The Growing Demand for Software Developers
Posted September 15th, 2014
If you’re a college student and are wondering what to choose for a major. Or if you’re someone thinking of making a career change and you want to make sure the field you choose is one that’s in demand, consider a career as a software developer.
This professional sector is growing rapidly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the need for computer software developers will grow 30 percent between 2010 and 2020, which in BLS-speak is considered to be “much faster than average for all occupations.”
In fact, almost 71,000 computer software developer jobs have been added to the U.S. economy since 2010.
The salaries are as nifty as the job prospects: the BLS reports that the median annual salary for software developers is $92,000. What’s more, companies can’t find enough qualified developers to fill all their open positions, reporting that there is just one active candidate for every 10 job openings.
In other words: skilled software developers definitely are in the proverbial catbird seat when it comes to offers and salaries (the more a company needs you, the more leverage you have when it comes to salary as well as benefits).
You don’t even need to have a bachelor’s degree to find work. While about half of all software developers have a bachelor’s degree, about 5 percent (according to CareerBuilder.com) have an associate’s degree while a full 9 percent have some college but no degree (emphasis ours). Almost 30 percent (29 percent) have a master’s degree, while 4 percent have a doctorate.
There is one caveat: newly minted developers aren’t as in-demand by employers. Companies are looking for developers with six to 15 years of experience.
Jobs in this sector tend to be plentiful where one would expect them to be: in cities with a lot of tech companies. CareerBuilder.com reported that developers are most in demand in Seattle; Boston; Washington, DC; and right here in San Jose.
You also should keep in mind that a software developer position could be listed as computer programmer, computer systems analyst, Web developer, information security analyst, and so on.
Here at Bayside Solutions, we have several temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire opportunities for computer software developers. Search our job board for these positions and, if you have the requisite skills and/or experience (depending on the position), don’t hesitate to send us your resume!
