Computer Programmers

What Computer Programmers Do

Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

6.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.9/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
• Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
• English Languageimportance 3.4/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
• Designimportance 2.9/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Spend Time Sitting4.8/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.2/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.2/5

Related Careers

• Software Developers
• Web and Digital Interface Designers
• Computer Occupations, All Other
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Database Administrators
• Database Architects
• Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
• Computer Hardware Engineers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Aerospace Engineers96% skill match
• Software Developers94% skill match
• Database Administrators93% skill match
• Medical Dosimetrists93% skill match
• Architectural and Civil Drafters93% skill match
• Web Developers92% skill match
• Database Architects92% skill match
• Physicists91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Programmingimportance 4.8/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
• Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.5/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.4/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Operations Analysisimportance 3.1/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Innovation
• Cautiousness
• Achievement Orientation
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ConventionalHigh
• InvestigativeHigh
• RealisticMedium
• ArtisticLow
• EnterprisingLow
• SocialLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where computer programmers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Bloomington, IN8.23× national avg
2. 2Tallahassee, FL5.78× national avg
3. 3Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY5.38× national avg
4. 4Raleigh-Cary, NC4.01× national avg
5. 5Montgomery, AL3.98× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Software DevelopersLateral Move
• Database AdministratorsLateral Move
• Database ArchitectsLateral Move
• Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersLateral Move

See the full career path from Computer Programmers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.