For hiring managers, the challenge is finding an engineer with the right combination of technical expertise and industry experience. Here are the skills worth verifying during the interview process:
- C/C++ and Rust programming. C and C++ remain essential for embedded software development, firmware, and microcontrollers. Rust is gaining traction in projects that prioritize memory safety and reliability. Python is also valuable for testing, automation, and big data processing.
- Wireless protocols and connectivity. Experience with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, LoRaWAN, and cellular technologies helps developers choose the right connectivity approach based on range, power consumption, bandwidth, and operating conditions.
- Hardware abstraction layer (HAL) development. Firmware engineers should know how to build interfaces between hardware components and application logic, making firmware easier to maintain and adapt to different devices.
- Printed circuit board (PCB) design and prototyping. Designing and testing hardware prototypes, integrating sensors and microcontrollers, and troubleshooting electronics before moving to production.
- Over-the-air (OTA) updates. Secure remote firmware deployment, version control, rollback mechanisms, and device recovery are necessary for maintaining connected devices after deployment.
- Cloud and edge computing. Familiarity with AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT services, Linux, RTOS, and edge gateways enables engineers to build distributed systems that process IoT data reliably.
- IoT security. Look for IoT software engineers with practical knowledge of secure boot, device authentication, encryption, certificate management, and hardware-backed security.
- AI and data engineering. Modern AIoT projects require developers who understand sensor data pipelines, anomaly detection, machine learning inference, and real-time decision-making.
You don’t necessarily need one engineer who masters everything. An embedded firmware specialist and an IoT cloud services developer solve different problems. The right candidate depends on which part of your system needs the most work.
Core directions for IoT development
Depending on your project’s maturity, you may need engineers to develop a connected product, manage an existing device network, or introduce AI-powered automation.
IoT product and software development
Developing an IoT product involves coordinating hardware, firmware, connectivity, backend infrastructure, and user-facing applications. All components must work together under real operating conditions.
For example, an industrial IoT (IIoT) monitoring solution may include vibration sensors, embedded firmware, an edge gateway, cloud data storage, and a web dashboard that alerts technicians when equipment performance deteriorates.
IoT application development can cover:
- Designing IoT architectures and selecting suitable hardware components.
- Developing embedded firmware and integrating sensors, controllers, and actuators.
- Building APIs, cloud backends, and real-time data pipelines.
- Web and mobile app development for remote monitoring and device control.
- Testing device connectivity, power consumption, security, and reliability.
If you’re building an IoT MVP, prioritize the smallest functional system that validates your business assumptions. An experienced developer can help you avoid expensive hardware and architectural decisions before you commit to large-scale production.
IoT device and network management
Deploying connected devices is only the beginning. Businesses also need to register devices, configure their behavior, monitor connectivity, and maintain firmware throughout the product lifecycle.
Consider a manufacturing facility with hundreds of interconnected sensors from different vendors. Some communicate over Wi-Fi, others use industrial gateways or low-power wireless networks. Without centralized device management, troubleshooting can quickly become a manual and expensive process.
IoT engineers establish device provisioning, authentication, configuration management, and monitoring workflows. They can also integrate legacy equipment using industrial communication standards such as Modbus or OPC UA.
The goal is to maintain visibility into device health, connection status, and data quality without requiring technicians to inspect every device individually.
IoT at scale
Connecting ten devices is relatively straightforward. Managing 10,000 devices across different locations, networks, and operating conditions is an entirely different engineering challenge.
As connected fleets grow, IoT developers need to account for:
- Automated firmware updates: Deploying changes in controlled batches, with rollback options when updates fail.
- Centralized monitoring: Identifying disconnected devices, abnormal behavior, and data transmission failures.
- Network- and device-level troubleshooting: Distinguishing connectivity problems from hardware or firmware defects.
- Cloud infrastructure: Using services such as AWS IoT Core for device messaging, authentication, and connectivity management.
- Offline operation: Buffering data locally and synchronizing it when connectivity returns.
- Security and access control: Managing device identities, certificates, permissions, and secure communication.
AIoT: Combining artificial intelligence with connected devices
AIoT, or the Artificial Intelligence of Things, combines connected hardware with machine learning to turn sensor data into operational decisions.
Traditional IoT app development primarily involves collecting, transmitting, and visualizing information. AIoT systems can also identify patterns, predict equipment failures, classify objects, and trigger automated responses.
For instance, an industrial machine might continuously transmit temperature and vibration readings. Instead of waiting for a fixed threshold to trigger an alert, a machine learning model can detect unusual combinations of signals that suggest an emerging mechanical problem.
AI inference can happen in the cloud or directly on an edge device. Edge AI is particularly useful when low latency, limited connectivity, or data privacy makes continuous cloud communication impractical.
With physical and agentic AI gaining traction, connected devices are also becoming part of more autonomous systems. However, production-ready AIoT still requires reliable data pipelines, controlled model deployment, and safeguards for actions that affect physical equipment.
How different industries benefit from IoT in 2026: Real company examples
IoT development requirements vary considerably between industries. A smart agriculture platform must work across remote fields, while connected medical devices require rigorous data security, reliability, and regulatory controls.
The following companies demonstrate how industry-specific engineering turns connected smart devices into measurable business value.
Agriculture: John Deere
John Deere’s See & Spray technology combines cameras, computer vision, and precision spraying equipment to identify weeds and apply herbicides only where needed.
According to John Deere, customers using See & Spray reduced non-residual herbicide use by 50% in 2025.
The underlying engineering challenge involves processing visual information, coordinating hardware components, and controlling spraying mechanisms while equipment moves through a field. It illustrates why agricultural IoT developers need experience with embedded systems, edge AI, and reliable operation outside conventional network environments.
Aerospace: Airbus
Airbus Skywise combines aircraft operational, engineering, and maintenance data to support predictive maintenance and fleet performance analysis.
Its connected data platform helps airlines identify potential equipment failures, schedule maintenance, and reduce unplanned aircraft downtime.
Aerospace IoT projects demand highly reliable data processing, system integration, traceability, and domain-specific safety practices. Engineers also need to work within strict certification and cybersecurity requirements.
Healthcare: Medtronic
Medtronic’s CareLink network enables remote monitoring of compatible implantable cardiac devices. Device information is transmitted securely to clinicians, helping them review patient conditions without requiring every follow-up to take place in person.
Such systems connect medical hardware, communication technologies, secure data infrastructure, and healthcare applications.
For healthcare IoT development, technical expertise must be accompanied by knowledge of applicable regulations, including HIPAA, FDA requirements, or EU medical device rules, depending on the product and market. Security, software verification, and patient safety are integral to the development process.
Logistics: DHL
DHL Global Forwarding uses connected sensors to monitor shipment conditions such as temperature, humidity, and shock during transportation.
Sensor information flows into its IoT platform, allowing customers to track cargo conditions and shipment progress through digital tools.
For logistics businesses, this type of connectivity supports more than location tracking. It helps identify temperature excursions, detect handling problems, and improve visibility across supply chains.
Developers working on similar solutions need experience with low-power sensors, cellular connectivity, GPS integration, event processing, and data synchronization across unreliable networks.
Lemon.io’s special offering
A single IoT engineer can resolve a specific firmware issue or connect several devices to your existing platform. Building a complete IoT system, however, often requires specialists across embedded development, cloud architecture, DevOps, data engineering, and AI.
Lemon.io can help you with both: sourcing IoT specialists independently and assembling a cross-functional team.
We start with your business goals, industry requirements, existing infrastructure, and compliance constraints. These details guide candidate selection and technical vetting, so you’re evaluating engineers against the problems they’ll solve in real-world business settings.
For broader projects, we can also provide a delivery lead with experience managing complex enterprise software initiatives, including Fortune 500 engagements. This adds project coordination and technical delivery oversight alongside our sourcing and vetting capabilities.
You can start with a senior IoT developer for architecture planning, expand the team during implementation, and reduce capacity once the system enters maintenance.
Tell us what devices you need to connect, what outcomes you expect, and which industry standards apply. We’ll help you find the IoT expertise and team structure that fit your project.
