Software Engineering Job Market and Demand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Although Meta and Google might be the first companies that come to mind when you think of software engineers, the job market expands far beyond the leading tech conglomerates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Software Engineering Job Market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Aside from tech companies, software engineers are also hired in the following industries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Healthcare (Johnson & Johnson, CVS Health Corp.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Retail (Walmart, Best Buy)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Research and development (AT&T Laboratories)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Media and entertainment (Netflix, Disney)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Finance (JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In 2021, there were 1,622,200 software engineering positions<\/a> across the United States, and this number is expected to exceed two million by 2031. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is the Scope of Software Engineering?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Many of the common roles in tech fall under the broader term of software engineering. Software solutions are the power behind many industries, including data scientists in business intelligence, cloud engineers working in finance, AI developers in healthcare, and cybersecurity specialists working with the federal government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Career in Software Engineering: Benefits and Drawbacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
All careers are a balance of positives and negatives. With the sheer range of roles and industries to choose from in software engineering, there\u2019s a lot you can do to personalize your career to your needs. Here, we\u2019ll look at some of the most common benefits and drawbacks of software development and engineering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Software](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/software-engineering-benefits.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom salaries to flexible hours, there are multiple benefits to becoming a software engineer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Job Security<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
While the recent layoff trends in tech<\/a> suggest job security can be tumultuous for software engineers, big IT companies are just one of the many sectors developers can work in. Media, healthcare, manufacturing, government, and financial organizations all also need software engineers and keep demand for these professionals at a more-than-comfortable level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compensation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The national average median salary for software engineers<\/a> across all industries is $107,255<\/a>, according to Glassdoor. Software engineers commonly also receive stock benefits, health benefits, travel benefits, quality of life benefits, and much more depending on the company in question.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexibility <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Software engineering is also associated with high levels of flexibility, both in the hours you work and where you work from. While each company has its own procedures and preferences, much of an engineer\u2019s work can be done from anywhere with an internet connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intellectual Fulfillment <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Software engineering is all about unique challenges and creative solutions, so it\u2019s a great career for people who want excitement and variety in their work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drawbacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Software](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/software-engineering-drawbacks.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOf course, all careers have their drawbacks, and the intensity of a software engineer\u2019s workload isn\u2019t suited to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pressure To Do Extra<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Many software engineers consider their work a passion, which can motivate them to work into the early hours, and their free time is often spent upskilling and expanding their knowledge. Unsurprisingly, the engineers that are willing to go the extra mile are the ones that grow and rise within the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This leaves others feeling pressured to do the same if they want to be as successful, and this can be stressful. Having a passion for your work is a great thing, but having a work-life balance is important too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Effect of Global Teams<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Since remote work is popular among software engineers, teams, departments, and companies as a whole can end up spread across different time zones. This can be slightly inconvenient as calls with far-off colleagues will end up being scheduled during the evening or very early in the morning, and urgent work can be thrown off schedule due to the time difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Software Engineering (and Related) Careers To Explore<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Software development careers come in all shapes and sizes. From working in entertainment-based industries like video games or movie streaming to keeping the world safe through military and medical research, there\u2019s a lot of variation in engineering roles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Front-End Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Most commonly reserved for web development, front-end developers<\/a> focus on creating the customer-facing elements of websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back-End Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conversely, back-end engineering<\/a> is concerned with everything happening behind the scenes. This includes servers, databases, APIs, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Full-Stack Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A full-stack engi<\/a>neer has skills and experience in both front-end and back-end development and usually works with both teams during a project to make sure both elements progress together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
QA Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Quality Assurance engineers are tasked with developing comprehensive tests to identify issues and bugs before releasing a product to the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DevOps Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
DevOps is largely an organizational role that works to identify and improve inefficiencies in the development cycle. This often includes promoting collaboration between siloed teams, addressing outdated system architecture, or limiting wasteful administrative procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cloud Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cloud storage is now the standard way for organizations to store and access various data and tools. Transitioning to and maintaining a cloud infrastructure requires an expert, which is where cloud engineers<\/a> come in. Not only do they design and implement a bespoke cloud solution for the company. They also maintain it, improve it, and train staff to use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Software Developer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As the most general title on this list, a software developer<\/a> can technically be employed to perform any or multiple of the duties on this list. However, they can also work on software development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Game Developer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As you might expect, game developers<\/a> make video games for PC, consoles, handhelds, and more. It\u2019s a creative and passion-driven role in a fast-paced industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mobile Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
These engineers specialize in developing software applications and operating systems specifically for smartphones and tablets. This can include games, lifestyle apps, financial apps, and everything in between. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Becoming a Software Engineer: General Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Becoming](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/becoming-a-software-engineer-general-prerequisites.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile juniors learn a lot of skills on the job, there\u2019s still a lot you need to study yourself before searching for your first engineering role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Foundational Knowledge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The foundational knowledge you need as a software engineer depends on your goals and interests. You might want to study about how computers work or you might want to dive straight into programming languages. If programming is just one of the paths you\u2019re considering, introductory courses or books on the subject can help you learn more about the subject and develop an interest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You actually have a lot of options when it comes to education. College degrees are becoming less relevant<\/a> as more and more tech companies remove them from employment requirements. Instead, self-study, online courses, and software engineering bootcamps<\/a> are becoming increasingly popular. As long as you acquire the skills and build a portfolio to showcase them, you\u2019ll have everything a hiring manager could ask of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Both soft skills and technical skills<\/a> are important for software engineering, as most roles entail working on one small segment of a much larger project or product. Collaborating with other teams and departments is an essential part of the job, as committing changes to a larger project is a complex process that requires extensive testing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are also many kinds of specialized skills you can choose to pursue as your career progresses\u2014problem-solving, debugging, technical leadership, management, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tools are hugely important to the programming profession\u2014the software, operating systems, and languages you choose to develop skills and knowledge in will greatly affect the type of work you do. For example, web developers learn HTML and CSS, back-end engineers learn Python<\/a>, and game developers often work in C++ or C#.<\/p>\n\n\n
Get To Know Other\tSoftware Engineering Students<\/h4>
![\"Promise](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1689830740\/Promise_Morka.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Geraldo](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1635255723\/Student%20Success\/Geraldo_Gomes_125x125.png\")
<\/a>![\"Pritisha](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/springboard-images\/image\/upload\/v1635255723\/Student%20Success\/Pritisha_Kumar_125x125.png\")
<\/a>![\"Entry-Level](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/entry-level-software-engineer-annual-salary.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Mid-Level](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/mid-level-software-engineer-annual-salary.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/senior-software-engineer-annual-salary.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/frA4uCnIxhc\/sddefault.jpg\")