Software Engineering Careers

Engineers looking for a field with a healthy career future may want to consider specializing in  software engineering. Technology's huge affect on business has put software engineering careers in high demand. Within the field of software engineering, there are two major divisions:

• Computer applications software engineers use programming languages like C, C++, and Java to design, build, and maintain software applications. Some computer applications software engineers may work closely with a company to build specific software applications to fit business need.
• Computer systems software engineers work on a larger level, maintaining systems of computers in a business network. Depending on the size of the business, a computer systems software engineer may work alone or on a team to translate business needs into technological solutions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most employers prefer to hire persons with a bachelor's degree, along with a broad knowledge of computer systems and technologies. No educational program can guarantee a particular career or salary, and though opportunities for software engineering careers are expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, a large amount of competition could give the edge to applicants with education and prior experience.

The BLS reports average earnings of $74,980 for computer applications and software engineers. Computer systems software engineers make an average of $79,740. Demand for software engineers will continue to grow with rapidly evolving technologies, the rise of the Internet and Web commerce, and with the movement towards larger, more organized computer networks within businesses.