Computer Programmer Career Guide

If you have exceptional attention to detail and want to have a career making a difference to modern day society, then we think you may thrive as a computer programmer!

Computer programmers are responsible for designing software for everything we use – from simple apps, to complex programs that run large machines and facilitate scientific breakthroughs. It is a highly-technical position that requires extensive knowledge of coding languages. To gather this coding knowledge, computer programmers are typically required to achieve a masters degree in a related field.

If you think becoming a computer programmer may be right for you, browse the career profiles below to find out more. Each profile has been prepared by conducting one-on-one interviews with people who work in the industry to give you the inside scoop.

Computer Programmer Career Ratings

(What these ratings mean)

Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life Computer Programmer Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Computer Programmer field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32407	Consulting	Female	30	$55,000	rockville, MD	01/01/2010

Overview

What a computer programmers does

Computer programmers are responsible for designing software for everything we use – from simple apps, to complex programs that run large machines and facilitate scientific breakthroughs. Their job is a detailed-oriented and highly-technical position that requires extensive knowledge of coding languages, and the ability to read lines of code thoroughly to spot any errors.

Computer programmers with ample experience may decide to become self-employed and work for themselves. Many computer programmers have achieved significant financial success developing innovative programs or applications and have developed their own companies. Alternatively, computer programmers may work for software or tech companies. Regardless of where they work, the typical duties and responsibilities of a computer programmer include:

Writing programs in a variety of computer languages, such as C++ and Java
Updating and expanding existing programs
Testing programs for errors
Fixing faulty lines of computer code
Creating and testing code in an integrated development environment (IDE)
Using code libraries, which are collections of independent lines of code, to simplify the writing

Why they are needed

Technology production is an essential part of an evolving world, which means that computer programmers are exceptionally important for the future of global society. In order for technology to be produced to the highest level, and to constantly be innovative and improving, computer programmers are needed to automate processes, collect data, analyze information and share knowledge. Without skilled and efficient computer programmers, we would be stuck in a world of no advancement or progression.

Pros and cons of a career as a computer programmer:

Pros:

It is a creative career, but also one that needs intelligence and brain power, which leads to high job satisfaction
It is a well paying job
Computer programmers will keep learning throughout their career, meaning their opportunities are endless
Computer programmers can work on a freelance basis, giving them lots of flexibility

Cons:

There can be competition for jobs
The employment growth is expected to decline over the coming years
It is a sedentary job
Computer programmers will never be an expert at what they do, there is always more to learn!
It can be stressful, demanding and the hours may be long
Like any job, some of the tasks a computer programmer has to do are mundane and boring

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of computer programmers is expected to decline 9% from 2019 to 2029. This decline in employment is expected because computer programming can be done from anywhere in the world and, as a result, companies are likely to hire programmers in countries where wages are lower to cut costs. However, there is a high cost associated with managing projects given to overseas workers which can, in some circumstances, offset the savings from the lower wages, which will mean some companies will bring back the programming jobs to the United States.

Career paths

As computer science isn’t really taught at school (e.g., pupils won’t learn coding languages) most computer programmers need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer programming or another related field. However, employers will also hire computer programmers with no degree (or an associates degree) but with lots of experience in specific programming languages.

Computer programmers tend to work in specific fields after graduating. For example, they may work in healthcare, accounting or education. In this case, programmers ofter supplement their degree in programming with other classes and internships that relate to that field.

Example Job Titles for Computer Programmer

Below is a list of common job titles in the Computer Programmer field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Analyst Programmer

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer programmers in the United States was $89,190 in May 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,440 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $146,050 per year.

The top paying industry was the software publishing industry, where the median annual wage was $103,710. This was followed by finance and insurance ($92,390), manufacturing ($89,530) and computer systems design and related services ($88,510).

Autonomy and Flexibility

To begin with, a computer programmer may not feel like they have a huge amount of flexibility or autonomy as when they have less experience they may find themselves working under the watchful eye of more experienced programmers. Similarly, entry-level computer programmers may find themselves working very long hours.

However, as they gather more experience and knowledge, they quickly receive more autonomy, responsibility and flexibility. With more experience, nearly all computer programmers will work independently. Also, it is not uncommon for computer programmers to be self-employed. This gives them the ultimate flexibility and control over their hours, and their decisions.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best state to be a computer programmer, based on average annual salary and number of jobs available, are:

Washington, where the average annual salary is $95,077
District of Columbia, where the average annual salary is $80,447
North Carolina, where the average annual salary is $71,710
Connecticut, where the average annual salary is $73,347
Massachusetts, where the average annual salary is $71,197

The worst states to be a computer programmer, according to Zippia, are Florida, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana and West Virginia.

Work environment

The Bureau of Labour Statistics concludes that 38% of computer programmers in the United States were employed by the computer systems design and related services industry. A further 8% were employed by the finance and insurance industry, 6% by the manufacturing industry, 5% by software publishers and a final 3% were self-employed workers.

Code can be written anywhere and, as a result, computer programmers tend to work from home. They may work alone, or, in larger projects, they may work as part of a team with software developers.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Computer Programmer careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Computer Programmer career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Computer Programmer.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

ISTJ
INTP

Big Five (OCEAN)

None

DISC

None

Enneagram

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

Like many other technology-focused roles (e.g., web developers or software developers) it is likely that a successful computer programmer will present the INTP personality type. The INTP, or “The Thinker” is logical and rational. They like to work independently to solve problems, but they also enjoy confiding in people they trust. They like to come up with out of the box solutions for many problems and spend time looking at things from different angles.

Accomplishment and mastery

Writing code (and making sure it works!) for software is not easy. Therefore, when a computer programmer has the skills and knowledge to consistently produce high quality, and functioning, code, they will feel a high sense of accomplishment and mastery.

Similarly, as the software industry is constantly changing and computer software is developing at a rapid speed, it is essential that computer programmers must keep learning and training. This constant development of new skills will further increase a computer programmers sense of accomplishment and mastery.

Meaning and contribution

Computer programmers play an absolutely essential part in the evolving world – they are needed to automate processes, collect data, analyze information and share knowledge. Without skilled and efficient computer programmers, we would be stuck in a world of no advancement or progression. Therefore, the work of each and every computer programmer is incredibly meaningful!

Life fit

Some computer programmers may have flexible hours and can work to their own schedule, while others may work normal business hours (and do excessive overtime!). This all depends on their work environment and whether they work for a traditional corporation, or a more laid-back tech company.

Who will thrive in this career?

Individuals who want to work with computers and solve problems with them
Those who thrive of constantly learning and developing their skills
Those who work well under pressure
People who can handle when things go wrong and come up with solutions quickly
Those who show adaptability and flexibility
Those who are comfortable leading others and teaching them
Individuals with exceptional attention to detail
Those who can work as part of a team, and can work independently

Who will struggle in this career?

Those who don’t like change
People who aren’t confident teaching or instructing others
People who aren’t willing to continuously learn and develop their skills
Individuals who can’t adapt to both team work and independent work
Those who don’t have the patience to focus on even the smallest of details
Those who are looking for a more active and physically demanding job

Requirements

Skills

Skills and talents

The typical skills and talents required for a computer programmer include:

Troubleshooting, as computer programmers need to be able to accurately check code for errors and fit them if they find any
Analytical skills, as computer programmers must understand complex instructions
Communication skills, as computer programmers need to be able to work in a team and communicate with software developers when necessary
Concentration, as computer programmers must be able to ignore distractions and fixate on lines of code for long periods of time
Detail orientation, as building computer programmes is a careful and accurate process and therefore, computer programmers must be able to concentrate on small details

Education

Generally, computer programmers will need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer programming or another related field. However, employers will also hire computer programmers with no degree (or an associates degree) but with lots of experience in specific programming languages. After graduating, computer programmers often supplement their degree in programming with other classes and internships that relate to the field.

Certifications

There are no specific certifications or licenses that computer programmers in the United States need to work. However, they can become certified in specific programming languages or for vendor-specific programming products.

How to Become

Summary

A computer programmer is are responsible for designing software for everything we use – from simple apps, to complex programs that run large machines and facilitate scientific breakthroughs. Their job requires a lot of attention to detail and is a highly-technical position that requires extensive knowledge of coding languages, and the ability to read lines of code thoroughly to spot any errors.

Immediate action

To kick start a career in computer programming, there are plenty of online courses that you can complete to enhance your resume and show employers your passion and determination to work in the industry.

Education and learning

To become a computer programmer you will need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer programming or another related field. After graduating, computer programmers often supplement their degree in programming with other classes and internships.

Skill development

Whilst working as a computer programmer, there are lots of opportunity for skill development and career progression. Many professionals continue to take courses, such as ones in coding languages, to advance their skills and knowledge and keep up to date with the ever growing and changing industry.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Computer Programmer careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32407	Consulting	Female	30	$55,000	rockville, MD	01/01/2010

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