Software Engineering Careers – Jobs, Salaries & Education

Web developers create websites for individuals and organizations, ensuring the site looks and performs at the level they need. The profession requires programming skills and an understanding of how to integrate applications. Web developers use many of the applications designed by software engineers.

Database administrators establish, maintain, and oversee the software that organizations use to store and track information. These professionals secure and monitor databases, ensuring they operate as expected and are secured against data hacking threats. In some cases, database administrators design and create their own databases, much like software engineers.

These analysts manage the security and protection of organizations' networks and data. They work with software to identify threats, assess vulnerabilities, and thwart attacks on the system. In some cases, these security professionals may even develop their own security software.

As a software engineer, most of your career is a rollercoaster ride of high points and challenges. There are breakthrough moments and streaks where you are in the flow, and then you hit a brick wall. So, you either figure out the best way to do something, debug something you have to work with that may be poorly documented, or it could just be that old hide-and-seek partner: a semicolon.

In general, the highest points are when you see something you have architected come to life to solve real-world problems. That exhilaration never goes away. The biggest challenges are the complexity of making computers behave more and more like actual humans. These are fun challenges to solve but can be prickly when non-technical colleagues don't understand the complexity of what, to them, seems like a simple ask.

One of the key growth challenges of new software engineers is going from understanding code to learning to translate real-world problems into code, followed by learning how to build and design systems and, finally, how to make others understand the system you are building.

The best software engineers I know share several common qualities.

They are problem-solvers or creative by nature. Often they speak other languages, are musicians, poets, part-time detectives, or mechanics. They see the world and the rules as malleable.

Good engineers are lazy. That doesn't mean they show up late or don't care. They care deeply, but when they build something or solve a problem, they only want to do it once. They want to build a system that doesn't need them to maintain it and keep adding to it.

You have to be somewhat stubborn to be an engineer. You will hit walls, bang your head, and spend days hunting down what you will later call a stupid bug. You have to have a stick-to-itiveness to work through the headbangers.

Patience has to balance out stubbornness. You have to be willing to wait, walk away, and give space to problems and let your brain think. Get fresh eyes and understand that any time you work with something new, there is an inherent learning curve you need to go through.

The key here is a balance of these traits. If you have all of these characteristics, but you are super stubborn, you might just give up because you can't get things working. If you are too creative or obsessed with solving problems, you might take everything too far and over-build everything.

Sometimes it may just feel like it's one person, but the truth is, software is eating the world. We are building a parallel world in the digital sphere that has advantages, like being able to instantly work with folks around the world, buy something from anywhere, help understand how the world itself works, etc. This role affects others and is a positive contribution to the world when mastered.

We are at a tipping point where the world is turning digital, and there are not enough hands to catch everything. We need more folks to build, maintain, and secure the digital world.

That really depends on the graduate. The most important thing you can do as a student is get yourself an internship or apprenticeship and work on practical things. Theoretical software engineering, in a vacuum with artificial problems, is very different from doing it in the real world. It's a bit like a physician.

You don't dissect cadavers for two years and read anatomy books and then go do surgery on your own. There are internships, residencies, fellowships, etc. Software engineers need to work on gaining real-world experience. The best place to do that is in a real internship or apprenticeship. Then look for similar entry-level opportunities at companies. Companies need engineers, but be wary of small companies that may not provide you with space to learn.

It is important, especially for novice software engineers, to be provided an opportunity to continue to learn and grow. The field is always changing and education is ongoing.

Being a successful software engineer depends on the person, not the pedigree. A strong self-earner will excel in either a bootcamp or with a traditional degree and essentially learn to fill the gaps with either form of education. However, a weaker self-learner will flame out hard in a bootcamp.

I have seen both. Regardless of education, those who are not motivated toward self-learning will have difficulty progressing in software engineering careers. Technology changes fast. I could fill a book with what has changed since I started coding. The first serious language I used is dead, so are others I know, which is why it is important for software engineers to be knowledge-seekers.

It depends on the company. Some companies love certifications. However, certifications, with the exception of security certifications, are almost always a waste of time for two reasons. First, anyone can learn a bunch of information in a short period of time and then pass a test. It doesn't mean they know how to practically apply the information or that they are better than someone who does what the cert is for every day.

Second, in the real world, it is rare to just handle Java, Microsoft tech, or AWS Cloud Networking. You have to know how to do a bit of everything -- the days of siloed specialization are behind us in almost all companies. Security is useful because it applies to everything we do, and there is virtually no security taught in most degree and bootcamp tracks. The only other worthwhile certs would be in data science and machine learning because it is a way to get experience with deeper concepts that are hard to learn on your own.

The thing I always tell people about certs is to think about some weird elective you chose to take in college. You probably did well in it at the time. But if I asked you today, from the top of your head (even with Google at your fingertips), to go write me a 15 page paper about everything you learned, you might turn in two pages of some really thin concepts. Guess what? You spent more time in that elective than many training courses for cert tests.

They look for practical experience, the ability to solve problems, take direction, and integrate new concepts. They will also look for soft skills. There are many software engineers with hard edges. It can be hard when working on software, where things are binary, to remember that in the real world, everything is a shade of gray -- there aren't really hard and fast rules.

Being able to listen, understanding what holds value, knowing whether a problem is even worth solving, or simply just having the ability to work well with a designer who may have changing user test data, and therefore changing designs, are all very valuable skills.

I can't stress how important getting real-world experience is for a new software engineer. There are very few programs that effectively address practical experience and working with a multifunctional team. Try to get an internship or apprenticeship and be willing to work with others to gain experience, even if it's just to learn. Software engineering can be a lucrative career, but to maximize that, you need to choose mentorship and more learning opportunities over money when starting out.

Becoming a software engineer requires a solid understanding of the software development life cycle and various programming languages. While the job can be complex, aspiring professionals have multiple pathways to land employment, including through higher education degrees and coding bootcamps.

Software engineering income varies by experience, location, and job duties, but they typically receive high salaries. According to BLS employment data, software developers in 2019 earned a median salary of over $107,000 -- close to three times more than the average for all occupations.

Depending on the professional, a number of subfields could provide the best career. Software publishing, for example, pays the most of the major industries. The best field for you is the one that fulfills your professional and personal goals.

Software engineers can take on entire development projects or receive assignments for only a piece of an application. They can design, test, or create software, or they might be in charge of upgrades, maintenance, or improving functionality.

Software engineers often work within inflexible timeframes, which can add stress and additional work hours, especially when a deadline is looming. However, many engineers enjoy being able to express themselves creatively within their work, which can alleviate stress.