Applications software developers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Applications software developers design computer applications, such as word processors and games, for consumers. They may create custom software for a specific customer or commercial software to be sold to the general public. Some applications software developers create complex databases for organizations. They also create programs that people use over the Internet and within a companys intranet.
- Education Required
- Software developers usually have a bachelors degree, typically in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. Computer science degree programs are the most common, because they tend to cover a broad range of topics. Students should focus on classes related to building software to better prepare themselves for work in the occupation. Many students gain experience in software development by completing an internship at a software company while in college. For some positions, employers may prefer that applicants have a masters degree.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 24% (Much faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Software developers can advance to become information technology (IT) project managers, also called computer and information systems managers, a position in which they oversee the software development process.
- Median pay: How much do Software Developers make?
- $102,280 Annual Salary
- $49.17 per hour
Careers for Software Developers
- Application integration engineers
- Applications developers
- Computer applications developers
- Computer applications engineers
- Computer systems software architects
- Computer systems software engineers
- Database developers
- Embedded systems software developers
- Enterprise systems engineers
- Software applications architects
- Software applications designers
- Software architects
- Software designers
- Software engineers
- Software systems designers
- Software systems engineers
- Software systems specialists
- Systems developers
- Systems software developers