What Does a Software Developer Do? Career Overview + Outlook

Software developers design, develop, and test software, applications, and computer systems across a variety of industries. If you're a creative thinker, have analytical skills, and enjoy problem-solving, this career could be a great fit for you. Learn more about career path opportunities, responsibilities, and job outlook in the following article.

If you're ready to start preparing for an entry-level software engineering role today, learn from an industry leader in technology with Amazon's Junior Software Developer Professional Certificate program. You'll build job-ready skills like Java programming, software testing, and debugging in as little as four months.

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

What is software development?

Day-to-day tasks for software developers include:

• Analyzing the needs of software users

• Designing, testing, and building 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

In this role, you'll also meet with other members of the development team to discuss software requirements, share technical documentation, and discuss workload and responsibilities, such as code reviews or bugs in software. These level-set meetings often take place daily and are known as stand-ups.

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 applications or software for specific systems. They may work on a smaller scale than engineers, focusing on a niche like mobile app development 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, software design, and scaling.

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

Pursuing a role in mobile app development? Build foundational skills in both iOS and Android development with IBM's iOS and Android Mobile App Developer Professional Certificate. In as little as five months, you'll learn to develop cross-platform apps using industry-standard languages and tools like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and React Native while building a portfolio to share with potential employers.

Software developer jobs

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that demand for software developers will grow by 17 percent between 2023 and 2033 [1]. Software developers in the United States earn a median annual income of $130,160 [1]. Factors that can influence your income as a software developer include industry, company, location, expertise, and experience level.

Job titles in this industry can vary depending on expertise and specialization or focus. Here are a few examples of career paths in software development you may pursue depending on your strengths and interests:

• Video game developer

• Full-stack developer

• Blockchain developer

• Back-end developer

• AI developer

• Web developer

• Front-end developer

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, pursuing one can equip you with the skills you need to land an entry-level role. Seventy-two percent of software developers have a bachelor's degree, 20 percent have a master's degree, five percent have an associate degree, and two percent have a high school diploma [2].

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. Building a portfolio of your work is also a crucial step in any software development job search.

Read more: 10 Essential IT Certifications for 2025

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.

Read more: How to Become a Software Developer (With or Without a Degree)

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.

Looking to learn your first language? Many people start with Python because it's popular, beginner-friendly, and versatile. You can learn Python in as little as two months with the University of Michigan's Python for Everybody Specialization.

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) can be a lucrative career path.

Get started in AI Development today with an industry leader in technology through IBM's AI Developer Professional Certificate program. In as little as six months, you'll learn to use Python to develop and deploy AI applications on the web.

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!"

Launch a career in one of the fastest-growing fields with Coursera

If you're preparing for your first software development role, you can use Amazon's Junior Software Developer Professional Certificate program to build the foundational skills you need for a high-growth tech career. You'll focus on Agile methodologies, full stack web development, SQL, GenAI, and more—no prior experience required.

Or, start your own learning path with an in-demand programming language like Python. With Python for Everybody offered by the University of Michigan, you'll obtain beginner-friendly guidance through the development of your very first applications.