Software Developers
Software Developers is the O*NET name for people who research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. The skills rated most useful are programming, critical thinking, and judgment and decision making. A regular part of the work is to analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints. Its interest code is ICR. Investigative leads at 6.1 out of 7, so expect research, analysis and working through hard problems, with Conventional next at 5.6. Getting in usually takes a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience, a level O*NET calls considerable preparation. If you want research, analysis and working through hard problems, keep it on your list. If you need helping, teaching or caring for people, it may feel thin.
What they do
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Main tasks
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
Skills
- Programming
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on programming and critical thinking.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You want helping people to be at the center of your work. Social rates 1.8 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ICR takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Application Developer
- Application Integration Engineer
- Developer
- DevOps Engineer (Development Operations Engineer)
- Infrastructure Engineer
Related careers
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.