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How to Become a Software Developer: A Creative Career with Great Job Security

To become a software developer, you must have sound knowledge of computer science. Although formal education isn’t necessary to land a software development job, completing a qualification like a Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120) prepares you with the skills that prospective employers seek.

software-developer
  • Overview
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Skills
  • How to Become
  • Start Learning
  • Reviews

Software developer job description
info Where we source our data

Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.

That’s why we anonymously surveyed software developers about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.

While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.

Software developers create computer programs and applications, writing the code that programs run on and testing it to ensure it meets specific requirements. They can also be involved in training users to operate the software for different use cases, and identifying areas for improvement. They work closely with UX designers, business analysts, system analysts and the broader IT team.
Imaginative

Imaginative
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Intellectual

Intellectual
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Organising

Organising
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Tasks and responsibilities for a software developer

The main tasks and duties of a software developer include:

  • Developing and implementing new software
  • Testing, maintaining and optimising existing software
  • Designing and maintaining databases
  • Coding software, either independently or (more likely) as part of a team in line with technical specifications

Reasons to choose this job
info
Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.

Job security

Job security

Software developers are in-demand in technology and business because great software is fundamental to operations in these industries. Their skillset means they can retain jobs or find new ones relatively quickly.

Read More
Flexible hours

Flexible hours

As a software developer, you can work remotely or become self-employed. This flexibility allows you to choose your hours and maintain a good work/life balance.

Read More
Learning opportunities

Learning opportunities

Technology is constantly changing. Software developers get to stay up-to-date in the latest design innovations and tools. There are always opportunities to learn new coding languages and software development methods that keep you on your toes.

Read More

Job satisfaction

Overall job satisfaction
info
This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.

Stress level
info
How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

medium

Fulfilment
info
How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

high

Skill level
info
The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.

medium

Job market trends for a software developer

The programming, software and web development industry benefits from the increasing importance of tech across many sectors, with very strong future growth expected in this workforce. There were 153,700 Software and Applications Programmers in 2020. That number is expected to increase to 199,800 by 2025, making it a large occupation — and an in-demand job.

$104,156 Per Year

Median salary
info Where this data comes from

Median salary

We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth

Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Projected job growth
info Where this data comes from

Median salary

We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth

Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Pathway options
info
Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

As you gain experience as a software developer, you may be able to move into higher-level roles, with potential career paths like:

Junior

  • Junior programmer

    Most common qualification: Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120)

Mid

  • Software developer

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)

  • Automated tester

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)

  • Programmer

    Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)

Senior

  • Backend developer

    Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (ICT60220)

Skills you might already have
info
Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.

People interested in software developer jobs are already likely to be technology-inclined and solutions-driven. Soft skills that you could already have (or can develop naturally from exploring your interests) include:

Teamwork

Software development is usually a part of bigger projects with many complex parts, which means software developers are typically part of a team of developers. Getting along with others is essential. You also need to keep track of other team members’ progress as part of a large, collaborative project. Software developers also liaise with other professionals such as project managers, product managers, software architects, lead developers, systems analysts, and business analysts. Working cohesively as part of a big team is necessary for success.

Read More

Creativity

Although coding is often perceived as logical and procedural, it can also exercise your creativity. You get to think laterally to come up with unique ways of achieving the specific aims of the software.

Read More

Social skills

As part of working in a team, getting along with people, communicating clearly with them, offering advice, and feeling comfortable approaching them for guidance is essential. There’s a phenomenon called “rubber ducking” in the tech world, where the simple act of explaining your code (even to a rubber duck) allows you to think about it in a new light and solve problems you’ve been stuck on for hours. The advantage of talking to people rather than inanimate objects is that they can help you brainstorm solutions if you don’t instantaneously find your own.

Read More

Hard skills
info
The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.

When looking to become a software developer, your formal training comes in handy to develop some of the necessary technical skills, such as:

General computer operation

As a software developer, you may carry out almost all of your daily work on computers. Along with coding, you use a range of programs — like Microsoft Office — to manage projects, communicate with others, explain your workflow, and more. A good understanding of computer systems, computer software, and algorithms is an asset to the role.

Read More

Coding

Many different programming languages are relevant for software developers such as Python, C++, and Java or for web applications: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby. However, more important than knowing specific languages, software developers need to pick up new languages, as per the organisation’s needs and the particular software they’re working on.

Read More

Design

Design is more than just how a piece of software looks, although you may be involved in the aesthetics of software design. You need to design software keeping in mind its functionality, efficiency, and overall structure.

Read More

How to become a software developer

Software developers create computer programs and applications, writing the code that programs run on. Software developers also have the option of specialising in different types of software. For example, a web developer is a type of software developer. You could also specialise in desktop development, games development, app development, testing (as a software development engineer in test), or data science.
  1. Study

    Although no specific degrees or certificates are technically needed to become a software developer, most employers seek a formal qualification, like a Diploma of Information Technology or a degree in a related area like IT, software engineering, or computer science.

  2. Find an entry-level job

    As a graduate, there are entry-level jobs available in software development. You may particularly appeal to recruiters if you can point to some real-world work experience you gained during your study — such as an internship.

  3. Specialisation

    You also have the option of upskilling to become a specialist software developer or deepening your knowledge through a bachelor’s or even master’s degree in a related field.

Explore related qualifications

Diploma of Information Technology

Study method Online

Get a general understanding of the fundamentals of IT. Develop skills in working with clients, project management, team leadership and facilitation, developing concepts, IT databases, operating systems, mobile apps, software applications, application development, cloud computing, information architecture, machine learning, software and web development, cybersecurity and privacy, intellectual property, and debugging. This qualification takes 18 months of full-time study to complete (or part-time equivalent). 

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5 providers offer this course

Upskilled
Australian Institute of ICT
La Trobe University
TrainSmart Australia
Monarch Institute

Related subjects

If you’re interested in technology and coding, you may also be interested in:

Coding
Coding
IT
IT
Web Development
Web Development

Reviews
info How we collect reviews

Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.

Is this your job title?

Share your thoughts and help people decide if this job is right for them.

Leave a Review

  • All
  • Positive
  • Negative
Matthew
Nov 13 2021

Fast-moving.

What are the best parts of the job?

All the different types of programming codes you get to explore

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

The never ending technological advances and changes you constantly have to learn quickly

Read More
Qualification Cert III
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Taj
Nov 22 2021

Creativity vs technology.

What are the best parts of the job?

When you get to put your creativity first, finding ways to solve problems with software.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

When the technology has to come first, and you have to work around its constraints.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Joel
Nov 03 2021

Creating new solutions.

What are the best parts of the job?

It's rewarding creating innovative solutions to problems.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

It can be disappointing and frustrating when some of the solutions don't work.

Read More
Qualification Masters degree
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Mobile SDK
Harrison
Nov 13 2021

It's rewarding to make new things.

What are the best parts of the job?

Coming up with new designs for digital products and interfaces and seeing them go out into the world.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Balancing between all the different projects and competing priorities at work.

Read More
Qualification Professional doctorate
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Specialisation Web development
Jacob
Nov 13 2021

Mentally challenging.

What are the best parts of the job?

Solving problems is satisfying. I can use my creativity and analytical thinking.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Having to rewrite hours of coding.

Read More
Qualification Masters degree
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 200+ employees
Specialisation Windows
Ellie
Nov 22 2021

The work is good and I'm satisfied.

What are the best parts of the job?

The two best parts for me are the letters I and T: information and technology. I love using technology to organise and structure information, it's a great puzzle.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

You're usually racing against the clock to get things done.

Read More
Qualification Masters degree
Experience 3-5
Organisation size 200+ employees
Amrit
Nov 22 2021

Good to see the results of your work.

What are the best parts of the job?

When we get to run surveys and test the software to see how it's working. I enjoy seeing the feedback for your my work.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

There's so much typing involved when you're writing lines of code.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 1-3
Organisation size 0-4 employees
Yu
Nov 03 2021

Fascinating work.

What are the best parts of the job?

All the work is stimulating, interesting and challenging, I enjoy all of it.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Innovating under pressure, with time and budget constraints.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Brayden
Nov 03 2021

On the cutting edge.

What are the best parts of the job?

In this field, we're constantly innovating, and it's inspiring to see change happening so quickly.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Finding inspiration for your work.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 200+ employees
Specialisation Web design
Subham
Nov 03 2021

Room for creativity.

What are the best parts of the job?

The best part was that I was free to add my own ideas.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Maintaining and updating software can be tedious.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 5-19 employees
Specialisation Bugs
Jesse
Nov 22 2021

Bringing app ideas to life.

What are the best parts of the job?

Designing apps is really fun and challenging.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

When you get errors in the code, and you have to track down and fix it.

Read More
Qualification Professional doctorate
Experience 10+
Organisation size 20-199 employees
Jia
Nov 22 2021

Learn from the people around you.

What are the best parts of the job?

You get to know the people you work with, and a lot of them are interesting intelligent people. You can learn a lot from them.

Read More

What's the most challenging part?

Keeping on top of all the details is challenging. And there are a lot of details.

Read More
Qualification Bachelor’s degree
Experience 5-10
Organisation size 20-199 employees
1 2 3 4

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The Technologist Take the Career Quiz

Job cluster: The Technologist
info What are job clusters?

The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.

The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.

This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.

Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?

Developer and other technical roles are suited to the career personality of The Technologist.

Technologists love building things using technology, like software, games, gadgets, or websites. You find coding and problem-solving fun and always keep up-to-date with the new technologies.

Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.

Learn More

Frequently asked questions

What qualifications do you need to be a software developer?

No specific qualifications are needed to become a software developer. However, studying IT, software engineering, or computer science gives you the technical skills to become successful in the field.

Can I become a software developer on my own?

No formal qualifications are needed to work as a software developer or develop the skills necessary to build software. Highly motivated people may teach themselves through online tutorials and resources like stack overflow and GitHub, textbooks, and coding boot camps. That said, potential employers tend to prefer applicants with formal qualifications in the field as it shows you have good foundational knowledge and skills to hit the ground running.

Is it hard to be a software developer?

Software developers are highly skilled. Programming software at a business scale is complex and requires you to be an advanced coder and to be able to work in a large team towards high-quality outcomes. As a beginner, you need to work on these skills to prepare for your first role as a software developer. That said, you can find entry-level roles as a software developer, so if you’re dedicated and have the knowledge and skills, you should be able to find a position.

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