Detailed Understanding of Software Developer/Engineer Job Profile

About Industry - Software development is a subset of software engineering, an umbrella term that covers a variety of branches. The main software development market segments are:

• Productivity Software
• Enterprise software
• System infrastructure software
• Application development software

Software is typically provided in one of two ways:

• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): This cloud-based model allows end users to access software online without having to download or update it — the provider is responsible for its hosting and maintenance. SaaS companies often utilize subscription-based, pay-as-you-go, or one-time-use revenue models. Currently, one of the biggest SaaS companies is Salesforce.
• On-premise solution: In this traditional software distribution model, the end user installs and runs the software on their device. For data integrity and security reasons, this model won’t go out of style anytime soon — many businesses in highly regulated industries rely on it. Microsoft is a good example of an on-premise software distributor.

Many software engineers start their careers in SaaS companies. The industry is booming — in part because the recent pandemic made many companies go remote and increase their cloud spending as a result.

Some of the most popular industries for software engineer careers include:

• Finance
• Healthcare
• Retail
• Security
• Research
• Government and defense
• Automotive
• Gaming
• Education
• Transport and logistics

A software engineer usually earns a new title as their career advances. The job title hierarchy varies from company to company, but the standard software engineering career levels in order of seniority are:

1. Staff engineer
2. Senior staff engineer
3. Principal Engineer
4. Distinguished engineer
5. Fellow engineer

Software engineering jobs may have more exotic-sounding or playful titles, like software artisan, software Jedi, or even full stack magician, but it’s a candidate’s skill sets that’ll define who’s going to be a good fit for the company.

Let’s see what some of those are, starting with the most used programming languages in 2023:

1. JavaScript
2. HTML/CSS
3. Python
4. SQL
5. TypeScript
6. Java
7. Bash/Shell
8. C#
9. C++
10. PHP

However, the list of top-paying languages looks rather different:

1. Clojure
2. F#
3. Elixir
4. Erlang
5. Perl
6. Ruby
7. Scala
8. Rust
9. Go
10. LISP

It’s a similar story with the highest-paying databases — the ones that are commonly used didn’t make it to the top of the list:

1) Detailed Understanding of Job Profile:

• Software Developers/Engineers design, develop, test, and maintain software applications and systems. They work with programming languages, frameworks, and tools to create efficient and functional software solutions that address user needs.

2) Work-Life Balance:

• Work-life balance in software development can vary. While intense periods of coding and project deadlines might require longer hours, many companies prioritize work-life balance and offer flexible schedules and remote work options.

5) Travelling For Job:

• Software Developers/Engineers typically have limited travel requirements. However, occasional travel might be necessary for meetings, conferences, or to work directly with clients or team members in other locations.

6) Work Review Frequencies:

• Work reviews can vary based on project timelines and company practices. Regular code reviews and project updates are common to ensure code quality and alignment with project goals.

7) Rewards:

• Rewards in software development can include salary increments, performance bonuses, stock options, and recognition for outstanding contributions. Recognition within the development community is also common.

8) Growth:

• Software Developers/Engineers often have opportunities for growth into roles such as Senior Developer, Tech Lead, Architect, or even management positions. Continuous learning and skill development are crucial for career progression.

9) Abroad Opportunities:

• Software Developers/Engineers often have opportunities to work abroad, especially in countries with thriving tech industries. International collaborations and remote work can provide global exposure.
• Moving to Silicon Valley for a software engineering job isn’t as desirable as it used to be. The highest software engineer salary increase, 9%, happened in 2021 in Austin, Texas. The balance is shifting because tech talent is gradually relocating to smaller, less trendy areas with a lower cost of living.

The global IT outsourcing market was valued at $526.6 billion in 2021. Some analysts expect it to reach $806.63 billion by 2025, while others make more modest forecasts, valuing it at $682.3 billion by 2027.

The IT outsourcing market can be broken down into three categories:

• Onshore: The outsourced specialists are based in the same country.
• Nearshore: The IT operations are outsourced to a neighboring country.
• Offshore: The outsourcing destinations are located overseas.

Businesses tend to outsource their software development and engineering projects for multiple reasons:

• Hiring coders from regions with a high cost of living, such as California, is too expensive by default.
• Building and guiding a developer team requires a lot of managerial effort.
• Spikes in demand create global tech talent shortages, which are hard to overcome if you’re only hiring locally.
• Aggressive competition for tech talent causes top performers to increase their rates and be more selective.
• Remote IT service providers offer an unbeatable economy of scale by connecting organizations with reliable professionals overseas.

When looking at software engineering statistics, IT sourcing is cheaper in 31% of cases:

10) Hierarchy:

• Hierarchy can vary, but generally, it starts with Junior/Associate Developer, progressing to Mid-Level Developer, Senior Developer, Technical Lead, and potentially to roles like Software Architect or Engineering Manager.

11) Education 10+2 Degree in What Stream:

• A common educational path is a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.10+2 with a strong foundation in mathematics and computer science is preferred.

Becoming a software engineer is also quite expensive — students can expect to pay between $37,000 and $91,000 in total tuition.

• Almost 60% of software developers acknowledge that they learned how to code from online resources, so a relevant degree alone doesn’t necessarily make one job-ready.

12) Hiring Methods by Company:

• Hiring methods can vary. Some companies prefer campus placements to hire fresh talent, while others hire directly through job portals, referrals, and networking.

13) Types of Software Developer/Engineer:

• Types include Front-End Developers, Back-End Developers, Full-Stack Developers, Mobile App Developers, DevOps Engineers, Data Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, and more.

14) Pay's and Perks:

• Salaries for Software Developers/Engineers can vary based on location, experience, and the company's size. Perks may include health benefits, stock options, flexible hours, remote work, and professional development opportunities.

The average annual salary for software engineers was $155,000. Remote wages for software engineers are increasing as foreign companies expand their reach and start to compete with the US market.

• The average salaries for software development and engineering roles are:

It’s common practice to build project teams that include at least one senior developer and one to two junior developers to reduce expenses while preserving quality. Seasoned software engineers often charge $400 an hour or more.

Small and medium-sized businesses can get away with paying between $110 and $220 an hour for projects ranging in size from $50,000 to $5 million. Offshore and nearshore developers will most likely charge you less, but in that case, things like code quality, language barriers, and time differences come into question.

Interestingly, part of the reason why software engineering costs are so high is that small companies offer software engineers attractive pay. Enterprises often have to compete with startups when it comes to hiring tech talent.

15) Common Software Engineer Responsibilities:

To build the necessary software engineering fundamentals, freshman applicants usually choose one of the following bachelor’s programs:

• Computer Systems Engineering
• Software Engineering and Business Informatics
• Software Development
• Computer Science
• Application Software Development
• Human-Centered Design & Engineering
• Game DevelopmentOverseeing the software development process
• Software testing and maintenance
• System design
• Determining operational feasibility
• Software deployment
• System integration
• Debugging and troubleshooting
• Creating and managing database applications
• Developing technical documentation, charts, and layouts

Software developers and engineers have some overlapping functions and responsibilities, but the latter focus on the bigger picture. A software developer can become a software engineer if they have the right educational background and are ready to develop or deepen the necessary skills for the job.

16) Skills Required :

Software engineers work on a bigger scale than software developers and typically take on higher-level responsibilities. The following soft skills are mandatory for software engineers, especially for senior positions:

• Time-management
• Readiness for lifelong learning
• Teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Creativity
• Product management skills
• Critical thinking

A highly skilled software engineer can land a top-paying role, such as enterprise cloud architect, security architect, or data architect.

17) Software Developer Demographics and Motivation:

There were 25.3 million active software developers worldwide at the end of 2022. The median age for software engineers is 44 years old, and 61% of developers are younger than 35 years. These figures have gradually decreased with the entry of more young professionals into the workforce.

Here are the top motivation drivers for software engineers and developers:

• New challenges
• A sense of fulfillment
• Endless learning
• Knowing their purpose and value
• Being part of a global tech community
• Belief in the product they’re working on
• Pushing the boundaries of technology

It’s not the exorbitant salaries that make students decide to obtain a computer science degree — or, at least, it’s not just them. Software engineering can be an extremely thrilling and rewarding job.

18) Work Pressure :

However, high demands also mean high pressure. 

• Two out of every five people working in tech are at a high risk of burnout, and stress seems to affect women especially.
• 43% of the population at high burnout risk struggle to find satisfaction in finishing their everyday tasks. The tech industry has some of the highest resignation rates across industries.

Today, tech professionals expect their employers to encourage their happiness at work through:

• Rewarding pay
• Healthy communication and lack of distractions
• Flexible working hours
• Frequent check-ins
• Growth opportunities
• Reducing workload
• Positive and inclusive work culture
• Less demanding timelines
• Work-life balance
• Employee recognition
• Healthcare
• Free mental health days

Many tech companies are addressing diversity and inclusion, but the real changes are occurring rather slowly. The software development field is still pretty homogeneous — only 20% of all people working in it are women, according to Developer Nation. Other sources show even lower figures.

The same goes for race and ethnicity. However, we expect to see a new, more diverse group of developers enter the workforce, thanks to the gradual democratization of tech education.

As of now, 39% of software developers identify as White. Some sources suggest that this number may be even higher — as high as 52%. Comparatively, 33% of developers are of Asian ethnicity, and 6.9% are of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. These figures vary depending on the respondents’ proficiency.

19) Work from Home Software Engineering Statistics :

According to surveys on LinkedIn, over 50% of software developers work remotely, and 85% say their organizations are at least partially remote.

A 2022 survey conducted by Stack Overflow shows the following remote software engineering statistics:

• Software engineers who are ready to work remotely find themselves in a better position — they receive 20% more interview requests compared to their counterparts who prefer in-person work.
• 74% of engineers would like to be remote 3 days a week or more. Surprisingly, smaller organizations are more likely to have in-person engineers, whereas larger organizations with 10k+ employees usually offer a hybrid work model.

There are two reasons behind this:

• For small businesses and startups, it’s especially important to cultivate a collaborative culture and loyalty, which is easier to do face-to-face.
• Big companies can afford expensive morale-boosters and enterprise-grade tools for their remote employees to mitigate the effects of the long-distance format.

Software engineers have different takes on location-based salaries:

• 68% of engineers say that working from home improves their productivity and reduces their stress levels. Contrary to popular belief, older generations of engineers prefer flexible working arrangements, while younger professionals don’t mind working in an office setting.
• Pay transparency is especially critical for engineers who work remotely. According to Terminal’s report, 89% of remote software engineers think that tech companies should offer equity compensation.

20) Key Takeaways :

Here’s what we’ve learned from these software engineering statistics:

1. The market is more competitive than ever, but there is a shortage of highly skilled and specialized professionals.
2. Companies need software engineers now, so they cut corners by hiring top talent instead of developing engineering leaders in-house — which is cheaper but takes years.
3. Companies turn to outsourcing because domestic IT resources are costly and scarce.
4. Tech professionals move away from the grind mentality and choose companies that support employees’ mental health and offer flexible working conditions.
5. Universities’ slow pace of change results in fewer work-ready graduates.
6. New trends and technologies, such as the IoT, create thrilling, diverse career paths for engineers and developers.
7. Many software engineers and developers rely on online resources and coding bootcamps more than traditional education.
8. Industry trends are changing every year, and employers and tech professionals have to stay flexible to win the race.

Now you can see why it’s tricky to find a software engineering job or internship — it’s the top talent that HR is after. Enterprises don’t always have the time or patience to nurture their own professionals, which perpetuates the current imbalance in labor supply and demand.

Thankfully, the situation is bound to change. The new generation of developers is entering the job market, and the variety of coding schools and bootcamps makes software engineering education more available to more people. Artificial Intelligence technology will play an important role in these can say it is the key for futuristic software development.