What Is a Software Engineer? How to Become One, Salary, Skills. | Built In
Software engineers have computer science or engineering backgrounds, and they use coding and problem solving skills to make adjustments to existing software and test new applications. Here’s what to know about a software engineer’s salary, needed skills and how to become one.
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What Is a Software Engineer?
Software engineers have robust knowledge of coding languages, analytical minds and creativity. They work on building and maintaining software for everything from video games and mobile apps to security systems.
What Do Software Engineers Do?
Analyzing client needs, creating software applications and crafting flowcharts and algorithms are some of the duties of software engineers. They also collaborate with developers and programmers to ensure algorithms are properly translated into code.
Software Engineer Responsibilities
- Build and maintain software systems.
- Test and evaluate software applications.
- Develop the vision for software projects.
- Monitor system performance and respond to incidents.
- Identify and correct bugs.
- Collaborate with others to ensure software projects are completed to company or client specifications.
- Establish and follow security protocols.
- Maintain documentation.
Types of Software Engineers
Software engineering is a broad field that includes a variety of positions. Here are some of the most common types of software engineer:
Front-End Engineer
Front-end engineers are responsible for creating user interfaces. They develop the design elements and features users interact with when they use websites and applications, ensuring they are intuitive and perform correctly. A front-end engineer’s work can involve determining site layout, making sure pages load quickly or building the framework for app navigation.
Back-End Engineer
This kind of engineer deals with back-end development, which is essentially the background framework of a website or application. In contrast to a front-end engineer who handles visual, user-facing features, a back-end engineer works on building and maintaining the structural components that enable front-end systems to run.
Full-Stack Engineer
A full-stack engineer has advanced expertise and experience in software engineering that allows them to work in both front-end and back-end development. They also build and manage the connection between user-facing and behind-the-scenes systems so that the two can communicate with each other.
Security Engineer
Security engineers build and manage security systems that protect an organization’s data and networks against cyber attacks.
DevOps Engineer
DevOps is the intersection of software development and IT operations aimed at making software engineering faster and more efficient. Software engineers who enter this field collaborate with IT operations teams on software deployment strategies as well as system monitoring and incident response.
Software Engineers Within a Company
A software engineer is often required to communicate and collaborate with developers, programmers, data scientists, systems architects and clients. In a company setting, a software engineer commonly reports to a supervisor such as a tech lead, engineering manager or engineering director.
Importance of Software Engineers
Organizations depend on software engineers for several key functions. They build critical systems, as well as ensure they stay up and running. As problems and challenges emerge, they confront them with a solutions-based approach.
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What Skills Are Needed to Be a Software Engineer?
Qualifications to Be a Software Engineer
- Experience with a range of coding languages such as Python, C++ and Scala.
- Analytical and creative thinking.
- Ability to conduct research and testing.
- Willingness to collaborate within a team.
- Keen attention to detail.
- Familiarity with software engineering tools.
Software Engineer Prerequisites
- A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as computer science.
- Coding courses and bootcamps to develop programming skills and knowledge.
Software Engineer Hard Skills
- Coding and programming knowledge.
- Research and testing capabilities.
- Experience with software engineering tools.
Software Engineer Soft Skills
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Creative problem solving.
- Eagerness to learn and grow.
- Detail oriented.
Tools and Programs Software Engineers Use
- GitHub
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Jira
- Docker
- Stack Overflow
- Slack
How to Become a Software Engineer
Software Engineer Education and Experience
- At least a year of relevant experience.
- A bachelor’s degree in a field like engineering, computer science or information technology.
- Coding bootcamps, courses and certifications can hone and reinforce necessary skills.
Software Engineer Certificates and Courses
Software Engineer Career Path
Software engineers can launch their career with internships or roles as junior engineers, QA testers or entry-level developers. Larger organizations often have a hierarchy of software engineers. Depending on the intended trajectory of your career, you may look to simply move into mid-level or senior job titles that allow you to take on more responsibility and complex software projects. Other software engineers will seek out management and leadership roles and could have aspirations of becoming a VP of Engineering.
Software Engineer Salary and Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment for computer and IT-related occupations will grow by 15 percent through 2031, which is more than twice the rate for all other occupations.
The full compensation package for a software engineer depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s experience and geographic location. See below for detailed information on the average software engineer salary.
