Someday, a really smart person is going to figure out the optimal developer/tester ratio. Today is not that day.

Case in point: The tech media is largely aware of the shortage of mobile app developers, but remains oblivious to the shortage of mobile app testers.

ComputerWorld.com just posted a long (but terrific) article on the under supply of mobile app developers. Below are a few choice excerpts. Just for fun, I want you to replace the word “developer” with “tester” and see if the article still makes sense.

As market demand surges for apps to run on iOS, Android and whatever operating system will power the next wave of smart devices, companies are facing a dearth of mobile development talent. For IT professionals with programming skills, that gap represents a fresh opportunity to embark on a career makeover.

Just who is developing all of those apps? In its recent “America’s Tech Talent Crunch” study, IT job site Dice.com found that job postings for Android developers soared 302% in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2010; ads for iPhone-related positions rose 220% in the same time frame.

Elance.com, a website for freelancers, reports comparable demand: In the first quarter of 2011, there were 4,500 mobile developer jobs posted on the site — an increase of 101% over the number of similar job postings in the same quarter last year.

Developers and designers who fully understand the constraints and the opportunities afforded by the smaller real estate and touch interfaces of the smart device platform are in high demand.

Whether you’re a recent college grad or a midcareer professional, you may have what it takes to be a good mobile app developer if you possess certain specific qualities, according to Dunn and other industry watchers.

A potentially more difficult transition is coming to terms with the new design paradigm that mobile platforms represent: In addition to recognizing that you’ll be designing apps for the smaller real estate of smartphone screens, you have to understand how users interact with their devices and grasp the need to deliver highly targeted functionality.

With no end in sight for the opportunities in mobile development, Dalton says this latest “gold rush” sends a clear message to fellow developers, system architects and Web designers: “In today’s global, outsourcing economy, you don’t want to be stuck with outdated skills,” he says.

Okay, I can’t post any more of the article without getting sued, so do yourself a  favor and read the entire piece. Then, if you’re really smart, you’ll realize that the shortage of developers won’t last much longer, and that the shortage of testers is still largely unknown (and hence, more of an opportunity).