Coding as a Career: 7 Important Information You Need to Know
Coding as a career still remains as one of the fastest and highest paying jobs, at least as far as the United States (US) is concerned.While most jobs in the US are projected to grow by about 5% from 2021 to 2031, computer and information technology jobs are projected to grow by as much as 15%, this is according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS).
While it is hard to get hard data from the rest of the world, it can easily be predicted that computer and information technology jobs in other countries are also growing by a fast rate as well, given the rapid digitization of the world.
If you are interested in coding as a career, perhaps there is no other time to enter the field than now, and here are a few information to guide you:
Note: This list was taken from my actual experience, professional studies and online websites about coding as a career.
7 Important Information You Need to Know About Coding as a Career:
1. Common Coding Career Path2. What Coders Do
3. How to Become a Coder
4. How to Land a Coding Job
5. Common Coder Salaries
6. Top Coding Jobs
7. Frequently Asked Coding Career Questions
Final Words
The Details:
1. Common Coding Career Path
Coding as a career offers a lot of opportunity for career advancement. You can start as junior developer but ultimately become a chief information officer along the way, and even become a CEO if you happen to be working at an Information Technology company:
1.1 Junior Developer:
This is the entry level job for coders. You can either be called a junior developer or programmer, but the name of the position hardly matters, at this stage in your career, you are primarily perceived as knowledge heavy but still lack experience, like being straight out of IT school.
You’ll likely spend a lot of time developing your coding skills. Coding certain applications can even be a challenge, but this is your chance to learn the software development lifecycle.
1.2 Senior Developer:
You reach this rank after about three to four years of experience. By this time, it is assumed that you are already proficient in writing complex software applications.
You will also have gained a more in-depth knowledge of databases and algorithms. It is also assumed that you are now fully aware of the entire software/application lifecycle.
1.3 Lead Architect:
You will now be responsible for designing the entire software system. You now oversee the day-to-day coding which is implemented by a team of junior developers.
It is assumed that your technical skills exceed those having junior and senior developer positions.
1.4 Mid-Level Manager:
At this stage, it is assumed that you don’t only have technical and supervisory skills, but management and business skills as well.
You would either be a product manager, developer manager, or a project manager. It is assumed that by this time, you would have developed strong leadership skills already to lead a large number of subordinates.
1.5 Senior Leader:
At this stage, you’ll be handling less coding related matters but more business related matters. You’ll likely be handling mid-level managers from both the technical and business divisions of your company.
Your job would most likely consist of guiding and motivating your team to achieving company goals.
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2. What Coders Do
Here’s a list of company tasks that a coder typically does:
2.1 Develop in-house software programs that are fully working which meets the company’s expectations.
2.2 Exhaustively test software code and debug & fix existing software bugs.
2.3 Solve technical and company problems which relates to their coding job by collaborating with teams and management to produce unique solutions.
2.4 Perform regular coding and workplace audits to identify any work inefficiencies and resolve them immediately.
2.5 Raise any concerns with the management regarding issues related to coding work.
2.6 Write and update technical documents like specifications and manuals for internal company reference and external customer reference.
2.7 Conduct trainings and seminars for both internal company employees and external company customers.
2.8 Promote coding projects to both internal company management and external company customers.
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3. How to Become a Coder
There are a variety of paths you can take to have coding as a career. Regardless of how you start your career, you’ll need a combination of educational training and real-world experience. Here are a few educational trainings that can help you:
3.1 Free Education: There are many free websites and online tutorials that can teach you how to code. YouTube alone consists of a lot of free video tutorials designed for the complete beginner to the most seasoned professionals.
While many people find this kind of learning method extremely useful, others are overwhelmed by the non-structured approach to learning.
3.2 Degrees: Having a computer bachelor’s degree like a Computer Science degree is the traditional approach many people take to learn coding and computers in general.
But they can take four years to complete and can be expensive. For example, in the US, it can cost up to USD 140,000 in tuition fees.
3.3 Educational Certification: Just like a degree, educational certifications are proof of your skills in a particular discipline. However, unlike degrees, educational certificates are much cheaper and takes less time to complete.
There are even educational certifications that are a must have for coding jobs. For example, there are MicroSoft, Google, AWS, Oracle and other educational certifications that must be had by a coder before they can apply to certain tech company jobs.
3.4 Courses and/or Bootcamps: If you think that you don’t have four years to spare before starting your coding career, you might want to consider computer coding courses and/or coding bootcamps.
These specialist learning programs are designed to teach you everything you need to begin your coding career.
Take note that you might need supplementary education or knowledge later on to advance your coding skills.
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4. How to Land a Coding Job
Here are the steps you need to land a coding job:
4.1 Identify your career objective:
Coding and the IT field is very vast. There are a number of careers that are available for coders. Begin with the end in mind or else you would become lost in your coding career.
Choose which field of coding you want to specialize. Would it be web development, mobile development, database management, and so on?
Take note that it takes a long time for one to be a specialist in a certain coding field, do not waste your time pursuing coding technologies and knowledge that would not lead you in your desired coding career.
4.2 Gain coding and programming skills:
Learn the particular technologies and programming languages that would lead you into your desired coding career.
There is a vast array of technologies and programming languages you need to learn in order to be a good coder.
For example, in web development alone, you’ll need to learn at the minimum these programming languages: HTML, CSS, PHP, XML, C, C++ and if you really need to be good, you also need to learn JAVA and JavaScript.
You’ll also need to learn these basic computer concepts such as: algorithms, APIs, arrays, databases, data structure, functions, loops, version control, and so on.
4.3 Earn paid and free certifications:
There are many paid and free certifications available especially online. The internet contains a wealth of coding certifications offered from all over the world.
It might be entirely possible for an aspiring coder from Asia to get certifications from the West and vice versa.
4.4 Create Your Portfolio:
Nowadays, there are coding companies that demand coding portfolios from coding job applicants.
Your coding portfolio could be as simple as all the coding projects you have developed while you are still learning coding. It could also be as complex as the coding projects you did for your clients.
4.5 Prepare your resume and for job interviews:
Do not underestimate the power of a well prepared resume. Usually, your resume is your first point of contact from a prospective employer or recruiter. Believe in the saying: “First impressions last.”
You must also prepare for job interviews by rehearsing and polishing your job interview handling skills.
4.6 Pad your resume with internships: If you can’t get a full-time coding job, you might want to consider first an internship. Although internships have a bad reputation, they can indeed be used to pad your resume.
4.7 Get a mentor:
A mentor not only is a great help in making you more proficient with coding, they can also assist you in finding a job.
Your mentors can come from anywhere. They can come from your school, friends, family, neighbors and even acquaintances.
4.8 Network:
Network as much as you can as if your life depended on it. You could network in your school, while attending seminars, thru professional organizations, and so on. Ask for job referrals and recommendation letters, if possible.
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5. Common Coder Salaries
Notes:
1. BLS pertains to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Job demand and salary figures are for the US job market only.
While most jobs in the US are projected to grow by about 5% from 2021-2031, computer and information technology jobs are projected to grow by about 15%.
With the continued high demand for coding professionals, it is expected that they would continue to receive above industry wages as compared to other less in-demand professions.
According to the BLS, the average yearly salary for computer and information technology jobs as of May 2021 was about USD 97,500, which is over USD 50,000 more than the average yearly salary for all jobs.
Tech professionals who hold a bachelor's degree make on average more than professionals who do not have a degree.
Tech professionals with bachelor's degrees make an average of USD 81,000, according to the September 2022 Payscale data. Payscale also reports that those with associate degrees only, make an average of USD 66,000 as of September 2022.
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6. Top Coding Jobs
Notes:
1. BLS pertains to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Job demand and salary figures are for the US job market only.
6.1 Computer Programmer:
- Expected Job Demand: -10%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD 93,000
- Job Description: Codes, tests and maintains software code. Collaborates and/or takes instructions from software developers and engineers. Requires keen problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Common Education Requirements: A bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics and/or coding bootcamp certificate.
6.2 Network Administrator:
- Expected Job Demand: +3%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD 80,600
- Job Description: Does essential repairs to computer server problems. Updates networks and perform routine tasks such as giving network access to new employees. Also handles/administers any hardware or software upgrades. May also double as tech support for the staff.
- Common Education Requirements: Associate degree or certificate from a coding bootcamp or preferably a bachelor's in computer science.
6.3 Computer Systems Engineer:
- Expected Job Demand: +5%
- Average Annual Salary (November 2022): USD 82,000
- Job Description: Configures, Programs, and Oversees the daily technical and business operations of an organization's networks and infrastructure. Requires an understanding of engineering principles and project management.
- Common Education Requirements: Bachelor's degree in computer science and/or computer engineering, preferably with a master's degree.
6.4 Computer Support Specialist:
- Expected Job Demand: +6%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD 58,000
- Job Description: Also called helpdesk technicians or IT technicians, they provide network help or user support to IT issues or problems.
They test and troubleshoot issues with networks and computers or help customers by email, phone, and/or web chat. The job may also include setting up the IT account of new employees or upgrading company IT infrastructure.
Requires IT technical knowledge to service the IT need of customers and networks together with computer systems administrators who often serve as their supervisors/managers.
- Common Education Requirements: Minimum of a high school diploma and/or a certificate and/or an associate degree.
6.5 Business Intelligence Analyst:
- Expected Job Demand: +11%
- Average Annual Salary (November 2022): USD 71,600
- Job Description: Looks for trends & patterns in data and make predictions that is used for management decisions.
To better inform management, they create digital dashboards and reports used to measure a company's performance and make business forecasts.
- Common Education Requirements: On-the-job work experience and/or a bachelor's degree in business administration and/or computer science and/or statistics.
6.6 Full-Stack Web Developer:
- Expected Job Demand: +23%
- Average Annual Salary (November 2022): USD 80,200
- Job Description: Works on client-side and server-side software projects. Creates scalable front-end web and back-end web architecture. Front-end includes anything that the user interacts with while the back-end involves what they don't see.
Common Education Requirements: Actual real-world experience and/or preferably a bachelor's degree in computer science and/or engineering.
6.7 Mobile Application Developer:
- Expected Job Demand: +25%
- Average Annual Salary (November 2022): USD $76,000
- Job Description: Develops apps for the Android, Apple, and Windows smartphones. Debugs, Test, Deploys and Manage applications throughout their life cycles.
Common Education Requirements: Actual real-world experience and/or a bachelor’s in computer science or software development training through a coding bootcamp.
6.8 Software Developer:
- Expected Job Demand: +25%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD 120,700
- Job Description: Also called Software Engineers, they oversee the entire software development lifecycle. They often work with user interface (UX) designers to create interface mock-ups and develop design documentations with other software engineers.
They are also involved in running software tests. During the software deployment period, they fix errors reported by users.
They also are required to optimize code to save companies money on server costs. They may be required to write algorithms or use algorithms designed by other software engineers.
Common Education Requirements: Bachelor's degree in engineering and/or computer science and/or real-life work experience.
6.9 Information Security Analyst:
- Expected Job Demand: +35%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD 102,600
- Job Description: Helps design and manage security network infrastructure and security technology solutions. On a daily basis, they protect a company's digital information by performing SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) compliance, audits, and risk assessments.
They also recommend security enhancements to business and technology stakeholders which includes cloud security.
Common Education Requirements: Real-life world experience and/or high school education and/or a bachelor's in computer science and/or engineering.
6.10 Data Scientist:
- Expected Job Demand: +36%
- Average Annual Salary (May 2021): USD $100,900
- Job Description: They solve business and real life problems using data. They use different data extraction techniques, theories, algorithms and machine learning models to come up with data based conclusions/answers.
They translate these conclusions/answers and make recommendations to businesses and other organizations that sought their assistance.
- Common Education Requirements: Bachelor's in computer science or statistics, preferably with a master's degree.
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7. Frequently Asked Coding Career Questions
7.1 Can a coding program get me a job?
Having a certification and especially a diploma from a coding program can get you a coding job faster than a college degree.
Coding bootcamps have the advantage of working around the problems of busy people, like people who already have non-coding related jobs but want to learn coding.
However, there are still employers who value more a college diploma over certifications and diplomas from coding programs.
7.2 Does coding require math skills?
Usually, all that is needed is a basic skill level in math which is on a high school level. All you need is a basic knowledge of arithmetic, binary math, boolean algebra and introductory statistics.
However, for more advanced coding careers such as being a data scientist or software engineer, you need advanced math skills.
7.3 Is coding easy?
It depends upon the person learning coding. Being interested in coding goes a long way to easily learn coding.
If you are only interested in coding because of the high salaries some coding jobs offer, you’ll likely better off trying some other career which you are really interested in. You’ll have a higher chance of success with it.
7.4 Can I self-study coding?
There are many self-taught coders who have had great careers in coding, they even beat out degree holders in terms of earning, skill and knowledge. There are also employers who value skill over a diploma.
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Final Words
Coding as a career continues to be one of the best career paths. The demand for coding professionals continue to exceed those from other less in-demand industries.
You can attend a college, a coding bootcamp or self-study. There will always be employers who would hire based on certain educational attainment and skill level.
But you must know first what are your career goals. Do you want to be a computer programmer, web developer, mobile app developer, data scientist, and so on? Your goal would likely determine what technologies and languages you need to learn.
Build your portfolio, polish your resume and interview process skills, get free and paid certificates and even an internship, find a mentor and network like your life depended on it.
But don’t go into coding just because of the high salaries currently being given to coders. Do coding because you like it and you would definitely increase your chances of success in the industry.
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You Might Be Interested To Read This Article:
Teach Yourself Coding: 7 Free Steps to Be a Self Taught Programmer
Slowly but surely, the world is being digitized. Even our cars now run on computer codes. Computer programmers are generally well paid and are much sought after.
This is the reason why there are a lot of people who want to learn computer programming. However, many are intimidated on the alleged difficulty in learning computer programming. Computer programming degrees are also quite expensive.
But this doesn’t have to be as proven by many tech entrepreneurs who are college dropouts or never took computer programming degrees.
For example, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame coded Facebook while still attending college. He eventually dropped out of college after Facebook became famous.
I myself never had a computer programming degree then yet was able to work as a computer programmer and IT professional. I learned computer programming and IT by myself.
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