If you have strong technical skills and a passion for computers, you may want a career in software engineering. This form of software development offers a wide range of roles that can help you work on interesting projects and maximise your earning potential. Exploring what careers are available can help you clarify your development plan and decide which job you want. Is software engineering a good career? Let’s explore that and look at the different job roles to consider in this field.

Is Software Engineering a Good Career?

Learning what a software engineering career involves can help you decide if you want to pursue a career in this field. To answer this question, you can begin by assessing your skills, potential, and job expectations. You can also review some advantages of working as a software engineer or software specialist.

Here are some benefits of pursuing a role in software engineering:

Competitive Salary

Working in software engineering requires you to develop specialist skills. Because engineers and software specialists invest a lot in their education, employers are willing to pay a lot for their efforts. To increase your earning potential in the field, remember to regularly undergo training and stay up-to-date with industry trends and new tools that make your work more efficient.

Attractive Employee Benefits

Employers regularly look for software engineering specialists, so employ HR specialists to make open positions as attractive as possible. By offering good benefits, like welfare packages or bonuses, they draw in top talent in the industry and ensure they employ highly qualified individuals who positively contribute to software projects.

Flexible Work

Many employers looking for software engineers offer the ability to work remotely. This gives these IT specialists the ability to work from any location in the world. Pursuing this career allows you to change locations every month or week while working full-time, as long as there's reliable internet in your new destination.

Access to Modern Technologies

As a software engineer, you may gain access to modern technologies that companies use to develop software, maintain websites, or repair hardware. Modern IT companies make these products available to their staff to encourage their learning and make work more interesting. In addition, they may offer them the opportunity to participate in events, conferences, or product launches.

8 Jobs in Software Engineering

Software engineering is a broad field that welcomes candidates with different skill sets and experience levels. Here are some example jobs in software engineering you might consider:

1. Desktop Support Technician

National average salary: £27,490 per year

Primary duties: A desktop support technician instals, modifies, cleans, and repairs computer tools, including monitors and keyboards. They help users troubleshoot technical hardware and software issues, often guiding them through the solution over the phone or via chat. Some organisations employ in-house support technicians to provide their employees with continuous access to an experienced professional who may help them update software or set up their employee accounts in the system.

2. Web Developer

National average salary: £33,171 per year

Primary duties: A web developer takes care of website design, code, management, and maintenance. They're responsible for giving web pages a unique look and making sure all elements work well together. On a daily basis, they may work with graphic designers and user experience (UX) specialists to implement new website solutions or perform quality checks to assess functionality.

3. Mobile App Developer

National average salary: £38,587 per year

Primary duties: A mobile app developer uses programming languages to create mobile applications, like games. They stay up-to-date with news, trends, and mobile terminology. Depending on their specialisation, they may contribute to the design, testing, or launching of the application. Some also help with implementing effective user support processes.

4. QA Engineer

National average salary: £41,884 per year

Primary duties: A QA engineer handles one of the last stages of development, which is quality assurance. They're the last to test a website, app, or software tool before launching. QA engineers oversee the work of testers, create functionality reports, or communicate with the development team whenever there's a programming issue that requires fixing.

5. Automation Engineer

National average salary: £44,578 per year

Primary duties: An automation engineer develops and implements new solutions for automating software systems. They may design testing equipment, write code to create new automation components, or identify quality issues in code that cause automation functions of a website or program to fail. Automation engineers work with software developers and product engineers daily.

6. Front-End Developer

National average salary: £50,882 per year

Primary duties: A front-end developer makes sure users can easily interact with the visual elements of a website. They combine programming, computer science, and design to deliver functional and aesthetic web pages representing businesses, products, services, or causes. Front-end developers may work with employers from any industry, as most public, private, and non-profit organisations use some form of digital tools to build their online presence.

7. Full-Stack Developer

National average salary: £52,750 per year

Primary duties: A full-stack developer handles both the front and back end of a website. They can work with designers, programmers, and server or database managers to ensure all aspects of a web page work well together. In a way, they're web development generalists who see websites as a whole and use both front-end and back-end programming languages.

8. Back-End Developer

National average salary: £57,057 per year

Primary duties: A back-end developer builds and maintains the mechanisms invisible to users which allow websites to function properly. For example, they may design processes that allow a web page to process data. Back-end developers regularly work alongside security specialists and front-end developers.

Join a Northcoders Skills Bootcamp

If you’re excited by the idea of a career in software engineering and want to learn to code, a coding bootcamp like Northcoders can be your gateway. Our skills bootcamp covers everything from front-end development to software engineering, equipping you with the knowledge and experience you need to succeed in a tech career. Whether you're interested in web development or software development, our comprehensive coding courses will prepare you for a rewarding job in tech.

Enrol in a Northcoders skills bootcamp today and start your journey toward a fulfilling career in software engineering. 

Salaries are from Indeed.