1. Software developer — also known as software development engineer or software enginee
Median salary: $107,510
Job description. Software developers are engineers who build software programs, applications, networks and operating systems (OSes). While a large portion of job duties involve building programs through coding, software developers typically are involved in critical analyses of user needs, planning technical feature requirements, documentation and testing. Software developer positions may focus on front-end applications that users interact with, the back end, which includes application or program code, or both.
Recommended skills. Anyone seeking a software developer position should have knowledge of and experience coding in multiple programming languages, including C++, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, .NET, SQL Server, RuPaths to this career. For entry-level positions, most companies prefer four-year bachelor’s degrees in computer science. But some software developers may have only an associate’s degree or a certificate of completion from a bootcamp for building coding skills. Senior-level positions may require advanced computer science degrees.
Demand. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of software developer jobs is projected to rise 22% between 2019 and 2029. This equates to the creation of 316,000 new jobs.
