Almost every modern organization relies on applications and software to manage data and run its operations. As a result, the scope of software engineering is broad. You will encounter a wide range of job titles and expertise levels, which will differ based on the sector and programming languages you learn.
In this article, you will learn about common software engineer jobs as well as specific sectors to pursue after an entry-level position. This article will walk you through the timeline of a software engineer’s career and teach you about professional specializations.
Software Engineering Jobs USA Salary
The average annual income for a software engineer in the United States is approximately $115,097. However, salaries differ based on experience level. An entry-level software engineer with less than one year of experience may expect to earn an average compensation of $76,558 based on 6,661 salaries. An early-career software engineer with 1-4 years of experience makes an average total salary of $84,377, according to 35,904 salaries. The average software engineer pay in the US is $122,645 per year, or $58.96 per hour.
Entry level Software Engineer Jobs
Entry-level employment requires the least amount of technical knowledge and experience, typically from 0 to 1 year. Most early-career professionals and fresh graduates start in an entry-level position. Examples of entry-level software engineer positions are:
-
Entry-level software engineer
Many job listings for engineering positions that require fewer abilities or experience will be labeled as entry-level or, in some cases, junior software engineer. Generally, these positions demand you to collaborate with a team of other engineers, designers, and developers. You’ll work alongside more senior engineers to solve bugs, test, troubleshoot, and write code.
-
Technical support specialist
Technical support specialists are frequently known as help desk technicians. They help people set up, manage, navigate, and debug gear and software. Users may be internal employees or customers. Technical support personnel frequently train customers on cybersecurity precautions and keep records of incidents. This can be an excellent entry-level position for someone with no prior experience in technology.
According to Glassdoor, entry-level software engineers in the United States earn an average base salary of $76,000-127,000 per year as of October 2024. Salaries are affected by factors such as geography, employer, industry, and experience level.
Required abilities for entry-level software developers
- Understanding of programming languages like Python, Java, or C++
- Experience with version control
- Ability to test and troubleshoot software.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
Junior Level Software Engineer Jobs
These positions typically require one to three years of experience. As a junior software engineer, you will probably collaborate more closely with senior engineers.
You can write new code, test and troubleshoot existing code, and repair errors on your own or with minimal supervision. Independent work can be an important aspect of software engineering; therefore, workplace skills (sometimes known as “soft skills”) such as analytical thinking and problem-solving are essential. Examples of job titles for intermediate or junior engineers are:
-
Junior software engineer
Although some entry-level engineering professions may use the same title, many junior software engineer positions require one to three years of expertise. You will spend time helping the design and engineering teams, much as you would in an entry-level position. Your responsibilities will be more difficult, requiring you to be familiar with specific technology or providing less assistance than an entry-level position.
-
Quality assurance tester
A quality assurance tester, or QA tester, is in charge of ensuring that software products are not broken or unstable before they reach the user. They play an important part in the software development life cycle (SDLC), evaluating code efficiency through tests that measure performance, functionality, and integration with other components.
-
React developer
A React developer is a software engineer who focuses on the open-source JavaScript library React. As a junior engineer, you may begin working closely with a particular tool, platform, or language. This famous web developer toolkit is commonly used for UI/UX design and front-end development.
-
Front end developer
A front-end developer is a software engineer who focuses on creating the visible components of a website or application. They use front-end development languages and technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
According to Glassdoor, junior-level software engineers in the United States earn an average base salary of $86,000–142,000 a year as of October 2024. Salaries are determined by factors such as geography, company, industry, and the tools, programming languages, and platforms you are familiar with.
Required abilities for junior-level software engineers
- Experience with vendor-specific tools, platforms, and services like Kubernetes, React Native, or Oracle.
- Understand database design, data structures, and algorithms.
- Knowledge of operating systems.
- Experience with software engineering approaches like Agile and DevOps.
- Understanding object-oriented programming principles
Mid-level Software Engineering Jobs
Mid-level or intermediate software engineers have four to six years of experience. These professions can be more specialized, necessitating familiarity with specific tasks and technologies.
As an experienced software engineer, you are likely to contribute to feature development throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC). You might collaborate with the team to establish project specs, participate in deployment, and evaluate code for your team’s less experienced engineers. Examples of mid-level software engineer positions are:
-
A mid-level software engineer
Job advertisements for mid-level or intermediate software engineers may be categorized as “software engineer III” or “engineer 3.” They normally ask for four to six years of experience. These years can occasionally be categorized. For example, you may only require two years of experience with a certain programming language, such as Java, but four years of knowledge with cloud computing. You may be asked to take on team leadership responsibilities or make recommendations for enhancing performance and quality in both the product and internal processes.
-
A systems engineer
Systems engineers are in charge of managing the overall systems that support software engineering products and procedures. System engineering principles include hardware installation, network troubleshooting, cross-functional team collaboration, and system security.
-
AI Engineer
An AI developer is a software engineer who has received specific training to work with and develop artificial intelligence systems. The demand for AI talents has increased in recent years, making it a fantastic time to enter the field. After you’ve gained the fundamental knowledge required to become a software engineer, you may want to pursue a career in data science and machine learning as an AI developer.
According to Glassdoor, the typical base salary range for mid-level software engineers in the United States is $94,000–156,000 per year as of October 2024. Salaries are determined by factors such as geography, company, industry, and specialization.
Requirements for mid-level software engineers
- Strong knowledge of software engineering practices and procedures, such as DevOps
- Experience with vendor-specific software, platforms, tools, and operating systems, such as Azure, Windows Server platforms, RESTful APIs, or Linux.
- Ability to execute and record software research and development (R&D) alone and as part of a team.
- Capability to actively engage in the planning of development sprints and releases.
- Collaboration skills to ensure design team specifications may be smoothly technically realized by the development team.
- Familiarity with process and test automation
Senior Software Engineer Jobs
Software developers with more than seven years of experience are classified as senior or advanced. These roles frequently demand leadership or managerial responsibility. Certifications or security clearances may be necessary for these positions.
As a senior software engineer, you are likely to own entire projects or sub-projects, which means you are in charge of directing the entire development process, from planning to release to ongoing maintenance. Senior engineers frequently provide mentorship or coaching to junior or entry-level engineers. Examples of senior engineering positions are:
-
Senior software engineer
Many advanced-level engineering positions will be advertised under the senior software engineer job title. Some positions contain titles like “senior engineer (L2)” or “senior software engineer II.” In addition to the general responsibilities that all levels of software engineers share, senior engineers may set project timelines, interact with stakeholders to decide technical needs, and document best practices for troubleshooting and specifications. They must have great communication skills to successfully explain project details to colleagues of diverse technical knowledge.
-
Control engineer
Control engineers are sometimes known as control system engineers. They create and optimize the set of devices that control the behavior of systems like computers and equipment. These tasks are more closely associated with hardware, though software configuration and development are critical components of a control system.
-
A project engineer
An engineering project manager, often known as a project engineer, is a leader with substantial technical experience. They manage cross-functional teams, engineers, and stakeholders across the whole technical product development process, from conception to deployment.
Required abilities for senior software developers.
- A thorough awareness of risk management and established technology standards, procedures, and regulations
- Able to assign work and manage software projects from start to finish.
- Experience using microservice architecture and technologies
- Strong knowledge of methodologies such as DevOps, Agile, test-driven development (TTD), Scrum, behavior-driven development (BDD), and continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).
- Proficient in solution design and development.
5 Industries And Specializations For Software Engineers
As you move beyond entry-level and junior engineering positions, you may find that job listings grow increasingly specialized. They may seek competence in a wide field of expertise, such as cloud computing, or with specific technologies, such as SQL. After mastering the fundamentals of software engineering, you may want to consider pursuing a specialization. The list below contains five examples.
-
Data
Data engineers create methods and frameworks for analyzing data. SQL, Python, Java, and Scala are popular programming languages among data engineers. They are proficient in database architecture, automation, scripting, and cloud computing.
-
FinTech.
FinTech refers to the financial technology industry. Job listings for software engineers in this field frequently require expertise of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, data integration techniques, and virtualization technologies. A blockchain developer is one of the job titles available in this sector. Blockchain developers create and maintain the architecture of blockchain technology. Some focus on developing applications for existing blockchain platforms.
-
Gaming
If you’re a software engineer who enjoys video games, you should seek a job in the gaming industry. Video game developers convert concepts, narratives, and designs into playable software. C#, C++, Unreal Engine, and Unity are all relevant tools and languages for game developers to become familiar with. Artificial intelligence (AI) skills are also quite useful in this industry.
-
Systems engineering
Those who are interested in how devices interact to power computer systems may benefit from a career in systems engineering. A career title in this field could be “solutions architect.” They concentrate on transforming an organization’s requirements into technical solutions. They are the leaders who plan, manage, and discuss technological projects to solve challenges. Solutions architects have a thorough understanding of software development processes, tools, and technologies. Experience with network administration, IT, and information systems (IS) can be quite advantageous in this position.
-
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity may be a fascinating area for software engineers. You may work as a penetration tester, simulating cyberattacks to assist corporations in identifying vulnerabilities in their defenses. Alternatively, you may become a cybersecurity engineer, creating and executing security methods to protect critical data from cyber threats.
Cybersecurity engineers must be competent to create secure code in Python, C++, Ruby, and Bash. Working with firewalls, encryption technologies, and virtual private networks (VPNs) requires a strong understanding of network security.