine skills that such a specialist needs.

1. Knowledge about hardware

IoT is built on devices and components connected through the cloud: digital-first devices, physical-first devices, and many sensors. Handling these components requires solid hardware design knowledge.

A developer may also need engineering design software and other tools to build a smart network of devices, systems, and machines that work together toward one objective.

2. Networking

Connectivity is everything in IoT. It lets devices talk to each other and to applications and services running in the cloud.

On a large IoT project, such as an environmental monitoring system built with IoT, a developer has to design a network that is efficient, simple, and able to manage every connected device. That takes real knowledge of network design. They should also understand network standards, protocols, and technologies like Bluetooth, Zigbee, and low-power WAN. Sometimes you need someone with very specific expertise, such as how to use AWS IoT Core.

3. Security

Any large IoT project runs a network of devices and systems that share data. That raises the risk of privacy issues, data loss, and malicious attacks. Security demand has only grown, and regular IoT firmware updates are now a baseline expectation.

Customers need a system that is secure by design. An IoT developer needs strong digital security skills to prevent unauthorized access and data loss.

4. UI/UX design

People want a user-friendly design that is easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile. The software should stay responsive and make life easier for your customers.

When you hire an IoT developer, check that they understand the UX and UI work needed to build an interface your customers will actually like.

5. Business Intelligence

An IoT system collects data, stores it, and analyzes it to improve your services. A developer needs to understand the value of that data to make sense of it. So hire an IoT developer who has the business intelligence skills required to work with data.

6. Mobile application development

A mobile app lets users interact with the devices and keeps the whole system portable. You need an IoT developer who understands mobile app development and can build Android and iOS apps so users can connect with the IoT system on the go.

7. API automation

Given the volume of data and interfaces that IoT systems process, much of their value depends on operability. A developer must be able to connect automated API and manual testing.

8. Data Science

Big data is the fuel that drives IoT, and a developer has to turn every piece of collected data into something useful. Cities now use big data to solve infrastructure problems, and connected products depend on it just as much.

You need an IoT developer who can integrate big data into the project in a meaningful way and turn it into new solutions.

9. Artificial Intelligence and ML

AI supports autonomous decision making, and ML improves services based on collected data. In 2026, edge AI matters most: models that run on the device itself cut latency and reduce cloud costs. This skill has moved from nice-to-have to central.

An IoT developer needs to design a system that collects large amounts of data and analyzes it to predict the next outcome. That takes solid knowledge of AI and ML.

How to hire an IoT developer: Job description and screening questions

With that skill set in mind, let’s build a sample vacancy that fits any job platform.

Job description example for an IoT developer

LinkedIn is a good place to look for IoT developers. You can also post on Indeed or Glassdoor, and you should keep an Open Positions page on your website to add credibility to the post.

Whichever platform you choose, the basic structure of the post looks like this.

About [your company]:

2-3 sentences about what your company does and the IoT project goals

Key responsibilities:

• Leading and managing all aspects of the technical project
• Creating and maintaining systems, databases, applications
• Determining system requirements by testing them
• Troubleshooting and resolving operational issues
• Writing expert-level documentation

Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with Java, Python, C, or Rust
• Hands-on experience with Bluetooth, Zigbee, and low-power WAN protocols
• Cloud development and integration (AWS IoT, Azure IoT)
• Strong data skills with knowledge of SQL
• Working knowledge of IoT security and firmware updates

Nice to have:

• Experience in mobile app development
• Experience with edge AI and on-device ML

This is just a sample of what your job post might look like. Candidates value companies that are transparent about salary, but more on the money in a later section.

Before that, let’s look at some screening questions.

Interview questions for an IoT developer position

Once your job description is live, you will get plenty of applicants who look qualified. Since seats are limited, you need to filter for the strongest fit.

An interview is the best way to do that. Here are questions you can ask candidates.

Q: What are the essential elements of an Internet of Things solution (e.g. an IoT solution for HVAC)?
A: Nearly every IoT solution has four basic components: devices, connectivity, data processing, and a user interface (a mobile or web application).

Q: What is MQTT?
A: Message Queue Telemetry Transport is a publish-subscribe network protocol for sending and receiving messages between IoT devices. MQTT can run over any protocol that offers an ordered, lossless, bi-directional connection, but it is most often used with TCP/IP.

Q: Please list the layers of the IoT protocol stack.
A: The physical layer, link layer, network layer, transport layer, application protocol layer, and application services layer make up the IoT protocol stack, which extends the TCP/IP layered model.

Q: What are IoT testing tools?
A: IoT testing runs QA checks to confirm that a device’s performance, functionality, and security meet standard. Testing uses several tools, split into hardware and software categories.

IoT Testing Tools for Hardware Testing

• JTAG Dongle
• Digital Storage Oscilloscope
• Software Defined Radio

IoT Testing Tools for Software Testing

• Wireshark
• Tcpdump
• Shodan
• SOASTA CloudTest

Q: What databases are suitable for IoT?
A: It can be:

• MySQL
• InfluxDB
• CrateDB
• Apache Cassandra
• MongoDB
• RethinkDB
• SQLite Database
• Oracle

Q: What is sharding in IoT applications?
A: Sharding splits and stores a single logical dataset across many databases. It is needed when a dataset is too large for one database. It lets the system store more data, process more requests, and handle heavier workloads.

Q: List the most used sensors in IoT.
A: The sensors are:

• Temperature sensor
• Pressure sensor
• Proximity sensor
• Gas sensor
• IR sensor
• Motion sensor
• Smoke sensor

Q: Is it possible to make a small radar? If yes, how?
A: Yes. An ultrasonic sensor that detects object presence and distance can act as a small radar.

Q: How would you determine the quality of water?
A: Water quality sensors can measure it.

Q: List some water sensors.
A:  Here is a list:

• Total organic carbon sensor
• pH sensor
• Turbidity sensor
• Conductivity sensor

Q: Can you suggest a better way to save electricity?
A: Light sensors that switch off street lights automatically save a lot of electricity.

These were our picks for interview questions. You can always add ones that are more specific to your project.

Salaries of IoT Developers in Different Countries

Candidates want to know the salary they can expect. Here are 2026 average annual salaries for IoT developers by country, so you have a benchmark for your budget.

• US: around $124,874/year (Salary.com, 2026); senior roles reach $155,000-$200,000
• Ukraine: around $30,000/year, with seniors at $50,000+ (Qubit Labs, 2026)
• UK: around $49,000/year (Qubit Labs, 2026)
• Netherlands: around $54,000/year, seniors $90,000+ (Qubit Labs, 2026)
• Germany: around $62,100/year (Qubit Labs, 2026)

If you hire from a global talent pool, Eastern European developers give you the strongest value. Lower cost does not mean lower quality. Here is why Ukraine remains one of the best countries to outsource software development.

What makes Ukrainian developers a good option for hire?

Ukraine is one of the best countries to outsource software development because it has over 400 universities focused on science and engineering. Thousands of IT graduates enter the market every year, and most speak strong communicative English, so there is no language barrier.

Ukraine earned its reputation through a developer-friendly ecosystem and a deep list of startups. That growth has pushed many Ukrainian engineers into IoT development.

Some Ukrainian developers run their own startups. Others serve international clients, and many have worked with tech giants. Samsung, for example, runs a research and development center in Kyiv. That gives you plenty of reliable outsourcing partners to work with.

Four common ways to hire a Ukrainian IoT developer

If you are ready to hire international talent, here are four ways to reach specialists in Ukraine.

Hire Freelancers

Freelancers work well when you need extra hands for smaller tasks. You can find candidates on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Toptal and search by skills, experience, and ratings.

This is not the best option when you need an IoT developer to design the software and manage processes like the sample job post above.

Take the help of Ukrainian recruiting agencies

Finding the right freelancer can be hard. Ukrainian recruiting agencies help here, since local agencies select suitable candidates better than anyone else.

Contact a Software Development Agency

Outsourcing to Ukraine through a software development company is the most reliable and often the most affordable option. For large projects or long-term contracts, nothing beats a full agency.

Agencies run dedicated software development teams that cover all your needs. You avoid most software outsourcing challenges, because the agency sources the right developers and delivers the final result. If you want the full picture, our guide to IoT product development walks through the process end to end.

High-quality IoT projects from Relevant

If you are looking for an Internet of Things development company, consider Relevant. We are a software development agency based in Ukraine, and we provide IoT software solutions alongside other services such as web application design.

• Qualified talent pool. Our IoT and mobile app developers build interactive iOS, Android, and hybrid applications.
• Results tailored to your needs. We focus on wearables connectivity to make your IoT system more accessible.
• Suitable technologies. We provide mobile data visualization so you get a detailed report and analysis of collected data from anywhere in the world.

Conclusion

Several things matter when you hire an IoT developer: the skills they need, the responsibilities they take on, and the salary you budget for based on their country. In 2026, add edge AI and IoT security to the top of your checklist.

Outsourcing to Ukraine is the most cost-effective choice. So why hire developers one by one when you can outsource IoT development to a dedicated team like Relevant Software?

Contact Relevant to get a free quote on your IoT project and learn about your options.