2025 Hiring Guide: How to Hire React Native Developers Remotely

Why Hire React Native Developers?

Business Value

React Native enables developers to build cross-platform mobile applications using a single codebase in JavaScript. It drastically reduces development time and cost while maintaining native performance and user experience. Companies hire React Native developers to accelerate mobile launches and iterate faster on both iOS and Android.

Common Use Cases

React Native is ideal for startups and enterprises aiming to reach both mobile platforms efficiently. It’s widely adopted due to its fast development cycle, wide community support, and maintainability.

• MVPs and prototypes for startups

• Consumer mobile apps like social, wellness, and lifestyle apps

• E-commerce and SaaS mobile platforms

• Internal mobile tools for operations and logistics

Competitive Advantage

React Native developers bring a full-stack mindset to mobile development, offering fast iteration cycles, over-the-air updates, and access to a rich ecosystem of libraries. Hiring remote React Native developers lets you tap into global talent to scale mobile development quickly and cost-effectively.

Understanding the React Native Developer Role

What Does a React Native Developer Do?

A React Native developer builds mobile applications using React Native, ensuring performance and native-like interactions across platforms. They integrate APIs, work with native modules, manage app state, and optimize user interfaces for responsiveness.

Responsibilities by Experience Level

Each level of experience comes with a different set of expectations and autonomy. Here's what typically defines each:

Junior React Native Developer

• Build screens and reusable components

• Connect apps to APIs and local storage

• Fix layout bugs and implement designs from Figma

Mid-Level React Native Developer

• Develop full features and flows across iOS and Android

• Implement navigation, animations, and push notifications

• Optimize app performance and handle edge cases

Senior React Native Developer

• Architect modular, scalable mobile systems

• Integrate custom native modules (Java/Kotlin, Swift/Obj-C)

• Guide CI/CD setup, testing strategies, and app release process

Autonomy Expectations

Junior developers need close design and code guidance. Mid-level developers can independently manage features. Seniors lead the mobile strategy and oversee performance, security, and code quality.

Must-Have Technical Skills

Core Language Knowledge

React Native development relies heavily on JavaScript and TypeScript. Developers must understand modern JavaScript features such as ES6+, async/await, destructuring, closures, and functional programming paradigms.

Frameworks & Libraries

These libraries are foundational to React Native development. They provide structure, navigation, and app logic needed for a smooth user experience.

• React Native CLI & Expo – For bootstrapping and managing projects.

• React Navigation – Industry standard for routing and screen transitions.

• Redux / Zustand / Recoil – For managing application state.

• Formik + Yup – For building forms and validating user input.

• React Native Paper / Native Base – UI libraries for consistent cross-platform design.

Native Modules & Integrations

React Native bridges to native code for device-specific features. Developers should be comfortable working with these tools when out-of-the-box solutions are insufficient.

• Native Modules (Swift, Kotlin) – Used for bridging platform-specific functionality.

• React Native Firebase – For push notifications, analytics, crash reporting.

• Camera, Maps, Sensors APIs – Integrated via packages like react-native-maps, react-native-camera, etc.

• App Center or CodePush – For OTA (over-the-air) updates and deployment analytics.

Tools

These tools streamline development and help automate testing, builds, and deployments.

• Metro Bundler – React Native's default bundler for app packaging.

• Fastlane – For automating builds and app store deployments.

• Xcode & Android Studio – Required for debugging native code and emulator testing.

• VSCode Extensions – Tools like ESLint, Prettier, and React Native Tools improve developer productivity.

Testing & Debugging

Testing is essential to ensure the app is robust across devices. Debugging tools also help with performance and bug fixing.

• Jest – Unit testing framework

• Detox – For end-to-end testing in mobile environments

• React Native Debugger / Flipper – For inspecting app performance and state

• Sentry / Bugsnag – For tracking real-time crashes and issues

Version Control

Proficiency in version control is essential for collaboration, feature branching, and deployment.

• Git – Standard for collaboration, versioning, and code reviews

Architecture/System Design

Scalable and maintainable mobile applications require thoughtful architecture. Developers should understand:

• Component-driven design

• Navigation structure (stack, tabs, nested flows)

• State management and persistence

• Performance tuning and offline support

• CI/CD pipelines for iOS and Android app deployment
  

Soft Skills

Working remotely requires strong communication and adaptability. React Native developers need to explain mobile logic and collaborate across teams.

• Communication – Explaining trade-offs between performance and usability

• Teamwork – Coordinating across backend, design, and QA

• Problem-solving – Debugging across platforms and devices

Read more about soft skills you should assess in recruitment proces: Universal Behavioral Competencies | Teamwork Template

Freelance vs. Full-Time vs. Agency: Choosing the Right Hiring Model

Choosing the right engagement model is key for aligning with your project timeline, budget, and product vision.

Freelancers

Good for short-term feature builds or launching MVPs.

• Pros: Cost-effective, fast to start

• Cons: Less consistency, may lack QA support
  

Full-Time Developers

Great for scaling long-term mobile platforms.

• Pros: Deep ownership, better team alignment

• Cons: Higher cost and longer onboarding

FatCat Remote

Ideal for fast-moving teams that need vetted talent and infrastructure support.

• Pros: Fast access to top React Native talent, handled contracts and admin

• Cons: Most candidates are in GMT+2 time zone

Where to Find Top React Native Developers

Hiring top talent requires knowing where skilled developers hang out, showcase their work, and look for jobs.

Hiring Platforms

These platforms host experienced freelance and full-time mobile developers:

• Upwork
  
  

• Toptal
  
  

• FatCat Remote – Remote React Native developers with production experience
  

Communities & Events

Open-source and community forums often reveal talented developers.

• React Native EU, ChainReact, Dev.to

• GitHub, Reddit r/reactnative, Stack Overflow

Referrals

Ask design, product, or frontend engineers for known mobile experts. Employee and partner referrals can often lead to strong cultural and technical fits.

Screening & Interviewing

Effective screening ensures you're hiring developers with both the technical chops and collaborative mindset for mobile work.

Technical Assessment of React Native Developers

• Build a simple app with authentication, navigation, and API fetch

• Evaluate GitHub repos or app store links for mobile UI/UX quality

React Native Interview Questions

1. How does React Native differ from React?

2. What are the trade-offs between Expo and React Native CLI?

3. How do you debug a crash on Android vs iOS?

4. What tools do you use for performance profiling?

5. How would you implement offline data storage?

6. What are common bottlenecks in mobile animations?

7. How do you manage different screen sizes and resolutions?

8. How do you handle app permissions and deep links?

9. Describe a time you optimized startup time or bundle size.

10. How do you prepare an app for release on iOS and Android?
    

Soft Skills Questions

• Tell me about a time you launched a cross-platform app.

• How do you communicate blockers or delays in mobile sprints?

Additional useful materials for assessing React Native candidates :

• How to Screen Remote Developers
  

• Candidate Scoring Guide
  
  

Salary and Hourly Rates

Understanding compensation benchmarks will help you attract the right candidates and plan your budget effectively.

Average React Native Developer Salary in US 2025

• Junior: $75,000–$95,000

• Mid-Level: $95,000–$125,000

• Senior: $125,000–$150,000+
  

React Native Developer Hourly Rate in Europe

• Junior: $30–$45/hour

• Mid-Level: $45–$65/hour

• Senior: $65–$85/hour

Balkans React Native Developer Rates

The Balkans offer highly skilled mobile developers at competitive rates.

• $35–$70/hour, known for strong mobile development culture and communication

For more information read Developer Rates Comparison

Business Benefits of React Native

React Native allows companies to ship faster with fewer resources. It’s ideal for fast-paced environments where cross-platform coverage is key.

• One codebase for iOS and Android

• Faster time to market with hot reloading and OTA updates

• Lower maintenance and dev costs

• Access to a huge open-source community and tooling

Industries That Use React Native

React Native is used across industries thanks to its speed, reliability, and ability to reach both mobile ecosystems efficiently.

1. Healthcare – Patient-facing mobile apps with real-time features

2. Retail/E-commerce – Mobile shopping apps and loyalty platforms

3. Media & Streaming – Video and content-based apps with dynamic feeds

Why Hire React Native Developers With FatCat Remote

FatCat Remote helps you hire experienced React Native developers fast—with zero recruitment risk or overhead.

• Speed: Hire a vetted Next.js developer in 48 hours

• Trial: 30-day period to find the right IT talent

• Vetted Experts: Developers tested for performance, SEO, and React mastery

• Flexible Hiring models: Part-time or full-time IT talents, or we can hire developers directly for you

• Talent Management: As part of the Managed Hire model, we simplify the entire experience—from onboarding and compliance to performance reviews and day-to-day support.