What Does a Software Developer Do? Career Overview + Outlook

Software developers work on software, apps, and computer systems across a variety of industries. If you're a creative thinker, have analytical skills, and enjoy problem-solving, you might be a great fit as a software developer. Learn more about the career path, responsibilities, and job outlook.  

What do software developers do?

Software developers use their programming skills to create new software and improve existing software applications. They design and write the code used to build everything from operating systems to mobile apps to video games.

In this role, you may be involved with every stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC), from defining user needs and anticipating user behavior to releasing a complete application. You are likely to work on a team with other software developers, engineers, or computer programmers. 

Read more: Programmer vs. Developer: Job Roles, Differences, Salaries

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What is software development?

Software developers have many different responsibilities. Some of your day-to-day tasks may include:

• Analyzing the needs of software users

• Designing, testing, and building software programs to meet user needs

• Creating models and diagrams that outline the code needed to create software and applications

• Performing maintenance and testing to keep software functioning

• Documenting the process to provide the information needed for upgrades and maintenance

The difference between software developers and software engineers

Software developers and engineers perform many of the same functions using many of the same skills. However, software developers tend to focus on designing application software or specific systems. They may work on a smaller scale than engineers, focusing on a niche like mobile applications or the Internet of Things (IoT).

Software engineers, on the other hand, may orchestrate software architecture as a whole or design larger-scale software solutions. In addition to programming, they may be responsible for tasks related to data analytics, testing, and scaling.

Read more: Software Developer vs. Software Engineer: What are the Differences in These Roles?

Software development: career outlook

Software development is high-paying and high-growth. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that demand for software developers will grow by 25 percent between 2022 and 2032 [1]. Software developers in the United States earn a median annual income of $127,260 [1]. Factors that can influence your income as a software developer include industry, company, location, expertise, and experience level.

Read more: Software Developer Salary Guide (2023)

How long does it take to become a software developer?

The amount of time it takes to become a software developer will depend on your current skill level, the industry you want to work in, and even the company you want to work for. While not every employer expects a bachelor's degree, it can be a common expectation in this line of work.

Seventy-two percent of software developers have a bachelor's degree, while 20 percent have a master's degree [2]. Although you may not need a degree to pursue an entry-level role in software development, you may find that you need the credential to advance.

How to become a software developer without a degree

You have options if you want to become a software developer but earning a college degree isn't part of your immediate plans. It will be important to build your knowledge and skills in other ways, likely by enrolling in individual courses, or completing specializations or Professional Certificates.

For example, IBM offers a beginner-friendly, Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate that you can use to learn development languages, deploy and scale applications, and start your own GitHub portfolio in about four months. Building a portfolio of your work is also a crucial step in any software development job search.

How to get into software development

Here are a few tips that can help you advance toward your goals if you plan to pursue a career in software development. Overall, you'll need to gain hands-on experience, sharpen your analytical skills, and learn more about the software development process.

Learn a programming language.

For a career in software development, you'll need a solid foundation in programming languages. Four you might consider mastering include Java, Python, C++, and Scala. Python is widely considered one of the easier languages to learn, which makes it a great place to start if you’re new to programming. This object-oriented language is also known for its versatility, with applications in scripting, development, and data analysis.

Find your niche.

There are many areas in which you can use your skills as a software developer. If you have a passion for app design, you could choose to develop your skills by practicing building mobile apps. If you'd rather work on the infrastructure of computers and servers, you might specialize as a DevOps engineer instead. And with generative AI (GenAI) a popular field, developing your skills with large language models (LLMs)

Practice.

Need some guidance as you practice? You can complete these Guided Projects in two hours or less (no software downloads required) while completing projects for your developer portfolio:

• Create Your First Multithreaded Application in Java

• Build a Machine Learning Web App with Streamlit and Python

• Make a Postage Calculator with Scala

• Docker Essentials & Building a Containerized Web Application

• Creating Your First C++ Application

Expert tip

"If you're interested in starting a side project, think about an application that relates to your hobbies and passions—it's easiest to motivate yourself to work on things that you enjoy," says Katie Van Dyk, a software engineer at Meta. "I also recommend outlining what specific tech or skills you want to learn and designing your project around these."

To practice her skills, Van Dyk created a central place to house all of the menus for eateries around her college campus. "This project was relevant to my daily routine and it involved building a UI in React, which I was aiming to learn more about before my full-time role," she recalls. "It was a great experience to put on my resume and talk about in interviews!"

Learn how to develop software with Coursera

If you’re considering a career as a software developer, there are several ways you can get started on Coursera. Develop in-demand skills and learn from industry experts at your own pace with a Professional Certificate like the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate.

Or build on your skill set with in-demand AI skills through DeepLearning.AI's Generative AI for Software Development Skill Certificate.