What Is a Senior Flutter Developer and How to Hire One

The demand for "Senior Flutter Developers" has been soaring, and if you're searching for one, you're not alone. You might be curious about what exactly defines a Senior Flutter Developer, how to determine if a candidate is a good fit, or what interview questions you should ask. Read on to find out more about identifying and interviewing top-tier Flutter developers.

What Is a Senior Flutter Developer?

In short, a Senior Flutter Developer is a skilled and experienced individual who can develop applications using the Flutter platform. This person is usually proficient in both Dart and Flutter, and they are able to create high-quality, user-friendly apps that perform well on a variety of devices. That's the short version.

The long version involves knowing and accepting that, although a few decades ago, "software development" (or “computer programmer”) was the umbrella term for most programming jobs, things are quite different now. Not only is every programming language specialized for relatively clear-cut types of projects, but they also require specific skillets too.

To top it all, every company is different and they might have their own definition of what a "Senior Flutter Developer" looks like. However, it is worth noting that for this article we will only take a look at the more general expectation of what a Senior Flutter Dev should do and the skills they should have.

What Kind of Projects Need Senior Flutter Developers?

In theory, any project that needs to be written in Dart and Flutter can be done by a Senior Flutter Developer. More specifically, projects that need to be written in Dart and Flutter usually include but are not limited to:

• Cross-platform mobile apps (such as for iOS and Android)
• Web apps
• Desktop apps (for Windows, macOS, and Linux)

Some examples of existing products that use Flutter include (but are not limited to) :

• Alibaba
• Xianyu by Alibaba
• Reflectly

The advantages of using Flutter revolve around the fact that it is a single codebase for multiple platforms. This means that, instead of having to write two different codebases (one for iOS and one for Android), you can write one codebase that runs on both platforms. This, in turn, saves a lot of time and effort, helps you get your product on the market faster, and makes it easier to maintain your code in the long run.

Top Skills a Senior Flutter Dev Should Have

Aside from being proficient in Dart and Flutter, a Senior Flutter Developer should also be able to:

Be Able to Use Flutter and Dart

A Senior Flutter Developer should, at the very least, have a deep understanding of both Dart and Flutter. This might seem like a given, but it's important to remember that Dart and Flutter are not exactly the same, so not all Flutter devs will know how to work with both.

While Dart is a programming language optimized for mobile app development, Flutter is a mobile app language developed specifically for this purpose. The reason knowing both Dart and Flutter comes in handy is because they support each other and knowing how to program in Dart will help you be a better Flutter developer.

Understand Material Design Guidelines

In addition to being proficient in both Dart and Flutter, a Senior Flutter Developer should also have a strong understanding of how to use the Material Design Widgets. If you're not familiar with Material Design, it's basically a set of guidelines that dictate how Android apps should look and feel. These guidelines were created by Google, and they cover everything from the overall look of an app to the smallest details, such as buttons and icons.

Understand Agile Development

Another important skill for a Senior Flutter Developer to have is a strong understanding of Agile Development. Agile Development is a methodology that is commonly used in the software development world, and it dictates how developers should work together to get a product out the door as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Have Experience with Third-Party Libraries and APIs

A Senior Flutter Dev should also have experience with third-party libraries and APIs, as this will be necessary for many Flutter projects. Third-party libraries are code that has been written by someone else and is available for you to use in your projects. APIs, on the other hand, are sets of rules that dictate how two pieces of software should interact with each other (which is useful when an app needs to connect to another one to transfer data, for example).

Have Experience Working with Version Control Tools

Version control tools (like Git or Jenkins, for example) help developers keep track of the changes they make to their codebase over time. This is important for a Senior Flutter Developer because it allows them to easily go back and forth between different versions of their code, which can be useful when something goes wrong or when they want to experiment with different features.

Know How to Optimize the Code

Because most of the Flutter apps exist on smartphones, a Senior Flutter Developer should also know how to optimize their apps to low-powered CPUs on mobile phones, as well as short battery lives, limited storage, and bad internet connections.

(Optional) Have Prior Knowledge of a Native Language

Although Flutter and Dart can help a developer create a mobile app, it is also important for them to have prior knowledge of a native language (e.g. Swift for iOS applications or Java and Kotlin for Android.) The reason this is important is that it will show that the developer has in-depth knowledge of how Flutter works and that they have grown and adapted with the times.

Interview Questions for a Senior Flutter Developer

Although the following questions are not a must, they will give you a better idea of what to expect when interviewing a Senior Flutter Developer:

• What experience do you have with both Dart and Flutter?
• When did you first start working with Flutter?
• How many apps have you created in Flutter — and where can we see them?
• How well do you understand the Material Design guidelines?
• Can you tell me about a time when you had to use a third-party library or API in a project?
• What version control tools are you familiar with?
• How do you optimize your code for low-powered CPUs and short battery lives?
• Do you have any prior knowledge on a native language? If so, which one?
• What tips would you give to someone who is just starting out with Flutter development?
• What are some of the challenges you faced when working with Flutter? How did you overcome them?

Additionally, you might also want to interview your candidates for their soft skills, such as :

• Communication: Can the candidate explain complex concepts clearly? Do they have experience working in a remote environment?
• Collaboration: Are they able to work well with others? Do they have experience leading a team of developers?
• Problem-solving: Can the candidate quickly find solutions to problems? Do they have experience debugging apps?
• Time management: Can the candidate manage their time well? Do they have experience working on tight deadlines?

FAQs

Q1. What is a Senior Flutter Developer?

A Senior Flutter Developer is a developer who specializes in developing apps using the Flutter framework and Dart programming language.

They can create high-quality, user-friendly apps that perform well on a variety of devices (but primarily for mobile devices).

Q2. How much do Flutter developers make?

In October 2022, a Senior Flutter Developer (with more than 7 years of experience) makes around $98,000/ year in the U.S. – according to Glassdoor.

A more junior developer in the same niche makes about $10,000 to $12,000 less than that (but keep in mind that this is an average).

Q3. Can Android replace Flutter?

No, Android cannot replace Flutter, as Flutter is a cross-platform development framework.

This means it can be used to develop apps for both Android and iOS (as well as other platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web).