Mobile development is alive and well, it's just that the real successes are frontends to some service (see: Facebook, Grubhub, Uber, etc). Directly monetizing from app sales is mostly dead.

The demand for iOS devs right now is intense. A senior-level iOS dev can command ~$200K or more in the NYC area right now, I imagine the Bay Area to be similar.

Writing an app and selling it on the app store for ${LUDICROUS_SUM} has been a myth for a long time now, but you can still make your $4500 back very, very easily.

I read all of those same posts. Definitely concerning news for indie developers.

But the reality is that even junior developers are making very good money working contract or full-time.

$4500 is less than a semester of required classes at University. And it was a good way to dive in.

Being an indie game developer is very different from being a contract iOS developer. I can't imagine a full-time iOS developer being paid less than a Jr. High teacher + $4,500. I'm looking for one now, albeit with a little more experience than Caleb, and could very well end up paying six figures (in Utah).

It's crazy to me to think that a passive $45,000 from an iOS app isn't a reason to invest $4500 on a 12 week course. But whatever you say.

Also, a senior iOS developer can make anywhere from $90-150k in even a low paying market like Utah. I don't even know what the market is in places like New York and California.

Needless to say, what you get for your $4500 is a lot more than just indie game revenue. It's a life changing experience to learn to write iOS apps.