Computer Applications Programming Career Overview
Those with a bachelor's degree in computer applications programming can seek employment in specialized roles in software development or engineering. While job prospects may be fairweather, the income is substantial, ranging from $70,000 to almost $100,000.
Salary Information
As of May 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wages for computer applications software engineers was $103,620. It was $84,280 for computer programmers. According to PayScale.com, the median salary, as of February 2020, for graduates with a bachelor's degree in computer science was as follows:
- Software applications engineer - $74,558
- Computer software engineer - $75,553
- Senior software engineer - $115,680
Job Description
Computer applications software engineers design software, such as operating systems, network control systems, business applications and computer games. After analyzing a user's needs, computer applications software engineers produce computer applications, software and focused utility programs. Depending on the purpose of the program, software engineers use different programming languages, such as C, C++, Python and Java.
After a software program has been designed, computer programmers convert the design into instructions for the computer to follow; these instructions are coded using various programming languages. Computer programmers most commonly use C++ and Python for programming.
Employment Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for programmers developing software applications is expected to grow 26% between 2018 and 2028. There is expected to be an increasing demand for application software developers with the rise in digital usage via mobiles and tablets.
