xcode 6Upwork, the largest global freelancing website, today shared a list of the top 20 fastest growing skills in the U.S. freelance job market, providing a closer look at trends in the industry.

Apple's design framework for iOS and tvOS apps, UIKit, and its development tool, Xcode, both made the list in the second quarter of 2018:

  1. Blockchain

  2. Google Cloud Platform

  3. Volusion

  4. Risk management

  5. Product photography

  6. Rapid prototyping

  7. Google App Engine API

  8. SCORM

  9. GitLab

  10. Go development

  11. Apple UIKit

  12. Enterprise architecture

  13. Tensorflow

  14. Atlassian Confluence

  15. Apple Xcode

  16. eLearning

  17. Customer retention

  18. Articulate storyline

  19. Node.js

  20. Scala development

Upwork says more companies are seeking freelance developers with Xcode knowledge to build their apps, causing an "increase in demand" for experience with the tool. UIKit also saw "high growth" last quarter, making its first appearance on the list.

Upwork shared a list of relevant online courses for each skill listed, including UIKit and Xcode, for those interested in getting started.

Tags: UIKit, Xcode

Top Rated Comments

HumpYourWayUp Avatar
91 months ago
Mobile programming is not boring
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
91 months ago
React Native makes UIKit and Xcode a non-issue for many applications. Discord only has one iOS dev, and he mostly just takes the JS/HTML from the website and puts it into the app. Javascript has plenty of problems but is easier to deal with in the end.

The whole UIViewController/UIView setup with both storyboards and programmatic layout is an utter mess. I tried RN for the first time recently, and it's so much easier to lay stuff out. Man, I've wasted so much time on UIKit. That and Redux and other data model tools are way simpler than sucky CoreData.
[doublepost=1533064068][/doublepost]
In the 90's the skill to have was to be able to make websites. Now it's pretty intense Xcode to make apps.
And programming in Xcode feels like it's still the 90s, except at least in the 90s you had Vi. I find it actually easier to manipulate strings in C than in Swift, and I've used both equally.
[doublepost=1533065027][/doublepost]
Apps lilke Atom, Slack, Skype, Flow etc. are not real apps?
Although generally I don't like the idea of writing those kind of apps in something like javascript. JS is and remains a horrible language.

Not quiet sure what to make out of that list. Top 20 fastest growing skills in the U.S. freelance job market doesn't mean much. If MyCrazyLanguage had 1 request last year and 3 requests this year, it is fast growing but otherwise is not a significant skill to learn.
Slack is a total PoS. The app is unresponsive too often and takes too much memory for something that's just messaging. Discord is a much better example.

Also, yeah. Blockchain is on the top of that list. Nobody is really a blockchain dev, unless you count Ethereum "dapps" in that, and even then it's rare.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
91 months ago
In the 90's the skill to have was to be able to make websites. Now it's pretty intense Xcode to make apps.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
91 months ago
Well I like both sides of this conversation yet I’ll take the side of ‘hump’ just cause well, his name sounds like the kind of FUN I want to have (in life and on my way up to the pearly gates! Isn’t that what heaven should be like? ;) )
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
91 months ago
Mobile programming is still boring. An open AND portable platform like HTML5/JavaScript/CSS is mandatory for making mobile programming less frustrating.
Web technologies aren't suitable for real apps. They're not suitable for basic apps. Every place I've worked at has banned the use of ******** tools like Xamarin, Phonegap, Cordova, Titanium and the like because while the idea behind them is good, the execution is terrible and provides awful user experience.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
91 months ago

Although generally I don't like the idea of writing those kind of apps in something like javascript. JS is and remains a horrible language.
Which is why most of us developers don't use raw javascript anymore. We use something like typescript, which compiles down to javascript.
[doublepost=1533060166][/doublepost]
Mobile programming is still boring. An open AND portable platform like HTML5/JavaScript/CSS is mandatory for making mobile programming less frustrating.
Mobile programming is definitely NOT boring. I love it, and love coming to work everyday to develop for mobile platforms. Bootstrap and Angular/typescript help on the HTML5/JS/CSS side. Xcode is challenging in the beginning, but it's fun once you get used to it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
Future M5 Chip Devices

M5 Chip Rumored to Debut in These Five Apple Products Later This Year

Friday July 4, 2025 9:14 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation M5 chip is expected to debut in five new products later this year, including the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. M5 chips will reportedly be manufactured with TSMC's latest third-generation 3nm process, which should result in slight performance and power efficiency improvements over M4 chips fabricated with its second-generation 3nm process. ...