Software Engineering Career Track

Software developers focus on creating software programs or applications for web, mobile, or computer operating systems. They typically don’t focus as much (or at all) on setting up organizational networks or computer systems as other types of software engineers do. Software developers research, design, create, and test software. They also modify software to fix bugs, improve interfaces, and streamline performance.

There is some overlap between roles such as “developer” and “engineer.” Sometimes, job postings for this type of position may look for a “software engineer.” Alternatively, if the role focuses specifically on coding websites, it may be advertised as a job for a “web developer.” According to the BLS, software developers earned a median annual income of $107,510 in 2019.

Many employers require their software developers to hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering. However, graduates of bootcamp programs may still find employment as junior developers. In addition to skills in coding, testing, and debugging, software development professionals should possess problem-solving and analytical thinking skills, as well as the ability to work well in teams.

A data engineer collects, stores, manages, and analyzes raw data, finding trends or inconsistencies that impact organizational goals. Data engineers must possess a thorough knowledge of database design, applied mathematics, and SQL, and they often know another programming language that is good for working with data, such as Python or R. They must also develop strong communication skills in order to understand the information technology needs of their employers and report on their findings.

Because data engineering requires broad technical skills, many positions require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or mathematics. Prospective data engineers without a degree who have relevant work experience or have completed a data engineering bootcamp can still often enter this field, however. According to PayScale, data engineers earn an average annual income of $92,320.

Front-end web engineers create, maintain, and improve websites, focusing on the design and functionality of everything a user interacts with on a website. They may work as part of a team within an organization, as third-party web solutions providers, or as freelancers. While salaries vary widely by location and type of employer, front-end web engineers earn an average annual income of $73,660, according to PayScale.

Along with a strong background in programming languages, front-end web engineers often possess skills related to user experience design and content management. Employers sometimes prefer to hire candidates who hold a degree, though bootcamp graduates often find success entering this field. A worker in this role may also be referred to as a “front-end developer.”

While the front end of a website refers to everything that can be seen and interacted with on a website, the back end consists of the technical processes and queries that happen behind the scenes to power the website. Back-end web engineers build and maintain the architecture and functions that make a website run.

Back-end engineers must possess proficiency in programming languages such as Python and/or Ruby, experience with managing databases using SQL, and knowledge about accessibility and security compliance.

Because they often do more object-oriented programming, data mining, and algorithm writing than front-end engineers, employers sometimes look for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. However, those without a degree can often enter this field after completing a bootcamp, or obtaining the necessary training through work experience or other means. Back-end engineers make an average annual salary of $75,090, according to PayScale.

Full-stack web engineers work on both the front end and back end of a website or application. They oversee website development and design from start to finish, integrating technology with consumer needs.

Full-stack engineers must demonstrate competency in languages frequently used for front-end development, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as for back-end development, such as PHP, Python, and Ruby. The most in-demand full-stack engineers possess broad technical expertise related to cloud computing environments, application programming interfaces, database design, and server management.

Full-stack engineers are often the highest-paid web-focused engineers, with an average annual income of $91,360 according to PayScale. Many employers require full-stack engineers to hold a bachelor’s degree and/or have industry experience working on both the front end and back end of a website. Most software engineering and web development bootcamps train students in full-stack development, and many bootcamp participants have had success finding positions after completing their training.

The popularity of mobile and tablet devices continues to drive the demand for mobile engineers. These specialized professionals make an average annual salary of $95,920, according to PayScale, ranking them among the top earning engineers. Mobile engineers build applications for Android and iOs, using specific languages and development environments that work for those operating systems.

Several routes prepare students for mobile engineering careers, including software engineering bootcamps and traditional college degree programs. Although it is possible to work in the field without a college degree, mobile engineers must acquire strong backgrounds in system design, data structuring, and programming languages.

As the reliance on technology expands, the storage, organization, and processing of data has become a central concern. Understanding data structures and algorithms ranks among the most important skills for a software engineer. Computer science training focuses on learning data structures and algorithms to improve problem-solving and programming expertise.

Working with databases has also become one of the software engineer’s most critical skills. Database management systems provide platforms for organizing, updating, and controlling large databases used in many industries and organizations. Because of the growing focus on big data and data analytics, employers typically expect software engineers to have proficiency working with popular database management systems like MySQL and Oracle.

Coding creates detailed and logical instructions that tell a computer what to do. Software engineers often need to develop proficiency in multiple programming languages. The specific languages an engineer learns depends on how they plan to specialize — in front-end development, data engineering, mobile development, or other areas.

Software engineers should possess knowledge about the methods and tools available for testing and debugging their products. The process of software testing enables a software engineer to determine if a product meets expectations and operates without defects. Debugging refers to the process of detecting and eliminating existing defects in a system, piece of software, or application that cause it to crash or function improperly.

The skilled software engineer must develop solutions to real-world technical problems, using reasoning and logic to identify alternative approaches and reach appropriate conclusions. Complex problem-solving skills require critical thinking, analytical skills, and close observation.