Software Jobs - What Are They and How to Get One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

Software jobs include software engineers, software developers, programmers, information technology or network systems specialists, QA testers, or developers who use existing tools, such as business information software, to develop new interfaces for institutional clients. Many of these jobs can be broken down further. For example, some developers work on front-end duties, such as designing interfaces for users. These may be for desktop, mobile, or web applications. Back-end programmers and developers, on the other hand, create the frameworks and logic that dictate how a program works. QA testers often work closely with developers to test programs before being released publicly.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for software developers, in particular, is expected to grow by 24 percent by 2026. Society becomes more automated every year, and with the increased automation comes the increased demand for software for computers and machinery. Coding cell phone apps is another facet of the software industry that should see significant growth in the future. IT support, meanwhile, should grow by approximately 11 percent, as businesses need to upgrade their equipment.

The experience you need to work in software depends in large part on what type of work you do. QA testers, for example, may only need an associate degree and several years of experience testing software. A software engineer, on the other hand, needs a bachelor’s degree in computer science or computer architecture. Most developers and programmers also have bachelor’s degrees although some employers are more concerned with how well you can program or code rather than with formal qualifications. Different jobs also require different coding languages. Front-end web developers often use JavaScript, but they must know the fundamentals of backend languages, such as Ruby. Desktop programmers should know languages like C, C++, and Python.

The responsibilities of a software developer range from analyzing and assessing the needs of users to designing and testing programs to meet those needs. You may create an entirely new program or merely improve an existing one. Developers are responsible for a program’s overall framework, and they design precise workflow charts that explain to programmers what code is needed for different aspects of the program. Although a software developer does not do as much coding as a programmer, you still need a broad knowledge of the logic of the languages in which you are working. Developers also design tests and protocols for the QA department to follow when they are testing the program.