IT Salary Watch: Computer Applications Software Engineer

September 14, 2006
By

James Maguire

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Job growth rate between 2004 to 2014: 48.4%

Job Description:

Armed with an alphabet soup of programming languages, including C, C++, Java – and several still being developed – the computer software engineer develops application for personal computers, servers, and computer networks. The work is extremely detail oriented; software developers construct code line by line. Yet it is also conceptual and creative, requiring the developer to understand the “big picture” needs of the program. Note: since this work can be done anywhere, this job is vulnerable to offshore outsourcing.

Salary Information:

• The middle 50 percent earned between $59,130 and $92,130.

• The highest 10 percent earned more than $113,830.

• The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,520.

• The median annual salary: $74,980.

The industries that employed the most computer applications software engineers paid the following median salaries:

• Software publishers: $79,930.

• Technical consulting services: $78,460.

• Computers systems design: $76,910.

• Company and enterprise management: $70,520.

• Insurance carriers: $68,440.

Go back to Top Five Fastest Growing IT Jobs

Source of salary and job growth rate data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004.