Software Developers
What Software Developers Do
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.8/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.8/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.8/5
- Designimportance 2.7/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Spend Time Sitting5.0/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
- E-Mail4.5/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.2/5
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.
- Database Architects97% skill match
- Aerospace Engineers97% skill match
- Mechanical Drafters95% skill match
- Web Developers94% skill match
- Computer Programmers94% skill match
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers93% skill match
- Architectural and Civil Drafters93% skill match
- Database Administrators92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Programmingimportance 4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
- Technology Designimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 3.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- 3M Post-it App
- A programming language APL
- ABC Compiler
- ABC: the AspectBench Compiler for AspectJ
- ADO.NET
- AWK
- Ada
- Adobe ActionScript
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Adaptability
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticMedium
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where software developers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA7.09× national avg
- 2Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA4.10× national avg
- 3Boulder, CO3.41× national avg
- 4San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2.68× national avg
- 5Durham-Chapel Hill, NC2.62× 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 Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersLateral Move
- Computer Systems AnalystsLateral Move
- Database AdministratorsLateral Move
- Database ArchitectsLateral Move
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.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$195,622
- DeVry University-Illinois (Lisle, IL)
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)grads earn ~$172,904
- University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$173,716
Computer Science
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$188,871
- University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, MO)
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$204,379
- Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)grads earn ~$121,405
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD)grads earn ~$137,931
Information Science/Studies
- University of Maryland Global Campus (Adelphi, MD)grads earn ~$100,208
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD)grads earn ~$109,092
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
- The University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX)grads earn ~$122,669