Software engineers are engineers who specifically work in designing and creating software for computers. The job is very diverse, and the software can be for anything ranging from basic programs for home users to advanced and complex software for multi-national companies. Their job is to create software to suit the needs of their client and then to test it thoroughly and eliminate any bugs, or problems that it may have. They are often employed to maintain software as well.

It is not an easy job, and software engineers must have extensive knowledge of a wide range of computer languages applications as they may have to work with many different types of software. Software engineering is the most heavily employed area of information technology. Many software engineers, particularly those that work in large companies or offices, will specialize in either systems or applications.

Some of the job responsibilities that software engineers may have include: researching, designing and writing new software programs; testing new programs and looking for faults; working with computer coding languages; consulting clients and/or colleagues about the maintenance and performance of their software programs; and developing existing programs by analyzing and identifying areas for modification.

 

 

There are around 857,000 software engineers employed in the USA at the moment. 507,000 of them work in computer applications software engineering and around 350,000 of them work in computer systems software engineering. Almost 29 per cent of all software engineers work in computer systems design and related services, however they are spread out amongst a huge range of industries. Around 17,000 software engineers are self-employed and they work on a temporary or contract basis. Not all companies require a full-time software engineer, particularly smaller ones, so it is important that there are self-employed software engineers available.

The job prospects for software engineers are very good, and it is projected that it is going to be one of the fastest growing job sectors in the coming years. Software engineers require a minimum of a bachelors degree for entry level jobs. Entry into the degree programs are very competitive and hard work. There are numerous places across the USA offering degrees in either computer engineering or computer science. Many employers prefer applicants to have an advanced degree, either a masters or a doctorate, as some jobs are very complex and require extensive software engineering knowledge. Eight percent of all software engineers have a minimum of a bachelors degree or higher.

 

 

 

 

Computers and the internet are increasingly becoming more widely used and are an essential part of many peoples and businesses lives. This means that the demand for software engineers is constantly increasing. For example, with the new trend for mobile wireless internet occurring at a fast paced, a new influx of demand for software engineers is happening. This happens every time a new product is brought onto the market.

Like with most engineering careers, the only negative aspect of the career prospects are that increasingly companies are moving their production and development overseas where labor and production costs are much lower than in the USA. This means that many of the jobs in software engineering are now in countries such as China and Taiwan.

To be successful as a software engineer you must have top problem-solving skills as well as great attention to detail and the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. It is important that software engineers stay up to date with the latest developments in the industry, as it is rapidly changing every single day. Often employers will cover the cost of extra training as they want their staff to always be on top of technological advances.

Software engineers earn an average salary of approximately $88,000 per year. The highest 10 percent earn an average of $135,000, whilst the bottom 10 percent earn an average of approximately $54,000 per year. For software engineers graduating with a bachelors degree they can expect to earn a starting salary of approximately $56,000 per year; those with a masters degree earn an average starting salary of around $60,000 per year; and those with doctorate degree have an average starting salary of approximately $92,500. These generally increase as they become more experienced.